An Update Regarding the Coronavirus December 29, 2021 from Dr. Dubravec
An Update Regarding the Coronavirus
Dr. Martin Dubravec
December 29, 2021
This information is being provided on a periodic basis for patients and others interested in updates regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19, Sars-CoV-2). Facts are provided. My comments and opinions are listed separately. The goal of these updates has been to help the community in keeping informed of issues regarding Coronavirus from a local medical perspective. As a clinical immunologist, I believe it is vital that information be shared with regard to this important issue. If you would like to receive this information via Email, feel free to Email us at aasc1234@protonmail.com. The opinions expressed in this Email are that of Dr. Dubravec. Good doctors can disagree. Readers are encouraged to seek as much information as possible regarding COVID-19. Information in this Email is not intended as a replacement for diagnosis or treatment by your doctor. Nothing in this Email provides medical advice or any form of diagnosis or treatment. Medical decisions should be made by the patient’s physician. All information provided here is for general informational purposes and is not medical advice to users.
Please note that we are no longer using Facebook for posting these Emails. We prefer an Email format for this information.
Fact:
After peaking on November 20, 2021, the number of people with reported positive COVID-19 tests has come down.
Source:
Comment/Opinion:
We are still being notified of a number of people with COVID-19 (symptoms +positive COVID-19 test results) although the numbers of people are less than a month ago. This could change as new variants, including but not limited to the Omicron variant, continue to go through Michigan and the United States. We are beginning to notice milder cases of COVID-19, i.e., less pneumonia and less severe fatigue than in October and November of this year. The numbers of positive tests may also be off as people increasingly have been testing themselves at home. Unless they report positive tests or have tests repeated at a medical facility, the number of COVID-19 patients may be even more inaccurate than they currently are.
Early treatment remains the key. One resource is the following:
Fact:
The CDC published information on some of the initial Omicron variant patients it had documented. In these patients, 79% of them were vaccinated and 33% had received vaccinations for COVID-19 and a booster vaccination. Only one of the patients was hospitalized for COVID-19 and none died of COVID-19.
Source:
Comment/Opinion:
This publication by the CDC represents a small, but informative, view into emerging mutations of COVID-19. As is expected, as viruses mutate and spread, they usually become more contagious but less intense and deadly. Deaths from Omicron are expected to be few and far between. Even though the death rate from COVID-19 has been extremely low when compared to the number of people exposed and/or who have had the disease, the death rate with Omicron can be expected to be even lower. It is possible, and some experts in the field of public health and virology agree, that this is a great sign that COVID-19 may be going the way of other Coronaviruses in turning out to be no more than the common cold over time.
Viruses often become less dangerous over time because they “want” to survive. This does not mean they will go away. Also, as our immune systems repeatedly get exposed to these viruses, our immune systems become more and more experienced at fighting off the virus regardless of the mutation. Although there are exceptions to this (for instance, with the flu), it seems like COVID-19 infection is offering long-term immunity to the COVID-19 virus. The CDC has yet to publish any report of people who have had bona fide COVID-19 infection who were then noted to become infected again.
We will continue to monitor this situation closely. Our clinical experience in this office reflects that people who are getting COVID-19 now are less sick than those who have gotten it earlier this month and in previous months. There will always be exceptions and we cannot predict the future with absolute clarity, but the news at this time looks good.
Fact:
We have been inundated by letters, gifts, prayers, and a host of other well wishes by our patients and even others who are not patients.
Comment/Opinion:
It is with a huge debt of gratitude that this final newsletter of 2021 ends with my appreciation to all of you who have supported this office with your patronage, trust, encouragement, gifts, and prayers. We have had a busy year, to say this least. For many of you, it has been extremely stressful. Some of you have lost family or friends to COVID-19 or to complications from the disease. Some of you have lost your jobs due to vaccine mandates.
For 2022, we will redouble our efforts to give the best possible care was can for our patients. We appreciate your patience and understanding if we have not been able to reach all of you or reach you in a timely manner. This newsletter will continue in 2022 as long as there is information that I feel is worthwhile/necessary to send out. Please keep us in your prayers; they have sustained us and must continue to be raised to Heaven that we will persevere in our commitment to each of our patients in need. Our office wishes you the best for 2022.
[Posted by Lori DeVries]
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