(Snippets from the frontline)
COVID-19/BLM: Glitter
COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed as we pursue the safety of “herd immunity.”
Receiving your shot does not guarantee immediate immunity from this virus. It might take weeks for antibodies to build up, and even after that, exposure to a swarm of virus could still overwhelm your system.
I call it “glitter”, and had hoped somewhere a young genius would create a spray illuminating their environmental presence. But science fiction hasn’t caught up with reality.
We use the term “viral load” discussing HIV, but now it can apply to the amount of exposure from a highly infected person. If someone is “loaded” with glitter, coughing on you or your environment increases the chance being infected. Despite receiving a vaccination and having an intact immune system, one can still be overwhelmed and not be able to suppress an attack.
Therefore, even after inoculation, don’t be overconfident you might not be exposed to a large “viral load” of glitter invading your body.
Maintain social distance, wash your hands, and wear masks.
These vaccines will contribute to herd immunity, but we must await the inventiveness of that young genius before we can feel safe.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
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