(Total Views: 236)
Posted On: 04/29/2020 4:25:58 PM
Post# of 716
A big question about the vaccine is -- how long does protection last? Even if it only lasts 8-10 weeks, and then the antibodies die off, that will be great for the healthcare workers to have some temporary protection.
The bigger concern to me is the fact that 8% of the people who got infected had NO detectable antibodies after they got well. The younger people had no or very low levels of antibodies. In general, the older people got, the more antibodies they had. This is contrary to the usual pattern.
So, if even 8% of people are not helped by a vaccination, it's going to mean that there will be a reservoir of the virus waiting to infect people. The Oxford study also said that they were "hoping" for 80% efficacy. That is better than nothing, obviously, but it still doesn't rise to the level of the great vaccines like the smallpox and polio vaccines.
We'll have to hope for the best, and hope that this works at least in the short term, until a really great vaccine can be found. And, of course, great treatments, which will help with this and OTHER viral infections.
The bigger concern to me is the fact that 8% of the people who got infected had NO detectable antibodies after they got well. The younger people had no or very low levels of antibodies. In general, the older people got, the more antibodies they had. This is contrary to the usual pattern.
So, if even 8% of people are not helped by a vaccination, it's going to mean that there will be a reservoir of the virus waiting to infect people. The Oxford study also said that they were "hoping" for 80% efficacy. That is better than nothing, obviously, but it still doesn't rise to the level of the great vaccines like the smallpox and polio vaccines.
We'll have to hope for the best, and hope that this works at least in the short term, until a really great vaccine can be found. And, of course, great treatments, which will help with this and OTHER viral infections.
(2)
(0)
