HERE IS YOUR WEEKLY COVID UPDATE:
WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE WEEKLY INFORMATION SO YOU CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY. COVID WILL BE VARYING OVER THE COMING SEVERAL MONTHS.
WE HAVE CHANGED THE FORMAT TO BETTER RELATE THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE USEFUL WEEK BY WEEK.
RECOMMENDATIONS THIS WEEK
1. WEAR YOUR MASK IN BUSY PUBLIC SPACES AS COVID IS SPIKING
2. GET A COVID SELF- TEST KIT NOW.... TO HAVE AVAILABLE FOR SELF-CHECK SHOULD YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS THAT SUGGEST COVID. YOU WILL BE USING IT THIS SEASON AND WILL LIKELY DO MULTIPLE SELF TESTS OVER THE COMING FEW MONTHS.
GENERAL COVID STATUS
SCOTTSDALE/PHOENIX/ARIZONA:
CASES ARE INCREASING DRAMATICALLY AND THE COVID IS AROUND THE TOWN IN HIGH LEVELS. A CLEAR INCREASE IN CASES AMONG THE UNVACCINATED AND VACCINATED.
BEHAVIOR IN PUBLIC IF YOU ARE VACCINATED:
NOW IS THE TIME TO GET OUT YOUR MASK AND WEAR IT. ASSESS YOUR SITUATION AND CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK ACCORDING TO YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE RISKS INVOLVED.
I RECOMMEND YOU USE YOUR BEST MASK…. N95 OF KN95. THIS WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. CLOTH MASKS…LESS SO.
YOU WILL GET MILDLY SICK IF YOU ARE VACCINATED AND GET THE COVID, BUT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH COVID…. START WITH YOUR MASK AGAIN IN PUBLIC SPACES.
MASKING RECOMMENDATIONS:
IF YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED, GENERALLY HEALTHY, AND UNDER 85…. YOU DO NOT ‘NEED’ TO USE A MASK, BUT FOR NOW, WITH HIGHER CASES IN TOWN, I RECOMMEND MASKING IN PUBLIC SPACES SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVEN A MILD COVID COLD.
IF YOU ARE OVER 85 OR HAVE SIGNIFICANT HEALTH ISSUES/KNOWN REDUCED IMMUNITY, THEN MASKING IS RECOMMENDED. FOR SUCH PEOPLE I RECOMMEND A KN95 OR 95 MASK TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED PROTECTION. REGULAR MASKS WILL NOT BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.
PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH ONE VACCINE DOSE…. AWAITING YOUR SECOND (PFIZER/MODERNA):
14 DAYS AFTER YOUR FIRST VACCINE DOSE YOU ARE ~50% PROTECTED FROM MILD/MODERATE COVID INFECTIONS GENERALLY AND ~72% PROTECTED FROM SERIOUS COVID INFECTIONS. FOLLOW ALL MASKING AND DISTANCING PROTOCOLS
PERSONAL INTERACTIONS 14 DAYS AFTER YOUR SECOND COVID VACCINE (PFIZER/MODERNA) OR AFTER J&J VACCINE:
IF YOU HAVE HAD 2 VACCINE DOSES (OR 1 DOSE OF J&J) AND IF YOU ARE 14 DAYS BEYOND YOUR SECOND DOSE, THEN YOU ARE ~65-95% PROTECTED FROM GETTING MILD/MODERATE COVID, AND VIRTUALLY 100% PROTECTED FROM GETTING SEVERE COVID. YOU SHOULD CONSIDER MORE INTERACTIONS AND OUTINGS IN THE COMMUNITY BUT FOLLOW GENERAL MASKING AND DISTANCING PROTOCOLS.
PERSONAL INTERACTIONS IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD ANY COVID VACCINATION:
FOLLOW ALL MASKING AND DISTANCING PROTOCOLS 100%. COVID IS LOWER CURRENTLY. REDUCING RISK IS NOT THE SAME AS ELIMINATING RISK. THOSE AT THE HIGHEST RISK WHO ARE UNVACCINATED SHOULD NOT BE TAKING ANY CHANCES, PERIOD!
BOOSTER SHOTS:
AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO EVIDENCE A BOOSTER SHOT WILL BE NEEDED FOR ANY OF THE VACCINATIONS (PFIZER/MODERNA/J&J).
THE STATE OF ARIZONA HAS WARNED PROVIDERS NOT TO PROVIDE A 3RD VACCINE AT THIS TIME BASED ON THE CURRENT DATA AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE IMMUNIZATIONS ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE (93% OR MORE) AT PREVENTING SERIOUS ILLNESS.
IF YOU ARE IMMUNE COMPROMISED DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES OR IMMUNE SUPPRESSING MEDICATION, OR IF YOU DID NOT GENERATE A PROVEN COVID ANTIBODY RESPONSE, THEN A BOOSTER SHOT MAY BE RECOMMENDED IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE ARE AWAITING INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS FRONT.
VACCINATION RATES ARIZONA:
45% (+0%) ARE FULLY VACCINATED.
53% (+1%) PARTIALLY VACCINATED.
WE ARE DOING OK…BUT NOT IN THE TOP ECHELON OF STATES.
DELTA VARIANT (INDIA VARIANT)
IS INCREASING DRAMATICALLY AND IS MORE CONTAGIOUS.
83% OF CASES IN THE US ARE DELTA
IF YOU ARE VACCINATED
YOU ARE PROTECTED AGAINST ALL KNOWN VARIANTS INCLUDING THE NEW INDIA ‘DELTA’ VARIANT (BETWEEN 65-95% PROTECTED FROM MILD INFECTION AND 95+% FROM SEVERE INFECTION).
