Bob Snyder, who heads the Flagler County Health Department, is among the chief architects of the county’s response to the covid pandemic. He has been its most visible and ardent advocates of safety measures for 18 months and vaccination since December. He had managed to make it through a year and a half of the pandemic’s most viral trenches unscathed, even when he was unvaccinated for two-thirds of that time.
Today, Snyder revealed he was among the “breakthrough” cases, contracting the delta variant recently despite his January vaccination.
He described the infection as mild, sidelining him with tiredness for three days, and though he was quarantined for 10 days, he continued working, ramping up the department’s preparations for a new testing and vaccination regimen starting next week–as school resumes–and has been back at work in person.
“I got my vaccination the second week of January, and to my surprise,” Snyder said this morning, “recently I came down with symptoms, nine in total that caused me to believe that I might be infected. So I immediately was quarantined, made contact with close contacts, and arranged to get a monoclonal antibody infusion at the hospital, AdventHealth [Palm Coast], and almost immediately began to feel better. And over a 10-day period my symptoms vanished. I am healthy and back at work, but I definitely was a breakthrough case, which is less than 1 percent of the population.”
He described his symptoms as “very mild to moderate,” attributing the mildness to his vaccination. “I cannot imagine what would have happened if I wasn’t vaccinated. Thankfully, I had available to me the monoclonal antibody that I took advantage of through an infusion on an outpatient basis at the hospital, and once that occurred I immediately saw relief. Matter of fact, within 24 hours. My symptoms began to disappear–about 50 percent of my symptoms began to disappear. And then within 48 hours 90 percent, then by day three, 100 percent of my symptoms had dissipated. Yet at no point was Snyder out of contact either with his department or with media, conducting lengthy interviews by phone that at no point betrayed his condition.
Though an individual’s health status is private, Snyder agreed to speak of his infection publicly to ward off rumors, disinformation or false assumptions. “There is a right to privacy and we certainly respect that,” the health department chief said, “but I guess you know, given my given my position and the role that I’m playing here I don’t want anyone to twist the truth.”
Snyder does not recall specifically where he may have been infected. Known since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020 as one of the earliest and most diligent people to wear a mask, he had relaxed his approach several weeks ago, when local daily cases were in the single digits and after the Centers for Disease Control issued a directive that vaccinated people could dispense with masks in many circumstances. The delta variant had not began its sweep at the time.
“That changed. the evidence now indicates that, with the delta variant out there in the community people who are vaccinated can carry a viral load, just like those unvaccinated for covid-19,” Snyder said.
He sees his case as more proof that masks are, in fact, essential in this re-powered phase of the pandemic. “We’ve learned that through the science and through the data that the delta variant is as contagious as the common cold or chickenpox,” Snyder said. “And that viral loads for the delta variant can be 1,000 times more with someone who is vaccinated or unvaccinated compared to previous variants and mutations. So, even those of us who are vaccinated can be carriers unknowingly of the delta variants. That’s why it’s so important, whether you’re vaccinated or not, to don a mask when you are indoors, and to follow CDC guidelines. The ballgame has changed because of this delta variant.”
In all, he was at the hospital for four hours–had driven himself there, and driven home after the infusion. “The treatment, physicians and nurses were exceptional,” he said.
Snyder revealed his recent diagnosis as Flagler County is experiencing its worst surge of the covid pandemic yet, with 900 cases recorded in the seven days to yesterday, and 80 people hospitalized at AdventHealth Palm Coast as of Monday. The surge is occurring as a combination of the delta variant and a lack of vaccinations has given the variant opportune ground to exploit. Fewer than half the county’s population is vaccinated still, according to CDC figures.
