From the San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 13, 2021
The presence of wildfire smoke last year during the pandemic may have been responsible for at least 19,000 additional coronavirus cases on the West Coast, and 700 subsequent deaths, a new study shows.
The study, published Friday in the journal Science Advances, offers the most detailed accounting yet of how the devastating 2020 wildfire season is believed to have amplified the coronavirus outbreak. It traces increases in infections to periods of smoke in more than 50 counties in California, Oregon and Washington.
While a correlation between wildfire smoke and COVID-19 doesn’t prove causation, the study’s authors say the tie is no coincidence. Plenty of research since the start of the pandemic has suggested that exposure to smoke’s primary unhealthy component PM 2.5, which refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers in size or smaller, compromises people’s immunity and increases susceptibility to COVID-19. Scientists also hypothesize that the virus may be spread by the particles.
The team’s models crunched coronavirus numbers in 92 counties during non-smokey periods from March 15 to Dec. 16 and how these numbers changed when wildfire smoke brought particulate pollution. The area that the researchers examined covered 95% of the population in California, Oregon and Washington. They excluded areas that did not have sufficient data for modeling.
If you want to see what is in front of you for the winter of 2021/2022? Watch the National Geographic Documentary 1918 Spanish pandemic. Why National Geographic? The numbers are checked multiple times for correctness. The numbers are to a tee for this period of time 2021, as in 1918. , The problems associated to the pandemics….ie deaths, food shortages and beginning of the war machine are the same, just different faces. Math does not lie.. silver tougnes do!! Also, watch the ” Battle of the Bulge Voices of History.” YouTube Richard H Wheeler my father. 101st Airborne the war machine periods.
Stay safe!! Americans.?? You/ We are all about to experience a roller coaster ride like you have never experienced before in all mankind this winter! The Washington State June heat dome registered numbers never see by man before on the face of the earth.
Shalom
Martin L’Iceman’Wheeler
Oak Hills Vegetable Farms Inc
Retired:
Central Pierce Fire and Rescue
Medic 1
USDA
I am no Doctor and I will wait until more information is released. However, when it is smoky from fire(s) people go indoors and stay put; this may induce more human contact and spread of Covid.
If you haven’t at least read the research, then you shouldn’t comment. Why do so many criticize others who are just trying to do studies to improve our understanding of how to deal with this pandemic? They are doing the best they can with a complex and hard to understand problem that we are facing.
You pseudo-virologists-medical researchers//Covid-19 & science naysayers/etc., etc. could easily fertilize the planet. I detect conspiracy theory in many such arguments. Questioning research findings is one thing but misinterpreting them is another. There is a multitude of variables at play in such research. Read the study or at least its abstract before you embarrass yourself. You are totally incapable/unqualified to address such research. Then again I suppose the researchers sit in an air conditioned office/lab crunching numbers and stats while munching out on take-out hamburgers, wadding up the wrappers to use as basketballs lofted towards the distant trash can overflowing with previous tosses while they casually formulate results figuring no one will catch their lax errors. “That’s good. Let’s write it up.” LR
Smoke is never a good thing for any living thing. Probably OK for rocks.
Having a Really moment…how hard would it be for the creators of these studies to compare their findings with the number of covid-19 cases in the wildfire worker community? In reading articles on this web site we know that there were roughly 174 covid cases reported by incidents last year divide that by the over 20,000 fire line workers (the ones who really eat the smoke). Is this research any where in the ballpark of being worthy? You do the math and come to your own conclusion.
Bill,
First I wish you well with all your posts as we enjoy them.
I feel more research must be done on this subject and that both sides have good merit.
One being after so much smoke here in Reno deposited from many fires all over California and Nevada and being severely chemically sensitive of vast chemical compounds that I have not contracted Corona up to this time
Might I remind all to be kind and gentle to those who can not have the vax that we each have different bodies and some can’t like me and we refrain most contact with any human just to live
But Bill thank you again for all your hard work ? and do not shoot our awesome messenger for his time no matter ehat your personal view he is a hero just to do this for us.
Re: Linda
I agree that more research needs to be done for sure. As previously mentioned smoke particles as an irritant would make one “potentially” more susceptible to contracting covid. The while “covid hitchhiking” theory is pretty out there if you ask me.
I also agree one should not condem anyone for choosing to get vaccinated or not. It seems in your case you simply are not a candidate to which is unfortunate that you don’t even have that option to protect yourself. I also like that you seem to personally be taking the steps necessary to protect yourself and not relying in everyone else to keep you safe. I wish you well in what ever battle you may be facing.
