After a period of time is is now appropriate for an update.
At this time political issues need to be overtaking the medical.
In contrast to Europe in particular the US has taken a totally reckless approach to the pandemic in large parts of the country.
There is no significant or useful Federal response at this time. If anything it is the opposite, with actions like closing Federal testing sites. Trump appears to be acting a part from 1984. When he now has anything to say, it appears to the exact opposite of the truth, where an individual would be far more likely in assuming the opposite of what the President says is in fact the truth. He has an echo chamber in individuals like the totally irresponsible Governor De Santis in Florida.
The effect of all this has and is predictably disastrous.
We will see an appalling mortality from this in the next few weeks.
This was all entirely preventable as we now know how to keep the pandemic to low numbers.
It has knock on effects. The State of Minnesota was until recently able to turn test around in less than 24 hours. Mine was posted in about 10 hours. Now because of supply chain shortages we are out to 6 days and rising. This makes doing major elective surgery safely, next to impossible.
These reckless leaders are guilty of multiple counts of reckless homicide, with far more to come. I dread to think what this will look like after the Universities return.
I hope a way can be found of eventually charging these leaders with reckless homicide, they are certainly guilty of it, whether charges can be brought or not.
On the medical front, there is a mutation confirmed in Arizona. So we now have strain AZ. It seems more infectious, there is no reliable data on change in virulence.
A follow up study out of Italy shows 87% of survivors have persisting symptoms. 47% have long term quality of life issues. The source is JAMA This makes this infection not like flu at all. This has been a major concern of mine. So we look set for excess mortality and morbidity for years to come.
This is the information on the vaccine front. A Chinese firm has copied the Oxford approach but will a different viral vector. They say it works and is safe, and are currently injecting the whole of their military. Only time will tell if this is reckless or not.
This is an article summarizing the state of play.
Here is an article addressing safety issues.
Vaccines are key, as they are our only ticket out of this disaster.