Well, here's some good news! Oxford has begun human trials of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Researchers are 80% sure it will work and hope that it will be ready by September of 2020. You can read about it here.
![]() We’re seeing the stirrings of people wanting to get back to work after our quarantine has flattened the curve in Ohio. While we may have helped health care workers not be overwhelmed by the number of cases they have to deal with at once, this virus is not going away any time soon. Some of my colleagues in massage therapy are talking about reopening and what measures they’ll be putting in place to sanitize their rooms between clients, which many of us were already doing anyway. It is still too early for me to feel like I can reopen anytime soon. We are discovering that many people are carrying antibodies for this novel corona virus who were completely asymptomatic. They never knew they had the virus. Then again, questions remain whether or not these tests are accurate. It’s a mystery as to why some people exposed to the virus experience no symptoms, while others end up a few days after exposure fighting for their lives. ![]() On Saturday, March 14, after consulting with the World Health Organization, the CDC, and the Ohio Medical Board, I made the decision to temporarily close the office in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Even though I took every precaution previously, the more I researched this virus, the more concerned I grew. This is not a normal flu. Humans have no immunity to this. For some the symptoms are similar to a flu; for others it can be deadly. I researched first-hand accounts and learned that this is one sneaky virus. Folks think they have a cold or flu, think they’re getting better, only to end up with pneumonia the next day and ventilated a couple days later fighting for their lives. Those who are at high risk are those with compromised immune systems, but also able-bodied men have become seriously ill. Others who test positive have no symptoms at all. It’s baffling. Because it’s a new disease, data is still being collected and is awaiting full analysis. We just don’t know yet exactly what we’re up against, especially because symptoms are so varied. |
AuthorTeresa Eisenlohr is a Christian theologian, Presbyterian pastor, and licensed massage therapist. And, no, that's not the start of a joke. |