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It has long been believed that the COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization. But until recently, there were questions about whether they could reduce the spread of the virus.
This is an important issue and a public health policy formulated around this issue. For example, the United Kingdom has mandated that all social care workers be vaccinated against COVID to protect the vulnerable groups they care for; they will do the same for NHS employees. In Italy, from October 15th, workers must show their employer a vaccination certificate, test negative for COVID or recover from a recent infection. Anyone who fails to do this can be suspended without pay. Other countries are also taking similar measures.
But can vaccines really limit the spread of the virus?
A sort of Large researchIt has not been peer-reviewed, led by a team from the University of Oxford and specializing in the study of Delta variants. The results show that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines have indeed reduced the spread of the disease. The study investigated nearly 150,000 contacts traced from nearly 100,000 initial COVID cases. The initial COVID positive cases consisted of a mixed population of vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. The purpose is not only to see which groups are most likely to transmit the virus, but also to see which of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines is the most effective in reducing transmission .
Those who are vaccinated will have a prepared immune system that will recognize the coronavirus faster and be able to clear their bodies faster than those who have not been vaccinated.
The results of the study showed that both vaccines reduced transmission, but the Pfizer vaccine was the most effective in this regard. Compared with unvaccinated contacts, contacts who are fully vaccinated with Pfizer are less likely to test positive for COVID-19 by 65%. At the same time, compared with unvaccinated contacts, contacts who are fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca are 36% less likely to test positive.
Like previous studies, this Oxford University study found that the levels of the virus in vaccinated and unvaccinated people are similar, but the vaccinated people are less likely to transmit the virus to other people, indicating that they clear the virus more quickly Faster, the effect is better. Possibly less infectious virus particles.
It is important to remember that compared to people who have not been vaccinated and whose immune system needs time to respond to the virus, people who are vaccinated will have a prepared immune system that will recognize the coronavirus faster and Can clear the body faster.
All of this is good news, but it does not fall short. The study also found that the protection provided by vaccines against transmission diminishes over time.
Three months after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca, those with a breakthrough infection are as likely to transmit the Delta variant as those who have not been vaccinated. Although people who have been vaccinated against Pfizer are less protected against transmission, there are still benefits compared to people who have not been vaccinated. Although this may seem frustrating, vaccines can still provide good protection against serious diseases.
As booster vaccines progress well in many developed countries, they are likely to also help reduce transmission, but it remains to be seen whether their protection against transmission will weaken over time.
As more and more data show that vaccination can reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to people around us, we are likely to see more countries adopt stricter measures to encourage unvaccinated people to vaccinate—— Not only for themselves, but also for the wider population. The truth of the matter is that the combination of vaccines and public health measures will save us from this pandemic.
Progress report: why some people have rashes and ulcers on their toes
COVID-19 is a multi-system disease, which means it can cause problems in almost any part of the body. One of the symptoms reported is a rash that usually appears on the toes within 4 weeks of testing positive for the virus.PDF). The toes may appear red, inflamed, or even swollen. For many people, the rash is painless, but for some it can be painful, affecting their ability to wear shoes and walk. It is more common in adolescents and children than adults.
Until recently, the reason was unclear.But now a team French scientist I believe they have discovered why the virus causes these unusual symptoms. By studying 50 cases of “COVID toe”, researchers were able to prove that this was caused by an overreaction of the immune system to the virus.
The immune system of people affected by this symptom produces higher levels of antibodies that mistakenly target their own cells and tissues and invading viruses. The rash is the result of targeting the cells lining the capillaries of the toes.
The researchers hope their findings will help pave the way for better treatment of people affected by this disease.
They also said that there are far fewer cases of “COVID toes” after vaccination.
Personal account: My niece and nephew are infected with COVID-19
Three weeks ago, I received a call from my sister telling me that both my niece and nephew had tested positive for COVID-19. They are 11 and 9 years old, they are too young to be vaccinated in the UK. Both my sister and her husband were vaccinated, so I told her that even though they may still be infected with the virus, they are likely to have only mild symptoms. However, her main concern is the children. Although my niece is only slightly tired and has a blocked nose, my nephew’s symptoms are more pronounced.
