Michael Abrahams | An honest COVID-19 conversation

COVID-19 was first reported almost two years ago in Jamaica, and the resulting pandemic shows no sign of abating. Unfortunately, the viral infection has been the source of much controversy, acrimony and confusion. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the pandemic, it has become apparent that there has been much arrogance and dishonesty from many sides of this multifaceted and fractious divide.

Many who oppose vaccination have been spreading misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and exaggerating their adverse effects, while there are several vaccination advocates who dismiss concerns regarding efficacy, adverse effects and safety. For the sake of humanity, it would be in our best interest to be honest about COVID-19 and measures taken to control it, even if the data contradict our own narratives.

If you do not support vaccination, it is unhelpful for yourself and others to ignore facts that could be life-saving. The data shows several benefits of vaccination. For example, persons who are fully vaccinated not only have a decreased risk of contracting COVID-19, but are likely to transmit the virus for a shorter period of time if infected. In addition, fully vaccinated persons have a lower risk of severe illness, need for oxygen, hospitalisation, death, and the development of long-COVID-19, which is the persistence of symptoms for several months.

TRUTH MUST BE APPRECIATED

No drug, vaccine or surgical intervention is devoid of risk, and this unfortunate truth must be appreciated. The fact that persons have been vaccinated and have still become ill from COVID-19 or even died from it, or have suffered from adverse effects of the vaccine, or died from these effects, must be appreciated. But these risks should not only be acknowledged, but also contextualised.

For example, the risk of death from the AstraZeneca vaccine has been reported to be one in a million, giving a rate of about 0.0001 per cent. The risk of death from Caesarean section, a common operation performed on a daily basis, is about 0.02 per cent. This means that the risk of death from Caesarean sections is about 200 times the risk of death from being vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. As for COVID-19, if you contract the infection, it is much more likely to kill you than the vaccine is. Never before have so many people been vaccinated simultaneously for the same infectious agent. Over eight billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been dispensed, so adverse effects and deaths are unfortunately inevitable.

Persons need to be educated about possible adverse effects and informed that the risks of these are low, but at the same time their concerns must also be validated. For example, menstrual cycle disruption has been documented following vaccination. If a woman who is childless, but would like to conceive, expresses concerns about future fertility following vaccination, these concerns must not be dismissed. On one hand, the data so far shows no adverse effects on fertility. On the other hand, we should be honest enough to admit that although the technology behind the vaccines is not new, the vaccines themselves have not been around for a long time, so we really have no long-term data regarding fertility, effects on pregnancy and other bodily functions.

Another rational concern is the issue of natural immunity. After infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, if you are not severely immunocompromised, your body will produce an immune response that will confer some degree of protection for a while. The strength and duration of protection depend on several factors, including the strain of virus, viral load, and the state of the person’s innate immune system.

DURATION VARIES

Likewise, the duration of protection from the vaccine varies, too. So it is quite plausible that an unvaccinated person who recently recovered from a COVID-19 infection, may be less vulnerable than a vaccinated person whose last shot was many months ago. The bottom line is immune response and protection, which may result from infection, vaccination, or both. In fact, there is evidence that people who have been vaccinated and have also been infected are likely to fight COVID-19 infections better than persons who have never been vaccinated, or only been vaccinated, or infected without receiving the jab.

And there is the issue of censorship, which has been excessive to the point of being tyrannical. Scientists and physicians have been censored on several platforms merely for expressing concerns about the vaccines or advocating for early treatment. When members of the public see this level of restriction, many wonder if the powers that be have something to hide or have ominous intentions.

The vaccine-only narrative sprouted by many in positions of authority has, unfortunately, had the opposite of its desired effect. Many wonder why advice about being overweight, sedentary or vitamin D-deficient, factors associated with increased morbidity and mortality, is not being dispensed with the same vigour as the push to get needles into arms, and why talk of early treatment is not uncommonly kicked to the kerb by health authorities. Another concern is the relative silence of authorities regarding the low vaccination rates on the African continent –according to the World Health Organization, just three per cent of the almost eight billion doses given globally have been administered in Africa, and only around eight per cent of Africans are fully vaccinated, compared with more than 60 per cent in many high-income countries. The fact that these locations have low rates of spread, morbidity and mortality, is also perplexing. One would think that the situations in these geographic locations would be investigated with urgency, as the findings may assist in saving lives.

The truth is that vaccines have saved and continue to save lives, but also that vaccination is one part of a multipronged and holistic approach which will be necessary to fight this recalcitrant malady. As the pandemic continues, we gather data daily and learn more about the infection and how best to manage it. We must be honest about what we know and what we do not, and humble enough to admit when our narratives have been flawed.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @mikeyabrahams.