Omicron Christmas
Just when we thought it was safe to live our lives again, this Omicron variant is taking the world by storm. So many people I know have tested positive or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive that it feels like now everyone is going to get infected whether they are vaccinated or not. It is hard to believe that all this is happening so fast, just within the past week!
Almost everyone has had to alter their holiday plans this year and it feels like we are taking a huge step backwards, but it is not all doom and gloom. We are at a very different place than we were one year ago. The biggest difference is that most of us are vaccinated and many of us have already received the booster. Also, many people have had COVID-19 already. This means that a good portion of the population now have antibodies to the virus and it is no longer a “novel” coronavirus. This is actually good news, I’ll elaborate on that later.
During the first couple of waves, the virus had free range of fresh hosts that It could infect. When most of the population had no antibodies, the virus only needed to get a small amount of viral particles into a host and the host’s body would turn into a virus replicating factory and spew out millions of viral clones that would infect the next host and the next and the next.
Now, when a person with antibodies, whether by vaccination or previous infection, is exposed to the virus, that host’s body will easily fight off a few viral particles. Most of the time, this will happen without the exposed person even having any symptoms.
Exposure to a slightly larger volume of virus can still make the person sick, but if they have antibodies, it is less likely to cause more than mild to moderate symptoms. The person can still transmit the virus but the load that is transmitted will probably be less than from a newly infected person with no antibodies. People shedding small amounts of virus pose very little risk to other people who already have some antibodies. This is why it is safer now than it was a year ago to get together with friends but we are definitely not in the clear and certainly not right now with Omicron making it’s rounds.
A large or prolonged exposure will still make even a vaccinated person sick. The immune system can get overloaded and the virus will take over the body faster than the antibodies can fight off the virus. We all have to be careful but people with no antibodies need to be especially careful because even a small amount of virus can get by your unprepared immune system.
Knowing what we know at the moment, how can we stay safe and protect ourselves and others without shutting down our lives and the economy? We can do it by using some common sense, by keeping politics out of it and by carefully analyzing the science. Two factors that I think we should always keep in mind are the viral load and the prevalence. The prevalence of the virus refers to the percentage of people in the community who are currently testing positive for the virus. If less than 1 in 100 people are positive, I consider the prevalence to be relatively low. If the percentage is greater than 1% I consider it to be high. If the prevalence of the virus is high, be very vigilant. If you are getting exposed be aware of the potential for transfer of high viral loads because the higher the load, the more likely you are to get sick and perpetuate the virus.
Let’s now take a deep dive into the two major recommendations and see if they make sense:
Vaccinations.
Vaccines have risks. We should not down play the real risks of vaccinations. Some people have underlying conditions that puts them at a higher risk of having adverse reactions to the vaccine. Although the overall safety of the available vaccines have been extensively studied, vaccinated people can still contract the virus and they can still get sick and they can still die. You may have even heard of people who died directly as a result of receiving the vaccine. A close friend of mine who has a history of heart failure went into another episode of heart failure immediately after receiving the vaccine and almost died. Another close friend experienced severe swelling of the lymph nodes all over her body for over 6 months after receiving the vaccine. When you hear about stories like these, especially when it happens to someone you know, you might be inclined to forgo getting vaccinated. I hesitated about getting the booster when I first became eligible because the prevalence of the virus was going down, but when the Omicron variant hit, I saw that people all around me were getting infected and the prevalence was shooting up almost overnight. I did not need any more convincing. I jumped right on the first appointment that was available to me and waited in line in the freezing cold to get that booster in my arm ASAP. Although I am concerned about the side effects of the vaccine, I have seen plenty of people dying right in front of me before the vaccines were available and I lost a close friend to the virus. The numbers don’t lie. Unvaccinated people are much more likely to get severely ill or die from COVID-19 than vaccinated people and they are much more likely to infect others.
The data can be confusing and it is often manipulated or taken out of context. Here is an example. A commonly circulated article showed that more people admitted to a Massachusetts hospital with COVID-19 were vaccinated than unvaccinated. Many people chose not to get vaccinated based on this “evidence” that vaccinated people seem to be more prone to getting hospitalized with COVID-19. Fair enough, but let’s take a closer look. Massachusetts is a state with one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. That means statistically, there are more vaccinated people living in MA than unvaccinated people. So it makes sense that the actual percentage of vaccinated people in the hospital was higher than unvaccinated people because almost everyone in that community was already vaccinated. If you look at the nation as a whole, the numbers overwhelmingly show that the majority of people who are being hospitalized with severe illness and/or dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
I could not find the data for hospitalization rates for the segment of the population who have antibodies from a previous COVID-19 infection. I suspect the data would show that they are similar to vaccinated people. I also suspect that this data may be intentionally being kept from us or maybe no one ever bothered to record this information. Either way I believe in full transparency. We want to encourage everyone to get vaccinated rather than trying to get antibodies by becoming infected, but I think we should focus our efforts on getting people who have not been previously infected to receive their vaccines because they are at the highest risk for getting severely ill, overwhelming our hospitals and passing the virus to others.
I don’t want to die from COVID-19 and I certainly do not want to be responsible for killing anyone else. That is why I am now fully vaccinated and boosted. I guess I will need to keep getting boosted unless the prevalence goes way down then I may rethink the booster, but for now it’s a choice between two evils and I will choose the vaccine over COVID-19 every time.
I do wonder though, if there groups of people who don’t need to get vaccinated?
