Yet another journey

News blues

In the US, Covid 19 information – even misinformation - has been supplanted by other pressing news such as recent presentations by the January 6 Select Committee and the unraveling of the US Supreme Court. The UK’s Guardian, however, continues to present Covid info, even if that news is increasingly dire:

During May and June two new variants, BA.4 and BA.5, progressively displaced the previous Omicron subvariant, BA.2. They are even more transmissible and more immune-evasive. Last week a group of collaborators, including me and a professor of immunology and respiratory medicine, Rosemary Boyton, published a paper in Science, looking comprehensively at immunity to the Omicron family, both in triple-vaccinated people and also in those who then suffered breakthrough infections during the Omicron wave. This lets us examine whether Omicron was, as some hoped, a benign natural booster of our Covid immunity. It turns out that isn’t the case.
We considered many facets of immunity, including the antibodies most implicated in protection (“neutralising antibodies”), as well as protective “immune memory” in white blood cells. The results tell us it is unsurprising that breakthrough infections were so common. Most people – even when triple-vaccinated – had 20 times less neutralising antibody response against Omicron than against the initial “Wuhan” strain. Importantly, Omicron infection was a poor booster of immunity to further Omicron infections. It is a kind of stealth virus that gets in under the radar without doing too much to alert immune defences. Even having had Omicron, we’re not well protected from further infections.

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The Lincoln Project: Last week in the Republican Party - June 28, 2022  (2:15 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Sydney, Australia, struggles with unprecedented flooding – and portends “our” future.   But, don’t worry. “Someone” will come up with “something” to prevent climate catastrophe. (Just not the US, or its corporate-supported political parties or its Supreme Court.)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

A shake-my-head-in-disbelief moment: Donald Trump, Jr., someone I avoid due to his, well, pathetic cluelessness. Yes, I “feel bad” that he has Don Sr., as a father, a “lifestyle” that encourages his weaknesses, is saddled with substance addiction, and has no idea of what a fool he appears. He’s a lethal combination of stupid, unconscious, human embarrassment, and weak and rotten character. Put succinctly in others' words, Donald Trump, Jr., “Where white power and white powder meet.”  Or, my version, Donald Trump, Jr., “Where white power, white powder, and white matter" meet.”

Then, there are human beings that are the opposite of lil’ Don.
Meet my best friend, Mary. Or, as she wants to be known, Meso Mary.
On May 27, 2022, Mary visited her doctor to discuss an old injury that wasn’t responding to chiropractic treatment. After her doctor ordered an x-ray, Mary mentioned she’d noticed one or two short, dry coughs when her daily yoga exercises compressed her chest (e.g., downward facing dog, cat…). 

Her doc said, “Since you’ll be there anyway, let’s get x-rays....”
A day after the x-rays, a thoracic surgeon called and requested Mary have a CT scan, referencing “anomalies” on the chest x-rays.
Tomorrow, Independence Day – aka 4th July – in the United States, is a good day to introduce Mary and accompany her on an unexpected journey.