Coronamonomania Lives Forever, Part 213

And another one bites the dust.  Among all the vax safety nonsense, which distracts from the occasional legitimate safety concern, research continues to pile up showing little risk.  Here is another study, from England, which examined any potential relationship between the bivalent version of the CV-19 vaccines and stroke.  None found.  Period.  Hospital admissions for stroke were examined and no greater risk was found for the period up to 21 days after vaccine receipt compared to the period thereafter.  And there was no greater risk for concurrent administration of a flu vaccine.  (JAMA Study)

In a somewhat striking display of the lack of justification for continued boosting with CV-19 vaccines, a Cleveland Clinic study among its employees indicates that in regard to the recent Omicron variants being boosted and “up-to-date” with vaccinations as the CDC defines it, is actually potentially associated with a greater risk of contracting CV-19.  If accurate, it probably reflects the dangers of over-stimulating the immune system with the same antigens.  The study also suggests that a recent Omicron infection was associated with greater protection against a subsequent one.  (Medrxiv Paper)

We don’t need any more studies on this topic, it was obvious at that time it was done.  Closing schools and going to “distance” learning led to loss of educational attainment among children, with the greatest loss occurring among minority and low-income children.  Who would have thought?  (NW Study)

This study compared the effect of the epidemic on the difference in mortality rates between the US and European countries.  That gap has existed for a long time and is due to difference prevalence of minority populations and to different health behaviors, including rates of homicides, drug overdoses and suicides.  This gap appears to have widened during the epidemic, in part due to more CV-19 deaths in the US, which again is largely due to differences in health behaviors, but a large percent of the gap growth is not attributable to CV-19.  Those deaths are due at least in part to the epidemic response, which led to more suicides, overdoses, homicides, and deaths from missed care.  (PLOS Article)

How effective were the CV-19 vaccines?  Against infection, not very and not for long.  Against hospitalization and death there appears to have been a stronger effect, particularly in the elderly.  A cohort study from England explores the issue.  According to this analysis, vax effectiveness against hospitalization was 56% for two doses and 78% for three doses, with a notable decline in just three months post vax.  In regard to death, effectiveness was 89% for two doses and 93% for three, again with a decline in effect in a very short time.  But there is also noted a serious confounding effect based on health status, despite adjustments therefore.  (Medrxiv Paper)

Another UK study from a long-running surveillance of a cohort of health workers, finds that both prior immunity and booster doses had limited effectiveness against Omicron variants.  (Medrxiv Paper)