Dear Diary,
Today I listened to a talk between the editor of JAMA and the head of Scripps research, Eric Topol on my morning walk with the puppies. They (the doctors) had a long and comprehensive discussion about the covidtastrophe, with two big take aways.
My beloved monoclonal antibodies, the treatment I’m pacing around in my kitchen waiting on, are expected to be a significant game changer (Topol is like the 17th scientist I’ve heard say this), maybe in the fall? But, shit…they are expensive–which I didn’t realize. I imagine their expense will hamper their ability to be widely distributed? Or maybe Congress will subsidize them if they are really effective?
Rapid (and cheap!) testing is another thing on the horizon that will transform lockdown life. Topol talked about Covid tests that could be self administered at home (something comparable to a pregnancy test). You buy them at your local pharmacy, test yourself and get results in under an hour. Then you could leave home if you are negative and stay if you are positive. And we’d use some kind of honor system and trust that those who are out are negative? Not sure about that part…maybe you’d have to bring your dated positive results with you when you are out to gain admission into any business…
I’m ready for a breakthrough. The percent of covid tests in our county that are positive is 4%, up a little, down a little for the last 10 days…but I can’t tell how hard it is to get a test, or get results…so maybe the spread in the community is twice that? It’s hard to know if demand is based on symptoms at this point and what the unmet demand is…But I will say that the very small number of things I’m doing: going to the pharmacy, the doctor’s office, etc. still seem very vacant. I had a doctor’s appointment on Saturday and the receptionist and I were the only ones in the building (other than the doctor).
Consistent with that, the younger one’s dance class has been moved outside to a park. I’m guessing that move was in response to parent feedback? Four percent isn’t very high, but we are all acting like it is high enough to reject a return to normalcy.
This pandemic has grown tiresome.
Until tomorrow.