Category Archives: Vaccine

African Americans Disproportionately Dying

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African Americans are dying from the coronavirus at almost 3 times the rate of their white counterparts.

Black and Hispanic Americans were disproportionately more likely to die of COVID-19 during the spring and summer months indicating that the coronavirus’s toll is falling most heavily on underserved and minority communities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When you consider that African Americans represent 12.5 percent of the population, but account for almost 23 percent of all coronavirus deaths, the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately decimating the black working class communities across the country.

Coronavirus has become the third leading cause of death of citizens in the United States in calendar year 2020. The virus has killed more than 300,000 since arriving on U.S. shores, making it a leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.

In 2018, the 10 leading causes of death for all Americans (heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease, and suicide) remained the same as in 2017. The 10 leading causes accounted for 73.8% of all deaths in the United States in 2018.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a provisional death count related to COVID-19. The deaths counted in that data are well below those compiled from the state and county levels because the provisional count is based on death certificates that may take weeks to filter up to the federal agency.

With respect to controlling the pandemic, Martin Luther King Jr. once declared “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” This is definitely true for epidemiology and controlling the pandemic. To protect the health of all us, we must insure the health of the most vulnerable among us.

How to control COVID-19 is not a mystery — it requires wearing masks, social physical distancing of 6 feet, frequent washing of hands, widespread contact tracing and COVID testing and widespread vaccination. However, these efforts to combat the pandemic require people to trust the science and those behind the public health measures.

In the nationwide fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, well founded mistrust has developed over decades by African Americans of the government, public health officials and ‘the science’ can and has killed a disproportionate share of working class Blacks and other people of color.

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/
  2. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/09/09/covid-19-disproportionate-effect-african-americans-and-how-control-column/5679676002/
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/tech_notes.htm

Vaccination and Wearing Masks

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“Once enough people have some immunity, either because of previous infection or because of vaccination, the virus will have a hard time spreading through the community.” Consumer Reports

Researchers hope that Americans getting vaccination will be sufficient to end the pandemic once there is sufficient supply and enough pf the population gets vaccinated.

In trying to understand the readily available vaccine information and how it will affect the lives of Americans, Consumer Reports has reviewed government guidance and consulted with public health experts to provide insight to their readers about the vaccine candidates.

Vaccination equals two doses

Vaccines require two doses—an initial shot and a booster, taken several weeks later. Generally with a two-dose vaccine, it takes about two weeks from the second dose for a vaccine’s protection to fully kick in, according to Natalie Dean, PhD, an assistant professor of biostatistics specializing in infectious disease and vaccine development at the University of Florida.

Though two doses are necessary, the FDA’s analysis of the Pfizer vaccine indicates that people appear to be somewhat less likely to get COVID-19 within two weeks of receiving the first dose.

It’s unclear how long protection from that first dose may last. And the second dose is still required for full protection, to ensure a more durable immune response. 

Halting the virus transmission

It is not known definitely whether getting vaccinated will prevent you from spreading the coronavirus to others. Thus, preventive measures such as social distancing, washing hands, and wearing a mask will remain important even after you get vaccinated, according to the CDC.

More research is required before scientists can say exactly how many people need to be vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity “. It’s possible that with extremely effective vaccines showing 95 percent efficacy, we might hit the point where communities are protected by the time somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of people have been vaccinated, according to Kathleen Neuzil, MD, a professor of vaccinology and director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. 

It will be possible for vaccines, as long as Americans get vaccinated, to have a significant impact on ending this pandemic.

Severe allergic reactions

In the U.K., public health regulators have advised that anyone with a history of a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine, or food should not receive the vaccine. Two healthcare workers were reported to have had severe allergic reactions after receiving the vaccine. Public health experts worry that the reports could frighten people with allergies and make them think they should avoid getting the vaccine.

