Disclaimer: The data in this column come from either mainstream news
media sources or scientific research published in peer-reviewed
journals (each category can be determined by following the links in
the reference section). This column's author acknowledges the cultural
bias of the world scientific community in its belief that the
scientific method is the most viable available alternative for
assessing COVID-19 and its effects in an objective manner through a
structured process of observable and repeatable hypothesis testing.
Summary: The updated vaccine that better protects against currently
circulating strains of the virus that causes COVID-19 may be available
as soon as next week (see "New COVID Shots Could Be Available Next
Week" under Vaccines, Treatment & Testing).
The increase in cases of COVID-19 in the northern hemisphere is
worrying healthcare authorities around the world, who are aware that
these countries usually experience a peak in respiratory infections
during the winter months (see "WHO 'Concerned' About COVID Increase in
Northern Hemisphere" under Virology & Epidemiology).
COVID-19 hospitalizations have been on the rise for weeks as summer
nears its end. COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 19% last week and
COVID deaths by 21%, according to figures from the CDC. More than half
the states, 26, had a "substantial increase" in hospital admissions
(see "COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths on the Rise" and "5
Questions for COVID Experts: How Concerned Should We Be?" under
Virology & Epidemiology).
COVID metrics have risen steadily since June after reaching the lowest
point since the pandemic started. However, just 7% of U.S. adults are
"very worried" about getting COVID-19 (see "COVID Metrics Tick Up, but
Americans Aren't Worried: Poll" under Media News).
The CDC and the World Health Organization have dubbed the BA 2.86
variant of COVID-19 as a variant to watch (see "Q&A: What to Know
About the New BA 2.86 COVID Variant" under Virology & Epidemiology).
However, BA.2.86 does not have a heightened ability to evade the
protection of COVID vaccines or immunity from prior infection (see
"Highly Mutated COVID Strain Can't Evade Immunity as Feared" under
Virology & Epidemiology).
Close and prolonged contact with someone with COVID-19 can more than
quadruple the risk of getting the virus (see "This Is When You're Most
at Risk for 'Leaky' COVID Immunity" under Virology & Epidemiology).
It's estimated that 1 out of 8 people with COVID develop long COVID.
Of those persons, 44% also experience headaches. Research has found
that many of those headaches are migraines — and many patients who are
afflicted say they had never had a migraine before (see "Long COVID
and New Migraines: What's the Link?" under COVID Complications).
Severe COVID infections may lead to lasting damage to the immune
system (see "Severe COVID May Cause Long-Term Cellular Changes: Study"
under COVID Complications).
COVID-19 may negatively affect the wound healing process while
increasing the mortality rate amongst patients with multiple or severe
comorbidities undergoing limb salvage procedure (see "Retrospective
Review of Complications and Outcomes in COVID-19–Positive Patients
With Comorbidities Undergoing Limb Salvage Procedures in a Tertiary
Care Wound Center" under COVID Complications).
Among patients with ARF due to COVID-19 pneumonia who fail HFNC, delay
of intubation beyond 24 h is associated with increased mortality (see
"Delayed Intubation Associated With In-hospital Mortality in Patients
With COVID-19" under Vaccines, treatment & Testing).
Crippling symptoms, lost careers, and eroded incomes: This is the
harsh reality for doctors suffering with long COVID, according to the
first major survey of physicians with the condition (see "One in Five
Doctors With Long COVID Can No Longer Work: Survey" under COVID
Complications).
EU regulators have recommended authorizing an updated COVID-19 vaccine
from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech which targets the dominant
XBB.1.5 variant of Omicron, putting it on track to become the third
adapted shot by the two companies to be approved in the bloc (see "EU
Regulators Back Pfizer's Updated Vaccine for Dominant Omicron
Subvariant" under Policy).
The May 11, 2023 termination of the PHE has made it increasingly
difficult to accurately track COVID-19 new cases or fatalities.
However, new variants of concern continue to emerge, with consequent
infections and deaths.
Since the termination of the PHE, data on vaccination rates are no
longer being tracked. The last known US COVID-19 vaccination rates
(May 10, 2023) are as follows: full
vaccination (two initial doses) 69.3%; at least one updated booster
dose: 17% (see "Track Covid-19 in the U.S." under
Vaccines, Treatment & Testing). "Our World in Data" stopped trying to
track US booster rates on August 30, 2022 and shows a flat line since
then.
Charles M. Lepkowsky, Ph.D.
Solvang, CA
clepkowsky(at)gmail.com
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy #research
@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]
@[email protected] #Vaccines #COVID #longcovid #science #medicine
#covid19 #coronavirus #sars-cov-2 #covidisnotover #CDC
@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]
#depression #anxiety #sleep #brainfog
.
