2020 was a year for the history books, with the world having to make adjustments as COVID-19 gripped almost every area of our lives. 2020 was a year that saw it’s deadliest global pandemic since the Spanish Influenza of 1918. However, as we embark on the dawn of a bright new year with hope and possibilities, two vaccines being rolled out in America and several more in late-stage clinical trials- 2021 is looking a bit brighter.
This doesn’t mean we don’t have questions- and a lot of them. How is the world going to look in the future? What are our biggest hurdles to come? Is humanity as we know it changed forever? When will I be able to hug grandma again?
As a trusted health and fitness resource committed to providing unbiased and science-backed facts to our readers, we decided to ask the experts and brilliant minds who have devoted their lives to research in virology and epidemiology some of these burning questions.
Dr. Priya Sampathkumar has been busy fighting a global pandemic. Sampathkumar is a consultant in the division of infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. There, she was leading a research team working with the NBA to determine how many players and staff members have antibodies to COVID-19, which could potentially provide immunity to reinfection. The results of her research helped jumpstart the league’s reopening while also aiding the global battle against COVID-19.
HFR founder Samir Becic asked Dr. Sampathkumar some important questions in this exclusive interview:
Samir Becic: In your professional opinion, what should we expect differently in 2021 with regards to COVID-19? When do you think we can expect to go back to normalcy?
Dr. Sampathkumar: There’s good news and bad news in 2021. The good news is that over the last few months there have been important advances in our understanding of how the virus that causes COVID-19 behaves, how to prevent infections and how best to treat patients with COVID-19. As a result, the proportion of people who die from COVID when they are infected is decreasing. The availability of effective vaccines is another ray of hope. The bad news is that people are tired of being cautious. To date, vaccine rollout has been slow. In the meantime, COVID cases continue to increase rapidly in the United States and many parts of the world. Two new strains have been identified in the UK and in South Africa. These strains have already been exported to multiple other countries including the US. These strains seem to spread more easily from person to person, but so far do not seem to cause more severe illness. We need to get vaccines distributed and administered. While this is occurring, we also need to continue to follow the public health measures of masking, physical distancing, avoiding crowds. It will be several months before we can relax our guard. So it will likely be mid-summer/early fall before we can go back to life as it was pre-COVID.
2/
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) January 15, 2021
I want to emphasize that the side effects were mild including the phantom pain in the arm that got the first dose. Im taking it as a sign that my body is recognizing the mRNA generated spike protein and reacting appropriately. @henrytingmd
Samir Becic: Do you have a vaccine preference and why?
Dr. Sampathkumar: No. I do not recommend one vaccine over another. The important thing is to have as many people vaccinated as soon as possible to stop the spread of the virus. If you have the opportunity to get any of the vaccines approved for use in the US – you should take it.
Samir Becic: Besides the obvious of social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands, what are 3 other tips you would give to people?
Dr. Sampathkumar:
– Avoid situations where there are crowds.
– Stay as fit as you can to lower the risk of getting COVID and other infections – that includes eating healthy, exercising regularly.
– If you are a smoker- quit smoking
Samir Becic: The seasonal flu affects children as much, if not more than adults, whereas COVID-19 has very little effect on kids. Why is that?
Dr. Sampathkumar: Children do get infected with COVID and spread COVID to others. However the vast majority of children have mild or no symptoms There are various theories about why this is. The top three theories are
a) Children get frequent viral respiratory infections and infections with some types of coronaviruses that cause the common cold may offer some cross-protection from COVID.
b) The virus that causes COVID needs to latch on to receptors called ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptors in the lining of the nose and respiratory tract in order to start off the infection. Children have far fewer of these receptors than adults – so the virus has less opportunity for latching on and setting off an infection
c) Children are much less likely to have other underlying health conditions, such as heart or lung disease, or weakened immune systems than older adults. These underlying diseases are important risk factors for developing more severe illness in adults.
Samir Becic: In a couple of short sentences, how does a virus mutate? How concerned should we be about COVID-19 variants?
Dr. Sampathkumar: Every time a virus replicates (makes new copies of itself) there is a chance that it could make a mistake. The more often it replicates, the more likely it is that a mistake will occur. When enough mistakes have accumulated, the new copies of the virus become significantly different from the original virus and you now have a new mutant strain. Most of the mistakes are inconsequential, and a few can even be harmful to the virus’s survival. These types of strains disappear through natural selection. But some mutant strains can be more infectious or be more threatening to the human host.
The two variant strains that we are watching closely are the UK strain and the South African strain. Both these strains seem to be more transmissible i.e. they spread from person to person more easily. However, they do not seem to cause more severe disease. Initial data suggests that vaccines will still be effective against these variants. The way the virus passes from one person to another has also not changed, so masks, keeping your distance from other people, and hand-washing are still effective at preventing the spread of the COVID-19 variant strains
Samir Becic: Do you think masks are here to stay?
