Coronavirus Tidbits #183 3/13/22
Quick links
News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty
Announcements:
First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting.
Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that.
New post:
Another CDC Study Supports Masks In Schools. So Why Are We Dropping Masks Rather Than Caring For Vulnerable People?
CLOVER Trial Shows Mixed Results
There’s mixed news from Pfizer on results from their CLOVER trial (CLOstridium difficile Vaccine Efficacy TRial), a phase 3 study involving 17,500 adults aged 50 and older that evaluated their candidate vaccine (PF-06425090) against Clostridioides difficile (C diff) for the prevention of C diff infection (CDI). The bad news is that the trial didn’t meet its efficacy endpoint – a reduction in the incidence of the first primary case of CDI. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/969900
News
Why would we think this won’t happen here? We’ve trailed Europe by about 3 weeks for the entire pandemic and we are less well vaccinated than many European countries. The virus apparently doesn’t care whether we feel an Urgency of Normal. https://t.co/FRlPcgSyNW
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) March 11, 2022
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Surges continue in Omicron hot spots
BA.2 is increasing in elderly in UK.
Germany, New Zealand, China, and esp Hong Kong are hotspots.
[I suspect that we will see a spike in cases at the end of March/early-mid April from St. Patrick’s Day and spring break, Easter and Passover, combined with unmasking.]
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/
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There may be a new COVID variant, Deltacron.
Don’t lose sleep yet.
Compared with earlier variants, such as delta and omicron, this new variation – researchers have not adopted the “deltacron” name officially – appears unlikely to spread as easily, said William Lee, the chief science officer at Helix.
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COVID-Related Cognitive Decline Predicted to Boost Global Dementia Rates
Cognitive decline is common after COVID-19 infection, in new findings that provide much-needed information on the long-term dynamic trajectory of cognitive changes after COVID-19.
“We found that COVID-19, especially severe COVID-19, was associated with an increased risk of post-infection cognitive impairment and a faster speed of longitudinal cognitive decline,” Yan-Jiang Wang, MD, PhD, professor and director, Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Chongqing, China told Medscape Medical News.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/969944
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Lucky we were masking – Early data show this season’s flu vaccine has not been effective
Interim estimates published Thursday in MMWR indicate that this season’s influenza vaccine has not been effective.
Based on data from more than 3,600 children and adults, CDC epidemiologist Jessie R. Chung, MPH, and colleagues estimated that the vaccine has been 16% effective against mild or moderate influenza caused by the predominant circulating virus, influenza A(H3N2), with a 95% confidence interval (-16% to 39%) that suggests vaccination “did not significantly reduce the risk of outpatient medically attended illness” caused by H3N2…which are known to evade vaccines and cause relatively severe illness.
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Read this whole thread. The change to 3 feet was based on work that contained data errors, and the final results so close that changes in a few kids' presence made a difference in outcomes.
— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) March 10, 2022
The original paper hugely influenced national policy. https://t.co/Od1Qn2jwuU
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Know your rights when it comes to the ADA. If you are high risk and you doctor recommends masks, you can request your a mask mandate at your place of work as an accommodation. If they deny it, you have a right to submit a complaint to EEOC. https://t.co/cv2ktBYl87
— See Mia Roll (@SeeMiaRoll) March 10, 2022
Diagnostics:
But also, it raises the question of whether the virus is going to actually grow to detectable levels. If people in your house have pre existing immunity – then ideally, the immune system will beat back the viral replication and prevent it from growing to infectious levels.
— Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) March 11, 2022
Drugs and Vaccines:
Antivirals, some antibodies found to work well against BA.2 Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus
The antiviral therapies remdesivir, molnupiravir, and the active ingredient in Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill (nirmatrelvir), remain effective in laboratory tests against the BA.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The BA.2 variant also remains susceptible to at least some of the monoclonal antibodies used to treat COVID-19, such as Evusheld by AstraZeneca. However, the antibodies etesevimab and bamlanivimab, which are used together as a single treatment, were not able to neutralize the BA.2 virus at common dosages in these lab tests. Other antibody treatments were less effective against BA.2 than they are against earlier strains of SARS-COV-2.
These results come from new research led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tokyo. The BA.2 Omicron variant is related to the more common BA.1 Omicron virus, and some evidence suggests that BA.2 can spread more quickly than the already highly contagious BA.1 variant.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-antivirals-antibodies-ba2-omicron-variant.html
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Opinion: Ignoring behavioral and social sciences undermines the U.S. response to Covid-19
Efforts to stop Covid-19 have failed in part because they have ignored insights and expertise from the behavioral and social sciences.
