Glossary

• Virus– a type of germ that consists solely of a bit of genetic material (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a protein coat.  The coat gets the genes into the target cell where the genes force the cell to make zillions of new viruses, and on it goes.
• Coronavirus– a species name of a number of different viruses.  Called corona because its protein coat is studded with spike shapes that form a crown, halo, or corona of spikes
• SARS-CoV-2– the specific name of the new coronavirus
• COVID-19-the name of the illness that the new coronavirus is causing
• Endemic– an illness always present in a region.  One could say strep throat is endemic in the US
• Epidemic– a sudden burst of an illness that comes and goes over a limited time
• Pandemic– an epidemic that bursts across the world not just one region
• Spreadability– how contagious is the disease, how many people will end up infected
• Symptoms- the experience of being ill, for example- fever, cough, headaches, loss of smell etc.
  • Asymptomatic– literally means “without symptoms”.  For COVID-19 it refers a person infected with the virus but has no and will have not symptoms
  • Presymptomatic– This is a person who was infected with SARS-CoV-2, and will feel sick, but hasn’t yet
• Severity– what harm does the disease cause, in terms of  how sick you get and how many it will kill
• Mask- a mask is a loose-fitting cloth or textile that covers the mouth and nose loosely.  A surgical mask is a mask used in surgery
• Respirator-  for the purposes of the COVID-19 pandemic and other respiratory illnesses, a respirator is a mask that fits very snugly or tightly to the user’s face.  An N95 mask is a respirator.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)- PPE are any item that covers any part of the body with the design and intent of keeping viruses in the environment from infecting the wearer of the PPE. PPE’s include all masks (which includes respirators), face shields, eye shields, gloves, gowns.
• Ventilator- a ventilator is a machine that can force a person unable to breathe to inhale and exhale and control both effectively.  They are sometimes called respirators, but during this pandemic the word respirator is now reserved for reference to a tightly fit mask.
• Live Virus Swab– this is the swab which attempts to swipe live virus from one’s nose or throat to see if you are currently infected.
• Antibody Test- (aka serology test) this is the blood test which looks for antibody to the SARS-CoV-2 virus to see if you have been infected in the past.
• Vaccine Terms
  • Vaccine or Immunization– a dose of a substance that activates your immune system, as if you have the actual infection you are hoping to prevent, leaving you in fact protected from having that infection.
  • Efficacy– the percentage of people immunized with a particular vaccine who will not get infected if exposed to the target infection.  For example, a COVID-19 vaccine will be said to be 95% effective if 95% of people immunized with that particular COVID-19 vaccine will not get COVID-19 if exposed to COVID-19
  • mRNA– DNA works by dictating exactly which proteins your cell will make.  The message on how to construct each protein is delivered to the cell machinery that makes proteins by a piece of genetic material called messenger RNA, or mRNA
  • mRNA vaccine– an mRNA vaccine places a small bit of mRNA code that makes your cells make a protein that is the protein from a virus that alerts your immune system and activates it to make protections against you being infected
  • Viral vector vaccine– a viral vector vaccine takes a harmless virus that is known to infect people reliably and places that weakened virus in a person where that virus will in fact infect the person.  The virus is not only weakened, but also attached to a set of genes  that makes your cells make a protein that is the protein from a virus that alerts your immune system and activates it to make protections against you being infected.

12 and Up Now

Just now, the CDC has completed authorization for all children ages 12 and up to receive their 2-dose Pfizer COVID vaccine, effective NOW.

We have the vaccine, and you can call our office now to book this life-saving protection.

The vaccine supply we have on hand is limited to children ages 12 and up in our practice.

The Ohio Department of Health is shipping doses to us every week, so there should be plenty for everyone.

Please know this vaccine is safe and it works.

Does it work? Yes  Take a look at numbers around the world and right here at home. ONLY because of the vaccine, cases across the US are finally and continuing to plummet.  Loss of life is dropping dramatically too.  The vaccine keeps us from getting sick and keeps us alive.

Is it safe? Yes  The COVID vaccine has been given to over 1.3 billion people around the world, and over 100 million people here in the US, and for the Pfizer vaccine, there have been no serious side effects except for very rare allergic reactions, which are very manageable.

So please call to schedule your children ages 12 and up.  It will protect them from a harm, the COVID disease.  This infection can cause harm to children in ways we still do not know.  It will protect your family and friends.  It will help end this deadly catastrophe.

2 and Up This September

Pfizer is planning to seek similar authorization to give all children ages 2 and up COVID protection starting this September.  This announcement opens the door to all children except infants and 1 year olds to be protected, and will open the door to all programs potentially being completely safe from age 2 up!   That includes schools, day cares, pre-schools, family gatherings, travel, get togethers, sleep overs, sporting events, drama events, all events.  In a word, life!

Bottom Lines

1. Adults in America are nearing levels of excellent protection, now it is time for our children to be safe.
2. Today the Pfizer vaccine is available to all children in the practice ages 12 and up, please call today to schedule this life-saving protection.  And plan to book your 1st and 2nd dose.
3. As we approach the fall, it appears that COVID vaccine will be made available for all children ages 2 and up.
4. The vaccine works, it is safe in children.   It is the only path we have to stop the suffering, to save lives, to keep COVID from harming another person.

My Takeaway – In One Sentence:

The time is now to protect our children.

To your health,
Dr. Arthur Lavin