COVID 2024: Isn’t it time to get our shot together?

In a year when a U.S. election, foreign wars, local corruption and global climate crises seem like life-and-death matters, there’s another issue.

Life and death.

COVID and health.

Of course, if we’re bored reading about MoPox, EEE or other ailments, maybe we’ve lost a sense of urgency about COVID, which has become endemic – still with us, in some form. COVID changed the world, making Zoom meetings and social distancing familiar, and working from home routine for some jobs.

Somewhere between surrender and pandemic fatigue, we can feel lazy, “sick and tired,” or resentful of instructions we give our own kids: “wash your hands,” “wipe your nose,” “cover your mouth.”

But there can be dire health consequences if we stop obeying our own rules and think the risks are acceptable.

True, some who contract it have few symptoms; it’s an inconvenience. Some have a cough and/or a fever that sidelines them for a week or more. Others, mostly the chronically ill or seniors, are so severely affected they’re hospitalized and can die.

The number of COVID hospitalizations and fatalities has dropped a lot since 2020, and fewer test kits are sought, isolating after infection is sporadic, and masks have almost vanished. However, COVID cases have been surging, too – the virus is found in wastewater throughout the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And this summer, the rate of COVID hospitalizations was double that of last summer, and COVID deaths occurred twice as often as in the spring. Then, a Gallup poll showed that 59% of U.S. adults say the pandemic is “over.”

But it’s changing, repeatedly. The COVID virus evolves frequently, so some assume vaccinations will be obsolete by winter anyway But that doesn’t mean we let protection fade.

“New strains have emerged already—in August, KP.3.1.1 became the dominant strain, accounting for 36.8% of cases, according to the CDC’s Nowcast, which provides model-based early estimates,” said Katy Endress, Director of Epidemiology & Clinical Services at the Peoria City/County Health Department. “It has surpassed KP.3 (which overtook KP.2 earlier this summer). However, the new shots will continue to help protect against severe illness even if the virus mutates and additional strains appear.

“COVID-19 vaccines are updated to give you the best protection from the currently circulating strains,” she continued. “Pfizer’s and Moderna’s updated mRNA vaccines were approved in August for everyone ages 12 and older, and each has a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) for infants and children ages 6 months through 11 years. The mRNA vaccines target a SARS-CoV-2 strain called KP.2.”

Endress says the vaccinations are safe. Before vaccines are made available to everyday people, the FDA assesses findings from clinical trials to ensure they meet the FDA’s safety and effectiveness standards, and the agency keeps working to keep up.

“The FDA also authorized an updated COVID vaccine from Novavax for everyone 12 and older,” Endress said. “That shot targets another strain—JN.1. JN.1 was the dominant strain in May but was surpassed in June by a collection of other Omicron virus strains, including KP.2.”

Unlike other vaccinations the public has long accepted – including MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) and PCV (pneumonia) – COVID vaccinations aren’t yet required for school, and parents getting the shot for their children is fading, according to Chicago pediatrician Scott Goldstein told KFF Health News.

“The most important thing we do, you could argue, is vaccinating kids,” he said.

Yet only about 15% of eligible kids in the United States got the shot last year.

It’s also still vital for high-risk individuals to get the vaccination. Take the shot now.

“Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible,” says Endress, who adds that the vaccination can be part of preparing for winter.

“There is no recommended waiting period between getting a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines,” she says. “You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu and/or RSV vaccine, at the same visit.”

Sometimes, it's good to know

Long before FOMO became an online acronym, Fear Of Missing Out was a mantra of generations of newspaper editors. That and another cliched journalism truism – “If your mother says she loves you, check it out” – shows why and how some stories are pursued.

It’s always good to know.

But being anxious to not miss something and yearning for verification can lead to “pack journalism” and unjustified coverage. Years ago, I was an environmental reporter, and an editor saw stories about grain-bin explosions and wondered why I wasn’t covering this. He told me to check it out.

I spent a day talking to farmers, the Farm Bureau and a college ag teacher and was told such accidents can result from grain dust in an enclosed space, a spark and oxygen. When I nodded and said that seemed common, one guy looked at me like I had a “We love corn blight” ballcap and said “Obviously,” noting that farmers take precautions and such explosions are less frequent than years ago “no matter what you see on TV.”

My editor said, “Oh,” and shrugged. “Good to know.”

That’s a roundabout way of explaining my response to an incident in Illinois where people at an indoor ice rink were sickened and hospitalized. It seems that ice resurfacing machines and other equipment at indoor ice rinks have been linked to carbon monoxide (CO) risks to skaters or onlookers. I thought this could be an isolated incident unlikely to reoccur, but then found that some states have recognized the safety hazard and are addressing the risk. So, it could be both rare and an early warning.

Five years ago Center Ice of DuPage, firefighters found CO levels were more than 200 pars per million and evacuated the rink because CO levels above 70 ppm can cause fatigue, headaches and nausea (and levels above 150 ppm people can become dizzy, faint or die).

Peoria’s best-known indoor ice rink is the Peoria Civic Center’s, and when contacted, PCC’s Kelsy Martin replied that, “We have not had any issues with air quality at any events with the ice in place. Typically, [such] issues occur in small buildings or spaces with lower roof lines. Our facility benefits from high ceilings and has multiple protective measures in place to ensure air quality. As plans continue to finalize with a new ice plant, we will certainly keep safety top of mind.”

High ceilings alone may not help much, since CO – an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas called the “silent killer” – has a specific gravity of 0.9657 compared to normal air’s 1.0, which means carbon monoxide is “lighter than air” and floats up to the cheap seats.

Elsewhere, the U.S. Ice Rink Association recommends periodic testing of rinks’ air and making necessary adjustments; Connecticut, New Hampshire and Wisconsin have non-binding guidelines on indoor air-quality at ice rinks; and Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island have relevant state regulations.

State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-73^rd Dist.) was contacted about the topic and replied, “I am not familiar with this issue, but would certainly be open to further research and possible legislative action.”

Emily Cahill, the Peoria Park District’s Executive Director of Parks and Recreation, is familiar with the issue and shared how it’s addressed at Owens Ice Center, where there’s a 24-hour air-quality monitor that measures gases.

“We do at least one daily building walk-through with our hand-held, air-quality monitor,” Cahill said, “When the Zamboni goes out, we have an overhead exhaust fan that draws out any potential fumes.”

Further, the District routinely verifies that the precautions and sensors are functioning.

“Our risk manager comes in, I believe, monthly and checks air quality and checks that our monitors are working correctly,” Cahill added.

Ah. Good to know.