LIVE @NC4HR: Dr. Paul G. Auwaerter of @JohnsHopkinsDOM notes that people infected with B.1.1.7 variant are infectious longer -- eight days instead of five days.
LIVE @NC4HR: Dr. Paul G. Auwaerter of @JohnsHopkinsDOM notes effectiveness of mRNA vaccines in Israel as good as in clinical trials.
Good protection in people over 70, who normally don't do as well with vaccines.
Good protection in people over 70, who normally don't do as well with vaccines.
LIVE @NC4HR: Dr. Paul G. Auwaerter notes Houston has four variants circulating in the city.
LIVE @NC4HR: Keeping viral transmission low is the best way to prevent more variants, says Dr. Paul G. Auwaerter. That includes social distancing, masks, vaccination.
LIVE @NC4HR: Stuart C. Ray, MD notes that a year ago, everyone assumed coronavirus wouldn't mutate much, that it mutates 5x less than flu. But the spread has been so enormous that coronavirus has had lots of chances to mutate.
LIVE @NC4HR: Stuart C. Ray says coronavirus mutating at rate of 22 mutations per year. In contrast, flu mutates 5x as fast.
LIVE @NC4HR: Stuart C. Ray explains how variants develop. If a person stays infected for weeks b/c of weak immune system, the virus has more chance to mutate. Exposure to convalescent plasma/monoclonal antibodies can pressure virus to adapt.
Why are so many variants all of a sudden? Is coronavirus evolution going faster? Stuart Ray says variants are in the fast lane, moving faster.
LIVE @NC4HR
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants. "A little bit of speeding up might be expected, but this is a significant jump."
If infected people die, the virus doesn't mutate and spread. If infected ppl survive long w/ infection, that gives virus time to mutate.
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants. "A little bit of speeding up might be expected, but this is a significant jump."
If infected people die, the virus doesn't mutate and spread. If infected ppl survive long w/ infection, that gives virus time to mutate.
LIVE @NC4HR
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants:
"Convalescent plasma and other selective pressures may be driving evolution" of variants.
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants:
"Convalescent plasma and other selective pressures may be driving evolution" of variants.
LIVE @NC4HR
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants: Why is B.1.1.7 more lethal?
"The number of people infected is the real driver of death. More people will die b/c more people will be infected."
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants: Why is B.1.1.7 more lethal?
"The number of people infected is the real driver of death. More people will die b/c more people will be infected."
LIVE @NC4HR
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants: Picture a smoker with a cloud of smoke around their head. Someone near them is going to inhale more smoke. A person with a coronavirus variant has a bigger cloud of viruses around them, so people near them more likely to be infected.
Dr. Stuart Ray on variants: Picture a smoker with a cloud of smoke around their head. Someone near them is going to inhale more smoke. A person with a coronavirus variant has a bigger cloud of viruses around them, so people near them more likely to be infected.
LIVE @NC4HR
Dr. Stuart Ray: Some infections could be deep in lungs, which aren't detected on a nasopharyngeal swab.
Dr. Stuart Ray: Some infections could be deep in lungs, which aren't detected on a nasopharyngeal swab.
LIVE @NC4HR:
Paul G. Auwaerter says we may need to change isolation/quarantine rules if variants become dominant/ bc ppl shed infectious varraint virus longer.
For this reason, Dr. Stuart Ray says people need to wear masks as they recover.
Paul G. Auwaerter says we may need to change isolation/quarantine rules if variants become dominant/ bc ppl shed infectious varraint virus longer.
For this reason, Dr. Stuart Ray says people need to wear masks as they recover.
LIVE @NC4HR: Dr. Stuart Ray: "Getting a vaccine is not a 'go to the gym free card' or 'go out to bars free card." Given the uncertainty about variants, says we need to be extra cautious. We don't know how variants will spread, be affected by vaccine.
LIVE @NC4HR: Dr. Stuart Ray: If one cell is infected with two different variants, they can shuffle genomes and recombine to create a new, monster variant, with mutations from both and totally new characteristics.
LIVE @NC4HR: Paul G. Auwaerter says we're not likely to vaccinate enough Americans to eradicate coronavirus, which is likely to stick around for years.
Dr. Stuart Ray says tracking deaths doesn't capture the full extent of harm, given the huge number of long haulers.
Dr. Stuart Ray says tracking deaths doesn't capture the full extent of harm, given the huge number of long haulers.
Black and Hispanic Americans explain why they got vaccinated, in spite of high rates of vaccine hesitancy in their communities.
cnn.com/2021/03/05/us/…
cnn.com/2021/03/05/us/…
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