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I'm without any useful numbers today, so this will be a basic science post about Covid.
Vaccines, as we have discussed many times, teach the immune system about a particular invader. But location matters.
I don't want to get too much into the weeds, so I'm not going to get terribly technical about antibodies, but a little background is helpful.
The majority of antibodies generated by the immune response to Covid vaccination are IgG, which are found primarily in our blood. They work quite well for foreign proteins in the blood, attaching where they match and activating other parts of the immune system.
They are not found in the linings of our airways.
If a virus must enter the bloodstream to replicate, then immunity with IgG antibodies is highly effective, essentially preventing infection.
As we know, though, coronaviruses are respiratory viruses, and can live their entire life cycle in the cells that line our airways. Antibodies in blood have no effect on them. The can replicate to very high levels in the respiratory mucus membranes before much of a systemic response is generated.
(A different type of antibody, called IgA, is found in our mucus membranes. At 6 weeks after vaccination, there are IgA antibodies generated, but they decline rapidly.)
This is the reason that injected vaccines do not prevent infection with SARS-CoV2.
Once the virus gets into the bloodstream, vaccinated people can fight those particles much better than a non-immune person can. But if the virus numbers are really high, or if the person's immune system is weakened, they can still develop significant disease.
And these facts are not new. As I said at the beginning, this is basic science.
I'd still rather my immune system have a head start. The anti-vaccine crowd misses this, focusing on the rare complications while accepting the much higher risks of Covid disease.
When the virus first became widely publicized in early March of 2020, I was part of a coaching group. This was the first time I realized exactly how tribal humans can be. I shared with the group what I had learned and gave suggestions about how to protect one's self from infection, thinking my input as a physician would be of value. You'd think I had told them to sacrifice a puppy! The leader went on record shouting "Scamdemic" from the rooftops (figuratively) and various members of the group attacked me as though I was a communist infiltrator. As you can guess, I didn't continue in the group. But even now, I see some members of the group uncritically repeating anti-science and illogical arguments against vaccination and reasonable precautions. Thankfully, not all were that way and I maintain friendship with some really great folks, but the lessons I learned about human nature really surprised and disappointed me.
Don't forget to think.
The memes almost always miss the nuance of situations.
Remember that our goal is to not get seriously ill or die, and to not be risks for others.
There's never been a better time to maximize your health.
Stay Healthy!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
