Delta variant could lead to breakthrough infections
By Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon
Q: My healthy, fully vaccinated adult daughter attended a wedding in a Southeastern state last month. It was an outdoor event, with 40 adults and about 15 kids under 12. All the adults were vaccinated, according to my daughter.
Of the 40 adults, 12 contracted COVID-19, including my daughter. She said that those infected had been vaccinated with either Pfizer or Johnson and Johnson. Apparently, nobody who’d had the Moderna vaccine became infected.
In my Northwest state, the rate of breakthrough infections for the fully vaccinated is .004. How could such a small group have such a high percentage of infection?
A: Your daughter’s experience is a bit surprising. That’s because outside events are generally low-risk for contracting COVID-19. There is growing awareness, though, that the delta variant is far more contagious than the original strain.
Israel has the highest vaccination rate in the world. Most adults there have received the Pfizer vaccine. They are seeing breakthrough infections, but vaccinated people are mostly protected from serious illness, hospitalization and death.
We have no headto-head studies to compare the effectiveness of Moderna vs. Pfizer vaccines against the delta variant. Moderna conducted a small study demonstrating that the blood of vaccinated volunteers neutralizes the SARSCoV-2 virus, including delta and other variants (BioRxiv, June 28, 2021).
To better answer your question, we would need to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitoring breakthrough COVID infections in nonhospitalized individuals. At this point, though, the CDC is counting only hospitalized patients.
Q: I am angry about the way the Food and Drug Administration handled Chantix side effect information. My doctor was not aware that this drug could cause serious psychiatric side effects.
Thank God I kept my depression and suicidal thoughts (barely) under control. As far as I can tell, the FDA focused far more on the benefits of this drug than on its serious risks.
A: There was once a black box warning about depression, agitation, hostility and suicidal thoughts associated with varenicline (Chantix). The FDA removed this box several years ago.
The maker of Chantix has recently recalled a dozen lots of this stop-smoking drug because they contained unacceptable levels of a probable carcinogen. Nitrosamines have turned up in a wide range of medications over the past few years. Chantix is just the latest example.
Q: My son was given prednisone at a walk-in clinic for a sinus infection. After one dose, he had a horrible reaction — racing heartbeat, anxiety and sleeplessness.
After an entire week, he still struggles to get even four hours of sleep. The other symptoms are dissipating, but the insomnia is still a problem. The worst thing is that the doctor didn’t bother to tell him about such side effects.
A: Corticosteroids like prednisone are notorious for interfering with sleep. Doctors don’t always mention insomnia as a side effect of medications. Scores of other drugs, from albuterol for asthma to ziprasidone (Geodon) for psychiatric problems, can also disturb sleep.
Q: I recently bought a 2021 Ford F-150 with the center lane control. When driving on a straight road, such as I-94, etc., the light comes on telling me to hold my hands on the steering wheel every few minutes or more often, unless I move the wheel several times a minute. I am 85 years old, and I can hold the wheel straight, without moving it, but the “Put Your Hands on the Wheel” message comes on constantly. I don’t like to drive having to move the wheel all the time. The only way to stop it is to turn off the cruise control. Is there any way to eliminate that part to remove that feature? —T.S., Morris, Minnesota
A: You are unable to remove the feature, but you can switch it off. Check your owner’s manual for the location of the switch that turns the lane-keeping feature on or off. The action you choose will be stored until you manually change again.
Q: I saw the item today about Subaru and Bluetooth. I had the same problem pairing my phone with my wife’s car that became my handme-down. I deleted all instances of her phone to no avail. I found the solution was to pair the phone via the steering wheel controls, instead of the radio controls. It seems like they are separate systems somehow. It’s worked perfectly since. If it is possible, I hope you can let K.L. in Milwaukee know about this solution. — M.D., Wheaton, Illinois
A: I checked out the link you sent and then an owner’s manual. Instructions say to do exactly what you did. Weird. I am happy to pass it along and hope K.L. sees this.
Q: Our 2015 Chevrolet Impala (odometer 75,800) has been very reliable. It was seen for regular maintenance at our independent garage June 17 for an oil change and lube. Oil spots started immediately appearing on our driveway and garage floor. Five days later, we took it back to the mechanic for review. He noted there was oil on the car frame which “must have splashed when oil plug was removed.” I disagreed indicating this car had never had any type of leak prior. We got tired of seeing oil spots, so we took it to a Chevrolet dealership one month after the original oil change. The service adviser said they couldn’t identify any leak, but said they also saw oil on the car’s frame. They degreased the frame again and said, “everything was fine.” It is not. My estimate would be about two ounces daily. There is no oil light on the dashboard. Any ideas? — G.G., Kirkville, New York
A: Oil leaks can be a devil to find. Since it started leaking after an oil change, I would suspect a problem with the drain plug or its O-ring. My second guess would be the oil filter. It may be damaged or the wrong one for the car.
The oil pressure sensor is another common leak source, but probably not right after an oil change. The best way to find a leak is with ultraviolet dye and a black light. After cleaning the engine and surrounding area, pour some dye into the oil. After driving for a day or two, shine a black light and the leak will show up iridescent green.