Killed by COVID By Way of Myeloma

By SAM URETSKY

On Oct. 18, CNN reported the death of Colin Powell, beginning with “Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state, whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from COVID-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84.” The second paragraph noted “due to complications from COVID 19,” the Powell family wrote on Facebook, noting he was fully vaccinated.”

The third paragraph adds important information: “A source familiar with the matter said Powell had multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body’s immune response. Even if fully vaccinated against COVID-19, those who are immunocompromised are at greater risk from the virus.”

The National Library of Medicine notes, “No one knows the exact causes of multiple myeloma, but it is more common in older people and African Americans.” While there has been a great deal of progress made in treatment of multiple myeloma, it is still considered incurable, although it is treatable and treatment can greatly extend life. While some patients have a poor prognosis, others may survive for decades before succumbing to the disease. The longest any myeloma patient has survived without being cured was 30 years.

The American Cancer Society explains, “Abnormal plasma cells cannot protect the body from infections ... normal plasma cells produce antibodies that attack germs. In multiple myeloma, the myeloma cells crowd out the normal plasma cells, so that antibodies to fight the infection can’t be made. The antibody made by the myeloma cells does not help fight infections.” In this sense, Secretary Powell’s death should be attributed to complications of multiple myeloma rather than complications of COVID-19.

Sadly, the way Secretary Powell’s death is being reported will strengthen the opinions of those who oppose vaccination. According to the New York Post, “Former secretary of state and general dead of COVID at 84 — despite being fully vaxxed.” The Drudge Report, in red letters, all capitals headlined “COLIN POWELL DEAD FROM COVID — FULLY VAXXED”.

The development of effective vaccines against COVID-19 is a tribute to modern medical science, and to Ex-President Trump, in spite of his failure to advocate vaccination to his followers. In addition to the vaccines now approved, there is progress in drug treatment of the disease. The best known is Merck’s COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir. Clinical trials showed that the drug reduced the risk of hospitalization and death in at-risk patients by 50%. Beyond that, molnupavir is given orally, and does not require refrigeration, making it available for rural areas which lack sophisticated storage and administration facilities.

While molnupavir (which was named after Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir) is not invariably effective, after 29 days of a phase 3 double-blinded clinical trial, 7.3% of patients who received the drug had died or were hospitalized, compared to 14.1% of patients who were in the placebo group. Further, Merck says molnupiravir was also effective against coronavirus mutations, including gamma, delta, and mu. Other drug treatments are under study and some have emergency approval for clinical use.

On the other side, five Republican governors, Greg Abbott (Texas). Pete Ricketts (Nebraska), Kim Reynolds (Iowa), Doug Ducey (Arizona), and Ron DeSantis (Florida) have opposed the CDC’s recommendation that even fully vaccinated Americans should wear masks. Gov. Abbott tweeted that every Texan has “right to choose whether they (or their children) will wear a mask.” It seems important to consider that masks, like social distancing, function primarily to inhibit the spread of the coronavirus, and that some people, including cancer patients, and people taking other drugs which inhibit the immune system, may still be susceptible to COVID-19, even after vaccination. While the rates of infection are going down in many areas, the United States is still far from the rate of vaccination that will qualify as herd immunity.

Yes, it would be nice to get back to our concept of normal, with a growing economy and real classrooms, full theaters and ballparks – but we’re not ready yet. The spread of misinformation won’t help.

Sam Uretsky is a writer and pharmacist living in Louisville, Ky. Email sdu01@outlook.com.

From The Progressive Populist, November 15, 2021

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