HomeMy WebLinkAbout020323 KPTZ Listener Questions for Monday February 6_ 2023 BOCC Update________________________________
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County Commissioners, Dr Alison Berry, and Willie Bence,
Please see the KPTZ listener questions sent in for Monday, February 6, 2023 BOCC update listed below.
(I am anticipating the next BOCC update will be on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, as Monday February 20th is a holiday.)
Thank you,
Lynn Sorensen
KPTZ Virus Watch Team
Questions for Dr Alison Berry:
1. I just read the Peninsula Daily News article about an additional 25 deaths from COVID in Clallam County!
Do we have any outstanding likely COVID deaths for Jefferson County that just haven't been added yet?
2. I'm an at risk individual with two prior Covid infections who had their bivalent booster more than four months ago.
I'm extremely careful about masking and testing, but I got a bit unlucky.
I experienced prolonged neurological covid symptoms earlier this year which have since abated.
I'm now on meds that preclude taking paxlovid, which I relied on for my last infection.
Are there folks who are or will become eligible for additional boosters?
(Thanks for your excellent care of this community, Dr. Berry.)
3. I appreciate the reports so much from Dr. Berry every two weeks.
Thanks for keeping this service available on KPTZ!
Do I understand things correctly re: case rates?
If the reported case rate is 24/100,000, because people are only reporting 1/ 10, we can assume the case rate is actually over 2000/100,000?
I don't remember it ever being so high before? Is that right?
4. Listening to a prior Q&A, the topic of the huge quantities of disposable masks being tossed was somewhat addressed.
Has anyone asked if those masks (be they N95 or lesser quality) can be spritzed with sanitizer or alcohol to prolong wearing them?
Recently my spouse went through Covid and living together in our small home, I escaped contracting it!
I masked indoors and used this spritz method since I didn't have a lot of masks on hand anymore.
They dried quickly unlike my cloth masks and were re-used.
5. If and when the cost of the vaccine is privatized, will we be able to walk into a pharmacy and pay cash for a vaccine?
Will a mid-year booster require a prescription? Or will it be over-the-counter, upon request?
The vaccine's protection against infection has always waned before the FDA authorized another booster.
Will the possible privatization of the vaccine's cost give individuals more control over when and how often we choose to raise our antibody levels through booster shots?
For example, if the FDA decides on annual boosters, but infection immunity to the latest variant wanes after 3 months, could we just go to the pharmacy after 3 months and pay cash to
get boosted again if we
choose to protect ourselves better from infection?
6. If I remember correctly a year or so ago you mentioned we could consider discontinuing masks when the Covid case rate was less than 100.
How should we factor in the case ascertainment rate?
7. I have a five-year-old who is almost ready for his Bivalent Booster.
From what I understand he would qualify for the “title kids,” five and under Moderna booster, or the “big kid,” five and over Pfizer booster.
If it makes a difference he received the “little kid,” five and under Moderna shots as his primary series.
Is there any guidance on which booster he should get, the “little kid” Moderna or the “big kid” Pfizer?