COVID Part 2: Masks, long COVID, boosters, mandates, treatments, and more - Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Zubin Damania, Marty Makary

The Peter Attia Drive

COVID Part 2: Masks, long COVID, boosters, mandates, treatments, and more

The Peter Attia Drive

Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Zubin Damania, Peter Attia, Marty Makary

71 Clips

Top Moments

If we're going to be this phosphorylated about a 30 year-old not being vaccinated, that's fine. But then I expect you to be seven times more phosphorylated about how many of them are being killed by their own hands, by the hands of somebody else, by drug overdose, or in a motor vehicle crash.

COVID Is Nothing Compared to Suicide, Drug Overdoses, & Car Accidents in People Ages 5-35

So what they found is that if you have an infected person with direct contact with somebody else for 20 minutes, the risk of transmission with surgical masks was 10.4%. With an N95 without a nose piece, it was 4.2%. And an N95 with a nose piece—in other words, a good seal—0.14%.

N95s Reduce COVID Transmission Drastically More Than Surgical Masks

We cannot be mandating mask mandates for the whole population anymore because transmission doesn't seem to be reduced by cloth masks. It doesn't seem to be reduced by even surgical masks unless you really tuck them in and double loop them.

Monica Gandhi: End the Mask Mandates; Cloth & Surgical Masks Don't Reduce Transmission

Do you realize that an unvaccinated person in Canada cannot travel in Canada. So, they can't get on an airplane, they can't get on a bus, they're only permitted to drive themselves, and they still won't be allowed to cross the border.

Peter's Friends Are Fed Up With Canada's Draconian COVID Measures

If you have immunity across the entire virus... A lot of people have seen Omicron—probably 50% of people in Europe. It's estimated a quarter of Americans, probably more, have seen Omicron. Then you have the T cells and B cells to fight that new variant in the future, even if it's more virulent.

Omicron Immunity Offers Protection Against Future, More Virulent COVID Variants

There was just a study this morning in Israel that those who are vaccinated don't get long COVID symptoms after having a mild breakthrough. In fact, they have long COVID symptoms at the same rate as people who've never had COVID at all.

Getting Vaccinated Prevents Long COVID After Breakthrough Infection

We're looking at a net total of 154 people who are hospitalized out of, say, a quarter-million with Omicron. Now, of those hospitalized, 83% were there in the hospital for less than 48 hours.

Of 250K People That Catch Omicron, Only ~150 Require Hospitalization

Suicide, this is the most tragic to me: In 5 to 14-year-olds, the risk of suicide is six and a half times greater than that of COVID.

COVID Is Nothing Compared to Suicide, Drug Overdoses, & Car Accidents in People Ages 5-35

I think it's profoundly important to say vaccination helps long COVID—either after the fact or before the fact.

Getting Vaccinated Prevents & Treats Long COVID

The total population rate of mortality per capita in Sweden, all in all cumulative this entire pandemic, has been 1 in 663. Now, by comparison, in the United States, it's 1 in 387.

Sweden's COVID Response Resulted in a Mortality Rate of 1/663; America's Was 1/387

98.3% of new cases of COVID in the United States are Omicron according to the most recent CDC numbers. On December 10th [2021], it hit 73%. Now, we're at 98.3%.

Of 250K People That Catch Omicron, Only ~150 Require Hospitalization

It's not just our increasing immunity in the population that's making Omicron more mild, but it's something to do with the virus itself, likely that it can't infect lung cells well.

Beyond Immunity, Omicron Is ~25% Less Virulent Than Delta

I haven't got Omicron yet. I've been trying. I'm actually super annoyed that I don't have it yet, because I feel like I'm missing out on a booster shot or something.

Influenza Is More Severe Than Omicron & Lacks Therapeutics

Now, with social media, you effectively have turned every human with a smartphone into an addicted machine that behaves like a neuron; and its neurotransmitters are likes dislikes, comments, shares.

Social Media Turns Everyone Into a Neuron, Each Part of a COVID Hivemind

Clips