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Instruction
While young adults may have a lower risk of developing serious complications, they do tend to have a higher chance of spreading the virus.
AUSTIN, Texas Popular podcaster and Central Texas resident Joe Rogan is sparking controversy online for what he said about recommending COVID-19 vaccines to certain people.
On his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," he advocated against healthy young adults receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
"And people say, 'Do you think it's safe to get vaccinated?' I've said, 'Yeah, I think for the most part it's safe to get vaccinated, I do, I do,'" he said. "But if you're like 21 years old, you say to me, 'Should I get vaccinated?' I go, 'No.' Are you healthy? Are you a healthy person? Don't do anything stupid but you should take care of yourself."
Rogan's no doctor, but his audience is large. His podcast was reportedly the most popular one on Spotify last year.
Doctors and government leaders from both sides of the aisle have encouraged young people to get vaccinated because while they may not get the most severe symptoms from COVID-19, they may be more likely to gather in social settings where the virus can spread.
In fact, a CDC report from June to August 2020 found that COVID-19 incidence was the highest in people ages 20 to 29, who accounted for more than 20% of all confirmed cases.
"Strict adherence to community mitigation strategies and personal preventive behaviors by younger adults is needed to help reduce infection and subsequent transmission to persons at higher risk for severe illness," the report said.
Other health experts including Dr. Mark Escott, Austin Public Health's Interim Health Authority have said that while the likelihood of dying from COVID-19 is lower for young adults, it is possible.
"Younger people are less likely to have severe disease. They're a lot less likely to die. But those chances are larger than zero," Dr. Escott said during an Austin City Council joint meeting with the Travis County Commissioners Court on April 13.
In Travis County, as of April 24, six people 20 to 29 years old have died from COVID-19.
As of April 23, the latest data on theTexas Department of State Health Services COVID-19 dashboard shows 48,897 people have died in Texas because of COVID-19. People 20 to 29 years old accounted for 238 of the reported deaths.
During a CDC Partner Call in October, Dr. Greta Massetti said it is important for young adults to try to stop the spread of COVID-19.
"Although young adults are reported to experience lower risks for severe disease and death from infection with SARS-CoV-2, they can experience severe disease themselves and can transmit an infection to others at higher risk for severe illness," Dr. Massetti said. "There is an urgent need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among young adults."
According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccinations are key to not just preventing illness in individuals, but stopping the pandemic overall.
Currently in Texas, anyone over the age of 16 is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, while those 18 years or older are permitted to receive the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. The CDC recommendspeople get vaccinated "as soon as you are eligible."
by: Kaylee DeWitt, Nexstar Media Wire
THORNTON, CO MARCH 06: Prepared doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the newest vaccine approved by the U.S. FDA for emergency use, sit in a box at an event put on by the Thornton Fire Department on March 6, 2021 in Thornton, Colorado. Colorado entered COVID-19 vaccination Phase 1B.3 on Friday, allowing essential grocery and agriculture workers, people over the age of 60 and people with two or more high-risk conditions to receive a vaccine. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
(KTVX) You may have heard that those who have already been sick with COVID-19 experience worse symptoms after receiving the vaccine. But is this accepted by the medical community, or is it just a myth?
According to Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious diseases physician at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, there is some observational data that those whove had COVID-19 get pretty symptomatic after their first dose of the COVID-19 shot.
On the other hand, most people that havent had COVID-19, take the first shot, no problem, he said. Dont react, maybe have a sore arm. And then their second shot, they can be symptomatic with fevers, chills, kind of feeling rundown.
He said this happens because, for those who have had COVID-19, that first shot is really their booster shot, so thats the shot that they tend to become symptomatic from. And thats completely normal, Stenehjem said.
There is some data and a lot of people talking about this if youve had COVID-19 that you may only need one shot of Pfizer and Moderna because thats truly your booster shot. We dont have any good clinical data on that. Thats work thats in progress, but that is something that may come to fruition that people whove had COVID only necessary only need one shot that acts as your booster, he explained.
Dr. Emily Spivak, from the Division of Infectious Diseases at University of Utah Health, said much the same.