If you are a native of North Sentinel Island, it is unlikely that you or anyone in your tribe will have any contact with the outside world anytime soon. These people are notorious for their reclusive lifestyle and hostility towards outsiders. If you belong to this tribe, you probably don’t need the vaccine. Your chances of encountering someone infected with COVID-19 is almost zero, so why in the world would you take the risk of getting side effects from a vaccine that you don’t need? However, if you live just about anywhere else in the world, your chances of being exposed to COVID-19 is pretty darn high. Oh, wait, there was actually an incident where an intruder infiltrated the island a couple of years ago. He was captured and killed by the inhabitants and rumor has it that they ate him. If this happened now the intruder could very well have introduced SARS-COV-2 onto the island. I’m not sure if cannibalism is a way that the virus can spread but a smart North Sentinel Islander might want to look into getting vaccinated just in case.
Historically, the smallpox vaccine was very effective and one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Smallpox is a deadly but easily preventable disease, so should I get the smallpox vaccine? Right now, I would say no. I’m not willing to take the risk of getting side effects from the vaccine since smallpox has been officially eradicated since 1978 due to a massive worldwide vaccination campaign taken on by the generation before me. A great big THANK YOU to our parents and grandparents! However, the virus still exists in two places on the planet one is in Siberia Russia and the other is in Atlanta USA. Frozen samples of the virus are kept in well guarded laboratories in these two countries. If terrorists ever got a hold of these samples and threatened to release them back into the world, I would take the vaccine in a heartbeat.
With the Omicron variant spreading as fast as it is, your chance of getting COVID at some point is now pretty near 100%. So you will get antibodies one way or the other. If you get the vaccine, the risk of getting mild symptoms for a day or two is pretty high but the risk of you actually dying from the vaccine is very low. Once you are vaccinated, the risk of you dying from COVID-19 also goes down significantly. The risk of you spreading the virus to other vulnerable people also goes down. So you have three choices. 1. Get vaccinated. 2. Get infected or 3. Stay isolated and try to avoid getting infected until everybody else gets antibodies and you can benefit from herd immunity. The third option is kinda like freeloading. It only works if too many people don’t try the same strategy.
I am very aware that there are people including doctors who claim that the numbers are not real, that this is all a great big hoax. I know some of these doctors personally and they are good people and most are well meaning, but they were the same people that were saying that COVID-19 symptoms were caused by radiation from G5 towers. This theory has been categorically disproven once COVID-19 began infecting people in areas that have no G5 towers. These same “experts” are no longer talking about G5, their new theory is that vaccinated people will all be dead within 5 years and the unvaccinated will repopulate the earth. I try my best not to ridicule them to their face. I like to be nice, so I wholeheartedly disagree with my colleagues on these theories and I try my best to persuade them to stop posting videos on You tube, but I guess everyone is free to express their opinions.
I feel that as doctors, we have to be held to a higher standard and have a responsibility to stick to the science. So that is what I am doing right now, trying to balance what I feel is misinformation that is being perpetrated by some of my good friends. I do roll my eyes when patients repeat what they heard on talk radio but when they tell me their reason for not getting vaccinated is because someone with an MD or DO after their name told them they shouldn’t, I feel personally responsible for making sure they get all the facts straight. Chiropractors and pHD’s are addressed as “doctor” and these professionals also have a responsibility to not use their title to mislead people into believing that their theories are based on sound medical science. Be very leery of “experts” on the internet who try to scare you away from getting vaccinated and then try to sell you their proprietary line of products that will protect you from contracting COVID-19. Full disclosure. I too have an agenda in writing this paper. I am trying to protect my income. When we had to shut down for two months, I almost lost my practice. I don’t ever want to have to go through that again. That, and I don’t want to lose any more friends to a pandemic that can be over much faster if we all work together like they did when they got rid of smallpox.
Masks
Wearing a mask or not wearing a mask has become a symbol of loyalty. To what, I’m not clear, but people on both sides seem to be looking for a fight over mask wearing. People are trying to shame each other for both wearing a mask and for not wearing a mask. I have been in a crowded indoor gathering where no one was wearing a mask and had people make fun of me for being paranoid or antisocial because I kept my mask on. I have also been in an empty Home Depot late at night and reprimanded by a complete stranger for not having my mask over my nose. I just tell them that I’m not feeling very well and they back off.
After two years of dealing with this pandemic, the evidence is very clear that masks do reduce the spread of infection. We need everyone to know how the masks protect us and in which situations. The main point to be aware of is that the masks help to reduce the number of viral particles that can be spread from person to person. Remember that small amounts of virus is not likely to sicken someone who has antibodies. How much antibodies a person has also matters. So here is my take on when we should wear a mask and when it is ok not to. In the following examples, I am lumping people who had previously survived COVID-19 infections in with the vaccinated group. I know there is controversy about the immune status of people who have had COVID-19 vs the vaccine, but for now I am counting antibodies, any way you can get them. If you are unvaccinated or have not previously had COVID-19 infection, you should wear an N95 mask whenever you may come in contact with other people. People with no antibodies are especially susceptible to the unpredictable nature of this virus. I lost a very close friend of mine because he thought the risk of the vaccine was greater than the risk of contracting the virus. I know of many others who’s deaths could have been prevented so this is very personal to me.
Let’s go through some examples:
Scenario 1.
Health care worker taking care of COVID-19 patients: This is a no brainer. The practitioners need to be fully vaccinated and they need to wear a N95 mask to filter out all of the viral particles in the air that they are breathing. The surgical masks are no good in this situation because some air can bypass the filter through the gaps along the top, bottom and sides of the mask. If the caregiver becomes infected they can infect others that they come in contact with. Healthcare workers who are not willing to take these precautions should not be taking care of COVID-19 patients. This is like a fireman who refuses to wear safety gear, they should find another job.
Scenario 2.
