Lead Stories

Should You Worry About COIVD-19 Mutations? By Glenn Ellis

Feb. 1, 2021

Should You Worry About COVID-19 Mutations?
By Glenn Ellis

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The newest mutations of the COIVD-19 showing up in the United States will bring with it, over the next three or four weeks, the most difficult days of the pandemic we have seen so far. Studies in laboratories show that a mutation makes a person’s antibodies less effective at killing the virus. Viral mutations help a virus to disguise parts of its recognizable traits, so the pathogen might have an easier time slipping past immune protection. These mutations can also tell us what we don’t know…what lies ahead, in terms of other mutations and/or future pandemics.

The job for all of us now is to, first and foremost, survive; stay alive; and be as healthy as possible. Our second “job” is to learn and educate ourselves as much as we can; empowering ourselves with better understandings on how to ask the “right” questions; where to go for credible; factual information that you can trust; and to “personalize” the pandemic, by learning exactly what is necessary for you and your family to be safe and protected during this, and future pandemics…rest assured, there will be others. None of the experts can predict when; but they all agree that it’s not if, but when. Among the many options this pandemic is providing for us to “learn”, we are being introduced to a range of new questions, as a result of the introductions of mutant variants.

Mutations in viruses -including COVID-19 - are not new nor were they unexpected. All RNA viruses mutate over time, some more than others. We are all familiar with the how flu viruses change often, which is why you get a new flu vaccine every year. When viruses mutate, generally, they either kill the virus (a type of “virus-suicide”) or they can have no effect whatsoever on the normal behavior of the virus. To date, we are seeing variants (or mutant strains) from the United Kingdom; South Africa; and Brazil all hitting the United States at the same time, while we’re battling furiously against the rage of the initial version of COVID-19. Now, that there technically four different strains of a deadly virus circulating.

Scientists initially felt there was no cause for concern about the vaccines being distributed not being effective against emerging mutations, after hearing of a mutant strain being reported in United Kingdom. South African officials noticed that their mutant strain not only appeared to make the virus more able to spread (or transmit), and more capable of evading the immune system’s response; alarms bells sounded when the antibodies produced in people who had previously recovered from COVID did not completely neutralize a variant. This mutation phenomena became even more concerning when, contrary to all prior global clinical experience with the virus to date, this month researchers reported, for the first time that the mutant strain shows initial indications that it has the ability to evade the vaccine.

News of this has caused mixed reactions from different stakeholders.

You see, when this thing first made its’ appearance, public health experts and scientist knew it would bad, but they felt that at least it would be stable. As it turns out they were only half right; it is bad, but it is anything but stable.

Pfizer and Moderna, have been reluctant to support any changes to their respective vaccination schedules. The drug makers on grounds that the vaccines weren’t tested and so their efficacy is unknown. On the face of it, this position seems sensible; yet under current circumstances, it is dangerously overcautious. Some researchers and scientists think more lives would be saved by providing just one dose of the vaccine as soon as possible, or as others think, maybe we should provide just one dose of the vaccine to all people who face the highest risk of dying from Covid-19, whoever they are, for whatever the reason.

With all of the uncertainty surrounding mutations of COVID-19, the last thing we need to do is to minimize the potential of the vaccines to control this pandemic. We don’t have to worry that the mutation will make the existing vaccines available useless. The vaccines available now have what’s known as a polyclonal response, causing armies of antibodies to attack different parts of the virus. When the virus starts to mutate, causing changes to any of those target sites this increases the potential for the vaccine to be less effective, or not work at all.

There is growing concern among scientists who think the coronavirus could eventually change so much that the vaccines could reach a pint of providing no immunity. The more that people are protected from the virus - either through vaccination or infection – the more evolutionary pressure that puts on the virus to survive by mutating. Even though it would take years to reach that point of evolutionary mutation, could take years, the vaccine makers are confident that can modify their formulas to match a newer variant in only take weeks.