She said published data shows that people who have had COVID-19 prior to receiving the vaccine experience an increased rate of local or systemic side effects such as fevers, chill, muscle aches, fatigue, and headaches after the first vaccine dose versus those who havent.
Its not 100%, but the overall rate is higher, Spivak explained.
And, she said, this makes sense because what is happening since that first dose is recalling the immune system and reminding the bodys immune system that it has seen COVID-19 before, and part of that immune response is, again, these side effects. Its kind of like having a flu-like illness.
If the vaccine is acting as a booster for the previously infected, is there a chance that these people will only need one shot of Pfizer or Moderna?
Thats one thing that has been proposed, Spivak said. Those who have had COVID-19 often have a high antibody response after just the first dose, she explained.
There was some suggestion that maybe one dose was enough and that could be a way to stretch the vaccine supply. That practice was never implemented in the U.S., she said. But it is unknown for how long that antibody response would last compared to a two-dose series.
I suspect a fair number of them would be protected with just one dose, Spivak said.
Though it is still unknown whether or not one dose could be enough for those who have had COVID-19, Spivak said that having two doses of the vaccine is not dangerous by any means.
For more information on this topic, see information from the New England Journal of Medicine included below.
Johnson City, N.Y. Anyone in New York age 16 and up can get a Covid-19 vaccine without an appointment starting Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.
All mass vaccination sites run by the state will take walk-ins for Covid shots starting that day. The state opened walk-in vaccines to those age 60 and up last week.
The state is trying to remove as many obstacles to getting a shot as possible, Cuomo said during a press conference in Johnson City. He acknowledged today that demand for vaccines has eased after arguing last week that supply was still the problem.
Mass vaccination sites around the state have thousands of appointments available, including same-day time slots.
You dont have to call. You dont have to make an appointment, Cuomo said. All the obstacles are removed. All the barriers are removed. Just show up and roll up your sleeve.
Local governments that run their own vaccine clinics will also have the option to accept walk-ins starting Thursday, Cuomo said.
This is our way of saying, if you were intimidated by the process of trying to make an appointment, thats gone, he said. Come in and get a vaccine.
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS
Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources
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Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com
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HONOLULU (KHON2) Hawaii has recorded its first COVID-related death of a child. Officials say the boy was less than 10 years old with underlying health conditions.
Health experts say this should serve as a wake-up call. While severe cases of COVID-19 are rare in children, it can be deadly.
Get Hawaiis latest news sent to your inbox, click here to subscribe to News 2 You, a daily newsletter.
The Hawaii Department of Health says the boy traveled from the mainland to Hawaii with his parents who are both fully vaccinated and had tested negative for COVID-19.
Shortly after arriving in the islands, exhibited symptoms of COVID, taken to the hospital, and succumbed to COVID at the hospital, said Brooks Baehr, DOH spokesman.
Health experts say underlying health conditions probably played a key factor in the childs death. That includes obesity, which is the most common, asthma, and any problems with the immune system. Doctors say its important for these kids to get tested right away if they get COVID-19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, or a headache.
If they have underlying issues, then definitely they should be more directed by their personal physician to get tested because that could be something that you really need to keep an eye on, said Dr. Paul Eaken, pediatric emergency physician.
He says treating kids early for COVID-19 can make a big difference. However, cases in general are pretty mild for children who dont have underlying conditions. He says about half of the cases dont even develop any symptoms.
According to the health department there have been more than 3,000 COVID-19 cases of children 17 and younger. Thirty-three of them have been hospitalized. Dr. Eakin points out that those who wind up in the hospital can get severely ill.
In children who are actually hospitalized with COVID-19 infection like acute infection, one out of three of those will actually be admitted to the intensive care unit, so theyre actually quite sick, said Dr. Eakin.
DOH says the boy was not tested for COVID-19 before leaving for Hawaii. Children under five years old are not required to take a test in order to avoid quarantine. The state says this tragedy shows that its important to keep taking protective measures like wearing a mask, avoiding gatherings, and getting vaccinated.
As sad as this is, it does serve as a reminder that we really need to do everything not only to protect ourselves, but to protect our loved ones, to protect our neighbors, our community, said Baehr.