Healthcare workers taking care of non-COVID patients: Many health care facilities have protocols to screen for COVID-19. They require all patients to wear a mask, answer a series of questions on a questionnaire, take your temperature and may even require you to take a COVID test before patients are allowed in to their facility. These protocols are common for scheduled procedures such as colonoscopies and elective surgeries. The healthcare workers should be vaccinated to minimize the risk of infecting their patients but it is not critical to wear N95 masks. KN95 masks or even simple surgical masks are usually sufficient in these situations.
Scenario 3.
A small group of vaccinated people with no symptoms of COVID 19: Even if someone in the group has been exposed to the virus, they are probably not shedding huge amounts of virus. When the prevalence of virus in the community is relatively low, the risk of spreading the virus is low in this group. I don’t think they need to wear a mask. If you can be certain that everyone in the group is fully vaccinated this is a very safe situation where you can socialize without masks. Be aware however, that the larger the group, the more chance there is that someone in the group is lying about their vaccination status or presenting a fake card.
Scenario 4.
A small mixed group of vaccinated and unvaccinated people with no symptoms of COVID-19: The unvaccinated people in this group are at high risk of getting sick. Since they have no immunity. These people are also capable of replicating large amounts of virus. Everyone should wear at least a surgical mask to be safe in an enclosed space where the gathering will last more than 15 minutes. Unless everyone is wearing a mask, an N95 mask should be worn by those wishing to protect themselves from getting sick. Remember the regular masks protect others from you but may not be that reliable in protecting you from them. The N95 , when properly fitted will protect you from them as well as them from you. When the prevalence of the virus is low in the community, vaccinated people may choose to go unmasked in this situation knowing that the risk to themselves is relatively low but they do risk passing the virus to vulnerable people they may come in contact with.
Scenario 5.
A quick trip to the grocery store when the prevalence in the community is low. If you make an effort to stay six feet apart from other people, I don’t feel that it is necessary to wear a mask since you are not likely to have any prolonged contact in this situation. However, it might be smart to wear a mask just in case. If the prevalence is high, definitely wear a mask. If you run into someone you know and that person happens to be infected, and you stand close to each other having a conversation, the viral load you receive from your friend increases with each minute that you are together. A quick hello and a 2 minute conversation is unlikely to get you infected (if you are vaccinated) but if you hug and stand close to each other having a 15 minute conversation, you will get a hefty load of virus and you may get sick or you may pass that virus along to someone else without even knowing it.
Scenario 6.
A large group of vaccinated people in a small enclosed indoor space together for a prolonged period of time: An example of this would be a Broadway show where proof of vaccination is required. If the prevalence is low, a regular surgical mask should suffice as long as everyone is wearing one properly. If the prevalence is high, I would wear a KN95 or an N95 mask or decide not to go until the prevalence goes down.
Scenario 7.
A large group of people of unknown vaccination status together in close proximity for prolonged periods of time: An example of this would be an airplane or a movie theater. I would wear an N95 mask the whole time. If you cannot obtain an N95 mask a KN95 mask would be the next best option but air can still get around the edges carrying virus into your lungs. I wore an N95 mask for 12 hour shifts for two months with constant exposure to COVID-19 patients and did not contract COVID-19 during the lockdown in 2020 so I can personally attest that these masks work.
Scenario 8.
A large group of people with unknown vaccination status together for a prolonged period of time with social distancing: An example of this would be a church service. The church that I attend takes the pandemic seriously and encourages masks and social distancing. I don’t feel the need to wear an N95 mask to this church when the prevalence is low, because there is room to sit 6 feet away from non-family members, but I do wear a surgical mask to avoid unintentionally exposing the unvaccinated members of the congregation who unfortunately, also tend to be the ones who resist wearing a mask.
Scenario 9.
A large gathering outdoors with people of unknown vaccination status. This could be a picnic, a concert or a social protest. If you are moving around, you probably don’t even need to wear a mask because the air around you is constantly circulating and you are unlikely to get a large volume of virus even if you briefly come into contact with someone who is infected. However, if you will be standing next to the same people the whole time, you should probably wear a mask. Also, if someone gets in your face and starts shouting, that person could easily inoculate you with their disease even with a brief exposure so wear a mask just to be safe.
Scenario 10.
A small group of people of unknown vaccination status at an indoor gathering: This could be a family get together or a social gathering with friends. These types of gathering are perhaps the riskiest because people often have a false sense of security. Because these are people you know, you may feel that they are “safe”. You are more likely to touch, hug and kiss them and talk to them up close. If everyone is unmasked, you may feel intense social pressure to unmask as well to avoid offending anyone. You might even end up getting into a political debate with them. My best advice is to be aware of the current prevalence of the virus. During periods of high prevalence, I try to avoid these gatherings because I do feel awkward wearing a mask when no one else is and I do take offense to a lay person “mansplainig” or “womansplaining” to me about how the virus is a hoax and that I should not be afraid.
So here is the bottom line:
My first suggestion to everyone is to get vaccinated. Yes vaccinated people can still contract the virus and they can still get sick and they can still die. Vaccinated people, however, have a much lower risk of getting sick or dying. If you get the virus and you have no antibodies you have a much higher risk of having long term complications.
The other suggestion is to have everyone learn how the masks work and be smart about when and where a mask is appropriate. Don’t try to shame anyone into wearing or not wearing a mask. The mask is a tool not a symbol. Look at the examples I gave above. Keep in mind that my suggestions are just that. You may disagree with me and some of my suggestions may not be exactly in line with what the experts are saying.
I am not an infectious disease specialist or an epidemiologist, but I base my opinions on almost 30 years of experience as a medical doctor having had the unique opportunity to serve in the heart of two world wide pandemics. I began my career as a medical student in Newark New Jersey and then continued my residency in New York City at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. University Hospital was the epicenter where the medical pioneers were just figuring out how the disease was being transmitted and desperately trying to educate the public to prevent the vulnerable populations from dying and infecting others.
