CDC, Ivermectin and masks

Good news today – the pandemic appears to be peaking in the United States.

?1.??What did the CDC say last week? There was a bit of confusion as the CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky, deviated slightly from the advice of her advisory board. The bottom line is, as the head of the CDC, she gets the final say on Federal government healthcare policy. First, she agreed with her advisers that people over 65, nursing home residents and persons aged 18 or older with chronic health problems could receive a Pfizer booster shot if they originally received the Pfizer 2-shot series. None of this guidance applies yet to persons who received Moderna or J&J shots. Director Walensky overrode her advisers and allowed Pfizer boosters for healthcare workers, teachers, persons in homeless shelters and those who are incarcerated. The list of chronic health problems for those aged 18 to 64 include: diabetes, heart disease, moderate asthma, COPD, CKD, cancer to name a few. The list is remarkably vague and very liberal in allowing personal interpretation of what counts as a chronic condition. Obesity is even counted as a chronic condition and the guidelines do not specify what BMI should be a threshold for getting a booster -- it has been left in the mind of the beholder… You can see all the detail for yourself at www.cdc.gov

?2.??What is Ivermectin? Ivermectin is a drug used mainly in livestock to kill certain parasites. In humans, in low correct doses, Ivermectin is used to get rid of head lice and a few other tropical diseases rarely seen in the United States. Somehow, via disinformation and social media, Ivermectin has taken on cult level status, just as Hydroxychloroquine did earlier in the pandemic. To be clear, there is zero evidence that Ivermectin has any activity against Covid-19. That, unfortunately, has not deterred some doctors from pushing it and some patients from taking it. Unfortunately, Ivermectin in livestock level doses can be very dangerous to humans. The U.S. Poison Control Centers reported 1,440 cases of Ivermectin poisoning so far this year with Mississippi, Oregon and New Mexico leading the pack. At least 14 persons have been hospitalized and two have died.

?3.??Masks proved to work in schools. Sometimes we think we know stuff, and sometimes we just have to prove it. Masks preventing Covid in schools is one of those topics. Recent data published by www.cdc.gov shows that in schools in Arizona, Covid outbreaks were 3.5 times more likely in schools where masks were not mandated. Per the CDC, “Another report [from 520 counties]?found that during the two weeks following the start of school, the average change in pediatric COVID-19 case rates was lower among counties with school mask requirements (16.32 per 100,000/day) compared with counties without school mask requirements (34.85 cases per 100,000/day).”?The CDC report concluded with “A third report?that studied COVID-19-related school closures and found that despite an estimated 1,801 school closures so far this school year, 96% of public schools have been able to remain open for full in-person learning.”

I am guardedly hopeful that with the combination of falling Covid case rates around the country, and the imminent availability of vaccines for children aged 5 to 11, we will continue to gain ground on slowing Covid.