6 Pieces Of Very Hopeful News About The Pandemic That You Must Know
by Marissa Pomerance
When we first discussed writing this article, we wondered— can we even write about good news during a catastrophic, global pandemic?
Should we be optimistic when millions of people around the world are still processing their grief?
Well. We decided yes. Yes we should.
We are still in this. And we still need masks and distance and realism and humanity and logic and good common sense.
But what’s getting lost in the news cycle of caution and fear is hope. We need hope to survive. We cannot live solely off a diet of dread. We know that we need to soldier through the next few months, continue to take safety precautions, and get our vaccines.
But focusing on our truly incredible progress gives us something to look forward to, instead of feeling trapped.
So here are 6 pieces of extremely good news. Powerful ideas that might just give you that little boost you need to carry on with homeschooling and staying strong even though you haven’t seen your family in a year. Because if you squint, you’ll see a tiny glimmer of light, far off in the distance. And actually, that light isn’t so far away after all.
1. We might be back to normal sooner than we thought.
There are different projections circulating from different experts, but here’s something we know; a large portion of the population has already gotten Covid, which means that as much as 55% of people could have natural immunity against catching the virus again. Add our rapidly increasing vaccinated population, and we’re getting closer to the herd immunity needed to bring this pandemic to an end.
Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon and Johns Hopkins health policy expert, believes that the pandemic could be over by April. While other projections don’t entirely align with that timeline, some experts (like Dr. Fauci) think that, at the very least, the vaccines could be widely available to anyone who wants them by April or May.
So even if that doesn’t mean 300-person weddings and trips across the world by next month, it might mean small gatherings with a few vaccinated friends, or sitting in the same room with a coworker again. Those small steps forward can feel like huge leaps towards normalcy.
2. Kids are only half as susceptible to the virus as adults.
We won’t pretend like this year has been easy for kids, or anyone with kids. It’s been a nightmare.
But, since so much of our daily panic revolves around the safety of our children, we can take some solace in this; kids are way less susceptible to catching and spreading the virus than adults. Their cases are usually milder, and they make up less than 10% of cases in the US.
It’s easy to dwell on the few scary cases we hear about with more severe outcomes— and it’s important to be aware that they can happen— but generally, the statistics are in our favor. Even from the most severe Covid cases amongst children (which have only occurred in a tiny percentage of kids who’ve gotten the virus), the vast majority of them have recovered.
3. Let’s not forget— these vaccines are medical marvels.
Most of us have only lived in a post-Vaccine world, where words like “polio” were relics of a medically inferior past. So it’s easy to take our daily access to life-saving medicine for granted.
And even though this last year seemed to stretch on forever, we have to keep in mind that it is basically a miracle that a year after Covid first appeared, millions of people are already getting inoculated with safe, effective vaccines that were rigorously tested.
Most vaccines take 10 years or more to develop, so this a HUGE scientific achievement, the likes of which we’re only beginning to appreciate.
In fact, it’s actually more than a miracle because it’s not random or lucky. It’s a shining example of what we can do when the world’s foremost scientists, a heap of money from people like Dolly Parton, and the cooperation of world leaders can achieve when they work together.
4. These vaccines are even more effective than we think.
Most stories about the efficacy of these vaccines have revolved around a specific set of data points, like “94.5% efficacy,” leading many of us to feel unimpressed when we hear that Johnson & Johnson’s shot is “only” 66% effective.
But these numbers actually refer to the vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing symptomatic cases entirely, and that doesn’t tell the full story. So here’s a more important number to know, that few people are discussing:
100%.
All 7 vaccines that have completed large trials— including Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, and AstraZeneca— were 100% EFFECTIVE at stopping hospitalizations and death from Covid during those trials.
Let me say that again; out of the people who received the vaccines in these trials, not a single person was hospitalized or died from a Covid infection.
So getting the vaccine doesn’t just prevent us from getting the virus, it can also downgrade the virus from something very dangerous to a milder cold or flu.
5. The first vaccine is actually very effective, by itself.
The two first vaccines in the US— Pfizer and Moderna— both require two shots, given about a month apart. And most news has focused on their efficacy only after we’ve received the second dose, with news outlets warning patients to be especially vigilant between doses.
But here’s a bit of good news; even just the first shot itself can prevent severe illness and death.
Some data has shown that one dose of the Pfizer vaccine was 60-70% effective at preventing Covid symptoms, and immunity kicked in 10 to 13 days after receiving the first dose. This protection also lasts for more than six weeks.
Why does this matter? Well it means we may already have some protection from Covid-19 while we wait the 3-4 weeks for our second dose.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should skip your second dose— you’ll get the full benefits of the vaccine by getting both. But again, it means these vaccines are even more effective than we realize.
6. Breastfeeding moms can pass on their Covid antibodies.
Being pregnant during Covid has been its own unique hellscape— masked doctor’s appointments, Zoom baby showers, empty delivery rooms.
So here’s some good news for all the new and soon-to-be Moms; Moms who’ve recovered from Covid-19 or have been vaccinated can pass on beneficial Covid antibodies to their babies through breastmilk without passing on an infection to them.
And these antibodies may protect those infants against future infections, though more research needs to be done here.
Yes, we should still be vigilant. And yes, there will be long-term ramifications of this pandemic. But for now, let’s just take a minute and appreciate how far we’ve come, and how soon we’ll be able to experience so many simple joys — grocery shopping, traveling, having friends over, hugging people. We’re so close.
Marissa Pomerance is the Managing Editor of The Candidly. She’s a Los Angeles native and lover of all things food, style, beauty, and wellness. You can find more of her articles here.
