Is my dad right about this pandemic?

He is a physician specializing in infectious diseases. He has worked on the COVID vaccine and says that despite what you hear in the media the current vaccines only offer protection for 1-2 months. He says the virus just keeps mutating and getting stronger, and this pandemic is going to play out very similarly to the Black Death pandemic of the 14th century, and we will have over a billion deaths within the next 5 years. He spends a lot of time alone now, and cries a lot, and I can tell he is really wearing down. I'm so worried about both him and this world.

KnightSaber20002021-04-10T02:41:48Z

i am going to talk about your dad in a moment.. your dad is simply wrong, much of what he said is true but they are out of context.. once you understood the context, you will find out they are not what you have originally thought.. first of all.. it is WRONG to compare coronaviruses to the Black Death of the 14th century (caused by a bacteria not a virus), or to the Spanish Flu of 2018 (caused by a totally different virus from the influenzae family not from the coronavirus) or to the seasonal flu (again by an influenzae virus not a coronavirus).. it is like trying to apply similarities between a truck and a train, the fact they both use diesel and run on wheels, but trucks will never be equated to trains..

COVID-19 vaccines are said to offer antibody protection in the short term and cellular protection in the long term.. whenever a vaccine manufacturer talks about their vaccine; they will mention that that their vaccine produces both Humoral (antibody) immunity and Cellular Immunity.. so you have 2 types of immunity gained from a vaccine.. the Humoral (antibody) immunity is different from one vaccine/infection to another.. and in the COVID-19 vaccine case, the Humoral (antibody) immunity is said to last 90 days upto 6 months (the best number is 147 days = 4 1/2 months).. which means, you would have antibody protection (the best type of immunity) running in your blood for 147 days (some say 90 days and some say 6 month)..`
`
Cellular Immunity is what most of the mainstream and social media often miss and don't talk about it often enough.. suffice to know that a group of immune cells goes into hibernation to become Memory T lymphocytes and Memory B lymphocytes (imagine veterans of the first war going into the reserve but ready to fight the next war) and the Cellular Immunity again differs from one infection/vaccine to the next.. the Cellular Immunity against the Measles and the Polio is said to last a life-time (unless your immunity is compromised such as with HIV, chemotherapy and exposure to nuclear ionizing radiation).. `
`
so far, people who were vaccinated last year, still have their Cellular Immunity (the second best type of immunity) in them; but scientists simply do not know how long the cellular immunity would last for COVID-19 coronavirus (better known as SARS-CoV-2).. BUT BUT BUT.. based on studies on the SARS coronavirus (the original SARS-CoV) that used to terrorize Asia in 2003 to 2015 (and some small endemics in 2019), the Cellular Immunity against SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) had lasted 2-3 years; and people are suggesting that the Cellular Immunity against SARS-CoV would be the same with COVID-19 coronavirus (the SARS-CoV-2).. however the better answer they give "we do not know yet.." (and that's how science should answer) because COVID-19 pandemic is only 1 year old.. `
`

last year, when the Senate asked the CDC director about the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine, he simply answered that vaccines are no more important than wearing masks in public or maintaining social distancing and he is NOT wrong.. even after vaccination, you will STILL need to wear masks in public, maintain social distancing, wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face and ALL that jazz.. it is like going to war.. when you go to war, you need to wear a helmet, an eye protection, bullet proof vest, your primary weapon (your machine gun) and your secondary weapon (your sidearm); you need ALL that to improve your chances of not getting killed or injured in a war.. so think a face mask as your combat helmet, your social distancing as your bullet proof mask, your machine gun as your Antibody/Humoral immunity, and your sidearm as your Cellular immunity..    ``

next.. this talk about mutations are worrying.. genetic mutations produces variants (which happens more frequently than you'd think) but only when the mutations are significant enough, and only when a variant changes the way we handle the epidemic or the pandemic, that we would upgrade them in to "strains"..

the UK (Kent) variant, the South African variant and the Brazilian variant, are said to be more infectious, and to spread faster but a bit less lethal (it is like saying hungry lions are less lethal than hungry tigers).. DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND THIS, these variants are still lethal.. and they are significantly different from the original strain "the Wild Strain" of COVID-19..

at the moment.. vaccine manufacturers stand by their vaccines, and they have been effective against these new variants; but these variants are significant enough that people call them strains instead of variants.. for example: the number of cases of re-infection for the second time with COVID-19, is increasing in an alarming rates.. in 2020, the number of genuine cases of re-infection was in the number of fingers of one hand but in the short months of 2021 and with the new variants, the number of re-infection are now in the hundreds WORLD WIDE..

