I know this is sacrilegious, but despite the fact that I'm triple-vaxed, I am beginning to have some doubts about whether continuing to push vaccines is an efficient way to deal with Covid.
First, there is increasing evidence (which I raised here) that being vaccinated doesn't necessarily protect people from being infected with Omicron. Vaccines probably slowed transmissions of the Delta variant, but increasingly public health authorities and others are asserting that being vaccinated or previously infected won't protect us much, if at all, from getting the Omicron variant of Covid.
Second, in what sounds like backtracking, public health authorities are now telling us [paraphrased] "but people who are vaccinated are less likely to die, end up in the ICU, or end up in the hospital." Maybe, but how substantial is this effect?
- In Ontario, 90% of the population is fully vaccinated; 70% of the people in hospital with covid have been fully vaccinated, and this percentage has crept up slightly since my earlier posting on this topic. The vaccines look as if they have some impact on keeping people out of hospital, but not a substantial impact.
- In Ontario a month ago, only 38% of the people in ICUs had been fully vaccinated, and so it looked as if the vaccinations do indeed reduce the seriousness of the disease for those who are infected. But as of today, 51% of the people in ICUs have been fully vaccinated. That's a substantial jump in the past month. Vaccinations probably help, but not nearly to the extent that people are suggesting.
And now we read that possibly Vitamin D (a dirt-cheap supplement!) may do an even better job of protecting us from being affected seriously if we do contract covid.
Patients with vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) were 14 times more likely to have severe or critical disease than patients with 25(OH)D ≥40 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR], 14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4 to 51; p < 0.001).
Let me summarize this: people with a vitamin D deficiency were 14 times more likely to be hospitalized, put in ICUs, or die than people who had what is regarded as an ideal level of vitamin D.
If we're going to "follow the science", maybe it's time to start paying more attention to scientific results. I don't know if the study I've cited here is correct, mostly correct, or flawed in some way. But it certainly would be an inexpensive and easy way to help deal with covid, especially compared with the prices of future MRNa vaccines.
If gubmnts really want to spend money dealing with Covid, they should spend it on generic vitamin D supplements for seniors' homes and schools; and employers should provide vitamin D supplements for people working inside all day. But really, if individuals want to protect themselves from Covid, they should pony up the money themselves. As I said, this stuff is dirt cheap (e.g. 240 tablets for $5 at Amazon for a 2-4 month supply).
Update:
A friend sent me this link. The summary is cautious but supportive:
In summary, current evidence supports the links between vitamin D and COVID-19 and the benefits of vitamin D supplementation for managing or treating this condition. [emphasis added] Most of the literature reports improved COVID-19 prognosis and outcomes with sufficient vitamin D concentrations, with or without supplementation, with some reporting no significant differences based on vitamin D levels and/or no improvements following supplementation. Some even report a decreased incidence of infection as a result of prior supplementation. Future research should focus on establishing the mechanism/s for this link, as well as optimising treatment doses for maximum benefit to patients once infected. In the meantime, vitamin D deficiency should be corrected wherever possible since vitamin D supplementation is safe and the potential for toxicity is strongly outweighed by the potential benefits in relation to protection from COVID-19.
And what does this say about the trucker convoys that are protesting vaccine mandates? I'm not enthused with what they're doing, but they probably have an important point to make: vaccine mandates probably don't pass any reasonable cost-benefit test at this point.... especially Canada's mandate at the US border, which was unnecessary, given the US policy already in place.
personal notes:
- for nearly a decade, I've been taking 1000-2000 IUs of vitamin D each morning and each evening.
- If a 4th booster is made available for seniors, yes, I will get it. Why? because I just don't know what research to believe at this point.
- For those of us with major concerns because we live in households with major health issues, the vaccines seem to be having little-to-no impact on transmission of the virus. And so we must look after ourselves. We do that by taking vitamin D, by isolating, and by wearing N95 masks when we go out.
- I'm open to being convinced my reading of the situation is incorrect.