Snyder’s case hasn’t changed his approach. “Listen, I am grateful that I made a decision to get vaccinated, not just for myself but for my loved ones, my colleagues, my family and friends so that I would not infect them,” he said. “I cannot imagine what would have happened if I was not vaccinated. I just can’t imagine. so I’m so grateful that I was because the symptoms were mild to moderate and still encourage everyone to get vaccinated. This is the only mitigation strategy that truly works. But still masks are 80 percent effective in thwarting transmission of the virus. Just like Senator Lindsey Graham, he said the same thing. ‘I’m so grateful that I’ve gotten vaccinated and can’t imagine what would happen if that was not the case.'”
As much as Snyder and his colleague, Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Health Department, have been at the forefront of the local response to the pandemic, drawing praise and plaudits from local governments and other institutions, they have also been the target of a small but rancid minority of detractors, anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers who have called for their firing, and in some measures continue to cast doubt on the public health response to the pandemic. Inevitably, Snyder’s revelation could lend fuel to the same detractors.
“Now is not the time to be spreading false information, misinformation. There’s plenty of that out there right now. This is serious,” Snyder said, citing the latest numbers of the pandemic. “We had 180 cases in one day this past Sunday. This is no joke. This is no hoax. This is serious. Let’s all do the right thing for the good of of our community, for the goodwill of mankind. Get vaccinated. Of course everyone as I said yesterday has a personal right to not get vaccinated or to not wear a mask, but all the while you’re putting others in harm’s way and you’re jeopardizing the health and safety of all of us around you. For the sake of society, we all have an obligation to take care of each other and do the right thing.”
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Tc says
Hi – so sorry to hear you caught covid.
Curious about the infusion therapy and how the role it played in the duration and severity of your illness.
I recently had covid and I was unvaccinated. I had 4 symptoms which were similar to a sinus infection. I also received an infusion (day 3) and virus cleared within 36 hours.
Appears infusion therapy contributed to both of our healing.
I recently read CDC/FDA considering monoclonal infusion for those who are exposed even prior to testing positive.
Kat says
I wish to commend you for the Herculean effort you have put forth over the past 18 months or so to keep us all informed and as healthy as possible. My continued good intentions for your recovery and my appreciation for your transparency. The only way we are going to get the upper hand on this is through the dissemination of accurate information.
Yesterday was a dark day in our medical community from many perspectives. I work in an outpatient oncology setting and because we are on black status across the region, the only way my extremely ill cancer patients can get blood transfusions is through the ER. Normally, we can arrange for them to have transfusions in the same day surgery unit but right now there is no same-day surgery unit, it has been transformed into a Covid ward. I had four patients yesterday that needed blood and we called over to the ER, at the time of our call there were 100 people, mostly with Covid symptoms, waiting to be seen. So my patients had to go and sit among all of those sick people, in their immunocompromised/vulnerable status, to get life-saving treatment. Consider if this was your loved one, parent, spouse, child- desperately ill, exhausted, and having to sit there for who knows how many hours among hordes of people who are ill with COVID.
I have patients with newly diagnosed cancer that cannot have Infusaports placed so that they can begin their chemotherapy treatments and people who require surgery for cancer who cannot get on an OR schedule because no area hospitals can do Nonemergent/non-inpatient surgeries. My patients are suffering as collateral damage because of a large number of people in our neighborhoods and communities who are not taking the proper precautions and have not become vaccinated.
There are other people with heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis, etc. etc. etc. who need our medical services. In addition to all of those who are going to die or be disabled due to Covid, how many others will meet the same fate because of our communities inaction?
And I can’t even begin to imagine what could happen if we open the schools back up and our children start to get critically ill, we don’t even have that many pediatric practitioners/facilities in this area. So please, please, please be a good citizen/human being and get your vaccine, wear your mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing. You may actually save many lives beside your own.
Jimbo99 says
However, without him taking the vaccine, it’s nearly, if not completely impossible for even a scientist to say that the Covid-ish case he became, was anything more than mild or even asymptomatic. Perhaps he had an allergy or something that was similar to Covid for mildest symptoms.
