Steep increases and what that means
Steep increases and what that means
Also, don't delay the kid's 2nd shot
Friends, cases and hospitalizations are steeply rising. The US was averaging 93,000 cases on Thanksgiving. Now we are at 120,000 at least. Hospitalizations also continue to rise steeply and have increased by 19% in the past two weeks. Deaths have increased 13%. These are very sharp increases! If you go back and look at my posts from just three weeks ago, deaths or hospitalizations were actually not rising yet at all. And, now the increase is steep. This highlights how deadly COVID is. And, also how contagious it is with Delta already taken hold in the US and Omicron here. I do think that Omicron is about to take everyone by surprise and I’m not convinced yet that it’s not as severe as Delta. We do not have that data yet. We do see it is very contagious. So, even if it’s generally less severe, it will result in much more cases. And, for the vulnerable populations, it can still be very severe and deadly. We have to continue thinking of our vulnerable neighbors in this pandemic - here and globally.
You need to get vaccines and boosters.
40% of the country are unvaccinated. That’s a lot, friends. Preliminary evidence shows that vaccines + boosters protect, at least partially, against Omicron. Our gal-pal, Your Local Epidemiologist, wrote a great synopsis of that data here.
The main important factor to remember is boosters are needed. The MAIN protection you will get is from a booster. You can look in my past posts here and here on why.
What about delaying the 2nd vaccine for kids?
I have had a lot of questions about delaying the 2nd shot for children. Other countries, like Canada, space out the kid vaccines more than the US. HOWEVER, I would advise NOT delaying because of the steep rise in cases across the country and Omicron coming. At this point, just get those shots for the kids. We know they are safe and effective. I would not chance not getting it for my kids based on the possibility that delaying could result in higher protection. We do not know that. So, get those 2nd shots for your kids now. Don’t delay.
What about holiday parties, church concerts, in-person gatherings?
Given the steep rise in cases and hospitalizations, Omicron in the US and largely undetected because of our lack of surveillance, and lack of vaccines in many areas of the country, I would pull back on gatherings and church get-togethers. Unfortunately, I think we are about to be caught off guard. Now is the time to pull back, wear masks diligently, get those boosters, and cancel in-person gatherings.
Pastors and church leaders, be super cautious in meeting in-person. If you do not have a mask requirement during the church service or any in-person gathering, that is putting your church at risk. Now is the time to put those precautions back in place.
-FNE
I am greatly concerned that my church is not only not taking Delta seriously but won't take Omicron seriously either. Mask are optional, vaccines aren't required or even asked about, and while the HVAC fan is run continuously and a few windows are open just a crack, there is nothing else being done. Business as usual-singing, choir, no distancing... and people keep saying how wonderful it is that we can worship so safely! God has been merciful, and we live in a highly vaccinated county and state, but the practices are not safe practices!! I would like to send the church a letter expressing my concerns and include some resources to help make my point that while we have not had an outbreak, that is God's grace and not due to our practices! I know you have a lot on your plate, but are there any resources you can direct me to to help me pull together something to present to them? Any help you can give will be appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you SO much Dr. Emily! For your work of goodness and love and your words of truth in difficulty. I would really love to have you over for a cup of tea to give you rest and lift you up in encouragement.
I don't know why christians have become so hostile. But, I would say it's not new news. In Ephesians, Paul prays for revelation and in Galatians he calls out blindness. Christians for all time have misunderstood and misconstrued faith and its dependent actions. I think for too long in the US christians have put too much emphasis on the personal relationship and forgotten the communal nature of God and His people. This I believe is the mystery Paul refers to, which is no mystery at all when we read the Old Testament through the eyes of Paul or listen clearly to Jesus' teachings of being with the Father and witnessing Jesus' community building. My prayer is like Paul's, that the church will have an apocalypse! And for myself, I pray I will be steadfast in mercy and discern good for the flourishing that God created me for.