Intro and Disclaimer

QM would like to help you make sense of information being circulated by: 1. Translating data into digestible language, 2. Dispelling misconceptions and linking to evidence, and 3. Curating relevant data, and articles on a weekly basis. Our Round Up/ Mythbusting projects are intended to help our QM family make sense of information being circulated. Taking control of our health as a queer community includes making institutional knowledge accessible to the public. 

Disclaimer: Although this information has been evaluated and determined to be accurate by Queering Medicine (QM), we at QM do not want to give the impression that we are the sole gatekeepers of medical knowledge. As a collective, QM members bring professional and personal qualifications that allow us to research and share credible knowledge. Our goals for this weekly round up and myth busting is to translate data into digestible information, dispel misinformation, and curate relevant data for the Lansing queer community. We encourage the community to question knowledge found outside of reputable sources, however, Queering Medicine will gladly help facilitate this process. If evidence or recommendations change, or any inaccuracies are found, we will correct them and explain the changes. If you have any questions about our methodology and sources, or you would like to point out any inaccuracies, please let us know!

Vaccine Update

On Friday, the FDA authorized Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the United States. The authorization, unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, comes with political news. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly had a conversation with FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn in which he demanded that the FDA approve the vaccine by Friday or else Dr. Hahn should look for a new job. While Dr. Hahn states that this was not the case and that the FDA was simply “encouraged to continue working expeditiously,” politics continues to interfere with the scientific process and potentially undermines trust in COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. is the 6th country to approve this vaccine, coming after Canada, the U.K., Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. An initial 2.9 million doses are set to be shipped out starting next week, with the first shots available in the U.S. on Monday, according to an Army general involved with the vaccine rollout. In total, about 25 million doses are planned to be delivered by the end of the year and 100 million doses of the vaccine by March 2021, per the U.S. government and Pfizer agreement. These doses are also reportedly going to be free to the public, with healthcare workers and elderly people in long-term facilities to be prioritized in the first wave. Since 2 doses of the vaccine are needed for it to be effective, about 50 million people in the U.S. are expected to be vaccinated by that time. 

While this is important news, we also wanted to take some time to clarify some information and address concerns regarding the vaccine. To start, many of the side effects that have been reported, such as pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site are common in vaccinations, as are systemic side effects such as fever and headache. These side effects are common in that they are regular responses that our body's immune system has when being introduced to something unfamiliar and mounting an initial immune response - that is to say, they are appropriate things for our body to do when a vaccine works. Out of 21,720 volunteers who received the COVID-19 vaccine in the trial, there were 4 related serious adverse events, indicating that something seriously harmful happening due to the vaccine is quite rare. A total of 6 people died while in the study, 2 being in the active vaccine group and 4 in the placebo group of the trial. None of the deaths, however, were linked to the vaccine or placebo injections. 

Another concern that has been brought is the issue of pregnancy and infertility with regards to this vaccine. The reality is that many clinical trials, including this one, do not enroll those who are pregnant or lactating. While the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) continues to advocate for trials not to exclude those who are pregnant or lactating, this was unsurprising, given the expedited nature of this vaccine study. Those who are pregnant have been noted to be an at-risk group of complications due to COVID-19, so with regards to vaccination, it is recommended that you speak with your primary health care provider prior to getting the vaccination if you are pregnant or lactating.

In the U.K., two healthcare workers had severe allergic reactions to the vaccines. Both have recovered since those incidents. These incidents prompted regulators to make sure that the history of an anaphylactic allergic reaction to food, insects, or any sort to be checked prior to administering the vaccine. The FDA has also reported that because of these cases, they would increase monitoring for anaphylaxis. They have also stated that side effect monitoring will continue with this vaccine for at least 2 more years. 

Vaccine distribution and administration is imminent for healthcare workers and those living in long-term care facilities, and will then proceed to the general public. Monitoring will be continued at all levels, but so far the data has been promising. It is also important to note, however, that the vaccine has only been proven in this trial to provide immunity for 2 months. While it may be longer, the data is not yet available. As folks start to get vaccinated and this process continues, it will be essential to continue practicing proper hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks, and listening to and following public health measures. If you have any other questions, concerns, or comments, please send them our way and we will do our best to get them answered with whatever information is available!

More information

Michigan Vaccination Plan Released

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it would follow the CDC recommendations for vaccine prioritization. Note that phases may partially overlap (e.g., Phase 1B may start before Phase 1A is completed):

Within Phase 1A, prioritization is broken down as follows:

Phase 1B will include:

Phase 1C will include:

Phase 2 will include “All individuals who did not otherwise fit into the earlier groups for whom the vaccine is recommended.”

Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Interim Prioritization Guidance:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/coronavirus/MI_COVID-19_Vaccination_Prioritization_Guidance_710349_7.pdf 

Michigan COVID-19 Restrictions Extended

Michigan's restrictions related to COVID-19 (limitations on public gatherings and businesses, mask requirements, etc.) have been extended by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The increased restrictions went into effect on November 18th and were initially set to expire on December 8th, but the ongoing surge in cases has made an extension necessary. The rules are now set to remain in effect through at least December 20th, but will likely need to be continued beyond that date, as the surge is expected to continue and will likely worsen due to people traveling and socializing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other winter holidays.

Restrictions include:

More information

Ventilation Systems May Spread COVID-19 Over Greater Distances Indoors

Scientists in South Korea are suggesting airflow be taken into consideration when researching and developing COVID-19 precautions for indoor spaces. Using data from the South Korean government's COVID-19 tracking system, the scientists identified a restaurant where people more than 6 feet from an infected individual became infected themselves. One individual infected in the restaurant was 20 feet from the person who had COVID-19 and was only in the same room for approximately 5 minutes. However, some restaurant-goers who were closer to the infected individual had not contracted the virus. The researchers wanted to understand how that was possible, so they analyzed the airflow within the restaurant. 

They found that the airflow produced by the air conditioning units carried air from where the person with COVID-19 had sat to the areas of the restaurant where others had been infected. The airflow patterns matched the infection pattern in the restaurant. Their data suggest the equipment that moves air, such as air conditioning units, can increase the distance traveled by exhaled droplets containing the virus. 

These data add to a growing concern that restaurants are a significant factor in increasing COVID-19 spread, and that other indoor spaces may also present significant risks. The authors point out that their study is limited to an analysis of an observed scenario. Other scientists suggest it is also limited by focusing on one possible scenario when more interactions may have occurred outside the restaurant. Further analysis in controlled studies are necessary to fully understand the role of airflow in spreading the virus

More information: 

Ingham County Passes 10,000 COVID-19 Cases

On Tuesday, it was announced that Ingham County has now had more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases. The surge in cases has been rapid: As of Friday, the total had reached 10,576, while one month ago it was 6,198, and two months ago it was 4,074. 141 people in the county have died from COVID-19 so far, and the average is currently over 10 deaths per week and rising.

More information

COVID and the Holidays

According to Dr. Fauci, holiday travelers should do their best to try to quarantine every time they travel. It is also important to keep track of changes to risk levels in your state/county and the places you are planning to travel to and from. According to CNN, the Saturday after Thanksgiving “more than 91,000 Americans were hospitalized with the virus on the highest daily number yet in hospitalizations due to the virus.” It is becoming more clear that travel during the holidays is a large risk for spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. We encourage our QM family to consider staying home this holiday season, and at the very least having clear communication and expectations on how to keep one another safe. 

What was learned from Thanksgiving?

What are the recommendations for the upcoming Holidays? 

Helpful links:

East Lansing Police Department Criticized for Lack of Transparency

East Lansing's Study Committee on an Independent Police Oversight Commission expressed concerns in a meeting earlier this week on issues relating to transparency regarding complaints and discipline of officers. According to one member of the Human Rights Commission, the police department has become increasingly limited in the information released regarding complaints over time, and the ELPD has failed to provide the requested information to the HRC on multiple occasions, including details of complaints against officers and body camera footage to be reviewed.

"Presentations to Police Study Committee Outline ELPD Complaints, ‘Uphill Struggle’ for Transparency"
https://eastlansinginfo.news/presentations-to-police-study-committee-outline-elpd-complaints-uphill-struggle-for-transparency/ 

Is it COVID-19 or the Flu?

COVID-19 and the flu are both contagious respiratory illnesses, meaning that they both affect your breathing and lungs when you’re sick. Since respiratory illnesses present with similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell one from another. Below are several important similarities and differences between COVID-19 and the flu.

Similarities

Differences

The only way of knowing whether someone has COVID-19, the flu, or another respiratory illness is through testing. If you suspect that you may have COVID-19 and need testing, contact your primary care physician, an urgent care facility, or the Ingham County Health Department at 517-887-4517. You may also use Michigan’s testing site finder. If either you or someone you know has emergency warning signs of COVID-19 (trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, bluish lips or face), seek emergency care immediately.

More information

QM Public Health Crisis Round-Up Team (in no particular order):