Dr. Sampathkumar: Yes. I think masks are here to stay for at least over the next few months. And after that, it may be something we all get used to wearing seasonally – during winter, or when there are outbreaks of respiratory infections in our community, or when we are in crowded settings.
Samir Becic: A popular conspiracy theory is that this virus was created in a lab. What is the most insane conspiracy theory you’ve heard?
Dr. Sampathkumar: That the COVID vaccination program is a ploy to get us all microchipped.
2/ I am grateful for this opportunity, proud of the science and scientists that made this happen. I’m also heartsick at what COVID has cost the world to date, and the human toll it will continue to take until we have enough vaccine for all. @VincentRK
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) December 23, 2020
4/ Yes, the mRNA vaccines came to market in record time. But this is NOT because corners were cut. Let me explain what helped speed by vaccine development
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) December 23, 2020
6/ Animal studies and phase I human trials followed very quickly, in record time. This was possible only because of years of research that preceded this.
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) December 23, 2020
8/ The magnitude of the pandemic made it easy to recruits tens of thousands of volunteers into these phase III trials rapidly, and for the trials to reach the primary safety and efficacy endpoints within months.
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) December 23, 2020
10/ These are some of the critical factors that sped up vaccine development and distribution. Many things occurred in parallel rather than sequentially. But no steps were skipped.
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) December 23, 2020
11/ so if you have chance to get the vaccine do it. Do it for the safety of your family, other loved ones, for your co-workers, for the greater good of humanity. Do it for those who didn’t have have this opportunity #VaccinesWork #COVID #Pfizer #Moderna
— Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD) December 23, 2020
Samir Becic: What is the absolute worst-case scenario with regards to COVID-19?
Dr. Sampathkumar: The absolute worst-case scenario would be that the mutations in the virus make it resistant to vaccines or that the mutations make it more lethal than it currently is. This would mean that we would have countless more deaths from the virus before we are able to control it.
Samir Becic: Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates has been donating millions of dollars to fighting COVID-19 and other infectious diseases throughout the world. Do you think that more private donors should follow in his footsteps?
Dr. Sampathkumar: It could only help, right? While public health should be a government responsibility, in many parts of the world, disease prevention does not get enough governmental priority. The Gates Foundation has done amazing work in fighting infectious diseases in many parts of the world. If more private donors did the same – disease eradication could move much faster. COVID has shown us that although the US is one of the richest nations with the best medical infrastructure, we are not safe unless the entire world’s population is safe.
Samir Becic: The Spanish Influenza pandemic was in 1918, approximately 100 years before COVID-19- do you think the frequency of global pandemics will increase?
Dr. Sampathkumar: Yes. I think the way we live in cities that are increasingly crowded, the rising levels of air pollution will make us more susceptible to respiratory infections. Population growth and humans encroaching on animal territories mean it is easier for animal infections to jump to humans as happened with Ebola. And the way we are interconnected through our food supply chains and the ease of international travel means that a new infection can also spread very rapidly around the world. So it is unlikely that we will go another 100 years before the next pandemic
Samir Becic: What healthy habits are part of your daily routine (exercise, nutrition etc.)?
Dr. Sampathkumar: I am vegetarian. I actually love fruits and vegetables so getting several servings is not a hardship. I try to eat moderate amounts of things I enjoy and do not diet. I struggle with getting enough exercise on a daily basis, especially during Minnesota winters. I recently acquired a standing desk – which is a great way to keep from sitting for long periods
Samir Becic: Obesity has been shown to be one of the highest risk factors when contracting COVID-19- what are your tips for people in this demographic?
Dr. Sampathkumar: Unfortunately, obesity is also the risk factor that is hardest to modify in the short term. As a fitness expert – you can probably answer this question better than me. For people who are overweight, I would say that focusing on ways to increase your fitness rather than aiming for a target number on a weighing scale is a good starting point. Starting an exercise program has benefits on mood, blood sugars, and your breathing that go beyond just weight loss. Similarly, drastic diets generally don’t work. Small changes such as cutting out one or two unhealthy items from your diet are easier and more sustainable in the long term. Cutting out other things that add to the risk from obesity is another thing to consider. One prime example is quitting smoking or vaping. And above all be kind to yourself. We are in the midst of a global pandemic – don’t beat yourself over an occasional dietary indiscretion. Just work on not letting them become a daily occurrence.
Samir Becic: Considering that you’ve been interviewed frequently, what was the best question you’ve been asked?
Dr. Sampathkumar: In general, the best questions are those that stump me – where I have to say “I really don’t know the answer to that. I will have to get back to you after I research it further”. That way I learn something too