WHAT IF I FEEL SICK WITH SYMPTOMS OF A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION?
I RECOMMEND YOU OBTAIN A SELF TEST KIT FROM YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY OR AMAZON AT ABOUT $24 FOR A KIT OF TWO TESTS. THESE ARE USEFUL FOR TESTING IF YOU HAVE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS THAT MAY BE COVID. THIS APPLIES TO THE VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED.
CHECKING YOURSELF IS APPROPRIATE AT THIS POINT FORWARD. ALL PATIENTS WHO HAVE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS SHOULD COVID SELF TEST FIRST, BEFORE THEY ARE IN CONTACT OR PLAN TO COME INTO OUR OFFICE. IF THEY HAVE A POSITIVE COVID RESULT THEY SHOULD NOT COME INTO OUR OFFICE, BUT PLEASE NOTIFY US.
WHAT IF I GET COVID DESPITE BEING VACCINATED?
IF YOU ARE VACCINATED AND YOU GET COVID IT WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE A MILD ILLNESS. I HAVE LABELED THIS A ‘COVID COLD’
THE RISK FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS IS VERY REMOTE. THERE IS NO WORRY IN THIS SITUATION. CONSIDER THIS VERY MUCH LIKE YOU WOULD FLU EXPOSURE DURING WINTER FLU SEASON…. BE ATTENTIVE, BUT NOT WORRIED.
AND PLEASE WAIT 10 DAYS FROM BEGINNING OF SYMPTOMS TO BE AROUND OTHERS.
TESTING FOR COVID IN PATIENTS WHO ARE VACCINATED IS NECESSARY WITH ANY SIGNIFICANT RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS.
HOW DO I GET TESTED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVE COVID INFECTION?
TESTING SHOULD BE DONE AT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OR BY A SELF-TEST FROM YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY. YOU MAY PURCHASE A HOME TEST KIT FROM AMAZON FOR ABOUT $24 FOR A BOX OF 2 TESTS.
TESTING SHOULD BE DONE AT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OR BY A SELF-TEST FROM YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY.
YOU MAY PURCHASE A HOME TEST KIT FROM AMAZON OR YOU CAN GET SIMILAR KITS AT WALGREENS OR CVS OR YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A HOME KIT FOR SELF-TESTING AT HOME. IT IS LIKELY YOU WILL USE IT BY THE END OF WINTER.
COVID ANTIBODY TESTING:
COVID ANTIBODY TESTING IS NOT REQUIRED IN GENERAL, BUT SHOULD BE DONE IF:
- YOU ARE OVER 85
- YOU ARE ON IMMUNE SUPPRESSING MEDICATIONS FOR CANCER TREATMENT, ARTHRITIS TREATMENT, GI TREATMENT OR SKIN TREATMENT
FLU SEASON:
FLU SEASON IS OVER…. NO MORE FLU.
IT WILL BE BACK IN THE FALL…
FOR THE UNVACCINATED:
YOUR SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY AS THE DELTA VARIANT SPREADS ACROSS THE US. THIS IS MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS.
YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO MASK IN ALL SETTINGS AND PREPARE TO GET COVID. ULTIMATELY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF NONVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS WILL GET COVID.
I AGREE WITH THE CDC RECOMMENDATION FOR VACCINATION OF 12-15-YEAR-OLDS. THIS IS SAFE AND IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THEIR RISKS AND THE FAMILIES' RISK OF INFECTION.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO GET VACCINATED NOW! IF THEY DO NOT GET VACCINATED, THEY WILL GET COVID AT SOME POINT.
WE ARE NO LONGER TESTING IN THE OFFICE FOR COVID EXPOSURE OR ILLNESS, BUT RATHER YOU SHOULD TEST AT A FACILITY OR DO A SELF-TEST PURCHASED FROM A PHARMACY OR AMAZON.
TESTING LOCATIONS CAN ALSO BE FOUND HERE:
To order a rapid test for this summer/fall/winter in case you need…. you can order this test from Amazon ($24 for 2 tests)
COVID IMMUNIZATION:
THE RATE OF PFIZER & MODERNA VACCINATION IS DECLINING NATIONALLY. BOTH OF THESE VACCINES ARE AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE…VIRTUALLY 100% IN PREVENTING HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH FROM COVID...BOTH OF THEM. THEY ARE SAFE FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL AGES.
THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE IS BACK ONLINE AFTER THE ‘HOLD’ DUE TO 1 IN 300,000 CLOTTING RISKS IN YOUNGER WOMEN SPECIFICALLY (UNDER 55). GENERAL SAFETY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
I RECOMMEND THE J & J FOR MEN OF ALL AGES AND FOR WOMEN OVER 65 YEARS OLD.
POSSIBLE COVID VACCINE SEVERE
ALLERGIC REACTIONS:
OCCURRING AT A RATE OF
1 IN 50,000 (VERY LOW)
YOU SHOULD PLAN ON PROCEEDING WITH IMMUNIZATION UNLESS YOU HAVE A KNOWN ALLERGY TO PEG (POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL). .... A COMPONENT OF THE CARRIER IN THE VACCINES.
YOU CAN SEE DAILY TRENDS FOR ARIZONA AND THE U.S. HERE, ON THE CDC WEBSITE…JUST CHOOSE ‘ARIZONA’ FROM THE LIST.
