Reading this might save your life! --- COVID-19 and Vaccinations. 

A tribute to a former employee who at just 41 years of age passed away due to complications of COVID-19. He leaves behind his pregnant wife and 5 children. 

Click the link at the end to view his story --- featured on NBC 6 Miami. 

If you have doubts about getting the COVID-19 Vaccine, here is what you need to know.

Why do people die from COVID-19?

The virus itself is not what kills you, it is your body’s reaction to the virus in producing massive inflammation. This massive inflammation results in blood clots clogging up the blood vessels that supply blood to the organs in your body including the lungs, brain, heart, kidney, liver, and intestine.  You can die from organ failures or once all the clotting factors get used up from the clots in your body, then you start bleeding uncontrollably and then death occurs.

So why do some people’s bodies react more severely to COVID 19 and get severely ill or die and others do not?

One reason is due to the increased viral load. When there is an increased viral load, the body becomes overwhelmed causing severe inflammation.  Increased viral load accompanied by severe inflammation results in more severe illness with a greater likelihood of dying.  The way the body fights the infection is by producing antibodies (the soldiers your body uses to fight infections) that can fight the multiplication (replication) of the virus to control the viral load. The faster and earlier the body produces the antibodies, the less likely it is for the viral load to increase to the point of overwhelming the body’s immune system. Those persons who are not able to produce the antibodies or use those antibodies they may have in reserve in a timely manner are overwhelmed by the increased viral load and get a more severe disease and may die. The key to this disease if you are infected, is to prevent the virus from multiplying to where the increased viral load will cause severe inflammation and cause you to die.

Who are the most vulnerable persons and why are people who already have the vaccine getting the Delta variant?

Anyone that is not able to produce the antibodies quickly and efficiently is more likely to get sick and die. People who have diabetes, obesity, chronic disease, and the elderly are more vulnerable. Even healthy persons can succumb to this condition and that depends upon the viral load. The Delta variant knows no boundaries as it is now attacking and killing younger persons that do not have many of the risk factors. The reason why this occurs is that the Delta variant replicates or multiplies at a much faster rate than the other variants. Thus, achieving higher viral loads before the body can produce sufficient antibodies to protect itself. This is one reason why some people with the vaccine get sick from the Delta variant. It is because the virus replicates faster than the body can produce the antibodies needed to prevent further replication and inflammation. The good news is that in most of those individuals who get the Delta variant and are vaccinated, they are finally able to produce enough antibodies so that they have a less severe illness and lower risk of dying.

So, what is the story on Vaccinations?

The real story about vaccinations is that it can save your life and prevent death. If you get the COVID-19 virus, it will reduce the severity of the symptoms, thus reducing your chance of dying. 

I hear about people that are getting the vaccines and are getting sick and at times dying, is that true and why is that the case?

Here is an important fact about vaccines in general. When you get a vaccine, the body reacts like you got the disease. Your body does not know the difference between the vaccine and the disease. So, when you get the vaccine, your immune system reacts like you got the disease and you start producing the antibodies (soldiers) that fight the virus. The body’s reaction to the vaccine produces similar symptoms as when someone gets infected and that is why some people feel sick. Generally, the symptoms from the vaccine are fever, chills, malaise, and fatigue and are short-lived. On very rare occasions, the immune system gets triggered and a small portion of the population overreact and get conditions such as Gillian Barre, inflammation of the nerves, blood clots, fatigue, and some other chronic immune conditions. 

What everyone should know is that when you get a vaccine, your body reacts one time, then creates the antibodies and a memory of the virus so that if in case you are attacked by the COVID-19 virus then the soldiers (antibodies) are there and ready to go into action to prevent the virus from quickly multiplying. Timing and availability of antibodies are everything. In the case of the COVID-19 infection, when the virus multiplies, the body is repeatedly exposed to the virus and that is when the body overreacts and becomes overwhelmed by the virus causing extreme inflammation that can kill a person. When you get the vaccine, your body reacts one time in producing antibodies and then goes back to its steady-state without becoming overwhelmed and overreacting. When you get the second dose, the same process occurs and generally stops reacting. Think of it this way, when you get the virus, if your body is not able to produce the soldiers (antibodies) quickly before the virus replicates or multiplies, then the virus overcomes the body’s immune system, and you develop a very high viral load. People that develop a very high viral load before they can produce antibodies are over 1 million times more likely to be overcome by the virus. 

What are my odds of getting the virus and dying vs getting the vaccine and dying or getting sick from the vaccine?

In deciding to get the vaccine, this is the real question that must be answered. 

People without the vaccine have a greater chance of experiencing severe symptoms and dying from COVID-19 than those who do not. Somewhere between 78% and 99% of the people who do not have the vaccine and are getting the infection, experience the worst symptoms, and potentially die. 

In my world as a neurologist, we give people aspirin to prevent them from having a heart attack or a stroke and dying from those conditions. Imagine this, you are more likely to die from taking aspirin or have a significant medical complication than taking the vaccines that have been tested in a large population of patients. People in our society drink alcohol, smoke, drive a car, ride motorcycles and engage in recreational activities that have a higher chance of dying and yet many of those individuals are afraid of taking the vaccine.

The real issue is that when there is a large population of persons that are infected in communities where we do not have enough people who are vaccinated to have herd immunity, you have a much greater chance of getting COVID-19 and suffering a negative outcome including death. Currently, many people choose to not wear masks, and with the increased number of people traveling, there is a greater chance of the virus spreading even more. Additionally, the hospitals are at full capacity and overloaded with patients of all ages that are getting treated for COVID-19.

COVID-19 is back with a vengeance as the virus continues to mutate to survive while it continues to kill the host – Us Humans……

Food for thought --- For all of those who are hesistant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, think about the possible consequences and impact it may have on you and others:

1. Giving the virus a chance to continue to mutate, becoming more virulent and wiping out a significant portion of the population. 

2. Increasing the exposure of health care workers and increasing their risk of severe illness and death.

3. Putting your vulnerable friends, family members, and coworkers at risk of infection and death.

So, get vaccinated! 

See enclosed a link to the story featured on NBC in Miami of one of my former employees that passed away from the complications of COVID-19 at age 41 leaving a family behind. He was not vaccinated.

I trust that his death will serve to educate the world on COVID-19. 

Please support this family as they deal with this incredible tragedy.