In the spirit of empowering the community with adequate information to make informed decisions, keep in mind that we are not helpless, we could wipe COIVD-19 out, if everyone wore a mask for 4 weeks.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one! Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. I do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a replacement form of treatment for physical, mental or medical problems by your doctor either directly or indirectly. Glenn Ellis, MPH is a Visiting Scholar at The National Bioethics Center at Tuskegee University and a Harvard Medical School Bioethics Fellow. He is author of Which Doctor? and Information is the Best Medicine. Ellis is an active media contributor on Health Equity and Medical Ethics. For more good health information visit: www.glennellis.com

Dance By Dr. E. Faye Williams

Feb. 1, 2021

Dance
By Dr. E. Faye Williams

TriceEdneyWire.com – The hallmark of ‘mother-wit’ or many of the ‘old-folk sayings’ is simplicity. ‘The Elders’ had the talent of using the simplest statements to express depth and importance in their communication. I can’t recall the number of times I’ve heard, “Don’t let a hard head make a soft behind” or “What happens in the dark always come to light.” Easily blown-off as insignificant, these sayings were usually valuable as cautionary admonitions.

I often weigh situations against the catalog of ‘old-folk sayings’ I have accumulated during my lifetime. I use this practice as I assess the possibilities of the Biden-Harris administration. Contrary to some assumptions, I don’t give carte blanc acceptance to political entities, even those with whom I agree. Instead, I hold them more accountable for competent and responsible conduct.

I have had few reservations with President Biden’s cabinet choices or his numerous executive actions. Not surprisingly, I’m pleased that his initial actions hold true, or attempt to hold true, to campaign promises. My greater concern is the unlikely, but possible, onset of forgetfulness. To that possibility, I echo the admonitions of ‘The Elders’ saying, “Don’t forget to dance with the one who brung you!!”

It is true that in the past, Black people have given our full support to politicians who forget the importance of our votes. There are innumerable candidates who, during campaigns, have fought for pulpit space in Black churches on Sundays, but, after successful elections, pretend unfamiliarity with our interests or issues.

The Biden-Harris Administration has identified “four converging crises — economic crisis, climate change, racial inequity, and COVID-19.” Not only is there convergence in these crises, there’re also significant overlaps. President Biden has promised swift action to combat these challenges. In doing so, he MUST NOT forget his promised support to the Black community.

My readers understand the economic disparities/hardships in communities of color. According to Forbes Magazine, in May 2020 the jobless rate for Blacks was 16.8% while for whites 12.4%. The median worth of Black households in 2016 was $17,150 while for white households was $171,000. Other statistics are reported, but the bottom-line for Blacks are barriers which deny the accumulation of wealth. President Biden acknowledges these barriers and has pledged to address them.

He also acknowledges the critical impact of climate change and pledges direct and immediate action. Hurricane Katrina is an example of a dramatic environmental disaster impacting a centralized community of color. These communities are disproportionately located in proximity to industrial areas where exposure to bio-toxins is the norm or, in the case of Katrina, where they’re located in environmentally unstable areas. I hope the President’s cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline permit is indicative of his recognition of the disproportionate impact of climate change/environmental issues on people of color.

Racial inequity is a problem older than the nation. Naysayers believe it will never be resolved. President Biden has established credibility in communities of color and pledged practices which will have a positive impact on law enforcement/judicial process, economics, and education. Although we’ve seen nothing major, we will observe and hope.

COVID-19 has been a matter of grave concern in communities of color, especially ours, and is made more difficult by histories of unprincipled medical treatment. I have long felt that baseless assumptions are the greatest fault in cross-cultural medical treatment. Rather than exasperation, medical professionals must learn the nuances of cross-cultural competence and communication.

Tackling these ‘converging crises’ individually is a tremendous task. Tackling them simultaneously is nearly impossible, with many potential missteps. We will closely monitor the Biden Administration with hope, but will firmly hold him to promises made. We will enthusiastically work to achieve President Biden’s agenda, but will not accept his benign or unintentional neglect. Let’s Dance!!!

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women and host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-89.3 FM.)

Bro. Malcolm, Bro. Martin Stressed Need For Unity

Feb. 1, 2021

A Reality Check

Bro. Malcolm, Bro. Martin Stressed Need For Unity
By A. Peter Bailey

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As we enter Black History Month 2021 it’s time for those who consider themselves Malcolmites and those who consider themselves Martinites have too often talked the talk but not walked the walk when honoring the legacies of the two great warriors in the war against white supremacy.