In early 2020 I again, found myself practicing in northern New Jersey where the COVID-19 pandemic first hit hard in the United States. I jumped at the chance to serve in one of the makeshift COVID hospitals not knowing how to treat the patients or exactly how to prevent the spread but learning as we went along. We now have a much better handle on how to prevent the spread and even have some therapeutics to treat it. The biggest obstacle now seems to be the misinformation that is spreading almost as fast as the virus.
I feel that it is my responsibility as a medical doctor with some unique first-hand knowledge about this pandemic to help correct some of the misconceptions that people have about how we can control this virus instead of letting it control us. Dr. Fauci is not the boogie man. I believe that he is giving the best advice that we have based on what we currently know about the virus. The guidelines may change as we learn more and some of the information may contradict previous information. We do the best that we can with the information we have at the moment. At the moment, the real experts believe that the vaccines and the masks are the best defense we have to prevent deaths and another lockdown. I wholeheartedly agree with most of the advice that is coming from the CDC and Dr. Fauci. Even the former president Donald Trump is advocating for the vaccine and he has recently received the booster himself. By the way, I think most people are aware that I am not the greatest fan of the former president, but I do have to give him credit for Operation Warp Speed. This one of the greatest accomplishments by any President in my lifetime. America was the first to get these vaccines and they actually turned out to be relatively safe and extremely effective! We have the means to free our nation from the COVID-19 stranglehold let’s take advantage of it!
Finally, I scoured the Bible looking for where it says Christians should not get vaccinated. I could not find anything that could even be loosely interpreted as saying that we should not get vaccinated or that we should refuse to wear a mask. It does however, say to love your neighbor and I think doing my best not to unintentionally kill my neighbor would be a good thing to do as a Christian. If any Bible scholars have a different take on this, I am genuinely curious to know because I have been told by some people that Christians should not get vaccinated but no one has been able to tell me why.
An old joke that I often like to recite goes like this: Due to an impending flood, the police went around the neighborhood telling people they needed to evacuate. One man refused and said “God will provide”. The police went away and the flood waters rose up to the man’s porch and a rescue squad came by in a row boat and offered to take the man to safety. The man refused stating “God will provide”. The flood waters seeped into his house forcing the man to escape onto his roof. A helicopter came by and offered to lift him away to safety. He refused again stating “God will provide”. Alas the flood waters washed his house away and the man drowned. When he arrived in heaven, he asked God, “Lord I kept my faith throughout this whole ordeal, why did you not answer my prayers and save me from this flood?” God looked at him and said “I sent the police to warn you, then I sent the row boat and I even sent a helicopter. What did you want from me?”
God gave us vaccines and masks and now I think He is sending us another blessing in disguise. The Omicron variant. Here is my take on this new wave coming through. This virus seems to be so contagious that it is going to infect the whole planet in a matter of weeks. Vaccinated, previously infected and unvaccinated will all get exposed. The people with antibodies will get through relatively unscathed, but the people who have no antibodies are going to get hit the hardest. We may have some heavy casualties but when this wave is over, almost everyone who survives will have antibodies. COVID-19 will no longer be a novel coronavirus. It will be an old enemy like the flu that will pose a danger to the sick and elderly but it will no longer be a the indiscriminate killer that it once was to the rest of us, We can live our lives again with an acceptable amount of risk. Maybe I am being too optimistic but I think and I pray that this will be the last Christmas that we have to spend in isolation and I pray that everyone gets vaccinated and boosted and wear their masks in the proper situations so that our friends and loved ones do not become COVID-19 casualties.
Merry Christmas everyone and let’s all have an awesome healthy new year!
-Hung William Song, MD
Almost everyone has had to alter their holiday plans this year and it feels like we are taking a huge step backwards, but it is not all doom and gloom. We are at a very different place than we were one year ago. The biggest difference is that most of us are vaccinated and many of us have already received the booster. Also, many people have had COVID-19 already. This means that a good portion of the population now have antibodies to the virus and it is no longer a “novel” coronavirus. This is actually good news, I’ll elaborate on that later.
During the first couple of waves, the virus had free range of fresh hosts that It could infect. When most of the population had no antibodies, the virus only needed to get a small amount of viral particles into a host and the host’s body would turn into a virus replicating factory and spew out millions of viral clones that would infect the next host and the next and the next.
Now, when a person with antibodies, whether by vaccination or previous infection, is exposed to the virus, that host’s body will easily fight off a few viral particles. Most of the time, this will happen without the exposed person even having any symptoms.
Exposure to a slightly larger volume of virus can still make the person sick, but if they have antibodies, it is less likely to cause more than mild to moderate symptoms. The person can still transmit the virus but the load that is transmitted will probably be less than from a newly infected person with no antibodies. People shedding small amounts of virus pose very little risk to other people who already have some antibodies. This is why it is safer now than it was a year ago to get together with friends but we are definitely not in the clear and certainly not right now with Omicron making it’s rounds.
A large or prolonged exposure will still make even a vaccinated person sick. The immune system can get overloaded and the virus will take over the body faster than the antibodies can fight off the virus. We all have to be careful but people with no antibodies need to be especially careful because even a small amount of virus can get by your unprepared immune system.
Knowing what we know at the moment, how can we stay safe and protect ourselves and others without shutting down our lives and the economy? We can do it by using some common sense, by keeping politics out of it and by carefully analyzing the science. Two factors that I think we should always keep in mind are the viral load and the prevalence. The prevalence of the virus refers to the percentage of people in the community who are currently testing positive for the virus. If less than 1 in 100 people are positive, I consider the prevalence to be relatively low. If the percentage is greater than 1% I consider it to be high. If the prevalence of the virus is high, be very vigilant. If you are getting exposed be aware of the potential for transfer of high viral loads because the higher the load, the more likely you are to get sick and perpetuate the virus.
