The nice older couple across the street from me caught COVID in early September and still have symptoms.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Saturday, October 1, 2022
At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests-Take Steps to Reduce Your Risk of False Negative: FDA Safety Communication | FDA
Most at-home COVID-19 tests are antigen tests and do not detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as molecular tests, most of which are laboratory-based such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Molecular COVID-19 tests are generally expected to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus at least 95% of the time when someone is infected. However, at-home COVID-19 antigen tests are generally expected to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus at least 80% of the time when someone is infected.
When you perform an at-home COVID-19 antigen test, and you get a positive result, the results are typically accurate. However, if you perform an at-home COVID-19 antigen test, you could get a false negative result.
The FDA recommends repeat testing following a negative result whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms.
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/home-covid-19-antigen-tests-take-steps-reduce-your-risk-false-negative-fda-safety-communication
Friday, September 16, 2022
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Monday, August 29, 2022
Friday, August 26, 2022
Reverse Stroke | 60 Minutes
I saw this on youtube. Experimental treatment for stroke. I don't know how effective it is.
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Effect of mRNA Vaccine Boosters against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection in Qatar | NEJM
Compared to the primary series, booster effectiveness against symptomatic omicron infection was 49.4%, with the primary series 76.5%.
Study shows probability of getting COVID for mask wearers vs. non-mask wearers
In the healthcare setting, 9% of the mask wearers and 33% of the non-mask wearers tested COVID-19 positive.
Additionally, in community settings, the team noted that 6% of mask wearers and 83% of non-maks wearers tested SARS-CoV-2 positive.
Sunday, August 14, 2022
COVID.gov/tests - Free at-home COVID-19 tests
The government is allowing people to get a third round of free COVID tests. If you should get seriously ill, you might want extra test kits. It may take several tests to verify that you are recovered, and you may have family members who also need to be tested.
Saturday, August 13, 2022
Fwd: Possible COVID exposure
FYI
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey
From: John Coffey
Thank you for supporting the Greenwood Chess Club.
On Monday someone attended the Greenwood Chess Club who was symptomatic and later tested positive for COVID-19. If you attended the chess club on Monday, I suggest taking an in-home test. I tested myself and the test came out negative. However, I quarantined this week just in case.
You can get free tests from the government. They take several weeks to get delivered. https://www.covid.gov/tests
Drug stores also sell COVID-19 tests.
I feel like I should not have to say this again, but please do not come to the Greenwood Chess Club if you are feeling sick or if you have symptoms.
There is much misinformation being spread about COVID, so I will address some of these issues here:
1. The pandemic is over.
It used to be that measles was the most infectious disease on record, but the Omicron variant has surpassed measles. In early November of last year, we had barely heard of the Omicron variant, but by late January of this year, it had caused a major surge in the United States.
https://fortune.com/2022/07/09/is-covid-omicron-more-transmissible-infectious-than-measles-ba4-ba5/
2. Cloth masks don't work.
People who attack mask usage always say that cloth masks don't work, which is true. However, they ignore that other types of masks are at least partially effective at preventing the spread of COVID.
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/09/surgical-masks-covid-19.html
"Wearing an N95/KN95 respirator (aOR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.05–0.64) or wearing a surgical mask (aOR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.13–0.90) was associated with lower adjusted odds of a positive test result compared with not wearing a mask (Table 3). Wearing a cloth mask (aOR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.17–1.17) was associated with lower adjusted odds of a positive test compared with never wearing a face covering but was not statistically significant."
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106e1.htm
3. Vaccines don't prevent the spread of COVID.
As the virus has evolved, it reportedly has been more likely to have a vaccine breakthrough infection.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/effectiveness/why-measure-effectiveness/breakthrough-cases.html
"Raw data shows the risk of breakthrough cases is very small for vaccinated people, potentially 1 in 5,000.
Additionally, the risk of being hospitalized from COVID-19 after vaccination is extremely small, at about 5 in 100,000.
A new study found people who were not vaccinated were five times as likely to get COVID-19 compared to people who were fully vaccinated."
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-is-your-actual-risk-of-getting-covid-19-if-youre-vaccinated
"COVID 19 vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying."
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
"Booster Shots of COVID-19 Vaccines Effective Against Omicron Subvariant"
https://covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/booster-shots-covid-19-vaccines-effective-against-omicron-subvariant#:~:text=A%20small%20study%20has%20found,and%20its%20most%20common%20subvariant.
"Research shows that spike proteins (here) remain stuck to the cell surface around the injection site and do not travel to other parts of the body via the bloodstream, they added. The 1% of the vaccine that does reach the bloodstream is destroyed by liver enzymes."
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
On Monday someone attended the Greenwood Chess Club who was symptomatic and later tested positive for COVID-19. If you attended the chess club on Monday, I suggest taking an in-home test. I tested myself and the test came out negative. However, I quarantined this week just in case.
