Feb. 25, 2022
Dear Members of the Baylor College of Medicine Community,
In this week’s video, we’ll start with the good news: cases are going down in the United States and Texas is looking quite good. The numbers and the prediction from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation indicate we are going to have at least a lull this spring. We cannot be sure what is going to happen in the fall but we should have a much better situation soon.
Internationally, some countries, like Austria , Germany and the UK, are relaxing restrictions; probably too soon. Russia is a mess and Hong Kong is surging. I have a number of maps and graphics to further explain the situation.
In science news, there are a couple of interesting papers this week – one on why Omicron is infecting some vaccinated people, but only with mild disease. The role of memory B cell clones is important here. Another study looks at the hospitalization rates of fully vaccinated adolescents ages 12 – 17 years, compared to unvaccinated adolescents.
Thank you to the many viewers who sent comments following our 100th episode last week. It is always great to hear from you. One of the things mentioned was the lack of a blooper reel. I came to a conclusion on that and present it at the end of the video.
I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe!
Paul Klotman, M.D.
President & CEO
Executive Dean
