Sunday, October 04, 2020

'Our path forward must rely on science': Herd immunity not the right approach for Alberta, Hinshaw explains

Hinshaw expressed three concerns: the serious impact this would have on older or at-risk Albertans, the fact that death is not the only severe outcome and the lack of knowledge about immunity to the novel coronavirus

Author of the article:Stephanie Babych
Publishing date:Sep 29, 2020 • Last Updated 5 days ago • 
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health. PHOTO BY CHRIS SCHWARZ/GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA

Herd immunity is not the right approach in Alberta, the province’s top doctor said on Monday, while explaining there are too many risks, unknowns and potential burdens on the healthcare system to consider it as a solution.

Herd immunity occurs when there are enough individuals with immunity within a population that infections are prevented from spreading widely. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said during a press conference that serology studies in Canada have shown the country is at one per cent or less immunity and herd immunity wouldn’t be reached until that number was between 50 to 60 per cent.

“What I have heard sometimes suggested for COVID-19, is that because younger people are generally at lower risk of experiencing severe outcomes, we should protect older Albertans but otherwise let the virus spread as quickly and freely as possible so that we can build up a collective immunity to it. This suggestion, however, does not take into account the drawbacks of this approach,” said Hinshaw.

The three concerns Hinshaw expressed are the serious impact this would have on older or at-risk Albertans, the fact that death is not the only severe outcome and the lack of knowledge about immunity to the novel coronavirus.

In Alberta, the risk of death for a person with COVID-19 is about 18 per cent for those over 70 years old, less than half a per cent for those between 40 and 69, and “vanishingly small” for those under the age of 40.

Yet, because COVID-19 is able to spread rapidly and people are all interconnected, adopting the herd immunity approach would have a “serious and deadly impact on many people in the population,” Hinshaw said.

Even if there were perfect restrictions at long-term care facilities and the virus was free to spread elsewhere, it couldn’t be fully prevented from entering those centres.

The more community transmission, the greater the risk to the province’s older and at-risk populations, Hinshaw said.

Thirty per cent of those over 80 years old with COVID-19 in long-term care have died in Alberta. This drops to 18 per cent if that senior is living in the community.

One in every 67 people between the ages of 20 and 39 who is diagnosed with COVID-19 has required hospital care. This rises to one in every 18 people between the ages of 40 to 69, and one in every four for those over the age of 70.

“Death is not the only severe outcome,” said Hinshaw.

“If we let the virus spread freely, our healthcare system could be overwhelmed with caring for COVID-19 patients which would challenge our ability to provide all other health services.”

She also explained that it is still unknown if being infected with COVID-19 actually translates to long-lasting immunity.

“The cost of the widespread transmission, the deaths and risks to so many Albertans’ health could be for nothing,” she said.

For now, she said people need to limit the rate of transmission, protect others from exposure and wait for a treatment and effective vaccine to be discovered.

“Our path forward must rely on science and we need to find a balance between the harms of COVID-19 and preventing harms of restrictions. We are all in this together, and that’s a good thing because we are stronger together,” Hinshaw said.


I AM INCLUDING THE COMMENTS WHICH READ JUST LIKE CLIMATE DENIAL THESE FOLKS PRACTISE 


COMMENTS

NJ
Nancy Jones 4 DAYS AGO
This is amazing that the Calgary Herald would moderate actual facts about the Polio vaccine in Africa vs. Misinformation from anti-vaxxers claiming Bill Gates is paralyzingly children. Alberta is known for its citizens who are COVID deniers but I thought the journalists were smarter. Good grief.
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AM
ALLAN MACRAE4 DAYS AGOReply to Nancy Jones
More nonsense from Nancy - you can't deny facts merely by having a tantrum - check the references and refute with real facts, if you can - your emotions do not count.
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AM
ALLAN MACRAE4 DAYS AGO
Other news, sent to me by one of my very competent physician friends – Dr. Scott Atlas says on 23June2020 what I published three months earlier on 21March2020:

THE DOCTOR IS IN: SCOTT ATLAS AND THE EFFICACY OF LOCKDOWNS, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND CLOSINGS

https://www.hoover.org/research/doctor-scott-atlas-and-efficacy-lockdowns-social-distancing-and-closings

Dr. Scott Atlas is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, an accomplished physician, and a scholar of public health. For several weeks, Dr. Atlas has been making the case in print and in other media that we as a society have overreacted in imposing draconian restrictions on movement, gatherings, schools, sports, and other activities. He is not a COVID-19 denier—he believes the virus is a real threat and should be managed as such. But, as Dr. Atlas argues, there are some age groups and activities that are subject to very low risk. The one-size-fits-all approach we are currently using is overly authoritarian, inefficient, and not based in science. Dr. Atlas’s prescription includes more protection for people in nursing homes, two weeks of strict self-isolation for those with mild symptoms, and most importantly, the opening of all K–12 schools. The latter recommendation is vital for restarting and maintaining the economy so that parents are not housebound trying to work and educate their children. Dr. Atlas is also adamant that an economic shutdown, and all of the attendant issues that go along with it, is a terrible solution—THE CURE IS WORSE THAN THE DISEASE.