From Pfizer’s vaccine trial results, there were no severe allergic reactions. Deliberately, the trials excluded people who had previously had severe allergic reactions to vaccines, a Pfizer scientist said during the advisory panel’s discussion.

The FDA plans to advise that people who are allergic to components of the vaccine should not get it, an agency scientist explained. The FDA’s earlier review of Pfizer’s trial data found slightly more potential minor allergic reactions in the group that received the vaccine than in the placebo group, but none of these were severe, and none occurred immediately after people received their doses of vaccine.

References:

  1. https://www.consumerreports.org/vaccines/your-questions-about-a-coronavirus-vaccine-answered/?EXKEY=YSOCIAL_FB&fbclid=IwAR2LW6PC_JSykJwyG-Kv9ozQkNvxH-1VnYmAby-MJIr8kSJfHm7UwtyH3k8

Herd Immunity and the Vaccine

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Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community ― the herd ― becomes immune to a disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. This makes the spread from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.

Two paths to herd immunity — vaccines and infection.

Vaccines create immunity without causing illness or resulting complications. Herd immunity makes it possible to protect the population from a disease, including those who can’t be vaccinated, such as those with compromised immune systems.

Herd immunity can also be reached when a sufficient number of people in the population have recovered from a disease and have developed antibodies against future infection.

Experts estimate that 70% of the U.S. population — more than 200 million people — would have to recover from COVID-19 to create herd immunity and halt the epidemic. This amount of infection could lead to serious and potentially long-term complications and millions of deaths.

Since the risk of developing dangerous symptoms from COVID-19 may be greater in people who are older (over 65) or in people of any age who have other serious underlying health problems, such as heart or lung conditions, weakened immune systems, severe obesity, or diabetes. And if many people become seriously ill with COVID-19 simultaneously, the nation’s health care system could quickly become overwhelmed.

Until there is widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, it’s crucial to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect individuals at increased risk of severe illness, including older adults and people of any age with underlying health conditions. To reduce the risk of infection:

  • Avoid large events and mass gatherings.
  • Avoid close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with anyone who is sick or has symptoms.
  • Stay home as much as possible and keep distance between yourself and others (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) if COVID-19 is spreading in your community, especially if you have a higher risk of serious illness. Keep in mind some people may have the COVID-19 virus and spread it to others, even if they don’t have symptoms or don’t know they have COVID-19.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Wear a cloth face covering in public spaces where it’s difficult to avoid close contact with others, especially if you’re in an area with ongoing community spread. for health care providers.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw away the used tissue.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Avoid sharing dishes, glasses, bedding and other household items if you’re sick.
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, electronics and counters, daily.
  • Stay home from work, school and public areas if you’re sick, unless you’re going to get medical care. Avoid public transportation, taxis and ride-sharing if you’re sick.

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, everyone needs to continue to use masks, exercise proper hand hygiene, limit travel, avoid congregating, and maintain appropriate social distancing. 

References:

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/herd-immunity-and-coronavirus/art-20486808

COVID-19 Vaccine Safe…Skepticism High Among Americans

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Gallup polling shows about six in ten Americans are willing while four in ten Americans remain skeptical about taking a coronavirus vaccine

Polling has shown that there is lingering skepticism among Americans in taking the vaccines. Most cite the fact that the vaccine has been produced in months rather than the years it normally takes as the reason for the skepticism.

A Gallup poll released November 17, 2020, found Americans’ willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 rebounded. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Americans in the latest poll say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, up from a low of 50% in September while 42% of Americans would not agree to get a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A plurality of the latter said the rushed timeline was a concern. Others cited a need to confirm it is safe or effective. Twelve percent said they generally don’t trust vaccines.

Globally, 61% of the world strongly agree with the statement, “vaccines are safe”, according to Gallup.

Unfounded fears about vaccine safety

“The process of the speed did not compromise, at all, safety, nor did it compromise scientific integrity,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said. “It was a reflection of the extraordinary scientific advances in these types of which allowed us to do things in months that actually took years before.”

Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have all indicated that they will publicly take the coronavirus vaccine once approved and as soon as available to them, based on the priorities determined by public health officials in an effort to promote the vaccine’s use and safety.

Public health officials face an uphill climb in convincing a good share of the American public that the vaccine is safe and to receive the vaccination.

References:

  1. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/obama-coronavirus-vaccine/507-43ebe52f-3ad5-45e1-916f-1386f6eda819?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot
  2. https://news.gallup.com/poll/325208/americans-willing-covid-vaccine.aspx

Immune Response from COVID-19 Vaccine

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Experiencing an immune response was better than getting Covid-19

Many participants in Moderna and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine trials experienced an “immune response” such as high fever, body aches, bad headaches, daylong exhaustion and other symptoms after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine shots.

While the symptoms were uncomfortable for many, the participants said the symptoms went away after a day, sometimes sooner, and that “it was better than getting Covid-19”.

“We really need to make patients aware that this [COVID-19 vaccine] is not going to be a walk in the park,” Dr. Sandra Fryhofer of the American Medical Association said. “They are going to know they had a vaccine. They are probably not going to feel wonderful. But they’ve got to come back for that second dose.”

Both companies, Moderna and Pfizer, acknowledged that their vaccines could induce “immune response” — side effects — that are similar to symptoms associated with mild COVID-19, such as muscle pain, chills and headache.

It’s normal to feel under the weather or even somewhat ill—fatigued, achey, or experience a fever—after getting a vaccine shot. This results from the robust immune response as the body’s creating antibodies, actual protection against the coronavirus. It will happen to a percentage of the people who get the vaccine shot.

In other words, feeling like you’re in the early stages of getting the coronavirus is actually a sign that you’ll be protected from the actual virus. What you’re feeling is the body’s defense system gearing up.

Most vaccine shots mimic a virus entering your body. Immune cells, though, fire off chemical alarms as soon as they notice any virus-like particle. They activate the innate immune system, a generalized response that tries to make the body unlivable for any potential pathogen. That inflammatory reaction can cause a bit of a fever or a tiny swollen lump near the injection site.

The fatigue you might feel comes from gearing up a more specialized immune defense. Tiny, specialized cells called B-cells create antibodies, which are cellular fighter pilots specific to each virus. Making these antibodies requires expending a little extra energy at first, but the payoff is future protection: Once they’re present in your plasma, the antibodies can patrol for future viruses.

Additionally, it takes about two weeks for your body to whip its antibodies into shape; you could pick up a coronavirus in the window between getting your jab and when protection kicks in. That’s why it’s important to make sure you only get a coronavirus vaccine shot, or any vaccine, when you’re feeling healthy.

Not everyone will notice these symptoms after getting the vaccine shot. But if you do seem a bit off, the feeling shouldn’t stick around for more than a day or two, and shouldn’t require a visit to your healthcare provider.

References:

  1. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/23/covid-vaccine-cdc-should-warn-people-the-side-effects-from-shots-wont-be-walk-in-the-park-.html
  2. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/feeling-sick-getting-flu-shot-150519027.html

Vaccines Show Greater than Ninety Percent Efficacy

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“It’s not vaccines that save people; it’s vaccinations that will actually save people.” Edward Kelly, director of the WHO’s work on service delivery and safety

Biotechnology firm Moderna announced this week that preliminary results from large scale trials indicated that its coronavirus vaccine candidate demonstrated nearly 95 percent efficacy at preventing the illness.  This news comes on the heals of Pfizer’s announcement last week of it coronavirus vaccine candidate showed 95 percent efficacy (94 percent for adults over 65 years).

Efficacy refers to the performance of a treatment under ideal and controlled circumstances, and effectiveness is performance under real-world conditions. Clinical trials take place in a controlled environment to test if a vaccine is safe and if it works.