a South African study shows that people who got COVID-19 last year, and thought to be immune against a second COVID-19, are now getting infected with the new South-African variant of COVID-19 in 2021 (as if they are getting COVID-19 for the first time); and an early finding from a study in the UK suggests that as well (but it is an early finding not the conclusion).. fortunately, the current COVID-19 vaccines are effective against COVID-19; but some believe that instead of a machine gun (as mentioned above) it becomes like one those old rifles or musket from the last century.. it is generally believe that vaccines are less effective (but still effective) against the new strains or variants of COVID-19 coronavirus.. and.. the main concern is that newer variants/strains of COVID-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) would emerge that are particularly resistant to vaccines in the near future..

this is why we need a speedy and effective vaccination programs.. the longer we wait, the higher chance of new variants to emerge; but such programs require everyone's who is able to participate; including the doubting and concerned people, antivaxxers, and politicians who generally do not believe in vaccines..

the longer we wait, the bigger the chance for current vaccines to fail - and because of that, i fully understand what your father is going through.. i was a front liner medical doctor during the SARS epidemic in 2003, and we had plenty of training during the Bird and the Swine Flu epidemic; but i am glad that i have retired before the COVID-19 pandemic.. `
`
i live in South East Asia, where people put a lot of value on wearing masks and on taking vaccines (also where humidity is above 90% and temperatures above 30*C (ot 86 degrees Fahrenheit almost all year and even at night).. which is why we look at Americans are refusing to wear a mask or getting the vaccine the same way we look at a pigeon slamming into the window again and again without understanding why this is happening..

you should be very concerned about your father.. he appears to be depressed and in a lot of distress.. you and your family should arrange an intervention for him to seek professional help.. a psychologist or a psychiatrist.. you should get everyone involved into this intervention (the more the merrier): all your family members, relatives, neighbours, close friends, colleagues and even his boss and the HR where he works..as a medical doctor, i have seen many deaths in my life.. from few hours old babies to palliative patients waiting to die at cancer wards.. every death feels like an emotional slap in the face (and sometimes a physical slap), and a stab to your wellbeing and sanity.. it is only tolerable when you see deaths spaced out with days in between to allow your wellbeing and sanity to recover.. but this pandemic had made doctors, nurses and other hospital staff undergo a non-stop barrage on their psyche..`
`
`
it sounds that your father had reached his limits, he is showing signs of depression and anxiety, and he is in an urgent help (professional help) to restore back some of his sanity.. and bring him back away from the cliff or the break point.. interventions are only successful when you involve as much people as possible.. and.. and all the best..`
`
`
[ added:.. in the turn of the 14th century (1300AD), the world population was estimated to be 500 million people.. but between 1347 and 1351, an estimated number between 75 to 200 million were killed in the old world (Africa, Asia and Europe) which is about 50% of world population at worst.. and then.. in 1918, the world population is estimated to be 1.8 billion, and the Spanish Flu had killed around 500 million people in 1918-1920; and that's 28% of world population.. and finally in 2020, the world population is about 7.8 billion, and so far, COVID-19 had killed 2.9 million and that's 0.037% of world population.. i agree it is a lot, but we have modern day technology and scientific understanding that people in 1918 simply did not have: better understanding in epidemiology and biology, computers on the palm of our hands, Windows10, the Electron Microscope (that enables us to see the virus and was invented in the 1940s) and other forms of modern medicine that offers a LOT in terms of treatment and rehabilitation.. so have faith on science.. and have faith that there are men and women who are trying to save the world and keep it safe everyday and every waking hour.. ]

hart2021-04-09T04:22:14Z

big BS,,,,,,,,,,,,

Anonymous2021-04-08T13:42:54Z

Nope.
EVERY virologist knows that when ANY virus mutates, it gets WEAKER.
If you pay attention, the media switched from talking about DEATHS to talking about number of INFECTIONS.
This is because deaths are now rare.
The virus has mutated to a WEAKER strain as ALL viruses have done for thousands of years.
This latest strain is more "infectious" but MUCH less deadly so the media only quotes the number of "infections" to induce panic for their agenda.
The common cold is the most "infectious" disease on the planet yet NOBODY dies from it.
Getting "infected" means NOTHING
It doesn't mean you will get sick or even know you are infected and it CERTAINLY doesn't mean you will die.

The First Dragon2021-04-08T03:08:22Z

If your dad specializes in infectious diseases, he will know that there was no vaccine for Black Death.  He would also not have such an extreme view of the mutability of SARS viruses.  
If your dad specialized in history, he would know that the Black Death was followed by incredible social progress and the rise of labor guilds, industry, and finally full-blown capitalism.  
Check back in 10 years and see how things are going.

Lab Guy2021-04-07T23:44:08Z

You didn't hear that from your dad. You heard that from your dog who you think is able to have a conversation with you just like the Son of Sam.

Show more answers (19)