NJ
Nancy Jones4 DAYS AGOReply to ALLAN MACRAE
Oh lord are we going to have to have the POTUS’ uninformed excuse for a doctor that isn’t an infectious disease specialist or an epidemiologist or a vaccine specialist provide Canadians with his view point on why it was okay that 200 K Americans died of COVID19. Bring on Dr. Fauci or Canadian specialists. Schools in Alberta are open as is everything but night clubs and large venue concerts. Give it a break. We are done with the POTUS propoganda.


AM
ALLAN MACRAE4 DAYS AGOReply to Nancy Jone
Utter nonsense from Nancy - Watch this video by Ivor Cummins - his Covid-19 conclusions of 8Sep2020 agree with my conclusions of ~21Mar2020, almost 6 months earlier. https://youtu.be/8UvFhIFza

ALLAN MACRAE4 DAYS AGO
I like and respect Dr. Hinshaw, but I do not agree with her. Sweden correctly did not impose the full-Gulag lockdown and had lower death rates than many countries that did lockdown and has now achieved herd immunity. Forget vaccines, all flu's in history have died because herd immunity was reached.

Covid-19 was a relatively mild flu, only significantly dangerous to the very elderly and infirm. The full-Gulag lockdown was an enormous error (or scam?) that squandered trillions of dollars and harmed billions of low-income people. The lockdown trashed the lives of young people to protect those who were typically in the last months of their lives. It also destroyed millions of small businesses worldwide and impoverished their owners. The lockdown also slowed herd immunity such that the Covid-19 virus will apparently survive into the next flu season. The lockdown cure was far worse than the disease – a total FAIL.

The Covid-19 pandemic was over in Canada by end-July2020, when deaths dropped to a very low level – Sweden with no lockdown followed two weeks later. Watch this video by Ivor Cummins - his Covid-19 conclusions of 8Sep2020 agree with my conclusions of ~21Mar2020, almost 6 months earlier. https://youtu.be/8UvFhIFzaac

Repeating what I published six months ago:

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/03/21/to-save-our-economy-roll-out-antibody-testing-alongside-the-active-virus-testing/#comment-2943724

21Mar2020

LET’S CONSIDER AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH:

Isolate people over sixty-five and those with poor immune systems and return to business-as-usual for people under sixty-five.

This will allow “herd immunity” to develop much sooner and older people will thus be more protected AND THE ECONOMY WON’T CRASH. EDITED

ALLAN MACRAE4 DAYS AGOReply to ALLAN MACRA

(....continued from my above post)

https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/end-the-american-lockdown/comment-page-1/#comment-12253

22Mar2020

This full-lockdown scenario is especially hurting service sector businesses and their minimum-wage employees - young people are telling me they are "financially under the bus". The young are being destroyed to protect us over-65's. A far better solution is to get them back to work and let us oldies keep our distance, and get "herd immunity" established ASAP - in months not years. Then we will all be safe again.


SD
Sun Drez4 DAYS AGO
Dr. Hinshaw is trying her best. The thing is she has been fooled like everyone else. I ask that people respect this doctors efforts. its up to our Premier to make a stand and tell people the game is over. Go back to normal ways and wash your hands and respect distance.

And look at Enecuum if you want to make money in the upcoming crypto Bullrun.
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RL
Ralph Lauren4 DAYS AGO


Look at her eyes. They tell you only one thing: GUILT, for knowing she's being part of the biggest scam in human history.
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AM
ALLAN MACRAE4 DAYS AGOReply to Ralph Lauren


RL - The full-Gulag lockdown is a huge error and could be a huge scam, but I don't believe Dr. HInshaw is acting in bad faith. I published an opinion (included above) strongly recommending AGAINST the lockdown on 21March2020 and I strongly believe I was correct - the cure was much worse than the disease. Recent data from around the world and especially from Sweden supports my position.

The original justification for the lockdown was to prevent “a tsunami of cases that would overwhelm the medical system”, but that tsunami never happened, and was never even close to happening! One 600-bed hospital in Calgary was typical – it had a maximum of six Covid-19 cases and typically had only 2 or 3, but was effectively shut down for over 8 weeks! Then the goalposts were shifted and the full lockdown was extended, for reasons that still do not make sense to me. The lockdown has not saved lives. All the lockdown accomplished was to extend the life of the Covid-19 virus, delay herd immunity and allow the virus to survive into the next flu season. Attaboys all around!
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TL
Terry Lange4 DAYS AGO


Vaccines will almost surely work on covid... in a year we should be vaccinated.

