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This week, we talk with Dr. Paul Offit, author of the new book, Tell Me When It’s Over. Most of us are more than ready to move on from the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll discuss how public health officials could regain our trust. In addition, we consider what lessons we should take away from this experience.
You may want to listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EDT on your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on March 11, 2023.
Changing Public Perception:
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the infection it causes (COVID-19) first appeared, people were frightened. They had reason to worry; this novel pathogen quickly spread around the world, and no one was immune to it. As a result, it infected millions, overwhelmed hospitals and killed far too many people. When the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, public health agencies around the world instituted draconian measures designed to limit damage to population health.
Shutting down restaurants and theaters, having people work from home when possible and limiting public gatherings probably saved lives, but these moves also caused hardship. Have you been wondering what lessons we learned and what we should do differently the next time a novel pathogen appears on the scene? Our guest is exceptionally qualified to help us with this look back.
Can Public Health Officials Rebuild Trust?
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic quickly became politicized and extremely polarized. We discuss what steps organizations like the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the WHO could take to reestablish trust in their recommendations.
We also examine why people have had such widely differing experiences with COVID-19 infections. Some individuals did not become seriously ill, while others needed hospitalization. What are the differences between the immunity gained from recovering from an infection (“natural” immunity) and that gained from vaccination? Neither is a perfect shield from infection, although both tend to keep people from becoming gravely ill.
Concerns about Long COVID:
The pandemic may be over, but the virus continues to circulate. How should that change the way we conduct our daily lives? One of the serious concerns going forward is that hundreds of thousands of people are suffering with lingering effects even after the acute infection is gone. How will Long COVID affect public health in the future? We review the symptoms and their consequences, along with prospects for treatment. Support groups for Long COVID offer victims a valuable forum as well as helpful information on coping with common problems.
Can We Improve Air Quality?
One lesson we should have learned from COVID-19 is that airborne viruses travel easily. To really control their spread, you have to make changes to ventilation, filtration and purification of air in public spaces. We have the knowledge now to do that, but we appear to lack the will to make the investments. Tell me when we can figure that out!
Going Forward:
Do masks work? They are far from perfect, but they do make a difference. Wearing a closely-fitted N95 mask can help protect people from potential exposure. And if an infected person wears such a mask, others are largely protected from them. Wearing a loose mask or draping it around the chin does not provide much, if any, protection from infection.
Another approach that can be helpful is wastewater surveillance. Even respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2 show up in stool. Planning regular tests of sewage can help alert us earlier to pathogens in our communities. They don’t need to be novel pathogens; it is worth knowing if polio or measles are on the loose, so we can take steps to protect the vulnerable.
This Week’s Guest:
Paul A. Offit, MD, is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Offit is the author of several books, including Overkill, When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far and Tell Me When It’s Over: An Insider’s Guide to Deciphering Covid Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World.
Paul Offit, MD, author of Tell Me When It’s Over
Listen to the Podcast:
The podcast of this program will be available Monday, March 11, 2024, after broadcast on March 9. You can stream the show from this site and download the podcast for free.
Lisa
As a former R.N. who is married to a now-retired, cardiologist, we follow the science. The CDC has lost my/our confidence, especially with the latest loosening of Covid guidelines.
I am soon to be 63, healthy, and have now had Covid twice: in 2022 and 5 weeks ago. The first time was a BEAR. I hadn’t felt that sick in age: fevers of 101.5, myalgias, headache, which on top of already having migraines wasn’t fun, fatigue, and then the racing heart rate of 99 for a week. I almost passed out and was about 1/8 of an inch of asking my husband to take me to the hospital. I felt like I was dying. The only possible contact was a workman who my husband had let it in the house unmasked.
With this latest case, my contact is known, and I spent several hours with her. She has Alzheimer’s, and I take her out. She got it from a Senior Services Adult day care. Three people got Covid from her. She and her 90+ MIL ended up in the hospital. This time was milder, but still not fun: horrendous sore throat, my neck was swollen-glands, low-grade temps for a couple of days. With that, and my comment about the CDC, I was still testing grossly positive on day 6 and didn’t test negative until day 12.
What needs to be done is studies on how infectious people are (and that will vary). But we need a general knowledge of when we stop becoming infectious: Are we still shedding and contagious, say at day 6, with a grossly positive test? More information is needed, was needed before changing the guidelines, again.
We mask when necessary, and I will mask in areas with a large number of people, e.g.,church.
This was a novel virus, so the initial messaging was confusing for many, but we are learning and reacting on the go, in real time. Things change. Politics should have never come into the welfare of our country, but it did and is here to remain, unfortunately. Will we as a country learn? Doubtful.
My husband, 70, has yet to get it, to our knowledge. I swear he has an immune system of Teflon. As soon as I have tested positive, we go into masks, sleep and eat separately until I test negative. Even with the new guidelines, we will probably continue to do this.
We need to think about others, especially the Immunocompromised and the elderly. Of those who refused to wear masks because it infringed on their right: WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF EVERYONE ELSE NOT TO BE EXPOSED TO YOUR LACK OF CONCERN?
Lois
I agree with Donnell about acknowledging errors and apologizing. That would be a good first step. But the “experts” seem to be too arrogant to do that. I have no sympathy for them. This is a self-inflicted wound.
