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When the debate over COVID-19 vaccines shifts from the medical into politics and individual rights, it is easy to lose sight of just how dangerous this novel coronavirus can be.
The first version was more infectious and deadly than the common flu. Now, 619,000 deaths in America later, we have the delta variant, which is twice as dangerous as the strain that brought the world to a standstill last year. The new lambda variant out of South America is feared to be more deadly and possibly more resistant to vaccines than delta.
Who knows what will come down the pike next? As a doctor friend says, there are a lot of letters in the Greek alphabet. He says the key is for everyone to get their jab while the vaccines still work. If enough people are vaccinated to reach herd immunity, it is still possible for COVID-19 to burn itself out.
To the young and healthy, the disease's 1.7 percent mortality rate may not sound very high. With roughly 80 percent of those infected suffering only mild symptoms, at least at first, it may seem worth the risk. Hawaii folks would bet those odds in Vegas any day.
From a societal standpoint, a big problem is when infection numbers rise so high that health care systems are overwhelmed. This is currently happening on the Mainland and reportedly close to occurring at some facilities in Hawaii. And cases are expected to rise.
Even if you only care about yourself, there is plenty to worry about COVID-19. With most older Americans vaccinated, the disease has shifted to a younger, healthier demographic. Up to 30 percent of COVID patients, even those with mild symptoms, will suffer "long haul" effects that include coughing, fatigue, body aches, joint pain, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, difficulty sleeping, headaches and brain fog. Some symptoms may dog them for the rest of their lives.
A British study on brain fog published July 22 in The Lancet found that COVID-19 survivors generally fared less well on complex tasks requiring reasoning, planning and problem solving. Those who had been on ventilators averaged a seven-point drop in IQ. There was also a slowing of responses, particularly in the ventilated group. They scored lower than people who had strokes or learning disabilities. The cognitive deficits have not gone away over time.
Citing the lingering effects of brain fog, Maui's own J. Kalani English retired from his post as Hawaii State Senate majority leader this year. English suffered mild symptoms of COVID-19 last fall and the cognitive issues surfaced later, which is not uncommon for long-haulers.
The coronavirus does not care what political party we belong to, our ethnicity, color of skin or religious affiliation. It just wants to settle into a warm, moist spot in our respiratory systems to begin replicating itself. The more chances we give it, the more likely it will happen.