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Detroit parents less likely to get vaccine than nonparents, leading to low youth vaccination rates
Just under half of Detroit parents and guardians of children under 18 reported at the end of 2021 that they had been vaccinated against COVID-19, compared to 75% of adults who do not live with children.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-detroit-parents-vaccine-nonparents-youth.html?
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Prisons skimp on Covid treatments like Paxlovid,
https://www.statnews.com/2022/03/08/prisons-skimp-covid-treatments-paxlovid/
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Was just speaking w/ a pharmacist. Her parents were covid positive, met criteria for Paxlovid. Telehealth said needed to see in person to prescribe. Clinic said her parents weren’t sick enough to be seen in person. If it’s this hard for a pharmacist, what’s it like for others?!
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) March 9, 2022
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Groups Concerned About ‘Test to Treat’ Plan
– AMA worries PCPs will be bypassed; community pharmacists feel left out
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/97568?
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Third vaccine dose critical for protecting populations against omicron variant: study
mRNA vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19 associated hospital admissions related to the alpha, delta, and omicron variants. But three doses are needed to achieve a similar level of protection against omicron that two doses provide against the delta and alpha variants, finds a large US study published by The BMJ
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-vaccine-dose-critical-populations-omicron.html?
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#Brain Changes Seen After Mild #COVID Infection — but sure, let's drop masking https://t.co/1TojeWhS6c
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) March 8, 2022
Devices:
https://twitter.com/DataDrivenMD/status/1500977479179145216?s=20&t=6QOSadPPjVAWA606cQeX9A
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Continuing face mask use could save U.S. billions of dollars
In recent weeks, many locations in the U.S. have been lifting indoor face mask requirements, despite less than 70 percent of the population being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and less than 45 percent having received the booster. A new study published March 8 in The Lancet Public Health suggests that consistently maintaining face mask use until, and even two to 10 weeks beyond, reaching various vaccination coverage thresholds (e.g., 70 to 90 percent of people fully vaccinated) could not only prevent a substantial number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths but also end up saving businesses, the health care system, insurance companies, taxpayers, and others money.
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ECMO may offer sickest COVID patients chance for ‘exceptional survival’
Some patients with severe COVID-19 who are treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may experience significant lung recovery and return to normal lives with “meaningful” long-term outcomes, according to research published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-ecmo-sickest-covid-patients-chance.html?
Epidemiology/Infection control:
What the ‘let it rip’ COVID strategy has meant for Indigenous and other immune-compromised communities
After a year and a half of lockdowns, border closures, mask-wearing and social distancing, and the vaccine rollout, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shifted to what is essentially a “let it rip” pandemic approach.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-rip-covid-strategy-meant-indigenous.html?
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All these pretty charts and graphs, and no mention of the fact that about 13% of the US is Black, and Black folk die 6 years earlier than white folk. Because of systemic racism. 🤷🏿♂️
— Mekka 💉x7 @mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io (@mekkaokerekebye) June 27, 2021
Other than opiod overdoses, racism concentrates all of the major issues outlined in this data. https://t.co/wHnVJr2uUG
Tips, general reading for public:
I’m at home with COVID. When do I need to see a doctor? And what treatments are available?
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-im-home-covid-doctor-treatments.html?
Politics:
Still unanswered:
Justin Kennedy signed off on Donald Trump’s $1,000,000,000 loan at Deutsche Bank when no bank wanted to give him money. Justin’s father is Justice Anthony Kennedy, who happened to retire abruptly from the Supreme Court to make way for Trump’s Brett Kavanaugh.
— Andrea Junker (@Strandjunker) March 11, 2022
Smoke level: 🔥🔥🔥
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Just Asking: Who paid off Brett Kavanaugh’s $200,000 credit card debt, his $92,000 country club fees, and his $1.2 million mortgage to purchase themselves a SCOTUS seat?