Deborah
I trust the medical professionals and science, it’s not perfect, but the alternative is going backwards in history. Covid will never be over since so many were duped into being afraid of science, by refusing a vaccine that has saved so many lives. Keeping the virus alive is essentially what they are doing, letting it get stronger, infecting more people.
I’ve never had covid, we both have several vaccinations and boosters, we mask up when asked; husband had it, a mild case, used the required medication, recovered quickly.
Both over 70, he’s going on 83, has diabetes, a heart condition and is alive and healthy because he follows his doctor’s advice, we both eat well and are active. He gave up cigarettes and alcohol a long ago to save his life. I know not all health professionals are good at their jobs, just like anything, there are bad doctors. We’ve had a few, very few. I do appreciate and support the natural approach, but I don’t rely on it exclusively. I take a collection of supplements prescribed by a MD who is a practitioner of alternative medicine, besides my ENT, for my nasel polyp’s and allergies. I respect my doctors and they respect me. We listen to each other, or they wouldn’t be my doctor. I fortunately can change doctors, always had that type of insurance.
Linda
I feel I have a pretty good immune system. I am 84 years, and never had had Covid 19 or Sars. I run a steady low temp of 97.2 and a steady heart rate in the 60’s. I get leg neuropathy during sleep or inactivity and am learning ways to deal with that, which mostly involves moving, and eating healthy.
I decline most vaccines from my Primary Care, whom I keep in case I need a prescription for a UTI or something temporary. I think our health care system is broken in many ways. I also practice deep breathing.
I respect Dr. Paul Offit’s life work as a virologist and would encourage those with weak immune systems to listen, and see his gifts to science.
I think our planet is struggling to overcome all ways in which we don’t respect its natural ecology – and may be the source of these new illnesses.
Let’s return to clean water, clean soil, and clean air as soon as possible. My two cents.
Lisa
Public health officials cannot regain my trust, along with so many others. It became so political and then so many mistruths were told that I no longer have trust in the CDC, FDA or WHO and I find that very disheartening and sad.
Will
I’m 74 and had covid in January of 2022 having received one dose of the J&J shot. A very mild case scratchy throat, dry cough with a slight temperature. It was all over within about two weeks. I don’t take any pharma products and do take a number of supplements; C, D3, K, Zinc, NAC, B complex, CoQ10, Resveratrol. Never will take another vax for anything. I only took this one because my girlfriend insisted so just this once, then got sick anyway which I usually don’t. Meanwhile she has had many vaccinations in the last four years, boosted with Pfizer four times, plus all the others recommended for old people. Nope, no way will I go that route my body does not need this artificial stimulation, not following the science. Death comes for us all, when and how who knows, my destiny awaits.
Steve
I’m 73 and my experience is much the same as Jeanni’s. I too take zinc, vitamin C and D3. When I get the sniffles or a scratchy throat (which isn’t often) I rinse my nasal passages with a water/povidone solution and this stops whatever it is in its tracks. … I did not get the Covid injections (nor have I ever gotten a flu shot, RSV shot, shingles shot, etc., and don’t plan to). I finally got Covid in the summer of ’23. Caught it from my wife, who is fully vaccinated. My case was no worse than hers. … When I was young I looked around at the old people who seemed to be on a dozen different prescriptions, complained about their aches and pains, and looked like they were always on the verge of death. I vowed then that I would never be like that! I don’t take prescriptions, rarely see a doctor and my health is great.
Donnell
I concur with Jeanni and echo her sentiments. I thought Dr Offit was very thoughtful and sincere in expressing his opinions and agree with much of what he said. I think a major failing of this podcast was the brief and passing acknowledgement that was given to the damage done by the unfair and punitive policies administered during the covid pandemic given so much unproven “science” all in the name of public safety. Refusing unvaccinated people employment or participation in schools did permanent damage to people and their families in order to protect an uncertain and unproven outcome. It is not the competence that we are untrusting of, but the judgement. When people and policies, not covid, do what people did to people during the pandemic, you get what you now have, an untrusting society. Transparency and more frequent communication doesn’t gain trust in the face of poor judgement. Acknowledging your errors, apologizing, and fixing the wrong done is where the focus should be.
Jeanni
Covid has recently been down graded as just a flu. This was a new virus when it first appeared and from what I have seen it mostly affected those that already had an underlying condition or those who had low immunity. A lot who died were the elderly and it is known that at that age your immunity is lower. Children were not affected as much because their immunity is stronger.
I am seventy nine and I did get Covid in November of 2022. I chose not to get any Covid vaccines prior to getting Covid or after but I do take Zinc, Vitamin C and D3 on a regular basis because they help build up your immunity.
When I did get Covid all I had was a scratchy throat for one day, ran a fever for four days and developed a congested cough that lasted for three months. I owe the fact that I did not get seriously ill to my regime of the Zinc, D3 and C. Also at my age I do not take any prescription drugs which means I am pretty healthy and this also helped in fighting off the Covid virus.
Art
The CDC now recommends in 2024 that all seniors over 65 receive the updated Covid Vaccine which they’re not calling a “booster” anymore. I went over to Walgreens who were the only Pharmacy in town that even had the Pfizer Covid Vaccine in stock and got my shot this week. Anyone else?