While we mourn all victims of COVID-19, todays announcement of the death of a child from this virus is especially heartbreaking, Gov. David Ige said in a statement on Tuesday. Dawn and I express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of this child. The state and counties will continue to make responsible decisions on COVID restrictions based on science, with the goal of protecting the health and safety of the people of Hawaii.
The state death toll rises to 479.
India crossed a grim milestone Wednesday of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse.
The health ministry reported a single-day record 3,293 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing Indias total fatalities to 201,187, as the worlds second most populous country endures its darkest chapter of the pandemic yet.
The country also reported 362,757 new infections, a new global record, which raised the overall total past 17.9 million. The previous high of 350,000 on Monday had capped a five-day streak of recording the largest single-day increases in any country throughout the pandemic.
India, a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, is the fourth to cross 200,000 deaths, behind the United States, Brazil and Mexico. And as in many nations, experts believe the coronavirus infections and fatalities in India aresevere undercounts.
The first known COVID-19 death in India happened on March 12, 2020, in southern Karnataka state. It took five months to reach the first 50,000 dead. The toll hit 100,000 deaths in the next two months in October 2020 and 150,000 three months later in January this year. Deaths slowed until mid-March, only to sharply rise again.
For the past week, more than 2,000 Indians have died every day.
India thought it had weathered the worst of the pandemic last year, but the virus is now racing through its population and systems are beginning to collapse.
Hospitalizations and deaths have reached record highs,overwhelming health care workers. Patients are suffocating becausehospitals oxygen supplies have run out. Desperate family members are sendingSOS messageson social media, hoping someone would help them find oxygen cylinders, empty hospital beds and critical drugs for their loved ones.Crematoriums have spilled over into parking lots, lighting up night skies in some cities.
With its health care system sinking fast, India is now looking at other nations to pull it out of the record surge that is barreling through one state and then another.
Many countries have offered assistance, including the U.S., which has promised to help with personal protective equipment, tests and oxygen supplies. The U.S. will also send raw materials for vaccine production, strengthening Indias capacity to manufacture more AstraZeneca doses.
Health experts say huge gatherings during Hindu festivals and mammoth election rallies in some states have accelerated the unprecedented surge India is seeing now.
They also say the governments mixed messaging and its premature declarations of victory over the virus encouraged people to relax when they should have continued strict adherence to physical distancing, wearing masks and avoiding large crowds.
The national capital New Delhi is in lockdown, as are the southern states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Some other states, too, have enforced restrictions in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.
India has also called on its armed forces to help fight the devastating crisis. Indias chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said late Monday that oxygen supplies would be released from armed forces reserves and its retired medical personnel would join health facilities to ease the pressure on doctors.
Meanwhile, Indias vaccination program appears to be struggling. So far nearly 10% of the countrys population have received one jab, but just over 1.5% have received both vaccines.
Indians 18 and older will be eligible for a vaccine from Saturday.
Meanwhile, the loss of lives is accelerating.
Radha Gobindo Pramanik is among the countless Indians who lost a family member to the virus. His daughter, Navanita Paramanik Rajput, died on April 18.
At first, Rajput complained of colds and fever. But when the 37-year-olds oxygen levels started to drop, her father and husband decided to take her to a government hospital.
Pramanik said she came out of the ambulance smiling but by the time her husband finished filling the hospital registration form, her daughter was gasping for breath.
Before I could understand anything, she collapsed in the arms of her husband, Pramanik said, sobbing.
The present pandemic has devastated our poor country and anguished its people. There are two reasons for this debacle. The first is the dreaded, deadly coronavirus, which has perhaps mutated and become even more infectious. Equally responsible is the ineptitude and mismanagement of those who govern us and have the responsibility to safeguard our health and welfare.
When the infection rate in India had significantly decreased last December and early January of this year, our netas congratulated themselves proclaiming to us and the world their efficiency in controlling the virus. Could they not realise that the second wave of infection was well-nigh inevitable? All countries in Europe, the UK, the Americas, and even developed countries in Asia such as South Korea and Japan, suffered a second wave, some even a third wave, and very often the second wave was worse than the first. Had we anticipated this, we could have buttressed our defences and increased our resources.
