Interview with doctor about Delta variant

Alex (Daily Moth): Hello Dr. IV Mirus!

Dr. IV Mirus: Hello!

Alex: Happy to have you here with us. You recently moved to Dallas, right?

Dr. Mirus: Yes. I just got a new job as a professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. I work at the Parkland Hospital in downtown Dallas, in the emergency department. So I just moved from Rochester. It’s sad, but I’m excited to see what happens.

Alex: Congratulations on the big move. That’s a big change.

Dr. Mirus: Thank you.

Alex: I want to take this opportunity to ask you about coronavirus, which is still around. I’ve seen that cases are up 55% across the U.S. The Delta mutation is the most dominant variant. There are many new variants. Can you explain how the coronavirus can mutate so fast?

Dr. Mirus: Really, mutations for viruses is a common thing. Viruses like to mutate. Why? To hide from the immune system. We’re now facing Delta. Previously it was Alpha, then Beta, Gamma, and now Delta. You can visualize it like the trunk of a tree. There are many different branches that can represent different mutations. Most of them are no good because it will cause the virus to die out or the mutation to go away. But there are some mutations that continue to thrive like long branches. That’s horrible, just like what we are seeing with the Delta variant. The Delta variant is spreading four times — two to four times more contagious. In the bodies of those infected, the viral load is 1,000 times worse than Alpha. So with higher viral loads, the transmission rate exceeds all other variants we’ve seen.

Alex: So it spreads even more. I see that mutations are a normal part. I like how you explained it like a tree and its branches. So the Delta variant causes more viral loads in the body. So I’m wondering what kinds of cases you saw at the University of Rochester ER in the past and currently in downtown Dallas, a big city? What kinds of cases are you seeing and can you compare from those fully vaccinated and those unvaccinated?

Dr. Mirus: It’s really similar to what we’re seeing across the U.S. We have similar stories. Most people who have to be admitted because of coronavirus are unvaccinated. They have a fever, coughing, and breathing problems. They have severe illnesses that require them to stay in the hospital for oxygen and monitoring to make sure everything is okay. Sometimes they have to stay for a few days, but sometimes they have to stay for a week or two. It varies. But 95% of the people who are hospitalized are not vaccinated. I want to be clear too, with the 5% — those who are vaccinated — most of them already had underlying illnesses because either their immune systems are not working that great or they might have had a kidney transplant or something in the past that requires them to be admitted to the hospital. There is really a very small percentage of healthy, vaccinated people who have to be admitted to the hospital. That’s great news.

Even more, 99.5% of all people who die from Covid-19 in this time are not vaccinated. So what does that mean? If you are vaccinated, the chances that Covid-19 will cause severe illness or death is very rare and almost impossible. So that’s a huge reason for vaccines.

Alex: I can see that. The vaccine isn’t a 100% guarantee, but it will reduce the risk of severe illnesses or death. You said that 99.5%…

Dr. Mirus: 99.5% of people who died from Covid-19 were not vaccinated. So we’re actually saving lives. Every person who dies from Covid-19 now just feels frustrated, right? Because we have a cure, but it’s too late. You have to get the vaccine when you are healthy. If you are hit with an infection, it’s too late. I’ve been hearing horrible stories about people who beg for a vaccine while they are lying on their beds about to get intubated. They’re begging for vaccines but it’s too late. As a healthcare provider, as a doctor, it’s heartbreaking. It’s frustrating. Really frustrating.

Alex: Wow. People out there are still trying to spread the message encouraging people to get vaccinated. So people can still change their minds. Or maybe if people are waiting, I hope they’ll go ahead with it. So there can be less deaths. It’s really unnecessary because there are vaccines out there. So I can imagine your frustration and for those in the medical community. So, for those who are fully vaccinated, I’ve seen discussions about a booster shot. A “third shot.” Maybe it’ll come in the fall. What are your thoughts? Do you think we’ll need one?

Dr. Mirus: So, right now, the CDC is not making any recommendations for an additional dose. We don’t need that right now. But, if I had to guess, I wouldn’t be surprised. The thing about science is that we gather information, data, and numbers. When we receive new information, we will have to change our policies. So, right now, Pfizer, who makes vaccines, are now looking at research in Israel in which vaccinated people’s antibodies, which protects against the Covid-19, the antibodies seem to decline over time. So it means a booster shot could provide more antibodies for stronger protections from the virus. We’re not seeing that in the U.S. yet. What that means is as of right now, there are no recommendations for a booster shot.

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Alex: I’m wondering -- for those of us who are already vaccinated, with the Delta variant that is spreading through the unvaccinated, is it possible that the virus will mutate and become stronger than the bodies of those who are already vaccinated? Is that possible?

Dr. Mirus: Yes, there is a serious possibility. That’s why scientists and others are always looking at the sequence record to catch things and be watchful to be sure that a mutation doesn’t lead to something catastrophic. The virus’ changes happen through people who become infected, which means the unvaccinated. So that’s another problem we are facing. If people who are not vaccinated become sick, they could cause more mutations and more variants. That means we have to look at this even more, and prolong the pandemic. So there are two parts to this issue, the people who become sick and die, which is horrible, but it causes the pandemic to linger on even longer. The economic struggle is prolonged. It is hard because we have a cure. It is a scientific feat, but we now have a problem convincing people to get their shots.

Alex: That struggle still continues. And at a great risk for the world. It’s grave. The stakes just keep on getting higher. Do you have anything to add? Additional thoughts or comments?

Dr. Mirus: I support personal decisions. I realize that getting a vaccine is a personal decision. As a doctor, I’m here to provide my recommendation from my experience, my education. If a patient decides to say “no,” that’s fine, but I want to make it very clear that the decision to not get the vaccine is a wrong decision. The vaccine is safe. It is effective. We finally have a cure for this pandemic. So I encourage you all to get the vaccines if you haven’t. Save your own life and I want to stop this from lingering. So, the vaccines are safe and I encourage all of you to get the vaccine. If you are still afraid or worried, you should have a discussion with your doctor. The information is there. I encourage you to find an opportunity to get vaccinated.

Alex: I understand. You’re respecting people’s decisions, but you’re being blunt with them that it is the wrong decision to not get a vaccine. It hurts more than helps the situation we’re now in, especially when you consider that the U.S. has an enormous amount of vaccines but we’re behind. We may have a huge impact on the world. It’s frustrating, I can imagine.

Dr. Mirus: Right.

Alex: I think that’s all. I really appreciate your time, Dr. IV Mirus. Thank you so much.

Dr. Mirus: Always good to chat with you.

Alex: Thank you, take care.

Dr. Mirus: Take care.