Fifty-six years after the assassination of Brother Malcolm and 53 years after the assassination of Brother Martin, we have done little, if anything, to follow their guidance about the crucial need for Black unity. In a 1963 letter to 8 civil rights leaders, including Brother Martin, Brother Malcolm wrote the following: “A united front involving all Negro factions, elements and their leaders is absolutely necessary...If capitalistic Kennedy and communistic Khrushchev can find something in common on which to form a united front despite their tremendous ideological differences, it is a disgrace for Negro leaders not to be able to submerge our ‘minor’ differences in order to seek a common solution to a common problem posed by a Common Enemy (emphasis his). On Saturday, August 10^th from 1-7 p.m., the Muslims are sponsoring another giant outdoor rally at 116^th Street and Lenox Avenue. There will be no debating, arguing criticizing or condemning...This rally is designed not only to reflect the spirit of unity but it also gives you a chance to present your views to the largest and most explosive elements in metropolitan New York.”

Brother Martin was equally forceful about the need for Black Unity. This is clear in the following excerpt from his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?“....Too many Negro organizations are warring against each other with a claim to absolute truth....This plea for unity is not a call for uniformity. There must always be healthy debate. There will be inevitable differences of opinion....This form of group unity can do definitely more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals (italics his). We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a group.”

The strong appeal for Black Unity by Bro. Malcolm and Bro. Martin were ignored (except by the FBI) at the time. They are still basically being ignored, by most of us, as of Feb. 2021. If we continue to do so, especially those who consider ourselves Macolmites or Martinites, we will continue to be unworthy of the supreme sacrifice made by the two great warriors and other 20th century ancestors who fought in the war against white supremacy.

Back to Normal? What's Normal? By Julianne Malveaux

Feb. 1, 2021

Back to Normal? What's Normal?

By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - I got my first COVID vaccination last week. No big deal, an achy arm, but otherwise, just like a flu shot. The young lady who administered the shot smiled and said, “after you get your second shot, you can get back to normal." I wanted to ask her what was normal, but the man in line behind me seemed impatient, so I smiled and made my way out of the store.

I thought about it all the way home, though. What’s normal? I don’t think crowding thirty or forty young people into a classroom is normal. I don’t believe that food lines snaking for blocks is normal. I don't think that high Black unemployment rates are normal. I don't think the wealth gap is normal.

I don’t think that more than 400,000 people dead is normal. The inability to formally mourn our departed loved ones isn’t normal. Crazy white people storming the Capitol surely isn’t normal. And conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Green is so far away from normal that she is on the insanity spectrum.

In the ten months since the pandemic hit, we have seen changes in our communications, our employment, our economy, and more. Many of us, reasonably, yearn for the "normal" days when we could sit at a restaurant and have a meal, go to a play or a concert, invite a bunch of folks over to gather. But we should ask ourselves what was normal about our normal. In other words, were we so comfortable in our world that we didn't look outside our world? We can't miss the food lines now, but there were food lines, too, a year ago. We are focused on disparities now, but those disparities aren't new. Does back to normal mean accepting the inequities and absurdities of life as it was?

Somebody tweeted that "Rona was a disruption, and she is an opportunity." I embrace that sentiment (though I had to do a double-take at "Rona" and pray that nobody chooses to name their child after this virus). This virus is an opportunity for us to scrutinize what we consider normal and how we need to change it.

Let’s start with education and the achievement gap. Students who come from low-income families don’t have the same academic support that others do. They often don't have the technology to do virtual learning or the support to work through their assignments. Too often, their parents are essential workers—nurses, bus drivers, grocery store workers. Do we ever take a look at the people who serve us and notice that they are disproportionately Black and Brown? When we see them do we wonder about their facts of life, about their challenges, or do we know the status quo as "normal"?

Is it normal for teacher's unions and mayors to be so far apart? If we want students back in their classrooms, why can't we vaccinate every teacher and school worker? But the conflict between teachers and elected officials, especially in Chicago, calls for a national conversation with educators, students, and parents. We've heard from everyone but students in this conversation. What are they thinking and feeling? Is any of this normal?

We never saw mask-wearing as standard, and even now, with more than 400,000 dead, some fools refuse to wear them. But here's the real deal –vaccine or not, I’ll likely be wearing double masks until the end of the year, and so should you. People who have had the vaccine have still tested positive. They still need to wear masks and wash their hands frequently. But too many have made mask wearing a political statement. Our non-mask-wearing former president contracted COVID and got priority treatment and had access to the drug Regeneron, which is not available to the general public. And he still won’t wear a mask, emboldening his sycophants.

I really don't know what is normal anymore, but I am sure that if 2019 was normal, we must embrace the abnormal. Or, we need to define the new normal as safe, fair, and equitable. As my anonymous tweeter said, "Rona" is an opportunity for us to check ourselves and maybe get it right.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She can be reached at juliannemalveaux.com