The efficacy rate means that COVID-19 symptoms were prevented for more than 90 percent for Pfizer’s coronavirus candidate and near 95 percent for Moderna’s candidate of participants who received the vaccine.

Pfizer plans to seek emergency use authorization for the vaccine, the company said.  This leave Pfizer’s vaccine on track to go into distribution by the end of the year if health regulators at the FDA permit.

Public health officials warn that the development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine represents the beginning of the challenge to vaccinate the world. “It’s not vaccines that save people; it’s vaccinations that will actually save people,” Edward Kelly, director of the WHO’s work on service delivery and safety, said.

A few of the significant challenges to vaccinate the world relate to vaccine supply, storage and distribution.  For example, Pfizer’s experimental vaccine requires ultracold storage conditions of about minus-70 degrees Celsius to ensure it remains effective.  While, Moderna’s vaccine can be kept at refrigerator temperatures for a month and frozen at minus-20 degrees Celsius for up to six months.

Additionally, there appears to be a steady reluctance among Americans and people across the globe to take the vaccine.  Convincing Americans that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective will be another challenge thanks to the politicization of the vaccine development process by both sides of the aisle.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will ultimately decide whether to authorize vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and other candidates currently in large scale trials based on safety and effectiveness results that have been carefully reviewed by both government and independent health experts.

Health care workers should be given the highest priority to receive the vaccine and given to workers in essential industries, people with certain medical conditions, and people age 65 and older.

Bottom line, no vaccine is 100% effective, and whatever protection vaccines may provide, people should continue to wear masks, maintain social distancing, wash hands frequently, not touch their face and avoid crowded indoor gatherings until public health officials determine and the infection numbers demonstrate that the virus is under control.

References:

  1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/11/16/who-vaccine-moderna-pfizer/
  2. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-95-effective-in-final-results-company-to-seek-approval-within-days-11605699996
  3. https://time.com/5907908/biden-administration-covid-19/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_term=health_covid-19&linkId=104044772

Get Your Annual Influenza (Flu) Shot

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“Protect yourself this flu season with a flu shot” Piedmont Healthcare

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and medical experts across the country are urging Americans to get their flu shot this fall. With peak flu season fast approaching, health experts have emphasized that this year, more than ever, it’s important to get vaccinated for the seasonal flu. 

Additionally, influenza vaccines are more available and easier to obtain this season then past influenza seasons. The CDC recommend that you start getting your flu shot.

Flu season usually starts in the fall and can last well into spring.

Flu season can be hard to predict since it usually starts in early fall around October and continues into spring. December through March are considered peak flu season in the U.S.—the time when most people get the flu. It’s good to be aware of flu season but you should also know that you can get the flu any month of the year. The best way to stay protected is by getting a yearly flu vaccination.

“Out of any year in your lifetime, this is the year to get your flu shot,” said Dr. Jane Kim, a VA physician. “This is an extraordinary year and it’s to protect you and your family. Flu shots are safe and effective. You want to be prepared and protected.”

To accommodate the expected increase in Americans getting flu vaccines this year, more flu vaccines have been orders nationwide than last year to meet the demands and avoid vaccine shortages.

Flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness

Had a flu shot last season? You need a new one now, and it’s best to get it early.

CDC conducts studies each year to determine how well the influenza (flu) vaccine protects against flu illness. While vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary, recent studies show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the flu vaccine. And, the flu shot “takes about two weeks after getting the vaccine into your body to build up enough antibodies to protect against the flu,” commented Jean Moorjani, MD, a pediatrician at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

For military veterans, getting a flu shot will be easier this year. The Community Care Network has been expanded to include more than 60K partner locations where enrolled veterans can get a no-cost flu shot. Community Care Network providers are a vital part of VA’s health care network, ensuring eligible Veterans and their beneficiaries get the timely, high-quality health care they need.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to persist across the United States, it is imperative for healthcare providers that come in contact with patients to get their flu shot this year. And, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses, like flu, this fall and winter is more important than ever. “People are scared to go out,” Dr. Jane Kim said.

