Paper and Threads

Monica Ghandi from UCSF wrote a new Opinion piece in the Washington Post this week and it is worth the time to review some of the main points, since the Delata Variant is now the predominant variant in the US.  "The vaccines work against this frightening new variant, and they remain our best, most powerful tool to extinguish the pandemic here and abroad."  This variant has increased transmissibility, but there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness.  All 3 vaccines in the US produce strong neutralizing antibody responses against it and the mRNA vaccines stimulate creation of memory B and T cells as part of the immune response.  Breakthrough cases are also usually mild.  See Below

Israel reported a Vaccine Efficacy of 64% with the Pfizer vaccine, but "larger data sets from Singapore, Canada, and Britain demonstrated efficacy against symptomatic infection of 80-90%."  The number of cases in the US doubled over the last week, and most are in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated individuals. 

Get vaccinated, get that 2nd shot if necessary, and stay healthy.  I hope to review the latest information on the J and J vaccine on Saturday.  We returned home from our visit to DC, where we were  able to watch the removal of all of the fences and Jersey Barricades from around the Capitol  Saturday - a very exciting day for everyone in the neighborhood who spend lots of time on the Capitol grounds.  

Posted by Shirley at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More Pen/Ink drawings from my early AM neighborhood walks.  I stopped during the cold weather and any wet days but eventually the Covid collages and medical reading took over most of my time.  I'm going to try to take me sketchbook again with me on my walks this summer. 

Posted by Shirley at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are traveling a little further - taking Amtrak for the first time since early January 2020.  It will be wonderful seeing our son Jason and his family after we limited almost all activities and travel because of the pandemic.  Fortunately we saw a set of Jason's Instagram photos every night and were able to follow their family life during the entire time.  I can't wait until we get there and can squeeze and hug everyone.  There will be a break from my Covid Blog/Facebook entries and I will resume them when we return.  Until then I am posting a few of my pen/ink drawings that I did on my neighborhood walks.  Be back here next Wed.  Please be careful, there is real concern that the Delta Variant is spreading rapidly in the unvaccinated.  

A cute doll created with pipes and other plumbing "stuff" in the window of a very old Supply Store. 

Hard to resist drawing hats and an outdoor clock over the sidewalk.

Posted by Shirley at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you are not vaccinated, you are in danger of infection by the Covid-19 delta variant.  The virus searches out the vulnerable and right now we have to be concerned about those who will never get vaccinated - as we watch Covid cases increasing in many states in the US.  Most of the cases have been occurring in the unvaccinated, and the infected group now includes a larger percentage of unvaccinated children <12 years old and a lower percentage of the vaccinated elderly.  

It is possible to be vaccinated with two doses of the mRNA vaccines and still get Covid, although severe disease is uncommon.  Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines had vaccine efficacy rates of approximately 95%, and slightly less with the delta variant.  And J and J just reported strong persistent activity against the delta variant for a minimum of 8 months followup of their original trial subjects.  But that still leaves a small number of people who can still be infected after full vaccination.  The vaccine efficacy against the delta variant is a slightly lower than against the original virus strain (about 90% for the mRNA vaccines) allowing mostly asymptomatic and mild breakthrough cases to occur.  See Below

We each have to decide what level of risk keeps us comfortable.  For people who live in an area where cases are increasing, it makes sense to wear a mask indoors, even if you are fully vaccinated.  There is no good way to determine who is unvaccinated in some group encounters.  If you only had one dose of the mRNA vaccines, like 15 million Americans, the vaccine efficacy against the variants may be as low as 30-35% - and you should definitely protect yourself indoors and get your second dose.    I have been following the daily Covid cases in NY State, NYC, and Manhattan.  They now test almost 100,000 people per day as part of the Statewide Tracking Program and there are <0.5% positive cases in all 3 areas.  Genomic sequencing data of new cases is still being done in NYC on a subset of cases, and the delta (Indian) variant is increasing quickly as the alpha (UK) variant is decreasing.  Our family of 16 is all vaccinated except for 3 grandchildren less than age 12 - and my husband and I still avoid high risk indoor events. 

Posted by Shirley at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)