Pandemic Report
The latest weekly CDC stats:
 |
The nationwide stats continue to improve but individual locations may differ. For example, Taiwan is going through a surge, and Congresswoman Waters' sister has passed from COVID. Politics continues to be a focus with DNI's Tulsi Gabbard focusing on Fauci and Wuhan lab funding. It looks like HHS under RFK Jr is trying to change vaccine approvals, including boosters, placebo testing and universal COVID or flu platforms bypassing reviews. China is responding to Trump Administration Wuhan lab leak bashing by pointing fingers at the US for COVID. A lot of local/state COVID relief spending and/or research funding cuts.
Other related news items include:
- "COVID-19 leaves longer-lasting symptoms than flu or pneumonia"
- "New research from Murdoch University’s Australian National Phenome Centre confirms that multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines do not cause significant metabolic changes."
- "Scientists have found that receiving a COVID-19 booster shot in the same arm as the initial dose triggers a faster and more effective immune response, thanks to primed macrophages in nearby lymph nodes"
- "VA study: Pfizer COVID booster 68% effective against hospitalization"
- " A new study from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and Cardiff University, UK, led by Marcus Buggert, docent at the Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet (Huddinge), has identified a set of proteins in the blood of people with Long COVID"
- "New antiviral compounds show broad protection against COVID-19 variants"
- "COVID-19 puts kids at increased risk of kidney, heart and gut problems"
- "BNT162b2 vaccine not only targets COVID-19 virus, but may also help reduce and control innate inflammation"
- "Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Linked to Fewer Adverse Effects in Health Care Workers and First Responders"
- "Moderna says FDA has been constructive, but delays flu/COVID shot"
- "COVID-19 linked to surge in US maternal mortality"
- "A clinical trial is underway to assess the effectiveness and safety of sipavibart, AstraZeneca's long-acting monoclonal antibody designed to provide protection against Covid-19, as a potential treatment for Long Covid"
- "Long COVID has unique symptoms, persistence not seen in flu, pneumonia,"
- "UVA researchers discover distinct immune changes in Long COVID survivors"
- The prosecution of COVID relief fraud and other crimes continues:
- "Arizona man sentenced to prison for COVID-19 loan, tax fraud""Man arrested for stealing over $18,000 from Arizona’s COVID-19 unemployment program"
- "Las Vegas man sentenced for COVID-19 unemployment insurance"
- "Fake daycare's illegal COVID cash pays for Disney trip, more"
- Political or legal issues under COVID continue
- "Feds accused a Utah company of ‘deceptively’ promoting a medical treatment. Under Trump, they’ve abruptly dropped their case."
- "Long-COVID research funding was pulled, then brought back"
- "Drawing on multiple research efforts, including studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 was likely circulating in the U.S. well before the first known outbreak in Wuhan"
- "White Business Owner Fails to Revive Suit Over Covid-19 Program"
- "Louisiana surgeon general backs bill to make ivermectin available over the counter to treat COVID"
- "Federal government lifts hold on Peninsula biotech company's vaccine trial"
- "Pfluger Helps Lead Push to Defund Universities Still Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine"
- "RedHill Biopharma Obtains Allowance for Chinese Patent Application for COVID-19 Treatment"
Other Notes
Bloger statistics somewhat inflated but daily posts are mostly not reaching double digits. On Twitter/X no major impression tweets, but as I write I'm within a handful of 100 followers fot the first time ever.
I haven't written about television lately beyond my regularly watched scripted weekly pro wrestling shows. But I also watch a sitcom spinoff of Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. Finally, I've recently followed the long-running singing competitions, American Idol and The Voice. I didn't pick up initially on the ABC revival of Idol, and its winners haven't charted for some time, but it surprises me like when James Taylor recently did a mentoring gig. However, I largely stopped listening to Top 40 15 years ago; for the most part I barely recognize up a quarter of selections (almost no country or hip-hop/rap). I really don't want to rate singers on my familiarity with their material. Almost none of them have a compelling melody or hook.
