August 28, 2023
smoke gets in your eyes
In the Pacific Northwest, summer winds down quickly. The sun is setting earlier. We just had our last sundown later then 8 PM. From now till the solstice, every day is shorter.But we are finally expecting rain tonight. That’s good. We have had a long dry spell, since mid June with heat to go with it.
Luckily, we only had smoke from wildfires off and on the past couple of weeks. The smoke is moving out tonight. A relief. I broke out my N95 masks to wear outdoors when the numbers got too high. It seems for much of the world, fires and smoke are to be expected now. I am mystified by those who deny climate change.
Glad I have a leftover supply of masks, which I will use this Fall. COVID 19 infections have not left us yet. Infections are heating up again, possibly driven by a new variant. Too soon to tell. Since the emergency order ended in May, people can’t get free tests. which means many aren’t testing if they get symptoms. The tests also aren’t as sensitive and give false negatives. Many health departments monitor infections by testing waste water which is showing an increase. Hospitalizations are going up too, another way to tell.
Masking will continue to be an option for many people, an important one. Not only can it protect from COVID but other viruses as well. Some people are more vulnerable, especially people over 80, or with with diabetes, cancer, chronic liver, kidney or lung disease, organ or stem cell transplants, HIV or other immunocompromising conditions, a history of heart disease or stroke, dementia or mental health issues. Some people like me have never had it and don’t want to risk Long COVID.
The Royal Society from the UK released a report showing that masking and shutdowns absolutely cut down on the spread, especially early on when we had no other options. Masks, specifically N95’s, social distancing and lockdowns, testing and isolation made a difference, especially when all used together (the Swiss cheese method). They acknowledge the costs to many as well, but the actions saved many lives.
You might wait to get a booster until the updated versions are released this fall. Several companies are working on an updated vaccine that works well on the new variants, including one agains the newest variant Eris. And does it matter which arm you get it in? It might, if you can remember which one you got it in before.
All that being said, please be careful even if you had COVID before without too much trouble, there are no guarantees the same will happen. People are still dying.
I am OK with wearing my mask to protect myself and others. Hard to think about large gatherings of people and the risks involved. Being outdoors helps, harder when it’s smoky. Air filters help with both COVID and smoke. Glad I’ve invested in a couple.
Wish I had better news but alas, COVID is here to stay. But we are lucky we know how to decrease our risks with vaccines, masking, and meds.
And finally, my caveat is that this is my experience and my opinions, which are subject to change as more information is available. Thanks for reading.
.https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/covid-19-is-heating-up-all-around-this-summer-should-we-be-wearing-masks-again/
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/health/masks-covid-surge-wellness/index.html
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/not-over-yet-late-summer-covid-wave-brings-warning-of-more-to-come/
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/covid-or-a-summer-cold-without-free-tests-many-wont-know/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/24/lockdowns-face-masks-unequivocally-cut-spread-covid-study-finds
https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/impact-non-pharmaceutical-interventions-on-covid-19-transmission/covid-19-examining-the-effectiveness-of-non-pharmaceutical-interventions-executive-summary.pdf
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/dont-get-your-next-covid-booster-quite-yet/
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/18/health/covid-vaccine-arm-wellness/index.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-administration-urge-americans-get-new-covid-19-boosters-2023-08-20/
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novavaxs-updated-covid-vaccine-shows-response-against-eris-variant-2023-08-22/