— Paul Cogan (@PaulCogan) March 11, 2022
GOP:
Members Of Congress Buy Energy, Defense Stocks Prior To Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: Who They Are, What They Bought– Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene; Rep. Robert Wittman; Rep. Mark Green; Rep. Virginia Foxx https://msn.com/en-us/money/news/members-of-congress-buy-energy-defense-stocks-prior-to-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-who-they-are-what-they-bought/ar-AAUQDJ8?ocid=msedgntp…
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Yesterday, 31 GOP Senators voted against $13.6 billion for aid to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/dPRBuqGn8J
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) March 11, 2022
Marsha Blackburn, John Boozman, Mike Braun, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Kevin Cramer, Mike Crapo, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, Deb Fischer, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, John Hoeven, Ron Johnson, John Kennedy, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Cynthia Lummis, Roger Marshall, Rand Paul, Jim Risch, Mitt Romney, Mike Rounds, Marco Rubio, Ben Sasse, Rick Scott, Tim Scott, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis, Pat Toomey, Chuck Grassley
bold = up for re-election this fall
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NEW: DC judge dismisses civil suit filed by Rep Thomas Massie (R-KY), Rep Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-GA) against Speaker Nancy Pelosi challenging the constitutionality of the US House's COVID mask mandate and fines
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) March 9, 2022
Rules in favor of Pelosi/defendants
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NEW: last week the North Carolina highway patrol charged Madison Cawthorn with driving while his license was revoked. This was the second time @RepCawthorn has been charged for this illegal and dangerous behavior.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) March 9, 2022
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Never forget, Florida Senator Rick Scott pulled off the largest Medicare fraud in US history. The fact he was not arrested blows my mind.
— Avenger Resister (@AvengerResister) March 6, 2022
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Want to really cripple Vladimir Putin? Sanction Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity: https://t.co/nrh7cJDz1t pic.twitter.com/65CJDQ3oqj
— Uncovering The Truth (@UncvrngTheTruth) March 12, 2022
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BREAKING: The Russian spy charged with "espionage light" this week in the Southern District of New York donated to only one political candidate. Tulsi Gabbard. It wasn't much, but why do Russian spies like Tulsi? https://t.co/UYCHqxMEXU
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) March 11, 2022
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— Rob Carlmark (@rcarlmark) March 10, 2022
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Dear Texas Media — this horrific tragedy happened under Greg Abbott’s watch. He’s ignored the mistreatment and abuse in the system for years by under-funding it and refusing to fix it.
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) March 11, 2022
Don’t let him be the hero in this story now when he’s largely responsible for this tragedy. https://t.co/VjTWkEUEPS
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OMG I’m dying!!! On a UFC podcast today, Trump is asked how he sees the war in Ukraine playing out and he launches into a riff about windmills! pic.twitter.com/S2nV6hLIbP
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) March 10, 2022
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This is what service looks like.
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) March 7, 2022
I served my country–the United States of America who welcomed my refugee family–for 21 years, 6 months, & 10 days in uniform & I continue to serve out of uniform.
You only serve as Putin's useful idiot.#HereRightMatters https://t.co/Oy6g5dFTx0 pic.twitter.com/5tVTTwAlNe
Abortion:
This is sickening. Ectopic pregnancy causes 10% of all pregnancy related deaths and is the #1 cause of first trimester maternal deaths. Ectopic pregnancies are not viable and have zero chance of a successful live birth. This bill will sentence women to death.
— Marsha Williams 4 Congress (@CongressMarsha) March 10, 2022
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NEW
— Kate Smith (@byKateSmith) March 8, 2022
A new Missouri bill would prohibit women leaving the state to get an abortion.
If this style of legislation is somehow found legal, it would have a huge impact in a post-Roe v Wade world. https://t.co/kpPiOzVj3J
LGBTQ:
Texas Children’s, Nation’s largest pediatric hospital, halts hormone therapy
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/97562?
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NEW: The Lieutenant Governor of Florida just said on Fox that organizations speaking out against the Don’t Say Gay bill “have no right to criticize legislation by duly elected legislators” in “the free state of Florida.”
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) March 12, 2022
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Huge response from the Biden administration on Texas taking trans kids from supportive parents. There's too much for one tweet but…
— Erin, Trail Mom (@ErinInTheMorn) March 3, 2022
– Office of Civl Rights will make contact with parents/defend them
– Children's Bureau contradicts Texas CPS
– HHS demands HIPAA be followed pic.twitter.com/iRqkyywH7k
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65 U.S. companies blast Abbott’s push to investigate therapy for transgender kids as child abuse https://t.co/Ll7KpxNuX0 via @houstonchron “Discrimination is bad for business.”
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) March 13, 2022
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Idaho's house just passed HB 675.
