The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 210 (710)

The FDA is considering a second booster shot; some other countries have already started giving one. The concern is that antibody levels wane over time. It is easy to measure antibody levels, but they are far from the only active part of the immune system. B cells and T cells may actually offer years of protection. One expert suggested viewing antibodies as front-line soldiers while the B and T cells are backup defenses. B cells make more antibodies, and T cells can destroy infected cells. People exposed to SARS, an earlier coronavirus, in 2003 have T cells that have persisted for more than 17 years.

White-tail deer have been highlighted as an animal that can catch covid and potentially return it to humans. There are 540 animals considered "most likely" to catch covid; a "short list" includes deer mice, red foxes, and feral cats. Some experts advise developing better systems for monitoring pathogens in other species and better understanding of the link between our health and that of animals. Right now, we give covid to animals more than they give it to us. We need to hope that does not change.

Almost 60 percent of New York voters want more data before the school mask mandate is lifted. Forty-five percent say that the state should have kept in place requiring masks or proof of full vaccination in indoor public spaces, while 31 percent say that mandate should have ended earlier. One-fifth say that the timing is right. I find it interesting that people without children at home are most likely to agree with the plan to review school data in March before making a decision. It would be interesting to know the split for people with children between removing the mask mandate earlier and extending it longer. 

Canada has broken up its trucker protest, but one is still going on in Wellington, New Zealand, a protest described as "increasingly ominous." The protest is entering a third week. Officials have blasted Barry Manilow and James Blunt to try to drive protesters out; protesters have responded with Twisted Sister. A rumor about a US truck convoy has prompted the Department of Defense to approve the use of 700 National Guard personnel and 50 tactical vehicles. Rumor has it that the convoy will be timed to coincide with POTUS's State of the Union address on March 1. 

The European Council has recommended that member nations end testing and quarantine requirements for visitors who have received vaccines authorized by the EU or approved by WHO. They have also recommended relaxing the rules for deciding the "safe travel" status of other countries. The new guideline would be a two-week average of fewer than 100 new cases daily for every 100,000 people. The current ceiling is 75. Given that the US rate is 27, travel from here to Europe should be just fine.

WHO's special envoy for covid worries that Britain's decision to drop all rules including general testing is "a line that is against the public health consensus" and could "create a bit of a domino effect around the world." Finally, WHO now considers BA.2 as a variant of concern and will for now continue to classify it as a form of Omicron.