With Oregon inching towards full reopening and 70% vaccination, we too are inching our blog toward a full reopening — to other important health topics.
What a difference a year makes.
Clinic remodeling update
Our renovation plans have been stalled by material delays, but we’re back on track! Baskin Clinic will be under construction from 7/2-7/19. During construction, we’ll be doing as much as possible through phone and Spruce. However, if you have urgent needs that must be seen in person, we have arranged a temporary clinic space on the same floor of our building. We’ll give you instructions when you make your appointment.
Wildfires
As you may have heard, forest fires are already burning in Oregon. A record breaking heat wave arrives this weekend. Most of the state is in a severe drought. We won’t be caught by surprise if the air is choked with wildfire smoke again sometime this summer. And we are encouraging patients, friends, and family members to get prepared now. Buy the supplies you may need like window sealing kits, replacement air filters for your furnace (look for MERV 13 or greater), ESP or HEPA air purifiers, and N95 masks.
COVID update
Delta variant, kids, and vaccines
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is in Oregon, and it does appear to be more contagious and more severe than those that came before. Delta is expected to be the dominant (>50%) variant in the US
sometime in the next month or so. COVID-19 is still circulating widely throughout the globe, and Delta is not likely to be the last concerning variant to emerge.
That said, Delta (as with other variants) is still COVID-19 and not an entirely different virus. Delta shares many characteristics with other versions of the virus, including being relatively low-risk for young children. (Parents, we found this article especially good on assessing COVID risks and kids.) Additionally, the vaccines we have appear to be highly effective in combating all known variants, including Delta. If you or someone you know is still on the fence about getting vaccinated, this is a good time to take action.
It appears that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is about 60 percent effective against Delta. We have been getting questions from patients who received the J&J vaccine about whether they should go get a dose of Moderna or Pfizer to boost their protection. We’d echo Dr. Bob Wachter of UCSF that running your own clinical trial (of one) isn’t recommended. Instead, consider being more careful with masking and physical distancing in situations where transmission risk is higher (particularly in areas with low vaccination rates and higher levels of Delta variant).
There are studies are underway to determine the safety and efficacy of mixing vaccine brands; early results indicate the potential for harsher side effects and greater immune response. Bottom line: the jury is still out. We’ll update our recommendations if the picture changes.
Antibody testing
We have been getting questions about whether a person should get an antibody test after vaccination. FDA authorized tests are not validated to evaluate specific immunity or protection against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, our recommendation is to follow FDA guidance. For more information, refer to the FDA statement.
FDA approves drug for weight loss
In an interesting new development, semaglutide, a common medication for diabetes, has been given approval for use in treating obesity. Semaglutide is an injectable drug given once a week, and studies demonstrated approximately 15 percent weight loss over 16 months. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal distress. Other than the obvious discomfort associated with these effects, the medication seems to be safer and more effective than many weight loss drugs of the past. .
CPAP recall
If you have a Philips BiPAP or CPAP machine, please read this recall notice to find out if it applies to you.
As always, we’re going to leave you with some fun. It’s been so long since the lights were on in nightclubs, the bats have taken over.
And check out this video of Oregon getting close to 70 percent vaccination.
Take care,
Baskin Clinic