According to experts, technology can catch up with variants of COVID – Harvard Gazette

Public health and infectious disease experts are wary of new coronavirus variants that show signs of avoiding the immune response, especially in South Africa, but Harvard public health experts will eventually I predicted that technology and science would spread.

“I don’t think the virus will win this war,” he said. Barry Bloom, Joan L. And Julius H. Jacobson Professor of Public Health Research, Former Dean Harvard TH Chan Faculty of Public Health.. Bloom speaks at Facebook live event “COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Upcoming Plans” On Friday, the virus mutates routinely, but is a more infectious British variant that spreads to 60 countries, including the United States. He said that he only occasionally acquires new traits. We will create a new virus to fight the “total escape variant”, a mutant virus that is not affected by current vaccines.

“The hopeful aspect is the speed and technology used in these vaccines, as needed. [use] A second peaplomer that allows the vaccine to be suitable for these strains. This is about six weeks, perhaps eight weeks of work for these companies, “Bloom said. “Vaccines since 1796, when the first vaccine against smallpox was discovered by Edward Jenner. [have been] Iterative process. It is very rare for the first vaccine to work for a long time. “

Other panelists who participated in the discussion presented Harvard School of Public Health Forum National Public Radio elaborated on additional challenges in deployment, including supply shortages, vaccine hesitation, and lack of coordination from federal authorities. This is a problem that the new Biden administration has promised to solve.

Sandra Nelson, Associate doctor Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH) Infectious Diseases Department and Associate Professor Harvard Medical SchoolShe said she saw problems and promises in the national distribution of miniatures at MGH, which vaccinated 19,000 front-line workers, including doctors, nurses, food service employees, and cleaning staff. She said that 3,000 of them also received a second dose given a few weeks later.

Nelson said he was struck by the strong emotions caused by the vaccination. This is likely the result of the relentless pressure these workers have felt since the pandemic began. She said she was angry when people who were hoping to get vaccinated told her she was out of supplies and was uplifted by many after being shot. In fact, according to Nelson, the moment of vaccination created a new social media phenomenon, the vaccination selfie. This can be a weapon in the fight against vaccine hesitation when healthcare professionals are involved. Trust them.

Despite the guidelines for prioritizing vaccination, Nelson said the daily task of implementing those guidelines would not be simple. Because it is necessary to distinguish between the conditions of millions of patients to determine the patients at highest risk and who is the first and second, and third. It is also clear that racial and ethnic minority groups are overvalued in the MGH wards, a sign that efforts to reach these communities are important.

Nancy Mesonier, The director of the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Vaccination and Respiratory Center said 2 million Americans had completed a two-dose regimen, with 750,000 daily doses last week. The Biden administration has promised to increase the pace of vaccination to distribute 100 million doses in the first 100 days, but now Meissonier says the dose is too low, there are not enough places to distribute the vaccine. He said there were not enough workers to inoculate. There is not enough education to fight the hesitation of the people.

She said it was also important that increasing the speed of vaccination did not mean that the distribution would be unfair. It should reach all communities across the country and reach those in need. It also requires access to accurate vaccine information so that people can be vaccinated more aggressively, which should make it easier for people interested in vaccination to find a way to get it, she said. I did.

Panelists said continuous vigilance is important, even if more people are vaccinated. How long vaccine-derived immunity lasts remains a question mark, but it should become clear in the coming months. Another question is whether the vaccine will reduce infection and prevent the contraction of serious illness. Mark Lipsic, Director of Harvard Chan School Infectious Disease Dynamics CenterSome data from the Moderna vaccine trial have shown low levels of virus in the nose of people arriving to receive a second vaccination, which may lead to reduced infectivity, he said. These results are preliminary and need to be confirmed, but if the vaccine is shown to reduce infection but not eliminate it, the need to use masks and distance measurements may remain for some time. There is, Lipsitch said.

“Tell someone, you’re 95% less likely to get sick. [when you get vaccinated]That’s great for individuals, but if you say “50% or 60% less likely to infect your grandmother,” that number isn’t too reassuring, “Lipsitch said. I will. “You probably still want to take precautions.”