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Dear Pandemic

27 Mar, 10 tweets, 5 min read

1/ Q: What is going on with the results from the United States AstraZeneca trial?

A: Despite a *strange* communication week, the new trial results show that the #Oxford/#Astrazeneca is safe & effective. GOOD NEWS!

2/ TLDR: The first results this week were based on data collected in the U.S. through a pre-specified end date for interim analysis of Feb 17th. They continued to collect data beyond that date & have now released updated results..spoiler alert..they are very similar (76% vs 79%).

@AstraZeneca

3/ On March 22nd, @AstraZeneca reported results (by press release) but received push-back on March 23rd from the U.S. Data Safety & Monitoring Board who claimed the press release efficacy was not based on full data. astrazeneca.com/media-centre/p…

4/ #AstraZeneca explained that Feb 17th was a pre-specified date that had been set for interim analysis & that they would release results based on data collected across the entire study within 48 hours. astrazeneca.com/content/astraz…

5/ Overall, it seems like this can be chalked up to an unfortunate communication SNAFU regarding what AstraZeneca was actually reporting out on Monday—definitely a major drawback of "science by press release."

6/ Today, AstraZeneca reported updated results based on the full range of data collected (via another #PressRelease).
astrazeneca.com/media-centre/p…
Results for the dosing strategy of 2 doses administered 4 weeks apart, events counted starting 15 days after 2nd dose:

7/
➡️ 190 symptomatic cases of #COVID19 occurring among 32,449 trial participants (previously 141 cases were reported)

➡️ Overall #efficacy (symptomatic disease) was 76% (previously reported to be 79%)

8/
➡️ Efficacy in people aged 65+ years was 85% (previously reported as 80%)

➡️ NO cases of severe or critical disease or hospitalization in the vaccine group (same as previously reported)

@AstraZeneca

9/ BOTTOM LINE:

Another #vaccine that is highly effective against #COVID disease is on the horizon in the U.S. Emergency use authorization is expected to be requested by @AstraZeneca soon.

10/ Notably, millions of #Astrazeneca doses have already been deployed globally, for example in the UK, Europe, & India.

Once the full study is published, we will take a deeper dive into the detailed results—stay tuned for more Nerdy updates!!

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More from @DearPandemic

Dear Pandemic

@DearPandemic

29 Mar

1/ A: Make a copy, share it with your primary care provider, think before sharing it on social media, probably best not to laminate the original, and don’t panic if you lose it. 📱👛🍩

2/ 👌 DO THIS with your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card:

📷 Take a photo of the card.

Snap a photo of your official #CDC or other government-issued #vaccinationcard in case it gets lost. Take a photo after the first shot, and another one after your second shot.

3/ 👩‍⚕️Send it to your primary care provider.

Upload a copy of the completed vaccination card to main clinician or to your online medical chart so it can be included in your official vaccination records.

Read 14 tweets

Dear Pandemic

@DearPandemic

29 Mar

1/ Do I need the vaccine if I’ve already been infected w/ COVID-19? Isn’t natural immunity better?

A: COVID-19 vaccines produce STRONGER & MORE CONSISTENT antibody responses than natural infection, meaning EVERYONE can benefit from the protection.

💥Don’t give away your shot!

2/ As more people become eligible for the COVID-19, we’ve heard some people who’ve already been infected, especially younger people, doubting whether they need the vaccine.

3/ We now have good evidence that vaccines produce HIGHER antibody levels on average against SARS-CoV-2 than natural infection, & people vaccinated after previous infection get a BIG boost.

Read 16 tweets

Dear Pandemic

@DearPandemic

10 Mar

@shoshiaronowitz

Time to meet another Nerdy Girl! Introducing Dr. @shoshiaronowitz! Dr. Aronowitz is a researcher & clinician studying low-barrier substance use treatment, innovative delivery of harm reduction supplies, racial disparities in pain treatment in the context of the overdose crisis...

2/...the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare, and reproductive/sexual health.

Here at Dear Pandemic, Dr. Aronowitz is the lead on our (rather amazing) Instagram account. We have her to thank for the pithy, graphical & lovable Insta feed.

instagram.com/dear_pandemic/

3/ Prior to the pandemic, Dr. Aronowitz described herself as a nurse researcher focused on health equity, a clinician providing reproductive healthcare and substance use care, and a harm reduction community organizer. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Read 27 tweets

Dear Pandemic

@DearPandemic

9 Mar

@CDCgov

1/ It’s Good News Tues!

Yesterday, the United States @CDCgov issued new guidelines stating that 👏🏼 fully 👏🏼vaccinated 👏🏼 people can safely:

1️⃣ Visit other #vaccinated people indoors--without wearing masks or physically distancing! 😷

2/ 2️⃣ Visit unvaccinated people--without wearing masks or physical distancing, as long as the unvaccinated people (& the people they live with) are low risk for severe #COVID!

bit.ly/3qymfgT

3/ 3️⃣ Skip #quarantine & testing if they are exposed to someone who has #COVID19! But, do monitor for symptoms for 14 days, get tested, & start quarantining if symptoms develop. Remember, symptoms can be all over the map, & might be quite mild (especially after vaccination).

Read 20 tweets

Dear Pandemic

@DearPandemic

8 Mar

1/ A: Celebrate the mild #flu season & take what we have learned this year to inform future behavior. Harmful germs are not going away. 🦠 Illness from bacteria & viruses that make us sick do not “strengthen” the #immune system & contribute to significant complications & death.

2/ The lack of infectious illnesses will not #weaken your #immunesystem. Public health measures to combat #COVID19 including social distancing, masks, & extra hand washing greatly reduced the incidence of some bad microbes that cause common infectious illnesses such as the flu.

3/ More than 15,000 US deaths attributed to the #flu were averted this year. Other common viruses, like rhinoviruses, did not decrease as consistently. #Bacteria & #viruses that cause illness will continue to exist. go.nature.com/2OxkiUv

Read 9 tweets

Dear Pandemic

@DearPandemic

4 Mar

1/ Q: Can I go back to my indoor #fitness classes? 🚴‍♀️

A: The #NerdyGirls LOVE your efforts to stay fit 💪, but best to hang on to those online or outdoor workouts a bit longer.

TL;DR: Heavy breathing, no masks, and indoors is the perfect recipe for #SARSCoV2 #transmission.

@CDCgov

2/ A recent U.S. @CDCgov report described an #outbreak linked to an unnamed fitness facility in #Chicago in which *55 out of 81* attendees of an indoor high-intensity fitness class in Chicago were infected over the course of a week in August 2020.

3/ ❓What precautions were being taken?

➡️ The classes were at <25% capacity, with masks 😷, temperature & symptom checks required at entry. 🤒 Exercise mats were spaced 6 feet/2 meters apart. ↔️

Read 13 tweets

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