Optimism!

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Health, News

In an article published in the Washington post on July 14, 2020, Joseph Allen, an assistant professor of exposure assessment science, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity” had some interesting perspective on optimism with COVID-19!

  1. When someone contracts the novel coronavirus, his or her body’s immune system launches a defense, including producing antibodies that circulate in the blood to help identify infectious invaders. Scientists have engineered clones of these antibodies and they are proving to be effective both therapeutically and to prevent infection.
  • Rapid, low-cost saliva tests are also coming and will be a “game-changer”! Imagine a test you could take at home every day that gives you an answer in a few minutes?
  • Masks work! It took three months, but universal mask-wearing is catching on but remember, not all masks are created equal and there is now guidance on what constitutes a good mask!
  • Airborne spread is happening; 239 scientists signed a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) urging it to acknowledge airborne transmission and the WHO did!
  • There is some science showing that past exposure to common cold coronaviruses might be playing a protective role for some people. Several studies are showing that 20-50 percent of people who had never been exposed to the novel coronavirus have immune cells. These findings might hold some answers!
  • Vaccine trials seem to be working and drug manufacturers have already said they might be able to deliver doses by October. That said, even though the signs on vaccines are promising, it will still be a few more months until people have the opportunity to actually receive the vaccine.

See, don’t you feel more optimistic now? To read the article in its entirety, click here and remember, stay well, stay safe, and stay tuned!