What does latest research about COVID spread mean for immunity?
Updated: 5:07 PM EST Mar 3, 2022
JESSICA: THE CDC NOW ESTIMATES, NEARLY HALF OF ALL AMERICANS HAVE BEEN INFECTED BY COVID-19. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTISON IS DR. TODD ELLERIN, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. ED: RESEARCHERS CAMEP U WITH THIS NEW NUMBER, 43.3% OF THE COUNTRY, LOOKING FOR ANTODIBIES IN BLOOD SAMPLES TAKEN IN JANUY.AR IT DOESN’T COUNT ANTIBODIES FROM VACCINES .JUST ANTIBODIES FROM SYMPTOMATI AND ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTIONS. NOW, AS YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF INFECTIONS SINCE JANUARY. SO WHAT’S YOUR BEST GUESS AT THE PERCENTAGE TODAY? >> IT’S A GOOD QUESTION. THE FIRST POINT IS TO BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ANTIBODY TESTS THAT CAN DISTINGUISH INFECTION FROM PRIOR VACCINATION. THAT’S WHAT THESE INVESTIGATORS USED. IT’SOS M LIKELY THAT MORE THAN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN INFECTED WITH COVID-19 IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. THAT’S A BIG NUMBER. IT TELLS YOU HOW CONTAGIOUS THIS VIRUS IS. IT ALSOEL T YOU WE HAVE IMMUNITY. THAT’S THE GOOD THING. THERE’S STILL NEARLY 2000 PATITSEN DYING A DIE BECAUSE OF COVID-19. EVEN RHTIG NOW. IT’S STILL BETTER TO GET YOUR IMMUNITY FROM THE VACCINEN THA TO GET IT FROMHE INFECTION. JESSICA: LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT TWO NUMBERS FOR MASSACHUSETTS. 76.7% OF THE POPULATIOISN FULLY-VACCINATED. THAT’S A LOT HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. NOW, 36.5% HAVE BEENNF IECTED, AT LEAST THROUGH JANUARY. THAT’S LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. ANY SURPRISES HE?ER >> LET’S FEAC IT. OUR STATE HAS KICKED BUTT. LITERALLY. WE HEAV HIGHER VACCINATION UPTICK THAN MOST OTHER STATES IN THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE LOWER RATES OF INFECTION. THAT’S EXPECTED BECAUSE THE VACCINES DO WORK. REMEMBER, EVEN THOUGH THE VARIANTS ARE SOMEWHAT OUTSMARTING THE VACCINES WITH REFERENCE TO GETTING INFECTED. THERE’S STILL DOING SUCH A GREAT BJO AT PREVENTING SEVERE ILLNESS AND THAT’S THE KEY. IT S’STILL NOT TOO LATE TO GET VACCINATED. ED: THAT’S THE QUOTEF O THE DAY. MORE COMMUNITIES ARE DROPPING THEIR MASK MANDATES. BOSTON JOINS THE LIST THIS SATURDAY. DO YOU EXPECT THOSE DECISIONS TO RELAX COVID POLICIES WILL IMPACT YOUR HEALTH SYEMST YOUR PARTICULAR HEALTH SYSTEM? >> WEERE WHE T FIRST TO MASK AND WE WILL BE THE LAST TO UNMK.AS REMEMBER, WE TAKE CARE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE. WE HAVE TOE B VERY CAREFUL BEFORE WE DECIDE TO REMOVE OUR MASK GUIDANCE. WE’LL GET OUR GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. WE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL EYTH SAY IT’S SAFE. JESSICA: INCIDENT TO GET A FROM A VIEWER. G WANTS TO KNOW, IF OMICRON IS LESS DEADLY AND MILDER, WHY ARE THERE MORE DEATHS EVERY DAY? ARE THESE DEATHS FROM COVID OR SWA THERE ANOTHER FACTOR SUCH AS CANC?ER >> IT’S SO CONFUSING BECAUSE WE SAY THAT OMICRON IS MILDER THAN DELTA AND THAT’S TRUE. OMICRON. THE REASON IS BECAUSE THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH OMICRON THAN DELTA. AT THE PEAK OF THEEL D WAVE, 250,000 PEOPLE A DAY WERE GETTING INFECTED ATHE T PEAK OF OMICRON IT WAS 800,000. EVEN THOUGH A SMAERLL PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS DIE OF OMICRON, THAT TOTAL NUMBER IS SO MUCH HIGHER THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE PEAK OF OMICRON DEATHS HAS OUTSTRIPPED THAT OF D
Advertisement
What does latest research about COVID spread mean for immunity?
Updated: 5:07 PM EST Mar 3, 2022
“It’s most likely that more than half of the United States has been infected with COVID-19 in one form or another,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, the Director of Infectious Diseases at South Shore Health. “That’s a big number, it tells you how contagious this virus is.”
“It’s most likely that more than half of the United States has been infected with COVID-19 in one form or another,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, the Director of Infectious Diseases at South Shore Health. “That’s a big number, it tells you how contagious this virus is.”
Advertisement