hi 👋🏼 long-time follower and new subscriber - curious if you’d share your rationale on dropping the masks and what indicators you’ll use to resume masking? I have a hard time gauging the absolute risk of covid with low wastewater levels like this so haven’t dropped the masks yet in my house. I’m terrified of the possibility of severe long covid but I’m also burning out on skipping out on seeing friends, important events, travel, etc. any advice?
I, too, would like to know what your personal masking policy is. Can you please tell me under what conditions you’ve been masking up in the last month or so? I would personally love it if you told us in every newsletter when and if you wear a mask just to give me some more specific guidance. This is the first time that I have written in, but your newsletters have been invaluable to me during the pandemic. I am so grateful to you for writing them.
I'd be interested in discussion of the recently published (ESPIC-SR) study showing lack of effectiveness of paxolovid in patients with "standard" risk factors. It did not include many patients over 65 or with higher risk conditions. I wonder if paxlovid is still useful in such patients.
I have a question concerning hospitilization rates.
I am old enough that I predate the vaccine - I got pretty much ALL of the childhood diseases. I can't remember any of my sibs, cousins, or classmates being hospitalized for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, ... When I did my Ph.D. the university required me to show my vaccination - I told them that I didn't need it. They had me do an antibody test, which showed full immunity.
Why the high hospitilization rate now? We didn't have it 60+ years ago.
Thanks for this update. Re the eclipse-- yes it was awesome (in the original, not trendy sense)! "Science is so cool"-- yes, and so is nature! Nature (not science) brought us this amazing spectacle. Science enables us to experience it with delight and fascination, instead of terror and dread!
I have week-long responses to Covid vaccines. “Worst flu ever” levels of shaking, chills, fever, body aches, etc. I will never stop getting boosters (I have Long Covid; am a year-round masker), but what can I do to ameliorate side effects?
I work at a school in Michigan. I have a student who is positive for avian flu. They do not live on a farm or have contact with animals. It is spreading.
I am also curious about the trigger for re-masking. But right now I'm wondering if I should be getting another Covid-19 vaccine booster when summer comes along? And if so, when does it make sense to do so? I am a longtime Moderna person - but Novovax is available to me - should I try that instead? I understand there are fewer side effects.
Question about avian flu and cats and… lettuce. My next-door neighbor plants a beautiful yearly vegetable garden in his backyard. We also have a lot of neighborhood cats in our area, some of whom he feeds, and my indoor-only cat enjoys watching them frolic through our patio door. My neighbor told me yesterday he might not get to planting his garden this year and that if he did he doesn’t know that he can keep the cats out of the garden beds. They have been using them as giant litter boxes is how he described this. My question is- do you think there could be risk of spread to humans through foods like lettuce that aren’t generally cooked before being eaten? So - bird to cat to cat feces to vegetable garden to human?
For a kiddo under 4 who has one MMR dose, would you recommend fast-tracking dose 2 given the current measles situation? In our case she’ll have her 4yo well visit this summer, and I hope we’ll be offered the dose then. Do we need to go in even sooner for it? Or if they don’t offer it at this visit, should we push for it? (We live in a well vaccinated community.)
I would be interested in your take on an article out of Japan, published April 8, 2024, "Increased Age-Adjusted Cancer Mortality After the Third mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Dose During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan"
hi 👋🏼 long-time follower and new subscriber - curious if you’d share your rationale on dropping the masks and what indicators you’ll use to resume masking? I have a hard time gauging the absolute risk of covid with low wastewater levels like this so haven’t dropped the masks yet in my house. I’m terrified of the possibility of severe long covid but I’m also burning out on skipping out on seeing friends, important events, travel, etc. any advice?
The profile you provide for Clade I mpox is very alarming. Please keep us posted.
I, too, would like to know what your personal masking policy is. Can you please tell me under what conditions you’ve been masking up in the last month or so? I would personally love it if you told us in every newsletter when and if you wear a mask just to give me some more specific guidance. This is the first time that I have written in, but your newsletters have been invaluable to me during the pandemic. I am so grateful to you for writing them.
I'd be interested in discussion of the recently published (ESPIC-SR) study showing lack of effectiveness of paxolovid in patients with "standard" risk factors. It did not include many patients over 65 or with higher risk conditions. I wonder if paxlovid is still useful in such patients.
I have a question concerning hospitilization rates.
I am old enough that I predate the vaccine - I got pretty much ALL of the childhood diseases. I can't remember any of my sibs, cousins, or classmates being hospitalized for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, ... When I did my Ph.D. the university required me to show my vaccination - I told them that I didn't need it. They had me do an antibody test, which showed full immunity.
Why the high hospitilization rate now? We didn't have it 60+ years ago.
And yes, I am current on my shingles vaccine.
Thanks for this update. Re the eclipse-- yes it was awesome (in the original, not trendy sense)! "Science is so cool"-- yes, and so is nature! Nature (not science) brought us this amazing spectacle. Science enables us to experience it with delight and fascination, instead of terror and dread!
I have week-long responses to Covid vaccines. “Worst flu ever” levels of shaking, chills, fever, body aches, etc. I will never stop getting boosters (I have Long Covid; am a year-round masker), but what can I do to ameliorate side effects?
I work at a school in Michigan. I have a student who is positive for avian flu. They do not live on a farm or have contact with animals. It is spreading.
I am also curious about the trigger for re-masking. But right now I'm wondering if I should be getting another Covid-19 vaccine booster when summer comes along? And if so, when does it make sense to do so? I am a longtime Moderna person - but Novovax is available to me - should I try that instead? I understand there are fewer side effects.
Great graphics. The one about measles vac. between communities should be a poster in every! pediatrician's office!
I drove hundreds of miles to get into the path of totality and it was cloudy. It got dark for a couple of minutes. Oh well!
Question about avian flu and cats and… lettuce. My next-door neighbor plants a beautiful yearly vegetable garden in his backyard. We also have a lot of neighborhood cats in our area, some of whom he feeds, and my indoor-only cat enjoys watching them frolic through our patio door. My neighbor told me yesterday he might not get to planting his garden this year and that if he did he doesn’t know that he can keep the cats out of the garden beds. They have been using them as giant litter boxes is how he described this. My question is- do you think there could be risk of spread to humans through foods like lettuce that aren’t generally cooked before being eaten? So - bird to cat to cat feces to vegetable garden to human?
What is current status of norovirus
What are your thoughts on Pemgarda? I'm excited about the idea of feeling more protected, but don't know how to think about the pros/cons
For a kiddo under 4 who has one MMR dose, would you recommend fast-tracking dose 2 given the current measles situation? In our case she’ll have her 4yo well visit this summer, and I hope we’ll be offered the dose then. Do we need to go in even sooner for it? Or if they don’t offer it at this visit, should we push for it? (We live in a well vaccinated community.)
I would be interested in your take on an article out of Japan, published April 8, 2024, "Increased Age-Adjusted Cancer Mortality After the Third mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Dose During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan"
https://www.cureus.com/articles/196275-increased-age-adjusted-cancer-mortality-after-the-third-mrna-lipid-nanoparticle-vaccine-dose-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-japan#!/