Will they work? Can my life return to normal? Without masks, social distancing, house arrest (lockdowns), etc.?

How safe are these vaccines? Have they been fully tested? What are the side effects?

Information in this newsletter is cited. Direct quotes are in italics, paraphrased (for clarity) have embedded links.

This is not medical advice. You and your doctor should decide how to manage this crisis. 

About Those Masks . . .

I took some heat about my "do masks work?" section in last month's newsletter. So let me state again, perhaps with more clarity, about how I decided to weigh in on the mask/no mask issue.

I have friends and clients in the medical field.THEY are the ones who tipped me off about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) in wearing a mask.

Without exception, they all agreed the N95/100 masks (actually termed respirators) are the ONLY ones that are effective . . . as long as they are fitted and worn properly.

Cloth and paper masks (including "surgical" masks) have limited value.

Why?

Because many (most) of the infections happen because the virus is airborne in aerosol form where droplets are too small to be seen with the naked eye. 

If you can't see them they are small enough to pass through any gaps in the material as well as gaps from an improperly worn mask. So an improperly constructed mask that doesn't fit and lacks a tight weave is hardly more than a placebo offering minimal protection.

The Armbrust mask has been recommended by some friends and one you may want to consider.

In some situations any mask is better than no mask but as cited in the last newsletter "social distancing" and hand washing/sanitizing is more effective than most of the things people do to protect themselves.

All this said, I DO wear a mask in public and avoid crowded places. Some people thought I was one of those anti-mask people who refuses to wear one anywhere.

I am not.

In reading my newsletters I suggest going beyond the headline and actually read the text. It will also help to click the links and read the story behind the story.

Not everyone who tests positive for the virus will have symptoms. Many of those who have symptoms will not require hospitalization.

Research has estimated that up to 80 percent of people (and it may be more) are completely asymptomatic with COVID-19. Not even a sneeze. This is actually a similar statistic to the flu and is common to many respiratory viruses and how they spread among populations. For most affected, coronavirus is a mild respiratory illness that people can recover from at home. For those who unfortunately become seriously ill, we already know from the data that three of the biggest risk factors include: advanced age, other comorbidities including diabetes or immunosuppression, and obesity.

The majority of people who are infected with coronavirus experience a mild or asymptomatic disease which can be treated at home.

Drink plenty of fluids. Drink enough water so that your pee is a pale, clear colour.

Avoid alcohol as this will make you more dehydrated. There is also evidence that people with COVID-19 infection are prone to liver damage, which can be worsened by drinking alcohol.

Get plenty of rest. You should isolate yourself at home if you have any symptoms of coronavirus, and avoid any strenuous activity whilst you are unwell.

Use over-the-counter medicines to treat some of your symptoms.

I know people who have tested positive and have mild symptoms. Their doctor told them to say home and follow directions similar to above.

Of course, seek medical advice  if your conditions worsen.

Glad you asked.

Fifty-five people in the United States have died after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, according to reports submitted to a federal system.

One man, a 66-year-old senior home resident in Colorado, was sleepy and stayed in bed the day after getting Moderna’s vaccine. Early the next morning, he “was observed in bed lying still, pale, eyes half open and foam coming from mouth and unresponsive,” the VAERS report states. “He was not breathing and with no pulse.”

Is there anything else I should know?

China's inactivated vaccine definitely has more solid foundation in safety than Pfizer's mRNA vaccine. The inactivated vaccine technology has been very mature and has undergone decades of clinical testing. But it is the first time that the mRNA technology was applied to the vaccine. This large-scale promotion of Pfizer's vaccine is a continuous process of large-scale testing on human beings.

What else is going on?

One of my resources published this as I was putting this newsletter together.

The FDA is holding up a cheap, durable vaccine currently in use in other countries even as thousands of Americans die from the virus every day.

Medical experts say the bottleneck could be loosened if the Food and Drug Administration approved Oxford-AstraZeneca, a vaccine developed by Oxford researchers that is more affordable than other vaccines currently available and far easier to distribute.

“The FDA needs to stop playing games and authorize the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. It’s safe, cheap ($2-$3 a dose), and is the easiest vaccine to distribute,” says Dr. Marty Makary, a professor of surgery and health policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “It does not require freezing and is already approved and being administered in the United Kingdom.”

I think I will bring this newsletter to a close for now. I don’t want to overload you.

There is much more that could have been included but I felt this was enough.

There are SEVERAL different vaccines being tested worldwide, not just these two. I have neither the time nor expertise to compare but perhaps you will conduct your own research and come to different conclusions.

I planned on having a video but some technical issues and time constraints prevented that from happening.

Feedback is always welcome and feel free to share this with others.

Stay safe!

Bob