According to the CDC, for the week ending October 17, 2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States remains low.

For more information on the flu vaccine, visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm and to find the location nearest to you to receive your annual flu vaccine, visit Vaccine Finder or visit your healthcare provider.

For mor information, view the videos below:

Influenza facts and advice video from the Cleveland Clinic:

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/index.html
  2. https://www.health.com/condition/cold-flu-sinus/how-long-for-flu-shot-effective
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm#howeffective
  4. https://www.flumistquadrivalent.com/about-the-flu/when-is-flu-season.html?source=fmq_c_c_168&umedium=cpc&uadpub=bing&ucampaign=flumist_ub_resources_dtc_sd_exact&ucreative=season_exact&uplace=2020influenza&outcome=udtc&cmpid=1&&msclkid=9db03de7525e16a2211862641efdcf45&gclid=9db03de7525e16a2211862641efdcf45&gclsrc=3p.ds

COVID-19 Prevention: Avoid Touching Your Face

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According to one infectious disease doctor, if you want to stay coronavirus-free there is one single thing you should avoid touching at all costs: YOUR FACE.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that COVID-19 is mainly spread from person-to-person, either between close contact or through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. If those respiratory droplets land on your hand and make contact with any open skin, or the mucous membranes of your mouth, nose or eyes, you may be at risk.

To help control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), health officials say it’s very important for you to avoid touching your face. Touching your face (i.e., your mouth, nose, and eyes) allows the virus on your hands to reach moist, porous surface tissue, mucous membranes, where the coronavirus can enter your body and cause infection.

Not touching your facial mucous membranes, an area known as the “T-zone,” is perhaps the most important step you can take to prevent an infection, said William Sawyer, a family doctor in Sharonville, Ohio, and founder of Henry the Hand, a nonprofit organization that promotes hand hygiene.

“It’s the one behavior that would be better than any vaccine ever created,” Sawyer said. “Just stop this simple behavior. Stop picking, licking, biting, rubbing — it’s the most effective way to prevent a pandemic.”

On average, people touch their faces up to 23 times per hour, and once you’ve been told not to touch your face, it’s suddenly all you want to do.

Sometimes, it’s impossible to avoid touching your face. And since the virus can also live on surfaces for several days. if you touch a table that someone with the virus sneezed on earlier, then rub your eye, you could give yourself the virus. That’s why experts stress hand-washing as a key infection control measure. Wash before and after any hand-face contact, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

https://youtu.be/d914EnpU4Fo

Washing your hands, along with stopping as many other instances of face-touching as you can, is one of your best defenses in helping you avoid getting infected by the coronavirus.

If you touch your face unconsciously throughout the day, think of physically touching something else without upping your risk of bacteria exposure like your elbow or leg.

It’s not enough to simply instruct people to stop touching their face, said Elliot Berkman, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon who studies habits and behaviors; people must be able to “outsmart their habit” or form a different one. One way to do that quickly is to change something in your environment, Berkman said. Wear something on your hands or face that can serve as a cue, an interruption to an automatic action.

References:

  1. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a31287400/how-to-stop-touching-your-face/
  2. https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/infections-and-contagious-diseases/7-tips-to-avoid-touching-your-face#:~:text=7%20Tips%20to%20Avoid%20Touching%20Your%20Face%201,something%20in%20your%20hands.%20…%20More%20items…%20
  3. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/im-infectious-disease-doctor-never-130824101.html?utm_content=buffer77580&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=yahoofinance&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cDovL20uZmFjZWJvb2suY29t&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADaL0SbymCJYTgt_ubjhBliprjDZmkQY_uE26gedT7TZ7ZafQ5gnyFMgwcPrFOGADw7uC7zBgaKcI1qE6vqQqL3ONXN945sFyPA-ilqmkUBBAF4qHb08KA3RoXRqFEtS8VK0xoHpNlbcMXLjhLAV3FAgZ4qzHp2MJJEB2tXpynHp
  4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/03/coronavirus-prevention-face-touch/

Sorrento Therapeutic’s COVID-19 Test

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Sorrento’s COVID-19 test appears to be superior to competing diagnostics, and it just made a good acquisition, while its overall strategy is sound.

