We just finished a very intense podcast on the Doctor’s Farmacy. Dr. Mark Hyman interviewed world renowned scientist Dale Harrison. “Dale is a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience in the biotech industry. He has held multiple VP and C-level positions with companies in the research tools and molecular diagnostics sectors. Dale currently works as a consultant with companies that are developing new clinical diagnostic platforms, including a company developing a CRISPR-based COVID test for the OTC market, and a metagenomics-based NGS platform for infectious disease testing in the human transplant market.” Here are some of the many takeaways from the interview:
COVID VS THE COMMON COLD AND FLU
- The Corona Virus is unique and dangerous. It is substantially more contagious than the common cold and flu. It can wreak havoc on the body while affecting organs along it’s destructive path. The newer variants have a 70% increase in infectiousness and are very similar to smallpox regarding the level of contagion.
- This virus can be deadly. In the absence of a vaccine and effective therapeutics, the death rate is 10 times that of catching the flu. In other words COVID-19 is 10 times deadlier than the flu.
- If you are 15 or older you double your chance of dying in 2021. Let us repeat–for those of us 15 years or older, if we catch this virus we double our risk of dying.
- The virus is unpredictable; there are alot of unknowns. Again, contracting COVID is not like getting the flu. Note: You can get another infection even if you have had COVID!
THE VACCINES
- The current and available vaccines give superior immune protection and afford greater protection than actually catching the virus. The vaccines prevent severe disease and death.
- They do not prevent transmission nor do they prevent you from getting sick. This is NOT the measles vaccine. They minimize the risk of developing severe disease and a serious autoimmune response.
- Studies show the vaccines are very effective at preventing the virus from jumping from the upper respiratory system to the bloodstream. Such a jump can be very dangerous. The vaccines help turn the virus into a bad cold or mild flu without internal organ damage or severe disease. Though they might not prevent infection, they will probably keep you out of the ICU. While they may not be 100% effective, think of them as your bulletproof vest. You wouldn’t enter gunfire without one though there is a chance you could get shot!
VACCINE SAFETY
- How safe is the vaccine? Dale has looked at good data and is very comfortable with the vaccine’s safety. Adverse reactions(sore arm, chills, fever) and allergic reactions(occuring 15-30 minutes post injection) have been low and very managable. Weighing these risks against the unknown and potentially deadly risks of contracting COVID has lead him to further support the vaccines. “A person’s allergic reactions to the vaccine have never caused them to end up in the ICU on a ventilator. COVID-19 does this daily. Regarding the Miami physician who sadly passed away after receiving the vaccine- the chances of this rare reaction occuring is approximately the same chances of getting struck by lightning.”
THE FUTURE
- What does the future look like? Since there is not enough data yet, we don’t quite know. Dale sees two paths for 2021- We must continue to practice mitigation–maintain masking, social distancing, closures, and decreased social density.
- Mitigation measures are very effective against the virus. Masks are 50-70% effective and they are similar to wearing that bullet proof vest in a gunfight. Though an individual can still get shot you would never not wear the vest.
- Current vaccines should be good for a long time because it is a slow mutating virus.
- If we all get vaccinated and the disease turns into a manageable upper respiratory disease-we can reactivate our lives somewhere in between 2019(free for all) and 2020(lockdowns).
HOW WILL DALE LEAD HIS LIFE?
- He anticipates getting the vaccine by March. He has not flown since 2020 and he will fly again with a mask. He will go to public venues, wear masks and be very cautious who he socializes with.
- He will open his activities but they will not be like 2019-he will continue to social distance.
- He will wear masks-he doesn’t like catching the flu.
- He will do some simple things to avoid catching COVID because it is a much more contagious disease. He intends to minimize meaningless contacts.
- He won’t shop like he used to and will rely more on ordering online.
- He will wash hands like it is flu season.
- He will go to restaurants, some music venues, and will invite people over if they are vaccinated and if they are very careful and act responsibly.
- BOOSTERS?
- Dale thinks we may need a booster.- He examined a study of people who had COVID which looked at antibodies and other cells. For some, there was a significant showing of no antibodies within a few weeks of a person having Covid while others had antibodies at 6 months.
- While most people lose immune protection in 2-4 months the average is 6 months. Therefore, Dale predicts we may need weekly ( potentially at home) antibody tests which measure our antibody levels. When those levels drop we would get a booster. Some individuals may need one every 3 months while others may not need one for 2 years. At this juncture, it is difficult to arrive at a uniform standard for everyone.
WILL THERE BE ENOUGH FUTURE DOSES FOR BOOSTERS?
- We may need 10 billion doses per year globally. Dale feels we can manufacture and get them into people.
- Moderna and Pfizer can produce vaccines at massive scales and very quickly. This can be done much quicker than producing the flu vaccine. This is a new generation of vaccines.
- Dale feels the supply side of the vaccine problem will take care of itself as Moderna and Pfizer are now manufacturing large amounts of vaccines. Others will be joining these grand production efforts.
- The bigger problem is to line people up to get the vaccine and then get them to come back for a second dose.
To listen to this informative interview click the link below.
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