Many of you may remember the back door 'drop offs' at my office last year; from masks to wine to funds to carrots! As a result of my Monday post and a request to help Bracelet of Hope get vaccines into the arms of the beloved people of Lesotho, you donated over $12,000. That was unexpected and simply remarkable. A $5,000 donation was dropped off at the back door. I don't have permission, yet, to mention their name but my deepest gratitude goes to all of you who sacrificed your hard earned income to support Bracelet of Hope.
It's hard to practise patience and it may be even harder to remain patient and calm. But, we can do that and we should. The cases in the province are increasing, slowly with over 1000 cases in the last 2 days. That is an important increase. It is doubtful that this increase is due to a new variant. It is more likely due to the fact that we have moved indoors and that we are back to in class learning with only 15 % of our kids under 12 vaccinated.
We can still continue on as if most things are normal. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask and go Christmas shopping. Wear a mask and go out for dinner with a small group and put masks back on when you are not at the table. Wear a mask and attend that low key, everyone seated, everyone vaccinated, no yelling or cheering concert. Attend that hockey game but...wear a mask when you are not eating. Attend outdoor events. These are really safe but make sure you have that mask handy if you are close to someone who many not be vaccinated. And as we do these normal things with great care, we will keep immunizing our kids, encourage third doses and wait....
We are waiting to see if omicron will make a difference. Will it break through our high vaccination rate and how public health mandates?
Two things that are important to remember; well, maybe three.
1/ New COVID-19 virus mutations are a concern but our immune systems are multi-layered. It would appear that our immune system doesn't just produce anti-bodies to one type of COVID virus but it produces immunity to other types with a multi-layer, complex response that will make our present vaccines hold up against this new variant. Vaccines may be less effective at reducing the risk of getting COVID-19 and more breakthrough infections may occur with this new variant but it is very likely that in a community that is as heavily vaccinated as ours, our present vaccines will protect us from serious illness, hospitalization and death.
2/ Here is a picture of what our present vaccines are accomplishing against the delta variant even as the number of new infections rise. Click on this link:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/data/hospitalizations
There is lots of good information on this webpage including the number of hospitalizations and ICU admission which remain low.
Scroll down to the title, 'Active and hospitalized cases'. Follow the table with the number of Hospitalized since November 1/21. It's a steady, steady number. It's a low number. During the peak of the third wave when very few were vaccinated, this number reached close to 2,000 and required another lock down to control.
Vaccines work. You are protected. Make sure the masks become a priority as we watch and wait for scientists to crack the omicron code.
I think we will see a drop in how well our present COVID antibody levels ( from vaccine and natural infection) work against the omicron variant but we will still see great protection from serious illness. That is what counts.
3/ And remember science. This is a lovely quote from the president of the Ontario Medical Association, Dr. Adam Kassam.
"When I reflect on our journey so far, I am still amazed with the scientific progress we have made. The rapid isolation and sequencing of the virus coupled with the unprecedented rate of development of vaccines and more recently therapeutics, is a shining example of what is possible with a co-ordinated and collaborative approach to innovation.
The uncertainty that the next several weeks pose, while incredibly frustrating, will, I believe, be matched with a redoubling of efforts by researchers and the scientific community to learn and advise us on how to respond. This reliance and focus on the science and evidence represents the best path forward, and I am proud that many of our physician leaders continue to play crucial roles in amplifying, advocating and educating the public."
Couldn't have said it better myself. Live your life well. Enjoy the season. Find joy. Be safe, vaccinated and masked while the science and medical communities get this job done.
Yeah, that's me. An annual event which was cancelled last year is on this year. I am a baker. Eight gingerbread houses ready to go. The crowd is smaller and we are all vaccinated. As a matter of fact, we are ready for shot number three as most of us are over 50.
Anne-Marie
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Help us as we assist in the roll out of COVID vaccines in Lesotho. If you would like to be apart of this vitally important work towards making sure that vaccines are distributed in resource poor countries like Lesotho, you can donate here:
https://www.braceletofhope.ca/ways-to-give/
For non-Facebook users, you can find this post here:
https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/
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