I only got a few notes taken this morning before embarking on taking My Mom to a medical appointment. Given things that need to be done here at home, I'll write about those few notes and call it an afternoon.
Only three coronavirus variants have become dominant worldwide, Alpha, Delta, and Omicron. The Omicron subvariant BA.5 is about to join them. "Immune escape" is its route to dominance; you may not have too serious a time, but it will get you given half a chance. The virus's evolution is accelerating.
Three forms of a nasal spray vaccine are in late-stage, randomized, clinical trials. A nasal vaccine would protect against the entry of the virus into the upper airway. Shots can do this, but the protection does not last for any notable length of time. Nasal vaccine does.
WHO says that covid remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a state first declared on January 20, 2020. Genome sequencing is becoming spotty, though, raising the question of just how closely developments can be monitored. WHO's Director-General says, "New waves of the virus demonstrate again that the Covid-19 (pandemic) is nowhere near over."
Finally, a poll done by the New York Times and Siena College asked respondents what they thought was the most important problem facing the country. I can't argue with the 35 percent who said inflation or the economy, but I could have words with the under one percent who said the pandemic.
And there you have it. I hope to have more time to take notes and ponder about them tomorrow.
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