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CV🦠News, Week of March 28, 2021

Hello TVD Friends,

Another week and due to ongoing vaccine supply issues another polite decline of our COVID vaccine allocation request from San Mateo County,  BUT… the news is getting better! Vaccine supply is certainly getting better in the Bay Area, and as you know, California dramatically expanded the number of vaccine-eligible residents across the state. Californians ages 50 and up in all 58 counties are now able to officially get vaccinated. Being “tier eligible” and finding your dose of vaccine are two different things, but the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming visible. And spring is springing. Let’s be grateful.

On to our newsletter, which is a little more Public Health oriented for your reading this week. Please scroll down for discussions on herd immunity, housing the homeless during times of COVID, and the impacts of COVID on our business community. Lastly, more (amazing) science, and a review on how we were able to develop COVID vaccines so quickly.

Enjoy.

Eric Weiss, MD, March 31, 2021

NOTE: CV🦠News is a labor of love. If you enjoy reading this, please share widely! Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Please subscribe here.

 

 

Since the start of the pandemic, California has tackled one of it’s largest problems, helping the homeless population. The situation has social and economic consequences.  

Project Roomkey, one the programs has sheltered more than 35,000 homeless Californians in hotels and motels throughout the state, giving people over 65 or with medical conditions a safer place to ride out the pandemic. The second program, Homekey, created 6,000 units of long-term homeless housing in less than six months, by giving cities and counties the money to purchase hotels and other buildings, and expediting the permitting processRead more

Prerana Sangani, MD, March 31, 2021

 

While there are several significant hurdles to achieving herd immunity, vaccine production pledges for the US for our three currently available vaccines include more than enough vaccine to vaccinate every adult in the country by the summer. Pfizer and Moderna have pledged to provide 600 million doses, enough to provide 300 million people with full immunization, and J&J has pledged an additional 100 million doses of its single shot vaccineRead more

Jennifer Abrams, MD, March 30, 2021

 

The rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccines is unprecedented.  The previous record was 4 years for the mumps vaccine and, overall, vaccines have taken 10-15 years to develop.  This might concern some, who wonder how this vaccine was produced in such a short amount of time.  Understanding how can help ease COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by demystifying the differences between developing this and previous vaccines.

Tremendous resources were brought to bear.  The scale of this pandemic required an overwhelming response: governments directed billions of dollars and collaborated with pharmaceutical companies to develop dozens of vaccine candidates around the world.  Federal review of safety data occurred on a rolling basis rather than all at the end, and federal response prioritized the vaccine approval process over all else. 

Read more

Sky Pittson, MD,  March 31, 2021

 

It is hard to overstate the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the global economy. The world has been at a stand-still like never before: from airlines and hotels to restaurants and live music, entire industries, have been upended and shocked to their core. 

The International Labor Organization estimates that a staggering 114 million jobs were lost worldwide in 2020. Air travel decreased more than 60 percent. U.S. restaurant and foodservice sales were $240 million lower than expected, leading to the temporary or permanent closure of more than 110,000 restaurants. Oil futures prices even went negative for the first time in U.S. history.

Read more

Jackie Phillips, MD, March 30, 2021

 

 

 

HOPE AND GRACE

If you have made it this far, time for a reward, something to lighten your day, and acknowledge the human spirit. Find some escape, or perhaps even inspiration, in this ever-growing collection of works and perspectives gathered from around the world. Please contact me directly if you have come across something that has lifted your heart today.  Dr. Eric Weiss

 

Encino, California residents donates “Wheel of Fortune” winnings to charity

On an episode of “Wheel of Fortune” that aired March 18, 2021, Encino resident Scott Kolbrenner won $145,000 and gave away the entire amount to charity! “When I went on the show, I was doing it for the fun of it,” he told Good Morning America. “I said to my wife… ‘…Anything that I get, let’s give it to charity. We’re very fortunate. Let’s see if we can support some others who aren’t as fortunate as we are.” He split the winnings between Uplift Family Services and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Read more about his 5th biggest win here!

 

Legacy of Hope & Philadelphia Police Team deliver groceries to Cancer patients

Throughout the pandemic, the non-profit Legacy of Hope is providing free grocery deliveries to families with a loved one battling cancer. The mission has involved hospitals, police officers, and Brown’s grocery store. Every Tuesday, officers load up on two weeks worth of free groceries to families in need.

Read more about their incredible work here!

 

Teen Collects 30,000 Shoe to Donate to LA Homeless

In the months leading up to her bat mitzvah, Lindsay Sobel saw that a life of privilege wasn’t a blessing that everyone shares. She became increasingly aware of the day-to-day hurdles that homeless people in LA face, and saw how many lacked footwear. Sobel came up with the idea to launch Shoes for Soles, which collects and distributes shoes for those in need. So far she has “re-homed” 30,000+ pairs of shoes!

Listen to the first recorded Martian sounds here!

 

 

Again, CV🦠News is a labor of love. If you enjoy reading this, please share widely! Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Please subscribe here.

*****

Yours, in health and resilience,

Eric and the TVD MD team…