A Message from Our Chief Medical Officer: Novel Coronavirus Update

Dear New York Tech Students, Faculty, and Staff:

As of January 27, 2022, more than 72.8 million cases of COVID-19 and 873,957 cumulative total deaths have been reported in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since the start of the pandemic. Over the past seven-day period, the state reporting the highest number of cases per 100,000 people is Oklahoma (1,972.7); Maryland reported the least (498.7). In comparison, cases in New York State have decreased from 1,270.2 per 100,000 last week to 754.9 this week; cases have also decreased in New York City (from 1,376.7 to 718.6), as well as in Arkansas (from 2,044 to 1,786.1).

Locally, Long Island's seven-day average testing positivity rate is at 10 percent (vs.15.5 percent last week), compared to 6.4 percent for all boroughs of New York City (vs. 11.5 percent last week). The decrease in these rates is a good sign that transmission of the Omicron variant may be waning. In New York State, hospitalizations have also decreased over the past week, from 7.54 cases per 100,000 on January 19 to 5.92 on January 25.

The surveillance continuum for the coronavirus usually starts with increased transmission demonstrated by increased cases, followed by increased hospitalizations, and finally increased mortality (death) rate. In the past seven-day period, Ohio had the highest mortality rate, at 10.6 deaths per 100,000 people; Alabama had the lowest (0.5). In comparison, Arkansas had 3.7 deaths per 100,000, and New York State had 5.4. Nationally, mortality rates are forecasted to remain stable (or have an uncertain trend) over the next four weeks—the result of earlier decreasing transmission rates.

The vaccine rollout continues, with more than 536 million doses administered in the United States: 75.1 percent of the population has received at least one dose, 63.6 percent is now fully vaccinated, and 41 percent has received a booster as of January 27. In New York State, the CDC reports that 87.2 percent of the population has received at least one dose and 73.8 percent is fully vaccinated. For data collection consistency, “fully vaccinated” is still defined as two doses of Pfizer, two doses of Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, regardless of the new booster requirement. The terminology for those who have received the booster is “up to date.”

There is also good news regarding the future global availability of vaccines. A new protein subunit-based vaccine called Corbevax has been developed by researchers from the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine. Protein subunit vaccines have an advantage over mRNA vaccines in that they can be readily and cost-effectively produced using well-established recombinant DNA technology. Additionally, Corbevax has been produced patent-free, allowing low- and middle-income countries to manufacture and distribute the vaccine locally. This could help to significantly address the inequitable global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, which is particularly important because as more people are immunized worldwide, future mutations are less likely.

As nationwide discussions continue about the effectiveness of preventive strategies, now is a good time to review the basics of these community mitigation activities. At the core of the public health response is the simple understanding that the likelihood of an infection is a result of an organism’s amount (dosage) and its lethality, or virulence [(Infection) = (dose) (virulence)]. Certain disease-causing organisms are more virulent than others. Take, for example, the Ebola virus vs. the common cold. Within a species of organism, there can also be more virulent strains or mutations, as seen with the virulence of Delta vs. Omicron.

However, most community mitigation efforts, including mask usage, physical distancing, hand-washing, and disinfection, seek to reduce the dosage. While no single activity will completely eliminate the risk of infection, collectively they do reduce the overall risk of respiratory infection. This is demonstrated by the decrease in influenza transmission, for which there is much surveillance data available. There is no reason to believe that the transmission of SARS-Cov-2 was not also prevented or decreased by these activities.

As a reminder, New York Tech requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination and boosters. Please find more information about our vaccination and testing policies and how to upload proof of vaccination here. As always, those who may feel anxious or uneasy can reach out to Counseling and Wellness Services at our campuses in Long Island (516.686.7683) or New York City (212.261.1773) to talk or make a virtual appointment.

Sincerely,

Brian L. Harper, M.D., M.P.H.
Chief Medical Officer, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine
Vice President, Equity and Inclusion