Let’s now take a deep dive into the two major recommendations and see if they make sense:
Vaccinations.
Vaccines have risks. We should not down play the real risks of vaccinations. Some people have underlying conditions that puts them at a higher risk of having adverse reactions to the vaccine. Although the overall safety of the available vaccines have been extensively studied, vaccinated people can still contract the virus and they can still get sick and they can still die. You may have even heard of people who died directly as a result of receiving the vaccine. A close friend of mine who has a history of heart failure went into another episode of heart failure immediately after receiving the vaccine and almost died. Another close friend experienced severe swelling of the lymph nodes all over her body for over 6 months after receiving the vaccine. When you hear about stories like these, especially when it happens to someone you know, you might be inclined to forgo getting vaccinated. I hesitated about getting the booster when I first became eligible because the prevalence of the virus was going down, but when the Omicron variant hit, I saw that people all around me were getting infected and the prevalence was shooting up almost overnight. I did not need any more convincing. I jumped right on the first appointment that was available to me and waited in line in the freezing cold to get that booster in my arm ASAP. Although I am concerned about the side effects of the vaccine, I have seen plenty of people dying right in front of me before the vaccines were available and I lost a close friend to the virus. The numbers don’t lie. Unvaccinated people are much more likely to get severely ill or die from COVID-19 than vaccinated people and they are much more likely to infect others.
The data can be confusing and it is often manipulated or taken out of context. Here is an example. A commonly circulated article showed that more people admitted to a Massachusetts hospital with COVID-19 were vaccinated than unvaccinated. Many people chose not to get vaccinated based on this “evidence” that vaccinated people seem to be more prone to getting hospitalized with COVID-19. Fair enough, but let’s take a closer look. Massachusetts is a state with one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. That means statistically, there are more vaccinated people living in MA than unvaccinated people. So it makes sense that the actual percentage of vaccinated people in the hospital was higher than unvaccinated people because almost everyone in that community was already vaccinated. If you look at the nation as a whole, the numbers overwhelmingly show that the majority of people who are being hospitalized with severe illness and/or dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
I could not find the data for hospitalization rates for the segment of the population who have antibodies from a previous COVID-19 infection. I suspect the data would show that they are similar to vaccinated people. I also suspect that this data may be intentionally being kept from us or maybe no one ever bothered to record this information. Either way I believe in full transparency. We want to encourage everyone to get vaccinated rather than trying to get antibodies by becoming infected, but I think we should focus our efforts on getting people who have not been previously infected to receive their vaccines because they are at the highest risk for getting severely ill, overwhelming our hospitals and passing the virus to others.
I don’t want to die from COVID-19 and I certainly do not want to be responsible for killing anyone else. That is why I am now fully vaccinated and boosted. I guess I will need to keep getting boosted unless the prevalence goes way down then I may rethink the booster, but for now it’s a choice between two evils and I will choose the vaccine over COVID-19 every time.
I do wonder though, if there groups of people who don’t need to get vaccinated?
If you are a native of North Sentinel Island, it is unlikely that you or anyone in your tribe will have any contact with the outside world anytime soon. These people are notorious for their reclusive lifestyle and hostility towards outsiders. If you belong to this tribe, you probably don’t need the vaccine. Your chances of encountering someone infected with COVID-19 is almost zero, so why in the world would you take the risk of getting side effects from a vaccine that you don’t need? However, if you live just about anywhere else in the world, your chances of being exposed to COVID-19 is pretty darn high. Oh, wait, there was actually an incident where an intruder infiltrated the island a couple of years ago. He was captured and killed by the inhabitants and rumor has it that they ate him. If this happened now the intruder could very well have introduced SARS-COV-2 onto the island. I’m not sure if cannibalism is a way that the virus can spread but a smart North Sentinel Islander might want to look into getting vaccinated just in case.
Historically, the smallpox vaccine was very effective and one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Smallpox is a deadly but easily preventable disease, so should I get the smallpox vaccine? Right now, I would say no. I’m not willing to take the risk of getting side effects from the vaccine since smallpox has been officially eradicated since 1978 due to a massive worldwide vaccination campaign taken on by the generation before me. A great big THANK YOU to our parents and grandparents! However, the virus still exists in two places on the planet one is in Siberia Russia and the other is in Atlanta USA. Frozen samples of the virus are kept in well guarded laboratories in these two countries. If terrorists ever got a hold of these samples and threatened to release them back into the world, I would take the vaccine in a heartbeat.
With the Omicron variant spreading as fast as it is, your chance of getting COVID at some point is now pretty near 100%. So you will get antibodies one way or the other. If you get the vaccine, the risk of getting mild symptoms for a day or two is pretty high but the risk of you actually dying from the vaccine is very low. Once you are vaccinated, the risk of you dying from COVID-19 also goes down significantly. The risk of you spreading the virus to other vulnerable people also goes down. So you have three choices. 1. Get vaccinated. 2. Get infected or 3. Stay isolated and try to avoid getting infected until everybody else gets antibodies and you can benefit from herd immunity. The third option is kinda like freeloading. It only works if too many people don’t try the same strategy.
I am very aware that there are people including doctors who claim that the numbers are not real, that this is all a great big hoax. I know some of these doctors personally and they are good people and most are well meaning, but they were the same people that were saying that COVID-19 symptoms were caused by radiation from G5 towers. This theory has been categorically disproven once COVID-19 began infecting people in areas that have no G5 towers. These same “experts” are no longer talking about G5, their new theory is that vaccinated people will all be dead within 5 years and the unvaccinated will repopulate the earth. I try my best not to ridicule them to their face. I like to be nice, so I wholeheartedly disagree with my colleagues on these theories and I try my best to persuade them to stop posting videos on You tube, but I guess everyone is free to express their opinions.
