More and more data show that the current COVID-19 vaccines are not as effective as their early claims for preventing people from getting severe disease and death. Since the vaxxed in current countries like Israel, UK and USA are the majority, the growing numbers of death and ICU patients are the data we do not want to see after 20 months.
Now, is the mid-summer. What will happen in this winter … and what else can we do?
Let’s review some not-that-controversial methods (breaking the infection chains) to see if people can do something about this serious situation. Fig 1 shows the COVID-19 Stringency Index of Israel, UK and USA from Our World in Data. This index is a composite measure based on 9 response indicators including :
1. school closures;
 |
| Fig 1 |
2. workplace closures;
3. cancellation of public events;
4. restrictions on public gatherings;
5. closures of public transport;
6. stay-at-home requirements;
7. public information campaigns;
8. restrictions on internal movements;
9. international travel controls.
After May 25, 2021, these three countries started to reopen their COIVD-19 restrictions based on their vaccine confidence. However, the good times seem to be short-lived ...
 |
| Fig 3 |
 |
| Fig 2 |
Fig 2 and Fig 3 reveal the data of the COVID-19 ICU patients and death after the reopening.
But people have been vaccinated and do not like to go back to the "breaking the infection chains" life, even wearing a mask is still in debates (if you like to see visual representations for the importance of the mask wearing, here is for you). Then, what else can we do without compromising the social economy risks ?
The key is testing, and this rule is not only for the unvaxxed but also for the vaxxed.
Lower mortality and serious illness of COVID-19 can be made by early recognition.
This rule is particular important when we see the recent UK Technical briefing 20 (Table 5, page 18) which shows that the fully vaccinated people are the majority of the death [1].
While "the Delta variant seems to produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. " and "fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others." [2], the early recognition of COVID-19 once again becomes the best strategy to prevent the COVID severe disease and death.
Now we have more tools, experienced medical people and better medicines. Regular tests can help to protect yourself and your love ones, even for the fully vaxxed.
=====================================
Source:
[1] UK Public Health England Technical briefing 20 : https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1009243/Technical_Briefing_20.pdf
[2] US CDC: Delta Variant: What We Know About the Science (Updated Aug. 6, 2021):
the Delta variant seems to produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/delta-variant.html
Fig 1 : the COVID-19 Stringency Index of Israel, UK and USA : https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Stringency+index&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~GBR~ISRhttps://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Stringency+index&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~GBR~ISRhttps://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Stringency+index&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~GBR~ISR
=====================================
URI: https://andreasomethoughts.blogspot.com/2021/08/regular-covid-19-tests-can-help-to.html
Old URL: https://andrea-index.blogspot.com/2021/08/regular-covid-19-tests-can-help-to.html
more reading:
Knows when to fight and when not to fight: http://andrea-index.blogspot.com/2021/07/knows-when-to-fight-and-when-not-to.html https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2021-07-05..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=ICU+patients&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~GBR~IND~ISR https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2021-07-05..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=ICU+patients&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~GBR~IND~ISRhttps://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2021-07-05..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=ICU+patients&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false&country=USA~GBR~IND~ISR
