High Risk Are Being Left Behind But No One Cares

Vacations, restaurants and more are no longer a safe option for the vulnerable. It’s not just elderly it’s those with conditions that affect their immunity.

According to the Associated Press:

Up to 7 million immune-compromised Americans have been left behind in the nation’s wobbly efforts to get back to normal. A weak immune system simply can’t rev up to fight the virus after vaccination like a healthy one does. Not only do these fragile patients remain at high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, they can harbor lengthy infections that can help spark still more variants.

This is “quickly transitioning into an epidemic of the vulnerable,” said Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. While healthy vaccinated people may return to pre-pandemic activities with little worry about severe consequences, “the immunocompromised — despite vaccination, despite taking all precautions — cannot, and remain at risk.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also is considering if the immune-compromised need their booster a little sooner — three months after their last shot rather than five months.

But some hope might be on the horizon. 500,000 of the 1.2 million doses the government has purchased have been distributed, and an AstraZeneca spokesperson says the rest should arrive before April. AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, the first set of antibodies grown in a lab to prevent COVID-19 — rather than treat it — in people who can’t make their own virus-fighters. Evusheld contains two types of antibodies, given in two shots at the same appointment, that are expected to last for six months.

This might be a game-changer for those who don’t respond well to the vaccine.

In the meantime, while people rip off their masks and refuse the 3rd and 4th boosters, there are some things everyone can do to make it better for the vulnerable.

1. Never pressure someone to remove their mask or make fun of them
2. Never say it’s just a cold, it clearly isn’t.
3. Respect their decision to skip events, especially family events
4. Be willing to get tested for Covid before visiting with…