Thread by @DearPandemic

1/ Nerdy Girl @drjenndowd (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen.

"Buckle up America."

dearpandemic.org/buckle-up-amer…

2/ And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Things are not looking so good.

3/ Omicron has a significant foothold here, currently estimated at over 30% of current cases in the UK and doubling every 2-3 days 😳. In London where Omicron is a whopping 60+% of the cases, Omicron cases are adding to, but not displacing Delta…yet .

https://twitter.com/theosanderson/status/1471152011747987460?s=20

4/ I got boosted today, which made me really and truly happy. Happy because even before Omicron, it was becoming clear that a 3rd dose gives us an immune response above and beyond the best that 2 doses ever offered.

dearpandemic.org/do-i-really-ne…

5/ Omicron has upped the ante, making boosters a necessity rather than a luxury. Lab-based studies this week showed significant loss of neutralization against Omicron from 2 doses of vaccines—but this is mostly restored by a 3rd dose. bbc.co.uk/news/health-59… @JamesTGallagher

6/ Preliminary Omicron data from the UK (in real people, not a lab dish) support these neutralization studies, finding a large drop in vaccine efficacy against infection for 2 doses of Pfizer or Astrazeneca that is largely restored by 3rd dose.

https://twitter.com/kallmemeg/status/1469350830864322560?s=20

@kallmemeg

7/ Reduction in efficacy was worse for AZ, but a booster mRNA raised this back up regardless of primary series. UK data also showed a higher risk of re-infection after prior infection for Omicron vs. Delta, consistent w/ Omicron having an advantage in immune evasion.

8/ Today confirmed cases in the UK reached their highest number EVER in the pandemic. 😱coronavirus.data.gov.uk

9/ So, we’ve got some major March 2020 vibes going on here, w/ many events being cancelled, people working from home & retreating into smaller social circles.

Most people seem to know at least someone if not several people who are currently infected. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-596833…

10/ The government has launched a *massive* booster campaign, making everyone 18+ eligible as early as 3 months after their 2nd dose & pushing to get this done by January 1. So far over 35% of the entire UK population has received a booster dose–compared to only 16.5% in the U.S.

11/ These #s, combined w/ the lower overall vaccine coverage in the U.S. has me nervous for my homeland over the next couple of months. I don’t have a functioning crystal (or Magic-8) ball, but the UK has often offered a preview of what’s coming in the US several weeks later.

12/ It’s not fun to think about hunkering down again this winter. We all REALLY hoped COVID-19 would be in the rear-view mirror by now.

13/ Despite this sinking feeling, we ARE in a better place. The vaccines have saved millions of lives & will continue to do so. This figure from @jburnmurdoch shows the lower hospitalizations & deaths in the UK relative to the same number of cases in previous waves.

14/ The difference (above) is remarkable, but a huge Omicron wave would still bring increasing waves of hospitalization & death to an already backlogged and stressed healthcare system. Given current vaccination rates, this toll will be much worse in the U.S.

15/ We need to boost up, but NOT GIVE UP on the ground game of first & second doses for those who don’t yet have them. We hear your stories of patient and persistent conversations with family, friends, and colleagues.

https://twitter.com/uche_blackstock/status/1470492956079669252?s=20

16/If you think everyone who wants to be vaxxed is already vaxxed, think again-currently~350K 1st doses given DAILY in U.S. We wish it were higher (or that there weren’t so many left to be vaxxed), but the fact is we’re building that immunity wall higher every day. #WeCanDoThis

17/ Should you be taking extra precautions, even if you are boosted? If exponential Omicron growth is knocking on the door your community as it may be now or soon, every averted infection can make a big difference.

18/ Even if you feel your own disease risk is low, when cases are high we need to be ever more mindful of social responsibility to reduce the spread to those who are more vulnerable.

19/ Now is the time to:

💥 Reduce your social interactions in the lead up to the holidays, so you can more safely gather with those who mean the most. "Prioritize" as per @CMO_England

💥 Mask up in crowded indoor settings.

20/ 💥 Use rapid tests regularly if possible & before indoor unmasked gatherings, especially w/ people at higher risk for severe disease.
💥 Ventilate- outside, open doors & windows, & HEPA filters all help.
💥 Get that booster…or first dose!
dearpandemic.org/precautions-ag…

21/ This winter may be bumpy, but the Nerdy Girls are here for you, on both sides of the pond. #tedlasso @TedLasso

Full post:
dearpandemic.org/buckle-up-amer…

22/ Previous Postcards from the UK (Oct 2021): dearpandemic.org/us-vs-uk-update

23/ August 2020: dearpandemic.org/status-of-delt…

24/ dearpandemic.org/update-from-en…