Just a few weeks ago, L.A. County faced desperate times because of COVID-19. The raging virus caused ambulance crews to deny transport to patients with low survival chances and hospitals to scramble for oxygen supplies. The mortality rate in intensive care units was twice normal, and air quality restrictions for cremations had to be lifted. As coronavirus cases and deaths finally trend downward and vaccines are becoming available, Drs. Margan and Thad Zajdowicz, retired infectious disease physicians and co-chairs of LWV-PA’s Healthcare Committee, offered their assessment of where we stand with the pandemic during the Thursday with the League webinar on February 4.
“We’re definitely not yet out of the woods,” Margan said. Despite some good news, the virus is mutating, and new variants from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and even California are causing some alarm. These mutations are more transmissible, which is worse than being more lethal, because when more people are infected, deaths can increase exponentially. The variants also have the potential to overcome the protection that vaccines and natural immunity provide. Experts are watching what has happened in Manaus, Brazil, which is experiencing a new surge from the variant, even though about 75 percent of its population was previously infected by the original strain.
L.A. County may also experience another big surge before the virus is controlled. “Now is not the time to relax,” Margan said. She recommended continuing to follow all the protocols we have been using to protect ourselves, such as refraining from gathering indoors, postponing haircuts, having groceries delivered, and postponing all nonessential travel. It is a good time to upgrade to a better mask, such as a KN95, or to wear two masks at the same time. There should be at least two to three layers. Even when people are vaccinated, they should continue wearing masks and making prudent decisions to protect themselves and others, she said. This is particularly important in light of the fact that we are still waiting on sufficient data to determine whether some of the new variants are indeed more lethal as well as more transmissible.
People should get vaccinated as soon as possible for maximum protection with whichever vaccine is available. When the data came in for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, “it was phenomenal,” Thad said. “This is a grand slam several times over.” Both were developed in record time and are safe and highly effective. Vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and other pharmaceutical companies are coming soon. Depending on how the virus mutates and how long immunity lasts, people eventually may need boosters or even different vaccines. For now, vaccines are a good way to stop transmission and prevent severe disease and death.
The process of getting a vaccine amid limited supply has been confusing, especially since people need two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. It should get better, however, and so far L.A. County has been prioritizing second doses for those who have already received their first. The federal government is ramping up a national distribution plan to extend the vaccine to more people with an eye toward reaching minorities and other high-risk populations that have been overlooked. With Dodger Stadium, L.A. County has the largest vaccination site in the country. But more vaccines are needed, as many as 2.5 million doses a day or more nationwide. As of the beginning of February, fewer than 8 percent of Californians had received one dose, which means there is a long way to go: “This is war,” Thad emphasized. “The nation needs to be vaccinating 24/7 to beat COVID-19.” He pointed out that the United States rose to a similar challenge during World War II. “We can do this,” he said.
Thad isn’t sure when we will get to a “new normal,” but it might be in the summer or early fall. Even then, some habits we have acquired during the pandemic will need to persist. More hand washing, working from home, and wearing masks during times of illness will likely be the way we conduct ourselves in the future.
To watch a recording of the presentation and discover more about vaccines, treatments, and the fight against COVID-19, go to the Pasadena League’s website, www.lwv-pa.org. Click on the button for the LWV Pasadena YouTube Channel.
—Mary Pitzer, Healthcare Committee