I feel that as doctors, we have to be held to a higher standard and have a responsibility to stick to the science. So that is what I am doing right now, trying to balance what I feel is misinformation that is being perpetrated by some of my good friends. I do roll my eyes when patients repeat what they heard on talk radio but when they tell me their reason for not getting vaccinated is because someone with an MD or DO after their name told them they shouldn’t, I feel personally responsible for making sure they get all the facts straight. Chiropractors and pHD’s are addressed as “doctor” and these professionals also have a responsibility to not use their title to mislead people into believing that their theories are based on sound medical science. Be very leery of “experts” on the internet who try to scare you away from getting vaccinated and then try to sell you their proprietary line of products that will protect you from contracting COVID-19. Full disclosure. I too have an agenda in writing this paper. I am trying to protect my income. When we had to shut down for two months, I almost lost my practice. I don’t ever want to have to go through that again. That, and I don’t want to lose any more friends to a pandemic that can be over much faster if we all work together like they did when they got rid of smallpox.
Masks
Wearing a mask or not wearing a mask has become a symbol of loyalty. To what, I’m not clear, but people on both sides seem to be looking for a fight over mask wearing. People are trying to shame each other for both wearing a mask and for not wearing a mask. I have been in a crowded indoor gathering where no one was wearing a mask and had people make fun of me for being paranoid or antisocial because I kept my mask on. I have also been in an empty Home Depot late at night and reprimanded by a complete stranger for not having my mask over my nose. I just tell them that I’m not feeling very well and they back off.
After two years of dealing with this pandemic, the evidence is very clear that masks do reduce the spread of infection. We need everyone to know how the masks protect us and in which situations. The main point to be aware of is that the masks help to reduce the number of viral particles that can be spread from person to person. Remember that small amounts of virus is not likely to sicken someone who has antibodies. How much antibodies a person has also matters. So here is my take on when we should wear a mask and when it is ok not to. In the following examples, I am lumping people who had previously survived COVID-19 infections in with the vaccinated group. I know there is controversy about the immune status of people who have had COVID-19 vs the vaccine, but for now I am counting antibodies, any way you can get them. If you are unvaccinated or have not previously had COVID-19 infection, you should wear an N95 mask whenever you may come in contact with other people. People with no antibodies are especially susceptible to the unpredictable nature of this virus. I lost a very close friend of mine because he thought the risk of the vaccine was greater than the risk of contracting the virus. I know of many others who’s deaths could have been prevented so this is very personal to me.
Let’s go through some examples:
Scenario 1.
Health care worker taking care of COVID-19 patients: This is a no brainer. The practitioners need to be fully vaccinated and they need to wear a N95 mask to filter out all of the viral particles in the air that they are breathing. The surgical masks are no good in this situation because some air can bypass the filter through the gaps along the top, bottom and sides of the mask. If the caregiver becomes infected they can infect others that they come in contact with. Healthcare workers who are not willing to take these precautions should not be taking care of COVID-19 patients. This is like a fireman who refuses to wear safety gear, they should find another job.
Scenario 2.
Healthcare workers taking care of non-COVID patients: Many health care facilities have protocols to screen for COVID-19. They require all patients to wear a mask, answer a series of questions on a questionnaire, take your temperature and may even require you to take a COVID test before patients are allowed in to their facility. These protocols are common for scheduled procedures such as colonoscopies and elective surgeries. The healthcare workers should be vaccinated to minimize the risk of infecting their patients but it is not critical to wear N95 masks. KN95 masks or even simple surgical masks are usually sufficient in these situations.
Scenario 3.
A small group of vaccinated people with no symptoms of COVID 19: Even if someone in the group has been exposed to the virus, they are probably not shedding huge amounts of virus. When the prevalence of virus in the community is relatively low, the risk of spreading the virus is low in this group. I don’t think they need to wear a mask. If you can be certain that everyone in the group is fully vaccinated this is a very safe situation where you can socialize without masks. Be aware however, that the larger the group, the more chance there is that someone in the group is lying about their vaccination status or presenting a fake card.
Scenario 4.
A small mixed group of vaccinated and unvaccinated people with no symptoms of COVID-19: The unvaccinated people in this group are at high risk of getting sick. Since they have no immunity. These people are also capable of replicating large amounts of virus. Everyone should wear at least a surgical mask to be safe in an enclosed space where the gathering will last more than 15 minutes. Unless everyone is wearing a mask, an N95 mask should be worn by those wishing to protect themselves from getting sick. Remember the regular masks protect others from you but may not be that reliable in protecting you from them. The N95 , when properly fitted will protect you from them as well as them from you. When the prevalence of the virus is low in the community, vaccinated people may choose to go unmasked in this situation knowing that the risk to themselves is relatively low but they do risk passing the virus to vulnerable people they may come in contact with.
Scenario 5.
A quick trip to the grocery store when the prevalence in the community is low. If you make an effort to stay six feet apart from other people, I don’t feel that it is necessary to wear a mask since you are not likely to have any prolonged contact in this situation. However, it might be smart to wear a mask just in case. If the prevalence is high, definitely wear a mask. If you run into someone you know and that person happens to be infected, and you stand close to each other having a conversation, the viral load you receive from your friend increases with each minute that you are together. A quick hello and a 2 minute conversation is unlikely to get you infected (if you are vaccinated) but if you hug and stand close to each other having a 15 minute conversation, you will get a hefty load of virus and you may get sick or you may pass that virus along to someone else without even knowing it.
