What I Know (and don’t know) about COVID 19 and Vaccines

The Virus

1. COVID 19 is caused by a coronavirus.  The Virus appears to have originated in China but we don’t know if it is of natural or man-made origin.
2. The virus first appeared in late 2019 and early 2020.
3. The old and infirm are most susceptible to the virus.
4. The first wave in March and April 2020 affected mostly the very elderly in Care Homes.
5. The second wave in November 2020 was much worse than the first wave but still affected mostly seniors.
6. The third wave in April 2021 was the worst so far and affected a lot of middle aged individuals.
7. The virus affects individuals very differently.  Most get well in several weeks but some are still ill months after first getting sick.
8. The first 3 waves did not affect children to any great extent.
9. The fourth wave is affecting much younger people including some children.
10. The fourth wave Delta variant is both more communicable and more serious than earlier versions of the virus.

Preventive Measures

1. The best way to prevent the spread of the virus has been severe lockdowns but these have many serious impacts on the economy and other health issues.
2. Avoiding crowds in indoor spaces especially those with poor ventilation helps prevent the spread of the virus.
3. For young people and children hand sanitation is very effective.
4. Wearing masks indoors helps slow the spread of the virus.  To be effective everyone needs to wear masks as the virus is spread by non-symptomatic individuals.

Vaccines

1. A number of vaccines were introduced in the Spring of 2021. 
2. Some vaccines were traditional style while others were RNA based.
3. All vaccines have been effective in preventing the spread of the virus but the RNA vaccines seem to be most effective and have the least side effects.
4. All the vaccines have significant side effects in a small number of individuals.
5. The serious side effects of the RNA vaccines are many times less than the dangers inherent in COVID 19.
6. None of the vaccines are 100% effective.  A number of fully vaccinated individuals are still getting COVID 19 but most are getting only very mild cases.