The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 189 (689)

It hasn't yet been peer-reviewed but a study in England showed that exposure to just one nasal droplet was enough for a person to become infected with covid. The study involved 36 healthy, young volunteers and used a viral strain before the variants we have now emerged. People developed symptoms quickly, within two days, and were most infectious five days in. Infection first appeared in the throat but spread to the nose. I find this fascinating. The researchers are planning more, similar challenge trials. As for the a single nasal droplet, well that's an argument for making sure your mask covers your nose.

Pfizer has responded to the FDA's request for data on its vaccine given to children under five. The dose for a child ages six months through four years would contain one-tenth of the dose given to adults. FDA review will start on February 15. If approved by the FDA, the CDC will review the data. If approved by the CDC, it will be up to parents as to whether their children under five are vaccinated. Infants under the age of one are the most vulnerable to severe illness in that age group. The trial data showed a strong antibody response in children between six months and two years old. Older under-fives had a lesser response. A recent survey suggested that 31 percent of parents of children under five would get them vaccinated as soon as possible. At the same time, only 22 percent of the children ages five through 11 are fully vaccinated, and only 30 percent have gotten at least one dose. It seems that two-thirds of parents not getting their children vaccinated are worried about those children having future fertility problems.

Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, is not sure that it wants tourists back after two years without them. In 2021, 245,900 tourists visited Japan, a 99.2 percent drop from pre-pandemic levels. One Kyoto resident explains, "Kyoto isn't a particularly big city, so too many foreign tourists put pressure on things like public transport. They were great for business, but it was difficult to live a normal life with so many of them milling around. Part of me really wants them back, but another part of me loves the peace and quiet." I guess every silver lining hides a cloud.

Eleven people associated with the Olympics tested positive and showed symptoms; those people are now in the hospital. None is in life-threatening condition. In the last 24 hours, nine athletes and 23 team officials have tested positive. Since January 23, there have been 232 positive tests in conjunction with the Olympics.

WHO's director is concerned about European countries relaxing restrictions even as covid case numbers are rising. He cautioned against thinking that vaccines prevent enough transmissibility that restrictions are no longer needed, saying that "nothing could be further from the truth." He went on, "More transmission means more deaths. We are not calling for any country to return to so-called lockdown. But we are calling on all countries to protect their people using every tool in the toolkit, not vaccines alone. It's premature for any country either to surrender, or to declare victory."

Those who were hoping that Omicron's being less severe would help the US look better in comparison with other large, high-income countries will be disappointed. Deaths in the US are now higher than at the peak of Delta and over two-thirds as high as last winter's pre-vaccine peaks. The US has vaccinated fewer people than other large, high-income countries and is even further behind on boosters, discovering a large segment of the population is resistant to public health precautions. 

On a totally unrelated subject, the NFL team formerly known as the Redskins and, following that, the Washington Football Team, is re-branding as the Commanders. One wonders if this has anything to do with POTUS's new puppy who just happens to be named Commander. Is Dan Snyder hoping to flatter Uncle Joe into a tax break or other benefit? Personally, I wanted the team to remain the Washington Football Team, that name being a lot cooler than "Commanders."