As new cases and positivity rates continue to rise, we have to keep looking for positives where we can find them. Total Recovered Cases is up to 128,981 (as of November 6) and overall mortality rates keep falling. Michigan’s is now down to 3.4%; nationwide it stands at 2.3%. As previously mentioned, improved treatments and better therapeutics are to thank for the drop in mortality rates.

A new weapon to fight COVID-19.

Speaking of better treatments … On Monday, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment, BNT162. The therapy is meant for adults and children over age 12 with mild to moderate illness, but who have high risks of needing hospitalization—including people with underlying health conditions. According to the news article, monoclonal antibodies are made in a lab to mimic the body’s natural antibodies and react by recognizing specific SARS-CoV-2 pathogens and harnessing the patient’s immune system to fight them off. Eli Lilly has begun manufacturing and expects to have close to 1 million doses available by the end of the year.

Vaccine success provides hope.

Thanks to Operation Warp Speed and incredibly smart scientists, there are currently four U.S.-backed vaccines in Phase 3 clinical trials. The most promising, is the one developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. On Monday, Pfizer released findings that show the vaccine is over 90% effective. The news exceeded expectations of health officials, who were expecting standard first-vaccine effectiveness rates of between 60% and 70%. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the findings are “just extraordinary.” The mRNA vaccine targets spike proteins, which the coronavirus uses to latch onto human cells. Even better, side effects are minimal and don’t look worse than a flu shot. Next up, the FDA needs follow-up data to make sure the vaccine is safe, which Pfizer says it will have ready as early as next week. If all goes as planned, Pfizer will receive emergency use authorization this month and can start producing doses—50 million doses by the end of 2020 and 1.3 billion doses in 2021. Each person would need 2 doses, so cut the number in half for how many people can receive the vaccine. We’ll cover the rest in next week’s update.

Wondering if you should seek medical care?

Since coronavirus and the flu present many of the same symptoms, it can be difficult to know when/if you need to seek medical care. Well, EYR is ready to help with that. We’ve added an interactive assessment tool to our website. It’s for people 13 or older who want help deciding when to seek testing or medical care. Check it out!

EYR’s also ready to help you grow your business. We offer a full array of services—print, digital, marketing, transactional, postal, and disaster recovery. Let’s talk about how we can help you reach your customers and grow.  info@extendyourreach.com or 800-887-1959.

Stay safe!

Jay Gillotte
CEO, Extend Your Reach