My 2 cents: I don’t feel you missing much in the vaccine anyway considering the FDA just authorized a booster shot. This will turn more into a flu shot type scenario. (Flu shot is only 34% effective) (pfizer vaccine showing to be 46% effective against delta variant)
Jesse, we strive for the truth here at Wildfire Today. Where did you get that 46% effectiveness number? Please provide the source.
A vaccinated person is far, far less likely to become hospitalized or die than an unvaccinated person. This can be found on the Boston University website on a page titled, “Myths vs. Facts: Making Sense of COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation.”
Here is an excerpt from the article which has input from two experts, David Hamer, a faculty member of BU’s School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, and Sabrina Assoumou, a BU School of Medicine assistant professor of medicine and of infectious diseases and a Boston Medical Center physician.
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MYTH: Breakthrough cases prove that even if I get the vaccine, I might still get COVID. So why bother?
FACT: As of August 2, the CDC said there had been 7,525 vaccinated people who were hospitalized or died who had also tested positive for coronavirus—out of more than 164 million fully vaccinated Americans. That equals .00003 percent. Additionally, CDC director Rochelle Walensky has said that 99.5 percent of all deaths from COVID-19 are in the unvaccinated. —Politifact, Fact Checking Joe Biden’s Figure on Unvaccinated COVID-19 Deaths.
Hamer: COVID vaccines have been shown to be very powerful in preventing more severe disease and the need for hospitalization. Breakthroughs occur at a much, much lower rate than in people who are unvaccinated. The breakthroughs have been occurring more frequently with the Delta variant because of the high level of infectiousness (or transmissibility) of the Delta variant and lower protection of current vaccines against this variant. But people having breakthroughs have much more mild infection, more like an upper respiratory infection. The vaccines prevent severe disease and complications and allow people to return to a more normal state.
Assoumou: I was just at the hospital taking care of patients. I can tell you all the cases of people getting hospitalized are unvaccinated. Breakthrough cases account for much less than 1 percent. There are so many zeros before the one—99 percent of people dying now of COVID are unvaccinated. And 97 percent of those hospitalized are unvaccinated. We are just not seeing large numbers of people vaccinated being hospitalized. And if you get it, for the most part it is like having a cold.
The 46% number was just released (August 2021) from latest studies done in Israel.
Bill I’m in no way trying to spread misinformation. If I’m incorrect ull amend my statement. Here is the source in which that number came from. As Renee said it was from a recent study done in Isreal. That data actually shows 42% efficacy for Pfizer
Eric Topol (Scripps Research Translational Institute Director and Founder)
** Awaiting peer review and US data**
“There needs to be truth-telling about the reduced protection of mRNA vaccines vs symptomatic Delta infections. It was 95% pre-Delta. Many are claiming it’s still ~80%. It isn’t. 50-60% is best estimate from all sources (not US, since we don’t have the data),” wrote Topol in a tweet on Wednesday, attaching a table he compiled of the available efficacy data on mRNA vaccines and the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca jabs when it comes to fighting the Delta strain.
Topol goes on to say he expects the numbers in the U.S., once more of them come out, to be even worse given the experiences of more vaccinated countries like Israel, which are keeping close tabs on how strong Pfizer’s mRNA immunization remains over time. While the prevention of hospitalization and death is still an undeniable win, the prospect of getting sick for a few days or weeks is still cumbersome and a public health concern for high-risk individuals such as the immunocompromised.
Bill I in no way am trying to spread misinformation. As Renee said the new stat comes from a study in Isreal.
Eric Topol (Scripps Research Translational Institute founder and director)
** Data is awaiting peer review and US data**
“There needs to be truth-telling about the reduced protection of mRNA vaccines vs symptomatic Delta infections. It was 95% pre-Delta. Many are claiming it’s still ~80%. It isn’t. 50-60% is best estimate from all sources (not US, since we don’t have the data),” wrote Topol in a tweet on Wednesday, attaching a table he compiled of the available efficacy data on mRNA vaccines and the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca jabs when it comes to fighting the Delta strain.
Topol goes on to say he expects the numbers in the U.S., once more of them come out, to be even worse given the experiences of more vaccinated countries like Israel, which are keeping close tabs on how strong Pfizer’s mRNA immunization remains over time. While the prevention of hospitalization and death is still an undeniable win, the prospect of getting sick for a few days or weeks is still cumbersome and a public health concern for high-risk individuals such as the immunocompromised.
I see! So smoke particles can indiscriminately can pick up Covid 19 hitchikers and spread them? I believe the research shows there should be an increase in any of the airborne particles including the common cold as well. Does the research explain how such particles could remain viable for that long? On the other hand PM 2.5 (2.5 Angstrom) is a major pollutant which causes reparatory distress. Such distress would also cause irritation and drying of mucus membranes thus making viral invasion easier.
thus, you proved the point.