Targeting is defined by the dictionary as a means of selecting an object of attention or attack. Targeting is a marketing tool that identifies a target audience and directly advertises products to them through various channels. For example, a company could target reruns of The Golden Girls or The Mary Tyler Moore Show for products such as Medicare or AARP designed for an older audience. Those versed in online video games may recognize targeting as a strategy where one player continuously attacks the same person during the contest. Some may be familiar with the term targeting as it relates to football. The NFL in 1996 established a rule to limit helmet to helmet contact but refined the rule in 2018 to reduce serious head injuries from lowering the head when tackling. Part of this change resulted from the serious, paralyzing injury to Ryan Shazier who was a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Ohio State Buckeyes. Ryan was given a 20% chance of walking again after his injury. On November 30, 2021, his book Walking Miracle: How Faith, Positive Thinking, and Passion for Football Brought Me Back from Paralysis…and Helped Me Find Purpose was published. He has a truly inspirational journey.
Week 15 of the NFL season had a large number of players, coaches, and staff testing positive for COVID-19. The NFL rescheduled some games and designed a new targeted testing policy that no longer requires weekly testing for those fully vaccinated and asymptomatic. The NFL will now provide “stringent symptom screening” for those fully vaccinated with strategic targeted spot testing. The NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, stated that Omicron is a different illness with milder symptoms that clears faster than the Delta variant and this prompted the change. One might question the rationale for this new policy considering that as of 12/22/2021, the Omicron variant is the causative factor in 73% of the cases and that Omicron is in all 50 states. A study published in JAMA Open Network indicated that 40% of the individuals spreading the virus are asymptomatic. This fact might be the most critical piece to contradicting the new NFL policy. The World Health Organization has determined that COVID-19 Omicron cases double every 1.5 to 3 days. The United States is no exception with the first case reported on December 1, 2021. Ohio detected its first case of Omicron on December 13, 2021 and cases continue to climb with this fast spreading virus variant.
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has some interesting targets. A recent study released shows that the variant multiplies 70 times faster in the airway tissues and this explains the rapid transmission and spread. SARS-CoV-2 virus, no matter the variant, targets the ACE2 cell surface protein that serves as the gateway for the virus to enter the cells to replicate and cause disease. The Omicron variant grips more tightly to the ACE2 cell surface allowing for faster replication and transmission. The same study showed that the variant replicates 10 times slower than the original alpha variant in lung tissue. This revelation may be why those who are fully vaccinated show mild to no symptoms with the Omicron variant. So why is the COVID-19 booster vaccine more important with Omicron? I read a great analogy from a physician in Minnesota that fits perfectly. The COVID-19 vaccines produce antibodies - think of antibodies as our defenders capable of shaking the virus off the ACE2 cell. Omicron has a firm grip on the cells so it takes more defenders to weaken the grip. The booster vaccine provides more antibodies that create the extra defenders. This is why our medical experts are asking us to be fully vaccinated and receive a booster shot when appropriate. Israel has started to provide its citizens over the age of 60 years and those with immune system disorders a fourth COVID-19 vaccine four months after their last booster. It is the theory of providing more defenders!
Recent studies have published data showing that SARS-CoV-2 targets and infects fat cells in the body. The virus can hang out in the fat cells, replicate, and evade the immune system. This replication then triggers more serious infections and increases the likelihood of dying from COVID-19. A United Kingdom study showed that the fat cells that surround vital organs contain the virus and this may explain organ failure in serious COVID-19 cases. An additional theory is that the fat cells may become a reservoir for the virus and linger in the body causing some individuals to have long COVID-19.
Help us control COVID-19 and the flu by talking to your health professional about the science. Feel free to call the ONU HealthWise Pharmacy. The ONU Drug and Health Information Center offers a service to job sites or community organizations to speak about the vaccines. ONU HealthWise is offering COVID-19 and flu vaccines Monday through Friday from 4 pm to 6 pm. Call the pharmacy for an appointment for other time slots. The ONU HealthWise pharmacy offers Moderna, Pfizer, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), as well as flu shots and high-dose flu vaccines for those over the age of 65. Pediatric Pfizer vaccines (5 to 11-years) are available by appointment through the state Vaccine Management Solution (VMS) system. Call the pharmacy to get more information on getting vaccinated.
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