You can get free tests from the government. They take several weeks to get delivered. https://www.covid.gov/tests
Drug stores also sell COVID-19 tests.
I feel like I should not have to say this again, but please do not come to the Greenwood Chess Club if you are feeling sick or if you have symptoms.
There is much misinformation being spread about COVID, so I will address some of these issues here:
1. The pandemic is over.
It has been my observation that most people are acting as if there is no pandemic.
However, hundreds of people are dying daily.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/hundreds-americans-dying-covid-day-signs-latest-surge/story?id=88203012
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/hundreds-americans-dying-covid-day-signs-latest-surge/story?id=88203012
One out of every 310 Americans has died from the disease. I lost a cousin to COVID. David Prowse (Darth Vader), Chloris Leachman, and Herman Cain died from the disease.
It used to be that measles was the most infectious disease on record, but the Omicron variant has surpassed measles. In early November of last year, we had barely heard of the Omicron variant, but by late January of this year, it had caused a major surge in the United States.
https://fortune.com/2022/07/09/is-covid-omicron-more-transmissible-infectious-than-measles-ba4-ba5/
2. Cloth masks don't work.
People who attack mask usage always say that cloth masks don't work, which is true. However, they ignore that other types of masks are at least partially effective at preventing the spread of COVID.
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/09/surgical-masks-covid-19.html
"Wearing an N95/KN95 respirator (aOR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.05–0.64) or wearing a surgical mask (aOR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.13–0.90) was associated with lower adjusted odds of a positive test result compared with not wearing a mask (Table 3). Wearing a cloth mask (aOR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.17–1.17) was associated with lower adjusted odds of a positive test compared with never wearing a face covering but was not statistically significant."
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106e1.htm
3. Vaccines don't prevent the spread of COVID.
As the virus has evolved, it reportedly has been more likely to have a vaccine breakthrough infection.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/effectiveness/why-measure-effectiveness/breakthrough-cases.html
"Raw data shows the risk of breakthrough cases is very small for vaccinated people, potentially 1 in 5,000.
Additionally, the risk of being hospitalized from COVID-19 after vaccination is extremely small, at about 5 in 100,000.
A new study found people who were not vaccinated were five times as likely to get COVID-19 compared to people who were fully vaccinated."
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-is-your-actual-risk-of-getting-covid-19-if-youre-vaccinated
"COVID 19 vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying."
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
"Booster Shots of COVID-19 Vaccines Effective Against Omicron Subvariant"
https://covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/booster-shots-covid-19-vaccines-effective-against-omicron-subvariant#:~:text=A%20small%20study%20has%20found,and%20its%20most%20common%20subvariant.
I personally have stayed up to date with the booster shots and I have not yet caught the disease.
4. The vaccines are experimental.
5. The vaccines rewrite your DNA.
The only known case of this was outside the human body in a petri dish with just liver cells.
However, the actual vaccines work primarily at the injection site.
The vast majority of viruses rewrite your DNA in some of your cells. Your immune system finds these cells and destroys them. This is a much bigger issue with the disease than it is with the vaccines.
6. The spike protein is toxic.
First of all, you are going to get much more spike proteins with the disease than you are going to get with the vaccines.
Second, the vaccine spike protein was deliberately made different to prevent insertion into cells.
COVID-19 can have serious long-term consequences. COVID can damage your organs. COVID can cause 2% brain shrinkage, which is normally 0.1 to 0.2% per year in adults.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
Sunday, August 7, 2022
Friday, July 29, 2022
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Spinal cord repair
Eventually, this may be very useful.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Larry
From: Larry
A drug under investigation as a cancer treatment has shown exciting promise in a rather different branch of medical research, with scientists demonstrating how it can promote nerve repair following spinal injury. The breakthrough shows how the drug acts on a DNA damage response mechanism at play in both these unrelated conditions, and triggers a "remarkable" recovery in mice with injured spinal cords.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Saturday, July 9, 2022
10 Pearls of Wisdom From the Muppets | Inspiring Quotes
I don't care what you think of me, unless you think I'm awesome. In which case you are right.
— Miss Piggy
https://www.inspiringquotes.com/10-pearls-of-wisdom-from-the-muppets/Ymgx378QFgAHJpj5
— Miss Piggy
https://www.inspiringquotes.com/10-pearls-of-wisdom-from-the-muppets/Ymgx378QFgAHJpj5
Thursday, July 7, 2022
What the BA.5 Subvariant Could Mean for the United States - The New York Times
The most transmissible variant yet of the coronavirus is threatening a fresh wave of infections in the United States, even among those who have recovered from the virus fairly recently.
