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accessHealthNews.net
Fall Special Edition 2021
Volume 8 | Issue No. 49
A
s the COVID-19 Delta variant
continues to dominate the country,
the science community is looking ahead
at what this means for the future. Local
and national debates over mask and
vaccine mandates, along with a flurry of
misinformation, pose the question: What
responsibilities do employers have in
keeping employees healthy? Two recent
webinars explored the current state of
the pandemic as well as the role we all
play in ending it.
"Getting the Facts: COVID-19 Vaccines
and Ending the Pandemic," hosted by
Missouri Behavioral Health Council's
(MBHC) Stevan Whitt, M.D., provided
medical insight around the COVID-19
pandemic and vaccines. Dr. Whitt is
the senior associate dean of clinical
affairs and chief medical officer at
the University of Missouri Health Care.
The second half of the presentation
addressed audience questions about
vaccine hesitancy and provided
education on topics surrounding
common misconceptions and fears.
"COVID-19: Lessons Learned & How
Business Leaders Can Prepare for the
Next Health Crisis," hosted by Virgin
Pulse, featured presenters Dr. David
Batman and Dr. Gary Smithson. Dr.
Batman has been a registered medical
practitioner in the United Kingdom for
more than 40 years, and has been a
part of a number of U.K. government
employee health committees. Dr.
Smithson is a board-certified pediatrician
and accomplished healthcare
executive. He volunteers each week
in the outpatient clinic at Children's
Hospital Los Angeles as a clinical
instructor of resident physicians.
The presentation began with an
overview of the state of the pandemic
and vaccine rollout, then addressed
employers' roles in promoting employee
wellness. A series of audience polls
sparked discussion on what methods
employers are using, if any, to promote
vaccination efforts, and if they should be
doing so.
THE CURRENT STATE OF COVID-19
The recent rise of the Delta variant,
the latest and most transmissible
variant of the virus thus far, has created
confusion. The fact that the virus has
mutated and can now be transmitted
by or cause outbreak illnesses within
vaccinated people has re-sparked
fear in those already hesitant to get
the vaccine. However, Dr. Batman says
the progression of variants is expected,
especially with the disproportionate
vaccination statuses globally. "It's
changed but that's not unexpected,"
he said. "This is what viruses do. It's not
surviving, and it needs to change to do
that."
While we may have successfully
combated the original strain of the
coronavirus, the uneven vaccination
populations have allowed it the
opportunity to mutate. The Delta
variant is now the predominant strain
in the United States and is two times as
transmissible as previous variants. Delta
also has a shorter incubation period,
faster replication rate, and high viral
loads – 1,000 times higher than the
original strain.
According to Dr. Smithson, someone
infected with the original strain of the
virus could, on average, infect 2.4-2.6
others. The version of coronavirus that
caused Europe's first wave infected
about three people on average. The
Alpha variant infected four to five. The
Delta variant's average is now up to
nine people, creeping comparatively
closer to that of mumps (12) and
measles (18). "The Delta variant is really
challenging to our goal to achieve
global herd immunity," Dr. Smithson said.
Originally, scientists estimated that if 60-
70% of the population was vaccinated
or had the disease, the result would be
herd immunity and the spread would
slow. "But with this more contagious and
infectious Delta variant," he continued,
"the estimate is now up to 80-90%. It's a
real challenge."
As of the webinar on Aug. 25, only 10%
of the world's population has been fully
vaccinated. Many developing countries
are only 1% vaccinated. Some of the
challenges to global herd immunity
include:
• Unevenness of vaccine rollout
globally.
• Uncertainty about how long immunity
lasts from infection and vaccination.
• Delta and other potential future
variants.
• Inability to vaccinate children.
• Vaccine hesitancy.
"I don't believe we will ever reach full herd immunity," Dr. Batman said, citing vaccine
hesitancy as the biggest obstacle. "It's an education problem. We need to listen to
people, hear people, and understand where they are. You can make your own choices
for yourself, but who do you go home to? More and more, we have to start worrying
about other people as well."