Scenario 6.
A large group of vaccinated people in a small enclosed indoor space together for a prolonged period of time: An example of this would be a Broadway show where proof of vaccination is required. If the prevalence is low, a regular surgical mask should suffice as long as everyone is wearing one properly. If the prevalence is high, I would wear a KN95 or an N95 mask or decide not to go until the prevalence goes down.
Scenario 7.
A large group of people of unknown vaccination status together in close proximity for prolonged periods of time: An example of this would be an airplane or a movie theater. I would wear an N95 mask the whole time. If you cannot obtain an N95 mask a KN95 mask would be the next best option but air can still get around the edges carrying virus into your lungs. I wore an N95 mask for 12 hour shifts for two months with constant exposure to COVID-19 patients and did not contract COVID-19 during the lockdown in 2020 so I can personally attest that these masks work.
Scenario 8.
A large group of people with unknown vaccination status together for a prolonged period of time with social distancing: An example of this would be a church service. The church that I attend takes the pandemic seriously and encourages masks and social distancing. I don’t feel the need to wear an N95 mask to this church when the prevalence is low, because there is room to sit 6 feet away from non-family members, but I do wear a surgical mask to avoid unintentionally exposing the unvaccinated members of the congregation who unfortunately, also tend to be the ones who resist wearing a mask.
Scenario 9.
A large gathering outdoors with people of unknown vaccination status. This could be a picnic, a concert or a social protest. If you are moving around, you probably don’t even need to wear a mask because the air around you is constantly circulating and you are unlikely to get a large volume of virus even if you briefly come into contact with someone who is infected. However, if you will be standing next to the same people the whole time, you should probably wear a mask. Also, if someone gets in your face and starts shouting, that person could easily inoculate you with their disease even with a brief exposure so wear a mask just to be safe.
Scenario 10.
A small group of people of unknown vaccination status at an indoor gathering: This could be a family get together or a social gathering with friends. These types of gathering are perhaps the riskiest because people often have a false sense of security. Because these are people you know, you may feel that they are “safe”. You are more likely to touch, hug and kiss them and talk to them up close. If everyone is unmasked, you may feel intense social pressure to unmask as well to avoid offending anyone. You might even end up getting into a political debate with them. My best advice is to be aware of the current prevalence of the virus. During periods of high prevalence, I try to avoid these gatherings because I do feel awkward wearing a mask when no one else is and I do take offense to a lay person “mansplainig” or “womansplaining” to me about how the virus is a hoax and that I should not be afraid.
So here is the bottom line:
My first suggestion to everyone is to get vaccinated. Yes vaccinated people can still contract the virus and they can still get sick and they can still die. Vaccinated people, however, have a much lower risk of getting sick or dying. If you get the virus and you have no antibodies you have a much higher risk of having long term complications.
The other suggestion is to have everyone learn how the masks work and be smart about when and where a mask is appropriate. Don’t try to shame anyone into wearing or not wearing a mask. The mask is a tool not a symbol. Look at the examples I gave above. Keep in mind that my suggestions are just that. You may disagree with me and some of my suggestions may not be exactly in line with what the experts are saying.
I am not an infectious disease specialist or an epidemiologist, but I base my opinions on almost 30 years of experience as a medical doctor having had the unique opportunity to serve in the heart of two world wide pandemics. I began my career as a medical student in Newark New Jersey and then continued my residency in New York City at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. University Hospital was the epicenter where the medical pioneers were just figuring out how the disease was being transmitted and desperately trying to educate the public to prevent the vulnerable populations from dying and infecting others.
In early 2020 I again, found myself practicing in northern New Jersey where the COVID-19 pandemic first hit hard in the United States. I jumped at the chance to serve in one of the makeshift COVID hospitals not knowing how to treat the patients or exactly how to prevent the spread but learning as we went along. We now have a much better handle on how to prevent the spread and even have some therapeutics to treat it. The biggest obstacle now seems to be the misinformation that is spreading almost as fast as the virus.
I feel that it is my responsibility as a medical doctor with some unique first-hand knowledge about this pandemic to help correct some of the misconceptions that people have about how we can control this virus instead of letting it control us. Dr. Fauci is not the boogie man. I believe that he is giving the best advice that we have based on what we currently know about the virus. The guidelines may change as we learn more and some of the information may contradict previous information. We do the best that we can with the information we have at the moment. At the moment, the real experts believe that the vaccines and the masks are the best defense we have to prevent deaths and another lockdown. I wholeheartedly agree with most of the advice that is coming from the CDC and Dr. Fauci. Even the former president Donald Trump is advocating for the vaccine and he has recently received the booster himself. By the way, I think most people are aware that I am not the greatest fan of the former president, but I do have to give him credit for Operation Warp Speed. This one of the greatest accomplishments by any President in my lifetime. America was the first to get these vaccines and they actually turned out to be relatively safe and extremely effective! We have the means to free our nation from the COVID-19 stranglehold let’s take advantage of it!
Finally, I scoured the Bible looking for where it says Christians should not get vaccinated. I could not find anything that could even be loosely interpreted as saying that we should not get vaccinated or that we should refuse to wear a mask. It does however, say to love your neighbor and I think doing my best not to unintentionally kill my neighbor would be a good thing to do as a Christian. If any Bible scholars have a different take on this, I am genuinely curious to know because I have been told by some people that Christians should not get vaccinated but no one has been able to tell me why.