After spending 4+ hours doing yard work every 2-3 weeks in season, I have allergies that make the asymptomatic to milder cases of Covid seem like it’s a nagging fact of older age. Allergies that produce a runny nose, watery eyes & sneezing. Aches & pains from really the workout of pushing a 30 lb lawnmower in July heat for 4+ hours in a less than regular workout conditioning. The grass I have is Bahia (I-95 highway grass) & whatever weeds grow among the grass. The lawnmower mulches that 2-3 week growth. A day or two after cutting & trimming the yard, I still have allergy/covid-like symptoms just from going outside from those yard clippings & mulch.
I read in Flagler Live recently that 95% of Covid new cases during stage 4 of the Delta & Delta plus variants are unvaccinated to partially vaccinated individuals ? Yet a majority of the vaccines were developed & administered long before the Delta variants.
The scientific community is touting this as a new and more contagious, even powerful version of anything Covid ? These Delta variants are now targeting younger aged groups and the tried & true fear tactic to include children as the hysteria to recruit testing & vaccinations. What is the government paying out these days on tests ? That is not the cost of anyone going in for testing or vaccinations to the patient ? What does the US government get charged for testing & vaccinations. Because as long as their is financial incentive for modern healthcare & medicine to bill the government somehow, that will continue. I mean, there have to be contracts in place to pay out every aspect of the healthcare network. The vaccines were a government grant of sorts to develop even, billions, perhaps trillions. since the start of all of this and it perpetuates because it’s still a pandemic.
Stage 4 started after July 4th, it’s August 3rd, 30 days later, Flagler county has 114 deaths all time and that milestone happened long before stage 4. Don’t get me wrong, I wish nobody infection or death. Until those numbers start accumulating beyond cases that increase because the media started back up with Covid to get people to even be tested, might be erroneous. What is the error rate of the covid testing process ? False positives more so than false negatives as results ?
Sarah says
Most people have insurance that is billed. Otherwise, it’s similar to already existing programs for medical care for the uninsured. My insurance was billed for both covid tests and the vaccine. I’d really hate to be even insured with a hospitalized case of covid. The ICU bills can be in the millions for such intensive care.
Sarah says
Do you think Florida’s record number of current covid hospitalizations (over 11,000) are because of “the media starting back up with covid”? Right now you aren’t admitted unless it’s very serious.
A.j says
Glad u are doing better Bob. I do not blame DeSantis for not mandating wearing masks. Like he said the parents are responsible for masking their children, I agree with him. We are responsible for our health. I wear a mask, I got the shot. It is not up to the government to take care of my health. Wear your mask, social distance, get the shot. We are responsible for our selves. I don’t like our governor, and the repubs. Please let us take care of our selves.
Pat Fields says
Jimbo,
Clearly you have no medical background and no understanding of how easy it is to verify it’s a Delta virus from a simple covid test. Under the microscope, a learned medical technician can plainly see the difference.
So no dispute.
Our hard-working, ever-present Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder had the Delta virus. We wish him well and a plethora of thanks for all he and his blessed staff do each day to keep us citizens safe.
Willy James says
I find it almost incomprehensible that Governor DeSantis is so anti-mask wearing to reduce the COVID threat. I would ask DeSantis what his scientific background is to justify his position. He is an attorney, period. I don’t see an MD after his name. My question is, if he is so convinced that masks don’t work, then why should surgical teams in hospitals wear them during surgical procedures? Could it be that they are doing their utmost to prevent the spread of germs in the OR? What the governor is doing is proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he could care less about the health and safety of the citizens of Florida. For somebody who is allegedly well educated, he’s an idiot
jaytomm says
And because it was so mild, he walked around spreading it, unaware. Again all the vax does is prevent YOU from being that sick & needing a hospital.
The Voice Of Reason says
Bob, Thank you for all you do. And all at the health Dept. The medical and health workers everywhere are heroes!
Ronald Aitken says
I am proud to claim you as a friend. Your endeavors to stop covid in Flagler County are incredible and successful.. keep up the good work!