The White House is saying that if the bivalent vaccines meet FDA standards, they will likely be available in early- to mid-September. Given that September is but two weeks away and CDC as well as FDA approval would be needed, my bet would be on mid- to late-September, and I would not be surprised if things slip into October. Given that I had my second booster in early April, I'll likely go for the next booster as soon as it's available, especially if I can get my flu shot at the same time.
According to the White House coronavirus guru, the White House is trying to "get out of the acute emergency phase" in which the government buys and distributes vaccines, treatments, and tests. It seems that commercialization of some or all of those products may begin this fall. I'm wondering how much each will cost and whether private insurance will cover part or all of the costs.
Near the start of the pandemic, in April 2020, some scientists started looking at the Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine developed in the early 1900s to treat tuberculosis. It bolsters the immune system as a whole, not acting against any specific invader. Could it provide a measure of universal protection? A small study done before the coronavirus vaccines were available found one of 96 people treated with BCG got covid, while 6 of 48 untreated controls did. A Greek trial found that BCG reduced covid infections by two-thirds while also lowering rates of other respiratory infections. On the other hand, studies in the Netherlands and South Africa found no effect. Data from the largest study are still being analyzed. The BCG vaccine is composed of a live attenuated bacterium of which there are different strains. The Tokyo strain is particularly potent while the Denmark strain is the easiest to obtain. The number of doses of BCG that a person gets may also be important. Some researchers currently studying BCG are looking at its potential use in the next pandemic; they believe the current vaccines are effective and don't need replacing.
An article in Science reports on blood abnormalities found in people with long covid. Some are similar to or the same as in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. One is lowered cortisol levels. Cortisol helps the body control inflammation, glucose, sleep cycles, and more. Blood analysis also showed that the body's T cells are still fighting some infection.
The CDC director says that the CDC failed to respond quickly enough to the coronavirus and needs an overhaul. Among the goals would be prioritizing public health needs and efforts to control continuing outbreaks. And I now have CDC guidance to quote the next time someone asks me why I'm taking virus mitigation so seriously:
If you are at higher risk for severe illness, the CDC advises taking more personal precautions than others.
That pretty much sums up how I'm treating the coronavirus for now and possibly longer. I'll test myself over the weekend to see whether covid managed to find me in the Monday crowds at Monticello.
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