Thread by @VincentRK

Reading this WSJ headline, there is an important clarification:

SARS CoV-2 and its variants are here to stay. But if we vaccinate 80% of the population, which is totally doable, then COVID-19 the disease is NOT here to stay.

1/ wsj.com/articles/as-va…

COVID-19 the disease has brought about utter chaos & turned the world upside down because of its ability to kill 0.5 to 1% of the people it infects, put ~10% of people it infects in the hospital, & leave some with long term consequences.

This won’t happen after vaccination.

2/

A respiratory virus that can easily spread is not enough to cause this kind of life-altering chaos. We already have the flu, the regular corona viruses, the rhino viruses and such.

SARS CoV-2 was new. It was new to the immune system and our bodies were attacked by surprise.

3/

It combined its 𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 to the immune system with its 𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 (the ability to cause severe disease & death) in some, and
𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙛-𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮 by simultaneously causing asymptomatic illness in others.

4/

These important factors was the deadly combination that other viruses did not have. Flu viruses were not that virulent. The original SARS virus made everyone ill so people knew who was sick and who wasn’t.

5/

If we vaccinate 80% of the population, the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to catch the immune system by surprise is gone.

Yes, there may be mutant variants that circulate. But they won’t be able to totally surprise the immune system & cause what COVID-19 did.

6/

If we vaccinate quickly and globally as many people as possible, the ability of SARS CoV-2 to mutate into variants become less.

7/

My main worry is not mutant variants. Or even that the virus may morph into a new more lethal SARS CoV-3.

It is people continuing to die or get very ill from the original virus that landed on us last year when we have vaccines at hand.

8/

We need to vaccinate 24/7 not just our own countries but the world. And do what it takes to approve, manufacture, and administer the many effective vaccines that have been developed.

9/

From my understanding of immunology & plasma cells I find it inconceivable that we will have an enduring COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 or variants if we vaccinate 80%

The vaccines may not be a perfect match for variants but they will educate the immune system enough
10/

Variants may continue to cause problems. But not the pandemic.

Link to my thread on how the immune system operates and why vaccines will take away the ability of SARS CoV-2 to perpetuate the pandemic even if it mutates. 👇

https://twitter.com/vincentrk/status/1353772202076868608