Covid-19 Prevention

New data suggest coronavirus immunity might last years

The Economic Times reported on November 18, 2020, in Healthworld.com that most people who have recovered from Covid-19 still have enough immune cells to fend off the virus, even after eight months. The research is the most comprehensive and long-ranging study of immune memory to the coronavirus to date. “That amount of memory would likely prevent the vast majority of people from getting hospitalized disease, severe disease, for many years,” said Shane Crotty, a virologist at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology who co-led the new study.

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Who will be willing to take the vaccine?

With news that vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are nearing approval, and with AstraZeneca not far behind, the World Economic Forum had asked this question in July and again in October: who would be willing to get a vaccine shot? As reported in the The Economist on November 17, 2020, it varies greatly by country.

Coping with Covid

Does having a beard increase one’s chances of contracting coronavirus?

“There's no evidence that having a beard per se makes you more or less vulnerable to the coronavirus,” Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University, told NPR in the spring. That said, “a beard could make a mask less effective.” The final aspect of this question to consider is whether having a beard leads you to touch your face more often with unwashed hands. That's something the CDC and other health experts have said we should avoid.

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Patients denying Covid exists even when they are dying

A November 16, 2020, Washington Post report tells the story of a South Dakota nurse who says “many of her Covid-19 patients deny the coronavirus exists — right up until their deaths. “I think the hardest thing to watch is that people are still looking for something else and a magic answer, and they do not want to believe Covid is real,” Jodi Doering told CNN. “Their last dying words are, ‘This can’t be happening. It’s not real.’ ”

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Covid-19 reminds us of the need to focus on health disparities

A November 17, 2020, Fortune opinion says that “COVID-19 and its disproportionate consequences have exposed economic and health equity gaps and have surfaced the need for a national dialogue and a commitment to fundamentally reform the health system to equitably benefit all underrepresented and underserved communities.” The piece says heart disease remains the leading cause of death for all Americans and that “cardiovascular disease and its risk factors (high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity) disproportionately affect communities of color, rural populations, and other underserved groups.” In addition, “the prevalence of obesity is highest among Black and Hispanic adults in the U.S. Rural communities experience higher rates of risk factors such as inadequate physical activity, tobacco use, obesity, and hypertension, which are associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes.”

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How many people are really infected with Covid-19?

We know how many people have been reported as infected by Covid-19, that 260,000 have died and most of the others have recovered. But how many people in the U.S. really have the disease at this point of time? A November 18, 2020, story in the Washington Post, reports that “more than 3 million people in the United States have active coronavirus infections and are potentially contagious, according to a new estimate from infectious-disease experts tracking the pandemic.” Columbia University epidemiologist Jeffrey Shaman said his team’s model estimated that 3.6 million people are infected and shedding enough virus to infect others.

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The immune system changes based on day and season

A November 12, 2020, article in the Guardian suggests there is a biological reason that explains why people get sick during some seasons more than others. According to the UK Biobank study, which has collected the blood from 329,361 participant and followed more than half a million of them for more than a decade, “white blood cells (you know, the ones that help us fight off viruses) change based on time of day and season. This means that our immune system’s “rhythm” could help us better prepare and treat certain diseases, like COVID-19.”

 

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Covid-19 to stymie viewing of solar eclipse and meteor shower

Astronomy fans will be disappointed in December because Covid-19 will limit the number of people who can travel to South America to see a solar eclipse in conjunction with the Geminids meteor shower. The December 14, 2020, eclipse will track across Chile and Argentina in conjunction with the peak of the meteor shower. Travel restrictions in South America will limit visitors, according to a November 22, 2020, story in the Washington Post.

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Thanks to Covid, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions set to drop to the lowest level in three decades

The Nett Report wrote in past issues that reduced activity because of Covid was not yet affecting global levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), but a Washington Post story on November 19, 2020, reported that U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases are set to drop to the lowest level since 1983. As a result, the United States is now “back on track to meet the commitments made at the Paris climate agreement in December 2015” even though the U.S. has pulled out of the pact. Before 2020, the United States had fallen badly behind its targets under the accord. The changes are still not likely enough to lower the global levels of CO2.

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Flu statistics show minimal cases so far

For the week ending November 14, 2020, the CDC reports that 52 jurisdictions (U.S. states, DC, Virgin Islands, N. Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico) reported minimal flu cases. Two other jurisdictions reported the next highest level – low cases. San Diego County reports that 32 cases have been reported as of November 14, 2020. The three-year average for the same time period in San Diego is 17,073 cases. This reporting is consistent with previous data from the Southern Hemisphere during their winter which showed low levels of flu activity, likely because Covid-19 precautions are preventing the flu, too.

Nettleton Strategies - Helping You Navigate the Big Reset

This is a challenging time for all of us, in a way we have never experienced before. Here are some things you can do to move forward.

Take this time to imagine your future. We encourage you to imagine a post-coronavirus future when you can begin to realize your dreams in a sustainable way.

Assess your current and future status . At Nettleton Strategies, our philosophy has always been that we need to know two things to find solutions and move forward:

• A clear understanding of the status of the current situation.
• A clear vision of how you want your world to be in the future.

With those two benchmarks, you can create a path from your current status to the future imagined status, eliminating the obstacles and identifying processes and resources needed to reach the future state.

Let Nettleton Strategies help! We long ago discarded our flip charts and have facilitated client needs using digital tools. Now we have successfully facilitated client strategy sessions on Zoom. We can do the same for you! Let us help you: 

• Clarify your unique value proposition as an organization.
• Identify clear goals that are measurable,
• Align what you do with available funding.
• Determine who should be responsible for next steps
• Help you to emulate best practices in your field

If you would like help navigating your way forward, contact us to learn more about how we can help!

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Carl Nettleton is an  award-winning writer ,  acclaimed speaker , facilitator, and a subject- matter expert regarding water, climate, sustainability, the ocean, and binational U.S. Mexico border affairs. Founded in 2007, Nettleton Strategies is a trusted source of analysis and advice on issues at the forefront of public policy, business and the environment.