.
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can subscribe at @[email protected]
Okay all -- It's early days for figuring out how to help people with
Long COVID.
That said, a bit of promising research is starting to surface.
I'm taking the unusual step of emailing EVERYONE because at this point
many of you with anxiety and depression symptoms may have some Long
COVID (brain fog, sleep issues, the depression or anxiety itself!).
A good write-up about what Long COVID is can be found here. Yes, you
can had a trivial case of COVID-19 and still get Long COVID symptoms for
days, weeks, months, or years. Some cases of it are somewhat "mild": https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html
*The bottom-line of the video is right at the end. For long COVID:
-- Get outside one hour per day.
-- May cover up if sensitive to sun (near UV rays will get through
clothing anyway)
-- Best if in nature (surrounded by green)
-- Do not look directly at sun (duh)
-- May wear a hat (near UV rays will get through clothing anyway)
-- Sitting in a sunny window no longer good enough (most glass now has
to be certified to block the rays we want)
He also promises to talk about how intermittent fasting may help in a
future video.
*
Roger Seheult, MD is the co-founder and lead professor at https://www.medcram.com/
He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical
Care, and Sleep Medicine and an Associate Professor at the University of
California, Riverside School of Medicine. He is also an ER doctor.
Before the pandemic, MedCram mainly seemed to be training for doctors to
pass exams. Since the start of COVID, Dr. Seheult has done occasional
more accessible videos for the general public on COVID-related topics.
To actually understand why something this simple may help -- and listen
to some research, please watch:
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy #research
@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]
@[email protected] #Vaccines #COVID #longcovid #science #medicine
#covid19 #coronavirus #sars-cov-2 #covidisnotover #CDC
@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]
#depression #anxiety #sleep #brainfog
.
.
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can subscribe at @[email protected]
Since the pandemic, the number of California students who are chronically absent from school has surged to 1.8 million, says a new study by Thomas Dee at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
Rates of chronic absenteeism jumped to 30% in 2021-2022, from 12% in the school year before the pandemic. Chronic absenteeism was defined as missing at least 10% of the school year.
“However, the updated #COVID19 booster is not intended for everyone. It’s for people in high-risk groups – those who are age 75 or older, pregnant or immunocompromised, said Offit, who serves on the FDA’s expert panel that reviewed the vaccine companies’ data... The general public should not expect to need to receive the latest COVID booster, Offit said.”
"The band Smash Mouth did not feel any need to avoid the elephant in the room ...that the socially un-distanced gathering could be a breeding ground for a coronavirus “super-spreader event.”
“F— that COVID s—!” singer Steve Harwell could be heard telling the crowd in video footage. “Now we’re all here together tonight.”
"...we found that post-COVID group had a tendency to have higher total bilirubin levels (P = .05) during hospitalization. Similarly, the post-COVID group had a higher proportion of patients w/ underlying cirrhosis (P = 0.02). Patients had a similar course during hospitalization including most of the variables compared among the 2 groups except the occurrence of hepatorenal syndrome (higher in the post-COVID group; P < .001)."
"Among the outcome variables studied, the post-COVID group had an increased occurrence of HCC (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.32; P < .001)"
As a preventative measure for SeaLions / Strawmanners:
Here is what I implied.
▫️Motherfucker is dead
▫️Motherfucker is dead young
▫️Motherfucker was in Smash Mouth
▫️Motherfucker promoted super spreading events before vaccines
▫️ Presumably being a rock band mbr, MFer drank and partied!
▫️COVID infects ACE2 rich cells, such as cholangiocytes and hepatocytes
▫️ Maybe Motherfucker gets 5-7 more quality-adjusted life years (QALY) if he didnt FAFO.
Le covid n’a jamais disparu, malgré la désinformation et le déni - Autodéfense sanitaire
Non le covid ne « revient » pas. Il n’est jamais parti.
Depuis des mois, voire des années maintenant, on nous sert un discours comme quoi le covid serait devenu « bénin », un « simple rhume » (depuis Omicron au moins, qui a pourtant énormément tué : plus de 38 000 décès directs (officiels) en France rien qu’en 2022, sans compter tous les décès indirects).
À titre de comparaison : les accidents de la route tuent environ 3 000 personnes par an ! Douze fois moins que le covid « bénin » en 2022 ! Le terrorisme, qui fait régulièrement la Une et sert de prétexte à des mesures toujours plus liberticides, a tué en moyenne une vingtaine de personnes par an (sur la dernière décennie), mille cinq cent fois moins que le covid en 2022 !
