This time last year we focused on the importance of masks and discussed the reasons why Bandana’s are not as effective. A year later we know so much more but much of the guidance remains the same but now we have vaccines
The Delta variant remains a concern but good news around the protection from all 3 authorized vaccines in use in the US with data showing the JnJ/Janssen vaccine is also protective of the Delta variant (JnJ vaccine effective against the Delta variant) as Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have already been shown to be so
For anyone vaccinated getting together for the July 4th weekend should feel like a regular July 4th holiday. If you are not vaccinated you should consider the risk, especially in light of the Delta variant spreading much faster and more effectively and perhaps consider avoiding any events or activities with others. If you do decide to participate you should be wearing a mask
Wishing everyone a Happy July 4 Holiday weekend
Raw Transcript
Nick van Terheyden
Hi, this is Dr. Nick, I’m the incrementalist here with incremental insights for better business, better health.
Fred Goldstein
And I’m Fred Goldstein with accountable health working with employers on their employee benefits programs and returning to work and operating during COVID as well. So Nick, we’re now approaching and having the July 4 holiday come up. And there’s a lot of issues obviously, we looked at it a year ago. We’re looking at it again. What are you sing with that? Let’s start there. And then perhaps we go to the j&j vaccine, discuss that a bit?
Nick van Terheyden
Well, it’s, it’s a big holiday. So it’s people getting together, although mostly outdoors, although with all the weather, variation and unusual weather, especially the heat dome, that’s a new term we’ve all learned, right? That was a new one, I can’t the polar vortex now we’ve got the heat dome, where we’re really escalating the scientific terminology here. Maybe it’s not going to be as much outside but it is predominantly outside. And indeed, fireworks. And I think certainly in our area, the weather is expected to be better. This time last year, I think there was a lot of pressure not to have get togethers not to get togethers with family at this point, you know, the guidance is you can do it used to try and keep it at least, you know, within reason, and and think intelligently about the folks who get together. And importantly, we have two categories of people. If you are unvaccinated, then you should be wearing a mask because you are at risk of both getting the disease but importantly transmitting it to others that are unvaccinated. If you’re vaccinated, there is no requirement to wear a mask. I think you might want to think of this in the same way as the cruise liners are doing so in saying sure you can come along and you can join us if you’re not vaccinated, but we are going to separate you segregate you limited functions, and we require you to wear masks. I think the question for most people is you trust everybody around you. That said, the vaccines are very effective, and protect people accordingly, which means you should get vaccinated.
Fred Goldstein
Yeah, raise an interesting issue, particularly looking back a year ago, because we didn’t have the Delta variant, which is we talked about last week, really does have a much higher ability to transmit itself between individuals. And so now you saw the studies that you mentioned. And so I started thinking, well, outdoor groups, maybe it’s not as safe as it used to be. And so those individuals who aren’t vaccinated, stacked together at a July 4 party or at a fireworks event, are putting themselves at some risk. And so I do agree with you, it’s something that really needs to be considered this holiday. I hope people do that. And speaking of variants, obvious you had mentioned before the call about this j&j variant, the j&j vaccine and its ability to work against the variant. Is there some news on that?
Nick van Terheyden
Yeah, so I, up until I think yesterday, or whatever precise day it was. We knew that the messenger RNA vaccines are very effective, continue to be protective against the Delta variant, that doesn’t mean say you can’t get COVID-19. But if you do get it, you get a mild version doesn’t cause any of the challenging long term. So clearly, at least as far as we know today. And importantly, you don’t shed the virus, you’re not likely to spread it. That’s all good news. We didn’t know that for with any degree of certainty with the j&j the single dose vaccine. But it turns out based on the data that’s just been published, that it’s proving to have as good an effect. And apparently, interestingly, the effectiveness of the vaccine increases over time, which is good news for all those folks that say, I don’t want to get another vaccine. I don’t want to be going back and you know, having jabs that might suggest that we might not need boosters for that particular vaccine. So the three vaccines that we have in play the two messenger RNA, Pfizer, a Morderna, and then the j&j or Janssen all effective against the Delta variant. So if you’re vaccinated, you can go out and enjoy July the fifth if you’re not vaccinated. Hmm, big question mark.
Fred Goldstein
Very true. And I’ll just make one nice comment here is as an original American, I guess is the point. It’s July the fourth, not the fifth. Well I will say you are a bit Tongue Tied today. I don’t know what the Brits called the tongue tied phrase but I’m sure it’s a similar one. And fantastic. I hope everyone has a safe July 4 holiday. As always, it’s a pleasure here This is Fred goats with accountable health. If you’d like some more information on any of these topics or thinking about some training programs and things, please reach out to us at accountable health LLC calm.
Nick van Terheyden
Happy July the fourth everybody, peace out. This is Dr. Nick on the incrementalist here with incremental insights, better business, better health.