Sorrento has produced a coronavirus test which is expected to be approved and then become widely used in the U.S. and potentially around the world.  The company requested emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration for its COVI-TRACK diagnostic test, which detects novel coronavirus antibodies. It also plans to file for an EUA for COVI-TRACE, a rapid salivary diagnostic test licensed from Columbia University.

Sorrento has been even more active in developing potential treatments for COVID-19. The biotech filed for FDA approval earlier this month to begin a phase 1 study of antibody therapy STI-1499 (COVI-GUARD) in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients. It hopes to quickly advance the candidate through clinical testing and perhaps even receive an EUA for STI-1499 as soon as the end of 2020.

a number of test tubes and capsules are pictured under a cool blue light

Source: Shutterstock

Sorrento’s coronavirus test yields results in just 30 minutes, does not require lab equipment and doesn’t have to be sent to labs. As a result, it, unlike other tests, could be used by hospitals, stadiums, hotels, office buildings and other organizations to allow people to safely enter their facilities on the same day that the test is taken.

References:

  1. https://investorplace.com/2020/08/sorrentos-covid-19-test-acquisitions-should-help-srne-stock-surge/
  2. https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/08/24/why-sorrento-therapeutics-stock-is-sinking-today/

U.S. FDA Approves COVID-19 Plasma Treatment for Emergency Use Authorization

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Eradicating the coronavirus, whether it’s through an effective therapeutic treatment or vaccine, is the key to unlocking the economy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s granted emergency use authorization of antibody-rich plasma from recovered patients which may lessen the severity of the disease, but experts suggest further research is needed.

Convalescent plasma therapy is an experimental treatment that some physicians are using for people with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The plasma therapy has shown some promise in battling severe illness. People who’ve recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies — proteins the body uses to fight off infections — to the disease in their blood. The blood from people who’ve recovered is called convalescent plasma.

Researchers hope that convalescent plasma can be given to people with severe COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus. It also might help keep people who are moderately ill from becoming more ill and experiencing COVID-19 complications, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Alex Azar, the U.S. health and human services secretary, said during a White House press briefing on Sunday that the treatment has been delivered to more than 70,000 American patients so far. The treatment, according to the FDA’s evaluation, “may be effective in lessening the severity or shortening the length of COVID-19 illness in some hospitalized patients.”

Source: The New York Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker

Over 400 vaccines and therapietic treatments are under study as researchers rush to produce effective medicines for the disease. And, 32 of the vaccines are in human trials. The FDA says that for any vaccine to be approved, it will need to prevent infection or decrease its severity in at least 50% of the people vaccinated. The goal is to inoculate enough people with a vaccine that immunity spreads through a community, even if not everyone gets the vaccine. It’s called “herd immunity”, according to WebMD.

For this coronavirus, some experts say about 60% to 70% of the population would need to develop antibodies, whether from a vaccine or getting and recovering from COVID-19, to create herd immunity.

Currently, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others from being infected by the virus are to:

  • Clean your hands frequently and thoroughly
  • Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose
  • Cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue
  • Stay home and isolate yourself if you feel ill or ‘under-the-weather’
  • Maintain social physical distance of at least 6 feet from others

Wearing a mask or face covering is no substitute for these additional effective measures.

References:

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/convalescent-plasma-therapy/about/pac-20486440
  2. https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-plasma-treatment-approved-for-emergency-use-but-questions-remain/
  3. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200610/covid-19-latest-updates