The Newsletter presents suggestions how laryngectomees can cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Laryngectomee Newsletter is presented by Itzhak Brook MD. Dr Brook is a physician and a laryngectomee. He is the author of "The Laryngectomee Guide for COVID-19 Pandemic", " The Laryngectomee Guide", " The Laryngectomee Guide Expanded Edition", and " My Voice, a Physician’s Personal Experience with Throat Cancer ".

Dr. Brook is also the creator of the blog " My Voice ". The blog contains information about head and neck cancer, and manuscripts and videos about Dr. Brook's experience as a patient with throat cancer.

Friday, January 22, 2021

Asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19, with or without vaccination

 

One of the problems with this COVID-19 pandemic, from a public health standpoint, is that asymptomatic or presymptomatic persons can transmit the virus to others without knowing that they are infected themselves. Estimates of asymptomatic transmission are 17-20%.

Protection procedure include  isolation (keeping infected persons away from others); and quarantine ( keeping persons who might have been exposed to the virus away from others).

Asymptomatic infections complicate these protective measures since it is impossible to tell who is infected. Current practice is essentially to assume that anyone might be infected and capable of transmission, and therefore masks and social distancing are necessary. Despite trials showing 95% efficacy of the two mRNA vaccines (compared to 70%, possibly higher, for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine), vaccination is not expected to relax the recommendations for continued masks and social distancing. The reasons are:

  • Vaccines are not 100% effective;
  • Vaccines protective effect is not maximized for at least six weeks;
  • Vaccines may keep a person from getting sick but not from transmitting the virus.

Masks (if clean and properly worn) reduce the spread of any mutated strain of the coronavirus, while vaccines may not be as effective in preventing the transmission of newer, more contagious (but not more virulent) strains. There have been several mutated strains appearing in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, California, and other countries and states. As a rule they do not cause a more severe case of the disease but they may be more infective than existing strains.


Based on Dr. Glen Reeves article.




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