Originally published in Hideaway Lake News Dec 1, 2020
We have all been bombarded by depressing and scary news about the virus for months. But amidst all this, we forget to stop for a minute to think about the amazing and unprecedented things that have been happening in the wonderful world of science and medicine. Today, I am unapologetically going to focus on just good news.
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are being reported as 90% and 95% effective respectively at preventing COVID-19. There are still many questions left to be answered, but even getting to this stage is still an astounding achievement. Historically, new vaccines have taken 10-12 years to develop and now we have multiple viable vaccine candidates, some on novel platforms, within just a few months! The rapid development of promising vaccines is a testament to the advancement in science and technology, rapid access to information, and collaboration among scientists across the globe.
The next big news is the sharp drop in death rates due to COVID-19. One study in New York showed that mortality in hospitalized patients dropped from 25.6% at the start of the pandemic to 7.6% by August, that is a 70% drop in mortality! Doctors have learned how to treat hospitalized patients better. Even though there is no specific cure for the virus yet, they have discovered the use of dexamethasone, Remdesevir and monoclonal antibodies to treat the sickest of patients. They now know how much oxygen to give them and when to put them on ventilators. Research also showed the need for blood thinners in certain hospitalized patients. These are all things the medical community did not know at the beginning of the pandemic. All of these treatments greatly improve our chances of survival if we become hospitalized with COVID-19 now.
Even though the number of cases is surging across the country, the number of hospitalizations is still lower than what was seen in the spring. During the peak in April, there were 900 hospitalized patients on ventilators in the New York public hospital system. In October, when the number of cases was very similar, there were only nine. There are several theories for why the percentage of positive people in the hospital is fewer now. One possibility is that higher risk people have become better at protecting themselves, so it is the younger and lower risk people who are now getting sick with milder disease. Another possibility is that widespread masking in crowded areas may have reduced the amount of virus particles that a person is exposed to, thus resulting in less severe disease. Regardless, it is clear that whatever we are doing now is helping reduce the severity of the disease. So let’s continue to social distance, wear masks and avoid larger gatherings. Let’s continue to stay home as much as possible if we are at high risk.
I see the light at the end of the tunnel and fervently hope that things will be far better this time next year. If we continue to take precautions during the holidays, keep our hospital systems from getting overwhelmed, and get a safe and effective vaccine, we may be back to normal sooner than we think.
Here’s to a happy and healthy Christmas with your loved ones!