Pandemic Report
For the first time since late September, we have updates on weekly major stats from CDC; regional trends follow::
The Sick Times updates:
We clearly see an uptick, although somewhat lower year over year. Wisconsin discussed a couple of pediatric deaths from COVID and the flu. In addition to a large measles breakout, SC is seeing an uptick in flu and COVID. Probably the biggest news was a report that CDC is backing away from a move that would give COVID vaccines black box warnings.
Other COVID news items of interest:
- " COVID-19 virus manipulates host cell RNA to shut down the immune system"
- "Half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients developed long COVID"
- "Researchers develop nasal antiviral platform using AI technology to block flu and COVID-19"
- "Traws Pharma Reports Positive Interim Clinical Data with Ratutrelvir Versus PAXLOVID"
- "SARS-CoV-2 evolves after jumping from humans to zoo animals"
- "COVID-19 Vaccine Before, During Pregnancy Lowers Disease Risks and Preterm Births"
- "32 genes thought to be key drivers of long COVID-19 identified"
- "Previously Discovered Molecules Could Fight Resistant Strains of COVID-19"
- "ACIP Vote Drives Online Engagement About Hepatitis B Vaccine, And Posts Claim a VAERS “Cover-Up” of COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths"
- "Workplace exposures tied to higher risk of long COVID"
- Prosecutors pursue COVID relief or other crimes:
- " 'Ghost preparer’ sentenced for seeking more than $4M in false COVID-19 employment tax credits"
- "Texas man pleads guilty to COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme in New Mexico"
- "Richmond man sentenced for COVID-19 unemployment fraud, receives at least $619K in unentitled funds"
- "Wisconsin country club to pay $1.25 million to settle COVID-19 loan claims"
- "Utah jury finds plastic surgeon accused of COVID-19 vaccine fraud at fault in medical malpractice case"
- "Pitt County woman admits to stealing over $365,000 in COVID benefits"
- "CT accountant gets almost 3 years in prison for defrauding COVID relief program out of over $2.3M"
- "Eleven Charged with Fraudulently Securing $2.3M in COVID Relief Funds"
- Legal or political developments:
- "Pam Bondi Dismissed Charges Against a Surgeon Who Falsified Vaccine Cards"
- "Judge signs off on final settlement in BCBST COVID vaccine mandate lawsuit in Chattanooga"
- "China sues after Missouri seeks to collect on $25B court judgement"
Other Notes
The blog continues to attract typically hundreds of dubious pageviews daily. I just published my fourth one-off essay of the month and may add one over the coming week. An ISU student had loved the work I put into one of the graduate classes I taught and was aware that I had encountered some adversity during my one-year contract there. She had xeroxed a copy of McManus' "Penalty of Leadership" which had appeared in a 1915 Cadillac ad, playing tribute to my efforts, attracting jealousies among the mediocre, etc. I thought I might have republished the piece earlier in the blog but I had forgotten the author's name and had problems identifying it via Google or my blog. I eventually sifted out of my data archive (easier said than done. The essay actually started out comparing Trump's 2020 post-loss meltdown to how I had encountered amd dealt with adversity--while maintaining my dignity and respect I never really wanted to work with people I didn't respect. Oh, don't get me wrong; I have a long memory, and I'm still furious at UTEP for stealing $4K in vested retirement money from me.
AsI write my X followers recently edged back up over 200, but that could flip in a day. X occasionally teases stats like about 1.3k inpressions over the pat week.
Well, last Saturday was WWe's John Cena's retirement match. I was never really a Cena fan. The biggest issue wasn't so much Cena's inevitable loss to Gunther but how he lost. Gunther had promised to force "Never Give Up" Cena to tap out. We expected Cena to pass out but not tap out-which he did.
