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Search Results for: herd immunity

What are the rules for family get-togethers with vaccinated adults and unvaccinated kids?

Families/Kids Infection and Spread

A: We offer a few guiding principles. Severe complications of COVID-19 infection are significantly decreased among the vaccinated but infection risk is not zero. Unvaccinated people remain at risk of infection +/- complications. Determine what is important. Maintain as many risk mitigation strategies as realistic. This is not over yet. ☠️ Vaccination greatly decreases the Read more…

What accounts for the recent drop in COVID-19 cases in the US?

Data and Metrics Infection and Spread

Q: It looks like Covid-19 infection rates have dropped significantly in the US since the vaccine became available. Is the vaccine already having an impact? What else would account for the drop?” A: Of all the possible explanations — vaccination, immunity from prior infection, behavior change, seasonality, and less testing — the best answer seems to Read more…

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Data and Metrics Families/Kids Masks Socializing Staying Safe Vaccines Videos

In this live Q&A, Dear Pandemic contributing scientists Drs. Ashley Ritter and Malia Jones will be taking questions about pantyhose, vaccine safety, herd immunity, & keeping kids safer. If you have a question, put it in our question box at www.dearpandemic.org. ➡️ Welcome, Intros, and Announcements (0:00-2:03) ➡️ Should we be wearing nylon pantyhose over Read more…

Dear Pandemic’s Origin Story

By Malia Jones Dec 11, 2020 The first time I heard of the new coronavirus circulating in China was in late January 2020. I was auditing Dr. Ajay Sethi’s course, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, at UW-Madison that semester. One afternoon in January before class started, Ajay casually asked the class: “How many of you have heard Read more…

Is there a timeline for vaccinations for children? Do the “herd immunity” projections include children?

Biology/Immunity Families/Kids Vaccines

A: Trials for children 12+ are currently in progress for both the Moderna (ages 12-17; still enrolling!) and Pfizer (ages 12-15; done enrolling!) vaccines with the most optimistic timeline for vaccine approval in kids 12+ by the start of the 2021 school year. Children will need to be vaccinated for us to achieve herd immunity, Read more…

Does someone who has been vaccinated still need to wear a mask and take other precautions?

Infection and Spread Vaccines

A: Yes. We don’t yet know whether the vaccines prevent someone from being infectious. The existing COVID-19 vaccine trials focused on a specific endpoint – symptomatic COVID-19 disease. We know that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were close to 95% efficacious in preventing disease (YAY!!). But wouldn’t we expect the vaccine to also stop Read more…

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Malia Jones

Uncategorized

In this week’s edition of our “Meet those nerdy girls” series, we are introducing co-founder and Editor-in-Chief at Dear Pandemic, Dr. Malia Jones. It all started early in the morning on Thursday, March 5th, when Dr. Jones sat down at her computer and wrote a lengthy message to her friends and family about the pandemic. Read more…

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Biology/Immunity Data and Metrics Infection and Spread Socializing Staying Safe Videos

Drs. Lindsey Leininger & Malia Jones tackle your COVID questions, including what’s up with curfews, immunity passes, and declining death rates. ➡️ Intro and website info (:00 – 3:59) ➡️ Lightning round (4:00 – 9:39) ➡️ Immunity: personal + herd (9:40 – 17:55) ➡️ Curfews to curb spread? (18:30 – 25:15) ➡️ Cases up, death Read more…

What do we currently know about SARS-CoV-2 re-infection?

Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread

A: So far it seems that short-term re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 is possible, but (hopefully) rare. A key question from the beginning of the pandemic has been what is the duration of immunity for SARS-CoV-2. Viruses like measles can provide lifelong immunity, but immunity to seasonal coronaviruses has generally been short-lived (around 12 months). One challenge Read more…

What do you think of the idea of “focused protection” or “shielding” the vulnerable so that everyone else can get on with normal life?

Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread

A: We *wish* it were this easy, but sadly it’s not. While this approach sounds appealing on the surface, the deeper you dig the more the argument collapses in on itself. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: • The death and hospitalization toll even in under 65s would be Read more…

Is it true that Sweden has gotten to herd immunity without lockdown? Should we all be doing what they are doing?

Data and Metrics Infection and Spread

A: No, Sweden has not reached herd immunity, nor have they fared well economically or with respect to COVID-19 mortality. Swedes also voluntarily changed behavior more than is frequently assumed. While there has been a fascination with being Sweden during this pandemic, there are many misconceptions about their experience that are worth clearing up: *Myth Read more…