CDC has come out with a sweeping statement:
Unvaccinated people are 97% more likely to die than those who are up-to-date in their vaccination. ( Link below)
That is a Seminal Statement.
Today we have not one but two pandemics. There is the Pandemic of Numbers of New Cases. But there is also a Pandemic of hospitalisations, Serious illness and Death.
While the former is only a statistics, the later uses our precious resources, hospital beds and is the real threat.
Here is a report from the Financial Times on 31.01.22 ( link given below)
https://www.ft.com/content/03aa46e2-ac3a-4c16-82be-431ea4c43e58
Hospitalisation in US: A perspective:
On Jan 19, the number of hospitalisation in US peaked at 1,61,00. Their vaccination status was around 60%.
The Financial Times projects what could have happened to this number, had the US matched the vaccination coverage of some of the West European countries. A summary in table form is given below.
| At Different Vaccine Coverage Level ( as in EU) | Projected numbers of Hospitalisation ( On Jan 19) |
| US ( Actual ) | 1,61,000 |
| At Denmark’s level of Vaccination | 91,000 |
| At UK’s Level | 100,000 |
| At Portugal’s | 109,000 |
Half of the US Covid-19 hospitalisation this winter could have been averted if US had matched the vaccination coverage of West European countries. ( Link as above )
That is profound.
Vaccination prevents serious illness, though it appears that it doesn’t prevent the infection.
Today we have not one but two pandemics.
- There is a pandemic of Infection- This affects both vaccinated and un vaccinated. ( Though the number of infection among vaccinated is always less.)
- There is a Pandemic of Hospitalisation, Serious illness, Death– This is the pandemic of Unvaccinated.
When we see people getting the virus even after full vaccination, It appears to us as if those vaccines are not working. Vaccinated people can get the virus randomly. But they are less likely to develop serious illness needing hospitalisation.
Worldwide vaccines have lowered the death rate of Covid-19, ICU and Ventilator use uniformly in spite of the soaring case numbers.
Only one person has succumbed to Covid-19 till date in my small unit. To my utter dismay, he is the only one in my unit who has missed the vaccine. With reference to my unit, Unvaccinated people are 100% likely to die in Covid-19 especially if they are at risk.
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Dr Ramakanta's Ideas 