An old joke that I often like to recite goes like this: Due to an impending flood, the police went around the neighborhood telling people they needed to evacuate. One man refused and said “God will provide”. The police went away and the flood waters rose up to the man’s porch and a rescue squad came by in a row boat and offered to take the man to safety. The man refused stating “God will provide”. The flood waters seeped into his house forcing the man to escape onto his roof. A helicopter came by and offered to lift him away to safety. He refused again stating “God will provide”. Alas the flood waters washed his house away and the man drowned. When he arrived in heaven, he asked God, “Lord I kept my faith throughout this whole ordeal, why did you not answer my prayers and save me from this flood?” God looked at him and said “I sent the police to warn you, then I sent the row boat and I even sent a helicopter. What did you want from me?”
God gave us vaccines and masks and now I think He is sending us another blessing in disguise. The Omicron variant. Here is my take on this new wave coming through. This virus seems to be so contagious that it is going to infect the whole planet in a matter of weeks. Vaccinated, previously infected and unvaccinated will all get exposed. The people with antibodies will get through relatively unscathed, but the people who have no antibodies are going to get hit the hardest. We may have some heavy casualties but when this wave is over, almost everyone who survives will have antibodies. COVID-19 will no longer be a novel coronavirus. It will be an old enemy like the flu that will pose a danger to the sick and elderly but it will no longer be a the indiscriminate killer that it once was to the rest of us, We can live our lives again with an acceptable amount of risk. Maybe I am being too optimistic but I think and I pray that this will be the last Christmas that we have to spend in isolation and I pray that everyone gets vaccinated and boosted and wear their masks in the proper situations so that our friends and loved ones do not become COVID-19 casualties.
Merry Christmas everyone and let’s all have an awesome healthy new year!
-Hung William Song, MD
Dr. H. William Song has been posting video updates since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. See below for the latest updates and scroll down to see the history of the pandemic as it unfolded.
COVID-19 Thanksgiving
COVID-19 Panel Discussion: Update on Vaccines and Therapeautics 11/11/2020
Guest Panelists: Tammy Polit, DO Dallas Texas | H. William Song, MD Oakland NJ | Juan Chavez, MD Fresno CA | Jack Bertolino, MD Buffalo NY | Sunny Kim, MD Cedar Rapids IA | Jing Niu, MD Edison NJ
Here's what we can do to stay safe.
Topic: Coronavirus Frontline Updates with Dr. Song
Do Masks Really Protect Against COVID-19? July 19, 2020
April 2, 2020. In this episode, Dr. Song interviews attorney Victor Herlinsky Jr. about what re-opening America is going to look like. Mr. Herlinsky has a long history of public service in New Jersey. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Think Tank New Jersey Policy Perspective.
As the country gets ready to re-open for business, Dr. Song and Mr. Herlinsky will discuss ideas on how we can restart the New Jersey economy is a way that resident can feel safe and avoid resurgence of the virus. Don't miss this live, interactive discussion about about this very timely subject.
We'll discuss what it would look like to open up specific types of businesses and activities:
As the country gets ready to re-open for business, Dr. Song and Mr. Herlinsky will discuss ideas on how we can restart the New Jersey economy is a way that resident can feel safe and avoid resurgence of the virus. Don't miss this live, interactive discussion about about this very timely subject.
We'll discuss what it would look like to open up specific types of businesses and activities:
- Parks and Beaches
- Shopping Malls
- Restaurants
- Schools
- Movies
- Sporting Events
- Concerts
- Conferences
- Weddings
- Airplanes
Episode 5 April 14, 2020 COVID-19 testing current status
Our live Zoom Webcast will now occur weekly instead of daily. Please join us Weds Night at 6pm
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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Join us Weds at 6:00pm EST for our Weekly Zoom Webcast
The North Jersey Vineyard church serves the community currently at the center of the world coronavirus pandemic. Pastor Chorlian will talk about how this virus has really hit home in the community. Please do not miss this very important broadcast.
Episode 4: April 13, 2020 How to Wipe Covid-19 Off the Planet
Episode 1. April 9, 2020 Is Social Distancing Working in New Jersey? Availability of Antibody Testing
Episode 2 April 10, 2020 Interview from the Front Line Pastor Phil Chorlian from North Jersey Church.
Prevention: Here is our protocol for people who want to prevent COVID-19 infection:
- The most important thing to do during the pandemic is to avoid exposure. Social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands etc.
- Prevent lowering your body temperature. Make sure you bundle up and bring extra layers of clothing when you go outside. Your immune system slows down when your body temperature drops. This allows any virus or bacteria that are in your body to multiply and overwhelm your immune system.
- Gargle frequently! The only way for the virus to enter your body is through your mouth, nose and eyes. Gargling with salt water or alcohol based mouthwash will rinse away any virus that may be sitting in your mouth. It's like washing your hands, wash your mouth and the virus can be removed before you even know you were exposed. Gargling also decreases the viral load in you mouth. Your immune system can easily fight off a few viral particles but a wad of viral particles sitting in you mouth can easily evade your defenses and slip down into your lungs.
- Vitamin C 500-1000mg twice a day
- Vitamin D3 daily
- Zinc supplements twice a day.
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid sugar
- Eat more vegetables
- Exercise 30 minutes a day
- Meditate
- Sleep minimum of 7-8 hours a day
- Pray
Prevention: For people who are at high risk for exposure (first responders)
- All of the above
- Thymosin Alpha Peptide
- Hydroxycholoroquine (if prescribed by your doctor)
For confirmed and unconfirmed people who were sent home to recover at home:
- All of the above
- Increase Vitamin C to 6000 mg a day (1000mg every 4 hours even at night. Set an alarm to take it).
- Zinc 40mg twice a day
- Iodine 300mg twice a day
- Azithromycin and or Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine only if prescribed by your doctor.
- Avoid ibuprofen.
- Avoid acetaminophen for fevers less than 102 degrees F.