Aujourd’hui on nous explique que le covid « c’est fini » (depuis au moins mars 2023), alors que les patients covid continuent de représenter 10 % des personnes hospitalisées, malgré qu’on soit dans un creux entre deux « vagues » !
State-level percentage declines in preschool enrollment from 2019 to 2021 ranged from 3.6 points in Indiana to 19.0 points in New Hampshire. California saw among the largest drops (13.9 points).
Found an angle to sleep at that didn't send me into paroxysms of searing coughs, so I got a couple hours of sleep. Now to attempt to recapture the magic. #COVID#COVID19#CovidIsNotOver
@DDelgadoVive
I've been saying how we've dealt with Covid reminds me of The 3 Little Pigs & The Big Bad Wolf. No mask or vax is a house of straw, Vax but no mask is a house of sticks. Both ineffective against the big bad wolf's huffing & puffing. Both houses blow down. Only the brick house of best practices survives which is proper masking first & foremost, & all other things like vax, social distance, limit crowds, air purifiers, etc.
“We fundamentally do not know the extent of the long-term damage continual reinfection with #COVID19 will cause to children, and the data we have so far are upsetting. What are we willing to risk? Are we OK with more children contracting diabetes? Are we OK with many more children developing highly disabling orthostatic intolerance? How about chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders and heart problems?”
Bon je voulais mettre à jour mon tract covid précédent avec un point sur la situation actuelle du covid, mais finalement j’ai fait un thread entier car il y a trop de choses à dire (et que je sais pas résumer, oui bon).
Je sais que c’est long, mais il y a beaucoup de trucs à expliquer et de propagande à déconstruire, et si les gens qui commencent à lire sont un peu de bonne foi, il y a ptètre une chance qu’iels continuent.
Sinon ça peut aussi sûrement servir comme base pour faire quelque chose de plus réduit et accessible (ce que je sais pas faire donc, mais servez-vous).
Je mets l’ensemble de ce thread dans le domaine public (en fait, techniquement, sous licence CC0, mais c'est tout comme), donc vous pouvez en faire des copier-coller tant que vous voulez sans même avoir à me mentionner, ou réécrire des bouts, modifier, etc.
Si vous utilisez ça pour en faire un tract (genre un 4 pages) ou un truc plus court et accessible, n’hésitez pas à poster le résultat en réponse. C’est peut-être aussi possible de travailler collectivement sur une version plus réduite via un pad HedgeDoc ou autre truc, mais j’ai pas la motivation de gérer ça donc je vous laisse faire).
Tous les commentaires sont les bienvenus, notamment s’il y a des erreurs factuelles à corriger.
Si vous ne voyez pas la mise en page correctement (exemples : gras, italique, barré), c’est peut-être parce que votre instance de mastodon ne prend pas en compte le markdown, donc ouvrez-le directement sur eldritch.cafe via le lien de ce pouet : https://eldritch.cafe/@jor/110921862954460640
COVID 19 is a litmus test for all of us who claim we want to see a better world.
If we are actually going to dismantle capitalism, patriarchy, colonialism, white supremacy and all of the isms that come with being socialized within it - we must dismantle it in ourselves.
The fight for a better world will involve sacrifice for all of us.
In the absence of government action to protect us from #COVID19 and not just inaction, but abandonment of any pretense that they care about our health as they #LetItRip , we must take community centered action to protect ourselves.
🗓️ ✅ Have you marked your calendar yet for September 14, at 5-6.30pm?
The #regroup public event, hosted by the Jagiellonian University, will be hybrid 📽️, so everyone can attend and learn about Covid-19 and the rule of law in Poland. 🇵🇱🦠
@thoughtfulnz@DenisCOVIDinfoguy@mike_honey_ #NZ Health Minister saying #WasteWaterTesting shows little trace of #Covid19 virus in NZ. Poops.nz showing 41 of 42 sites testing +ve, so I don’t know what she’s been told to the contrary 😓
Especially with the stark increase in cases this month alone.
GP assn & epidemiologists saying masking and isolation is still important…
I get very frustrated at how quickly everyone wants to disregard the ongoing #COVID19 pandemic and repeat infections as a source of rising mortality and shortened lifespans. Yes, sedentary lifestyle, microplastics, substance abuse and the rest are health threats. But the ONLY significant, population-level event that's occured in the past three years (and continues to occur) is COVID. In the years to come, we'll learn how wrong we were to take this so lightly. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/08/11/more-americans-dying-than-before-pandemic-covid-deaths/70542423007/
In-N-Out said the decision to ban masks was to highlight employees "smiles and other facial features while considering the health and well-being of all individuals.”