Trudeau is making deals all over the place for =vaccines and medicines for it.Even PPE and test kits. EDITED
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GS
Gulliver Swift4 DAYS AGOReply to


I don’t think Ashley is making the point that the viruses are the same. She is using an example to show that a vaccine is no sure thing as suggested in the OP. Vaccines need time to be tested for safety and efficacy. This is a “novel” virus and therefore I think Ashley is correct in thinking the vaccine is not necessarily coming to save us.
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NJ
Nancy Jones4 DAYS AGOReply to Gulliver Swift


HIV and COVID19 are completely different kinds of viruses. HIV Reproduces really fast and mutates very quickly. They have been trying to develop a vaccine since the 1980’s. We are very lucky that they have found very good treatments. COVID19 does not mutate quickly and we are using new vaccine technology was developed when they were trying to make a vaccine for SARS 1 and MERS. We have not got really great treatments for COVID 19 so I am quite sure a decent vaccine will be accepted.
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JS
Jon Stone4 DAYS AGO


Given what little is known about the virus it is always amazing to see what people have to say about how our government and health care professionals don't know what they are doing. Who knew the comment section was full of brilliant virologists who, given 9 months of "research", are qualified to critique Dr. Hinshaw.

Go about your "important" work and hopefully you are not among the 90% of recovered Covid survivors who experience side effects instead of avoiding the process entirely.

"Nine in ten recovered COVID-19 patients experience side-effects, study shows" (Reuters)

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-southkorea-study/nine-in-ten-recovered-covid-19-patients-experience-side-effects-study-idUKKBN26K1DR?utm_source=reddit.com
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TM
Troy Montana4 DAYS AGOReply to Jon Stone


"Given what little is known about the virus"

So true ...... the fact there are so many vaccines being developed all over the place with this little knowledge, is sort of concerning, to say the least ..... a vaccine gone wrong can wipe us all out ......
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NJ
Nancy Jones4 DAYS AGOReply to Troy Montana


Wow, that is most hyperbole ever. A vaccine gone wrong “can wipe us all out”. In the first place, we have about 170 vaccines in clinical trials. The phase 3 trials on the top contenders have 30,000 participants. The Oxford phase 3 trial had 1 participant with transverse myelitis, a swelling of the spinal column, typically caused a virus but rarely by a vaccine. It shut down the trial for a short time. Should a second incident occur, that vaccine will be shelved. Vaccines have a very high threshold for safety because unlike medication they are given to healthy people. They accept 1 serious incident in 1 million vs. Medication which accepts 1 serious incident in 30,000. To suggest Health Canada (which doesn’t want to okay a rapid COVID test) would okay a dangerous vaccine, is really naive.
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TM
Troy Montana4 DAYS AGO


The numbers presented by Dr. Hinshaw are unrealistic and misleading ..... they are based on number of people who tested positive, however as everyone knows, the number of infections are much higher on top of what is tested ....... so if you multiply the number of infections by 5, to be conservative, and then re-run the numbers, the percentages will get much lower than what Dr. Hinshaw has presented ......
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GS
Gulliver Swift4 DAYS AGOReply to Troy Montana


Correct. However we have moved past that and now we are into the dubious, murky waters of “unknown, longterm health complications” that could flood our health care system!!!

Luckily the experimental vaccine has no side effects or longterm issues so we good. Just another year or so of lockdown to work out the kinks.
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NJ
Nancy Jones4 DAYS AGOReply to Troy Montana


Why do you believe that you know what you are talking about by Dr. Hinshaw does not? If you have a degree in public health that you are not telling us about please share.
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AH
Amicus Humani Generis4 DAYS AGO


Achieving herd immunity is the only effective way out of this SARS-CoV-2 senseless panic. The vaccines will only ease the minds of people nothing else. Somewhat similar to the H1N1 vaccines.
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JS
Jon Stone4 DAYS AGOReply to Amicus Humani Generis


Good luck....

"Nine in ten recovered COVID-19 patients experience side-effects, study shows"

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-southkorea-study/nine-in-ten-recovered-covid-19-patients-experience-side-effects-study-idUKKBN26K1DR?utm_source=reddit.com
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NJ
Nancy Jones4 DAYS AGOReply to Amicus Humani Generis


People can remain calm and follow public health recommendations.
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TM
Troy Montana4 DAYS AGO


Unfortunately, the science is not there yet ..... the scientific approach Dr. Hinshaw points to, can be summarized in one word: "hide" ..... after millions of years of evolution, that's about how far we made it ......
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NJ
Nancy Jones4 DAYS AGOReply to Troy Montana


You don’t have to “hide” if you follow the public health recommendations. We have a lot of front line people working using those recommendations.
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