Pandemic Report
The latest CDC weekly stats:
Well, stats are up across the board, and I've seen the number odf states with rising cases go from 27 to 45. A large plurality of coverage to the recent anti-vaxxer attack on a CDC HQ. Vinay Prasad has unfortunately returned to the FDA 2 weeks after the Loomer-inspired resignation. Celebrity infections continue including MD junior US Sen. Alsobrooks. It's been about a year since the 2024-2025 COVID vaccines were released I think the JN.1 monovalent 2025-2026 boosters for this fall have not been approved/ released yet. Obviously rising infections and schools reopening across the nation is of concern and there are concerns about availability of child doses, with rumors about Pfizer's relevant approval.
Additional; news items of interest:
- "New biomarker may be the first specific and quantifiable indicator for confirming long COVID"
- "COVID-19 increases risk of asthma and sinusitis while vaccination offers protection"
- "Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis"
- "Lab-made sugar-coated particle blocks Covid-19 infection — Possible new treatment on the horizon"
- ""Kidney-transplant recipients benefit from COVID-19 vaccination"
- "Flu, COVID-19 vaccination rates falling among health care workers"
- Lsgal and political COVID-related items include:
- "Appeals court upholds $1M in fines against WA restaurant for violating COVID restrictions"
- "Why You No Longer Have to Isolate for 5 Days If You Have COVID-19"
- "FEMA still owes SF millions of dollars for unhoused hotel expenses and more during COVID-19 pandemic"
- "Mercyhealth to pay $1M over COVID-19 vaccine religious discrimination claims
- WKOW Aug 13, 2025 Updated Aug 13, 2025 "
- "Hershey Settles Religious Bias Suit Over Covid-19 Vaccine Policy"
- Prosecution of COVID relief fraud and other crimes continue:
- "Man convicted of wire fraud in COVID-19 loan scheme that generated more than $60K"
- "Inwood man sentenced to 4 years for COVID-19 loan fraud scheme"
- "Former VP of Oakes Farms in Immokalee pleads guilty to multimillion-dollar COVID-19 fraud scheme"
- "Cross Lanes Woman Sentenced for Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loan"
- "Former federal employee, 2 others plead guilty in COVID-19 pandemic fraud cases"
- "Husband of ex-ABC15 anchor pleads guilty in COVID-19 loan scheme"
Other Notes
The blog finally over the past week achieved a normal number of pageviews, in fact the last couple of daily posts (so far) posting the lowest counts in months. X/Twitter followers are oscillating around 140.
I recently mentioned how UPS subsidiary Roadie had delivered my new HP laptop to a wrong, unknown address. An update: Roadie never did acknowledge or even apologize for their delivery failure. The retailer did allow me to pick up a replacement for the screwup. I think a customer server agent says failed deliveries happen and they have insurance to cover the loss. While in Texas last weekend for Mom's funeral. my complex called to say somehow they were in possession off my package.. They told me the box was delivered to my street number but on a different street (Armstrong). (Notice Armstrong starts with 'A'). Now technically I could have kept the second laptop, but it was unfair to the retailer so I went to the local retailer and returned the package unopened.
My youngest brother told me he had contracted COVID on a trip to Mississippi a while back and he had earlier been vaccinated, i.e., a breakthrough infection.. He felt he no longer needed to be vaccinated given his now natural immunity. He also told me he did not have respiratory symptoms. For him, it manifested as general fatigue. I have a couple of responses: natural or vaccine-related immunity often starts to erode after 6 months or so, and new variants have a way of working around priot immunity so infection can occur although prior immunity can mitigate the risks of severe dangers of hospitalization or death:
