Mark Martin writes:
What do you think of the commercial ELISA kit measuring antibodies against CoV2? Is it useful?
Lindsey writes:
Hello,
I am writing from northern Illinois near Chicago. I want to thank you and everyone in Microbe TV for the education. Dr. Daniel Griffin, I have wanted to become an Epidemiologist since I could read. My Father passed away from Influenza when I was 11 months old. Which, sparked my deep fascination with diseases of all sorts. However, no one in my family has a background in healthcare so I do not know where to start. I aim to enter clinical research. Besides applying to a college do you have any recommendations? I am 22 years of age and already have a degree in Horticulture and two certificates. I cannot express my gratitude in words, I have learned so much thanks to everyone on Microbe TV.
P.S.
I almost cried when you quoted Peter Gabriel Don’t Give Up in TWIV 1122. I have been a huge fan of him since I was a kid and saw him in concert in the fall of 2023. Truly made me admire you even more.
With warm regards,
Future Epidemiologist
Lindsey
Jalna writes:
Dear Dr. Daniel
My friends husband had his booster last fall, and 10 days later had a TIA. She also had a friend who had a TIA after vaccination. Is this a true risk? She and her husband are in their late 70’s. She believes in vaccines, but is concerned.
Jalna Jaeger RN
Norwalk, Ct.
Daina writes:
Hi Daniel and Vincent,
Novavax got a lifeline earlier this year from Sanofi. Sanofi licensed Novavax’s protein-based COVID-19 vaccine alone and for development of a COVID/Flu combination vaccine.
Sanofi will start commercializing the COVID vaccine for the 2025 respiratory season, and I expect Daniel will have no trouble getting his protein vaccine then!
https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2024/2024-05-10-06-00-00-2879379
Enjoy,
Daina
Jason writes:
Dr. Griffin,
At about 9:16 in TWIV 1122 you went over the cdc map of the “Percentage of Provisional Deaths Due to COVID-19 in the Past Week, by State/Territory-United States” and noted that Puerto Rico showed 4 to 5.9% of all deaths due to covid-19 for the past week.
I think it would be interesting to see in future examples for particular states what the percentage of provisional deaths due to covid-19 represent in terms of absolute numbers. For example, what was the total number of deaths in Puerto Rico over the past week that covid-19 represents 4 to 5.9% of all of these deaths? If there were 20 total deaths in Puerto Rico then 5% would represent 1 out of the 20 deaths. In contrast, if there were 10,000 total deaths in Puerto Rico, then 5% would represent 500 people. A big contrast. This type of comparison could also be made with total numbers of deaths contrasting largely between states and also be affected by the differing populations among states.
I know the CDC also has information on what is the percent of total emergency room visits for each week for each state due to covid-19. However, I do not see any information on what the actual total number of emergency room visits are for each state over the past week. If this information could be found then the absolute number of covid cases making people sick enough to seek care at an emergency room could be calculated, and if we know approximately what percent of total covid infections result in seeking emergency room care, then an idea of total number of cases could be estimated and this could be triangulated with wastewater levels and perhaps modeling of wastewater levels.
Just a couple of ideas for the show. I don’t know where to find this information, but if you do and could include it in the show I think it would give a better sense of where we are at with covid.
Sincerely,
Jason