隧道的尽头有光，但隧道很长。
In every state across the United States, the number of new coronavirus cases daily were lower than the previous week in early February, according to theWashington Post tracker.
At home,2022世界杯巴西阵容leaders are cautiously optimistic about current numbers but know things change quickly as new data is released.
“We’re on the downhill side of the omicron surge in the Dakotas and Minnesota,” Chief PhysicianJeremy Cauwels, M.D., said in a Feb. 10 Facebook Live Q&A with Sanford Health News.
Watch:Facebook Live Q&A, Feb. 10
There is a slight decrease in the number of hospitalized patients and patients in the ICU, which is also good news. Additionally, staff out sick due to omicron have significantly dropped — by 75% — back to more normal numbers since mid-January.
New omicron subvariants emerge
There’s another twist in the COVID-19 pandemic.
欧米克隆变种现在有一个亚变种似乎传播得更快。它被称为BA.2，或者通常被称为“隐身”。
If you’re wondering about your protection following a recent case of COVID-19, Dr. Cauwels said you’re likely OK.
Researchers now know you’re much less likely to get re-infected after a recent infection, but they’re still unsure how long that protection lasts.
“A previous infection does do a good job of protecting you much like the vaccine does,” Dr. Cauwels said. “Individuals who went out and got their vaccine early, and then were infected at some point, are well protected.”
In fact, new data in the United States shows the likelihood of a vaccinated person who has had a breakthrough case being hospitalized, being put on a ventilator or dying from COVID-19 is “extremely low,” he said.
The U.S. data is key with a different population than studies done with other countries and younger populations.
“A 20-year-old gentleman in Malawi is different than a 65-year-old overweight gentleman in Minnesota, and I think it’s important that we now have the data to say the Minnesotan has a certain rate of protection as well,” Dr. Cauwels said. “Those differences are what we were waiting for on long-term safety after vaccine and infection.”
If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, you’re recommended to mask in public andtest at homeafter a few days to ensure you’re not walking around exposing others.
New data on natural and ‘hybrid’ immunity
We are learning more about the body’s natural immunity after COVID-19 infection which — Dr. Cauwels said — has become a point of controversy.
As many rely on international data, there has not been U.S. data to show how long a patient is protected or how well a patient is protected and whether or not that patient is truly safe. It requires a year of studying and some of that research is now complete.
New data from studies published byJohns Hopkins, theCDCand theNew England Journal of Medicineshow that a prior COVID-19 infection provides effective and durable protection against hospitalization and death if you are re-infected.
The NEJM study, published Feb. 9, found that natural infection protects against severe disease caused by the virus as well as a variety of variants — alpha, beta, delta or omicron.
Based on the data, the researchers estimated the effectiveness of previous infection in preventing against severe, critical or fatal COVID-19 was 87.8% against omicron.
“The takeaway is, if you haven’t gotten COVID-19, it’s absolutely important you get a vaccine and keep up on your boosters to avoid a severe illness,” Dr. Cauwels added. “If you’ve been fully vaccinated and previously infected, there’s a good chance you’ll get through that infection, and any subsequent infections will not be as serious.”
Long COVID data proves effects one year later
长时间COVID，或长搬运工综合征，是感染最初阶段后持续的任何症状组合，持续四周到六个月或更长时间后的感染。
Studies have indicated 1 in 10 people infected with COVID-19 will experiencelong-haul symptoms比如呼吸并发症、脑雾、味觉或嗅觉丧失等等。
Othernew datafurther confirms COVID-19’s impact on the heart and long-term cardiovascular health one year later.
早期，我们就清楚地知道，COVID-19会损害心脏和血管，而患者会出现血栓、心脏炎症、心律失常和心力衰竭。现在，这项大型研究表明，这种病毒的影响在感染后持续一年。
Read:Nationwide ‘long COVID’ study opens at Sanford
It’s yet another reason why the vaccine is so important, Dr. Cauwels said. Not only will it decrease severe disease, but it also helps protect patients from the long-term effects after infection.
他补充说:“如果你接种了疫苗，这些已知的并发症就会大大减少。”
If you’re experiencing difficulty with COVID-19 symptoms during or after an infection, contact your provider, and learn more aboutCOVID-19 care at Sanford Health.
Information in this story was accurate when it was posted. As the COVID-19 pandemic changes, scientific understanding and guidelines may have changed since the original publication date.
More information
- COVID vaccine boosters available at Sanford Health
- Booster dose builds immunity as omicron variant spreads
- What the new COVID quarantine and isolation guidelines mean
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Posted InChildren's,Coronavirus,Expert Q&A,Heart,Immunizations,News