Perhaps the powers that be felt that we are Gods chosen country and this could not happen to us. But we are not Gods chosen country for more than one reason. So, not only do we have a disaster, but we are faced with a veritable, continuing tsunami.
To make matters worse, we allowed the Kumbh Mela, where lakhs and lakhs of people intermingled, spreading the virus, and then returned home further spreading the virus. The authorities in the northern states reassured us that all those who returned would be screened, tested, traced, isolated. Who are they trying to fool? The gullible people of our country, of course.
As the virus is tearing through our country, we witness election rallies where thousands of people day after day, standing shoulder to shoulder, without masks, listen to our netas without masks, spitting out words (and perhaps some coronaviruses) for over an hour. More infections, more misery.
Also, note the poor planning of the vaccination programme. Is it not elementary that the supply of the vaccine should relate to the demand? If indeed this were so, why is there a shortage of vaccines in many vaccination centres, with long queues of people waiting in the hot sun more spread of infections, greater misery. Again, how large-hearted we all are! What largesse we possess to give vaccines to neighbouring countries, forgetting the agony of people in our own country, forgetting that charity begins at home.
What, indeed, should we do now? As one who has treated many ill patients over many years, let me give the following suggestions.
First, treatment. Beg, borrow, steal, pay even a ransom to get more oxygen, transport it, and make it available to patients. This requires excellent logistic planning. We are fighting a war, and no war has ever been won without excellent logistic support.
Second, there are only three drugs of importance: Most crucial is oxygen (yes, oxygen is a drug); Dexamethasone administered to those requiring oxygen. If given when the oxygen saturation is satisfactory, the drug may well do harm. Finally, blood thinners to prevent and treat clotting within vessels.
Third, we need critical care for the very sick and more beds to treat more patients.
No other drug has been proven to be effective against the disease. The anxiety and urgency to stock remdesevir, in my opinion, is not warranted. This drug is no cure, it does not reduce mortality it only shortens by 5 to 6 days the duration of the illness. Use it if you will, but let us transfer this anxiety and urgency to getting more oxygen, please.
Vaccination is the key to victory against the disease. It is important to plan the logistics, project deadlines and ensure they are met and fix one price for the vaccine after negotiations with the manufacturers. Different prices will cause confusion. It is also necessary to set up many, many vaccination centres and augment the supply of any vaccine of proven use and safety. All people above the age of 20 must be vaccinated
Set up wardens, police cars in every crowded place in all cities to ensure that masking and social distancing norms are observed. Do not just fine, but jail for a few days, those who ignore this directive. Discipline needs to be enforced on an undisciplined people.
Major lockdowns are of no use but lockdown enclaves within a city found to be rife with infection and disease. Target people within these enclaves for priority vaccination. Test, trace, treat those within.
The television channels mouth platitudes. Where words most abound good sense is seldom found. There are, of course, a few exceptions to the above. I salute these.
Please reduce or stop the daily conclave of doctors who give the same answers to the same questions. There is surely a better way to update and educate the public. A look at how the BBC does this may give a few ideas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his task force are busy fighting the pandemic. I would urge them not to just look at the statistics given to them, or just view the TV channels for the news. I urge the Prime Minister and a few of his colleagues to spend at least one day visiting the hospitals in Delhi to directly hear the dying gasps of patients deprived of oxygen, to see the despair of relatives watching their loved ones dying waiting for a bed, waiting for oxygen that never comes.
I am old and, therefore, hors de combat, but I have trained many of those who are fighting the disease at the frontline, not just in Mumbai but in other cities as well. I am anguished for their safety, yet I know that they will do their duty with courage and sacrifice. All those doctors and nurses fighting at the frontlines are the true heroes of our country.
Oh cry, my country cry, but I know we shall win and smile again. We need to fight as one; we need great qualities of both head and heart, and we have them. We need Gods blessings; we need his help, remembering however that God helps those who help themselves.
This column first appeared in the print edition on April 28, 2021 under the title In battle to breathe, next steps. The writer is emeritus professor in medicine, Grant Medical College and the JJ Group of Hospitals; consultant physician, director, Intensive Care Unit, Breach Candy Hospital; Consultant Physician, BD Petit Parsee General Hospital, Mumbai.
