Update U/SA

News blues…

As vaccinations begin across the US, Perry Wilson, a physician, clinical researcher, and epidemiologist, congratulates the 95 percent efficacy of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
“It is unprecedented and “better than any of us hoped for.”
He also warns, “We need to be careful. We need to temper our enthusiasm with the acknowledgment that the vaccine is a weapon we may not be fully prepared to wield. A lot can still go wrong.”
Here are 9 things that can go wrong, according to Dr. Wilson who encourages, “By worrying together, we can prevent much of this from happening”:

1. Unexpected long-term side effects (probability: low)
2. There won’t be enough vaccine for everyone (probability: low)
3. Vaccination becomes politicized (probability: low)
4. There won’t be enough vaccine supplies (probability: medium)
5. People won’t get both doses (probability: medium)
6. Doctors will bend the truth to help their patients get a vaccine faster (probability: medium)
7. Vaccines will exacerbate inequality in the health care system (probability: high)
8. A false sense of security develops (probability: high)
9. Anti-vaxxers amplify and misrepresent side effects (probability: almost certain)

Read the details >>  

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According to research published by a team with New York University,  “SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, leads to neurological injuries in roughly 1 out of every 7 people infected.”

Those injuries run the gamut in severity, from temporary confusion to seizures and stroke. And they can occur without the virus appearing to directly enter the brain or the nervous system, suggesting many neurological injuries associated with COVID-19 are a secondary effect of becoming really sick with the virus, which can lead to problems like oxygen loss and blood clots.
To that end, the researchers behind the NYU study have argued their findings show that doctors who treat patients with serious COVID-19 must be aggressive in getting oxygen levels stable. If they cannot, the brain may pay a steep price. 
…Symptoms and side effects can include encephalitis and inflammation of the brain, chronic cognitive deficits, neurological symptoms such as headaches and dizziness, and mental illness that could include anxiety, depression or insomnia.

Will this info convince the most anti of the anti-maskers to mask up? 

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President Ramaphosa addressed the nation last night. (Be patient. It takes 7:10 mins to crank up; be entertained with background noise and sound checks until our president appears.) My favorite part of Ramaphosa’s public addresses? He greets the wide range of South African ethnicities in her/his/our own language.)
Summary: more than 8,000 cases in 24 hours. Soon SA will hit a million confirmed infections.
SA has entered a second wave. Rate of increase requires us to act together. Daily average is 74 percent higher than previous 7 days. Deaths increase by 50 percent to 150 death/day.
Four provinces E and W Cape, KZN and Gauteng…. Among young people, 15 to 19 yrs old. Contributors to rise in infections:
Social gatherings and parties
No social distancing. Venues are overcrowded, inadequate ventilation, no sanitizers available, no masks worn, alcohol use high.
Increased travel – few prevention measures. The more we travel the greater the potential for spreading the virus.
Safer to socialize with immediate family than with others.
Observe basic and easy to follow directions.
No longer see the point in observing safety measures/precautions.
Festive season poses great threat – traditionally time for gatherings, travel, relaxing.
Must go back to observing safety measures.
Take extraordinary measures with a view to saving lives and protect business.
Takeaways:

• Hotspots: Sarah Bartman and Garden Route districts now restricted areas.
• “Festive season” is a risky time and response of gov’t and NCCC:
• Nationwide restriction from midnight tonight
• Stricter enforcement of Level 1 including drivers and operators of public transport must wear masks
• Stores, etc., obliged to ensure customers wear masks
• Employer must ensure masks on all employees
• Will be liable for fine or 6 months imprisonment Super spreaders: gathering may not be attended by more than 100 indoors, outdoors 250 – total must not exceed more than 50% capacity of venue, and ventilation, wear masks, use hand sanitizers
• After funeral gatherings prohibited
• Beaches and parks to close for duration of Dec 16 to Jan 3, Eastern cape, Garden route. KZN beaches and parks closed Dec 16, 25, 26, 31 plus Jan 1, 2, 3. Beaches in North and Western Cape remain open.
• Festivals prohibited at beaches and parks; 9am to 6pm open, monitored daily
• Poor compliance = closing or limiting access

NCCC on standby for monitoring throughout season; leave “tempered” and on standby
To prevent burden on health system:

• Alcohol: curfew from 11pm to 4am; non-essential establishments close at 10pm before enforcement of curfew
• Curfew includes Christmas and New Year’s Eve Retail sale of 10 am and 6pm M – Thursday; Tastings at wineries okay
• No consumption at public spaces
• Review in new year based on condition of infection
• National lockdown was designed to restrict infection and give us time to deal with and to delay pandemic
• We must act based on best scientific evidence
• 38,000 health workers tested positive; 5000 admitted to hospital; 331 deaths
• Must support and protect health workers
• Season must be both festive and safe – keep celebrations small, avoid crowds, well ventilated
• Masks cover nose and mouth
• Limit travel
• Limited number of contracts at least one week before travel, immediate family
• Isolate if any symptoms and seek medical attention

Vaccine: SA participating with WHO Covaxx
Vaccinate “certain groups” early next year
Next weeks will be our greatest test to do things differently: requires us to give up short lived pleasures, play your part, follow precautions…
Let us welcome the new year united as resolute nation.

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The Lincoln Project’s Steve Schmidt on Trump Coup - Star Wars  (1:42 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Our planet still has secret places… and heretofore unknown species. Let’s hear it for “sky islands” – isolated hotspots of evolution…. 

An “ecological Swat team” has discovered 20 previously unknown species in the misty cloud forests and cascading waterfalls that flank Bolivia’s Zongo valley.
Among the animals found were a minuscule 10mm-long frog, a pit viper, two metalmark butterflies and an adder’s-mouth orchid. The pristine forests are just 30 miles (48km) from the capital, La Paz, but the expedition also rediscovered the devil-eyed frog, seen just once before, and a satyr butterfly not seen for nearly a century. Alongside these were threatened species including the spectacled bear and the channel-billed toucan.
The high, steep-sided peaks of the Andes harbour enormous biodiversity because movement between them is difficult for wildlife and results in isolated hotspots of evolution that are known as “sky islands”.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I’ve been intending to turn in my mother’s weapons – a Beretta pistol, a single barrel shotgun, and a pellet gun. (A 38 handgun was stolen from the house several years ago.) I keep putting it off as I’m intimidated by the idea of standing in line outside the police station holding these weapons and a pile of paperwork. 

Then I asked my brother if he’d do it (since he knows the weapons, the process, etc.) I’ve filled in the paper work for him and he agreed to do it – more than a month ago. 

Today is the day. Not to be skeptical but…

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My increasingly frail mother fell yesterday. Apparently, the staff tried to reach me on the phone although I received no calls nor any sign I’d missed calls. Tough not to trust one’s phone connection. Instead, I received an email at 3:00am this morning. I’ll head up to the Care Center today.
“Old age is not for sissies!”