[Jawahir Al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]My nephew Ben is a very good child. He is fortunate not to be bothered by any potential health problems and keeps his body healthy by playing for the local football club. But he came home from school in tears, complaining of headaches and leg pains. Although the latter symptom disappeared, the headache continued, making him awake all night. He was overwhelmed with fatigue and struggled to get up. This lasted for a week, accompanied by a crazy phone call from my sister, asking me if there was anything to relieve his pain.
I feel quite helpless. We know the cause of the disease; like the other children in the class, Ben tested positive for COVID, but because his breathing remained stable and his cough was only a dry cough, it was almost impossible to provide him with intervention. If he is in the hospital, he will be sent home and he is advised to maintain fluid intake and take paracetamol until the condition improves.
After nearly two weeks, he started to feel better. During that time, he not only missed school and important education, but also suffered. This reminds me of all the children who contracted COVID at school and were not very sick.
After having missed a lot of internal teaching in the past 20 months, British schools have lifted all restrictions to get children’s education back on track. However, due to the COVID, a large number of children now have to further miss their education. The government seems to have issued a warning: Britain has given up wearing masks for older children and has failed to ensure that air purifiers and filters are introduced into classrooms to reduce the risk of air transmission. Instead, they seem to stick to the old measures of hand washing and social distancing “where possible,” otherwise they would cross their fingers and hope for the best.
The general message from public health agencies is that if you contract COVID, the vast majority of children will only have mild or no symptoms-but most children do not mean all children.
Fortunately, Ben is fine now and does not seem to have any long-term effects from the virus. But not all children are so lucky.according to Country statisticsBetween March 2020 and February 2021, 25 children (under 18) died of COVID in England alone, and 6 of them had no underlying health problems. More people will suffer from long-term COVID.
I think that in order for the children to continue to go to school, we must work hard to ensure the safety of the school. Air filters are needed to remove the circulating air from the virus. Wearing masks for older children in public indoor areas is a simple and effective measure. Of course, if children meet the conditions, they should be vaccinated.
Good news: EMA is considering launching COVID-19 antiviral “pill”
Pharmaceutical giant Merk announced that Antiviral pills It is under development and can halve the number of hospitalizations and deaths of COVID-19 patients.
The results of the study have not been peer-reviewed, but if they can stand the review, this will be the first oral antiviral drug that can be used to treat COVID patients; all other drugs must be administered intravenously. This means that it may be used to treat infected people at home without hospitalization, thus playing a key role in preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed and bringing hope to developing countries with limited hospital capacity.
The active drug in the pill is monopiravir, which was so effective in a phase 3 trial involving COVID-19-positive patients at risk of serious disease, so that clinicians ended the trial early.
Molnupiravir was originally born as a possible treatment for equine encephalitis virus in Venezuela and is currently being developed at Emory University in Atlanta. But when the pandemic came, it began testing in animals infected with the SARS-Cov-2 virus that causes COVID-19. In these animal experiments, it seems that it not only prevented the virus from replicating, but also prevented the virus from spreading forward.
[Jawahir Al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]It is understood that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is reviewing data about the drug and any safety issues, and then decides whether to promote the drug more widely in the next few days.
Reader question: Will the COVID-19 vaccine affect my menstrual period?
Although not listed as an official side effect, some women have reported irregular menstrual cycles after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
The test has show The vaccine does not affect fertility, and the recorded rate of unwanted pregnancies is the same in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom uses the “yellow card” system to allow clinicians to Reports and records Their patients experienced side effects after vaccination. As of September 2021, more than 30,000 reports of menstrual irregularities have been recorded.
The fact that women who have been vaccinated with mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccine or carrier-driven AstraZeneca vaccine report this potential side effect indicates that it is not the vaccine that causes irregular menstruation, but the immune response to them.
Although we have not found a direct link between the immune response caused by these vaccines and menstrual problems, evidence During that period, it may be affected by the activity of the immune system.
In most cases, women report that any menstrual problems will be resolved quickly, usually in the next cycle.
If there is a link between vaccines and menstrual problems, urgent investigations are needed to prevent women of childbearing age from further hesitating about vaccines, because misinformation about vaccines affecting their fertility has become a target. At the same time, clinicians need to know whether they should investigate other causes of irregular vaginal bleeding, or if women report such symptoms after vaccination, whether they should seek comfort.
At the same time, women should report any irregular vaginal bleeding to the doctor.
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