The subvariant of Omicron known as BA.5 is now dominant, according to federal estimates released Tuesday, and together with BA.4, another subvariant, it is fueling an outbreak of cases and hospitalizations.
"I think there's an underappreciation of what it's going to do to the country, and it already is exerting its effect," said Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, who has written about the subvariant.
BA.5 and BA.4, both subvariants of the Omicron variant that swept the world during the winter, are the most capable versions of the virus yet at evading immunity from previous infections and vaccines. Both variants have mutations in their spike proteins that are different enough from earlier versions of the virus that they are able to dodge some antibodies.
Waves of infection — and the subsequent immunity that comes with them — vary across countries and make for imperfect comparisons. Vaccination rates also vary. But in places where BA.4 and BA.5 have been dominant for weeks or months, the subvariants have caused increases in cases and hospitalizations, despite some population immunity from previous waves
The subvariant of Omicron known as BA.5 is now dominant, according to federal estimates released Tuesday, and together with BA.4, another subvariant, it is fueling an outbreak of cases and hospitalizations.
"I think there's an underappreciation of what it's going to do to the country, and it already is exerting its effect," said Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, who has written about the subvariant.
BA.5 and BA.4, both subvariants of the Omicron variant that swept the world during the winter, are the most capable versions of the virus yet at evading immunity from previous infections and vaccines. Both variants have mutations in their spike proteins that are different enough from earlier versions of the virus that they are able to dodge some antibodies.
Waves of infection — and the subsequent immunity that comes with them — vary across countries and make for imperfect comparisons. Vaccination rates also vary. But in places where BA.4 and BA.5 have been dominant for weeks or months, the subvariants have caused increases in cases and hospitalizations, despite some population immunity from previous waves
Jim Belushi, cannabis farmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uWmQU2BbA0
I am personally against using intoxicating substances. I am for freedom.
Sunday, July 3, 2022
Tiger dies from COVID complications at Ohio zoo: 'Jupiter passed away'
Diseases that have an animal reservoir are almost impossible to eliminate. We might be dealing with COVID for a very long time.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/06/30/tiger-dies-covid-ohio-zoo/7775785001/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/06/30/tiger-dies-covid-ohio-zoo/7775785001/
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Mad bicycle dash to cross a busy street.
In my opinion, bicycle riding has been great for my health. My tiny neighborhood is too small to make for an effective bike ride, so I do a very large loop involving the neighborhood to the west of me. Google thinks that the entire bike ride should take 13 minutes, but it initially took me 25 minutes and I have cut that down to 22 minutes. For parts of the trip, I ride on the sidewalk, but mostly I ride on the streets. Except on Middle Road, I rarely have to deal with cars. I try hard to avoid them.
There is a portion of my bicycle ride that is a little more dangerous because I am riding a short distance on Middle Road which is a pretty busy street.
Normally this jaunt over to the other street is a mad dash to avoid cars. I don't venture out until there are no cars coming, but they come so quickly on Middle road, especially from the south where I can't see as far, that I have had 4 of 5 cars unexpectantly come up behind me, which makes this portion of the bike ride more dangerous. Sometimes if there were cars coming from the south, and none coming from the north, I would switch over to the left side and ride along the left edge of the road. The most dangerous situation would be if cars would be coming from both directions, which rarely happens because I have a much better view of the traffic from the north.
I discovered that the sidewalk on my side of the road turns north just for a short distance followed by a metal utility plate on the ground, which allows me to enter Middle Road from the grass. The cuts down the distance on the road. I then proceed at about a 70-degree angle to the other street. I am entering Middle Road at the left turn region, which gives me the flexibility to change lanes.
In theory, I could ride the grass all the way up. Or I could cross Middle Road from Cedar Crest Drive to the sidewalk across the street. The curb is so high that I can't do this on the bicycle and would have to walk it across.
There is an intersection further south on Middle road that is much easier to cross. Sometimes I have ridden the sidewalk down there so that I could cross more safely.
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Saturday, June 18, 2022
The actual science of the "industrial seed oil" panic
I get frustrated with all the contradictory health information we hear regularly. This video does a good job of talking about the science and the arguments on both sides.
Boosters and Covid
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Larry
Dunn said hospitals in Utah have been "stable" until this week. The state dashboard reports a 27.3% increase in the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and a 35.3% jump in seven-day average cases in the ICU.
"The silver lining in this increase is that it's definitely not as steep," she said. "It's happening at a slower pace."
Dunn said the increase in cases could be from new Omicron subvariants and vaccination/booster shot immunity wearing off.
"We're starting to see that increase and with that, an increase in positivity," said Dunn. "So we're now seeing 25% to 30% positivity."
She said current positivity rates mirror similar peaks seen in early 2021 and beyond.
"The people-over-people method is up 625% since April 2," she explained. "The testing-over-testing method is up 850%."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)