— Erin, Trail Mom (@ErinInTheMorn) March 8, 2022
It passed by a vote of 55-13.
It would make providing gender affirming care to trans teens a felony with a life sentence..
Worse… it makes leaving the state with your trans teen to move elsewhere and provide them with care a felony as well. pic.twitter.com/k3jX086h9a
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Elections:
Florida’s first-of-its kind election police will report directly to Ron DeSantis
“ballot harvesting,” a practice in which third-party election officials or volunteers gather and submit ballots on behalf of voters who may not be able to do so themselves. While Florida’s restrictive voting law last year made that practice a misdemeanor, Wednesday’s measure would make it felony, punishable with a $50,000 maximum fine and up to and five years in prison.
Republicans are “criminalizing certain acts around the elections process that most folks, particularly in the Black community, have long held as a way to assist those in need.”
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New: In her first interview since being released from jail, Pamela Moses spoke out against her six year, now overturned, prison sentence and efforts to prosecute her for trying to register to vote. “It’s a scare tactic, what they did to me,” she said. https://t.co/rUHZoPkth8
— Sam Levine (@srl) March 11, 2022
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Voter fraud: Trump CoS Mark Meadows registered to vote using the address of a trailer home he didn’t own or live in. NC rules require 30 days residence before registering. Meadows had sold his NC home & bought one in SC. Where are NC state prosecutors? https://t.co/mtZDP6elTg
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 8, 2022
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We are continuing to update our list of almost 300 companies that have retreated from Russia – but 40 companies (and maybe more) have not. YOUR voice has made a difference – get in touch if you have a tip for us to look into! @YaleSOM https://t.co/TKL1RMo6Hz pic.twitter.com/aw7qKamUAu
— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (@JeffSonnenfeld) March 8, 2022
Feel good du jour:
Yo-Yo Ma, along with Emanuel Ax and Leonidas Kavakos, begins his performance at Washington’s Kennedy Center with a performance of Ukraine’s national anthem. A full, standing house. pic.twitter.com/m1shyLzY4Z
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) March 8, 2022
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It was dusk, the sun had not yet risen. Olena was sitting on the balcony of her Kyiv apartment and smoking: "I saw something floating slowly. At first I thought that a crow was injured. And then I heard a buzz." She had never seen a drone up close before 2/
— Katya Gorchinskaya (@kgorchinskaya) March 7, 2022
So she grabbed a jar and hurled it as hard as she could at the UFO. “Probably out of fear. Because I was scared. And what if they start firing at me from there! I feel sorry for those tomatoes… I don’t know where the stories about cucumbers came from.” Apparently those were pickled tomatoes with plums, her favorite recipe.
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Little girl singing "Let it go" in a shelter#UkraineRussianWar #Ukraine #UkraineUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/6gfcUoiwJJ
— Ankita Jain (@Ankita20200) March 6, 2022
Best part, this little girl is safely in Poland now…
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Harvard teens made a website matching Ukrainian refugees with people offering places to stay https://t.co/DgGndqz7XK
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) March 13, 2022
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Texans lined up for hours to support Ukrainian-owned bakery: ‘It was like all of San Antonio showed up’ https://t.co/SzkNyLoTn2
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) March 13, 2022
Comic relief:
That is Putin, I know I’m a Republican so it can be easy to get us mixed up… https://t.co/R7jELaEhMJ
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 12, 2022
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After 12 days of stealing Putin's tanks, Ukrainian farmers are now unofficially the fifth-largest military in Europe pic.twitter.com/ImLfDYrcjU
— Business Ukraine mag (@Biz_Ukraine_Mag) March 8, 2022
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Crazy bird 🤪 #MondayMotivation #photography pic.twitter.com/Y6zwjYYXcd
— Amanda 🤓✌️ (@Amanda_Dehghan) February 28, 2022
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https://twitter.com/slender_sherbet/status/1502398268608856070?s=20&t=6QOSadPPjVAWA606cQeX9A
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"does sir have plans for the weekend?" pic.twitter.com/qWC5nTMUhN
— Paul Bronks for Lovina Animal Welfare (@slender_sherbet) February 25, 2022
Perspective/Poem
This is one hell of a story:
“As an African-American, we have a legacy and history of standing for what is right.” -62 year old Army vet M. Dijon Johnson is heading to Ukraine to fight. He served in the Peace Corps and was a professor there, has 2 doctorates, and speaks Russian.https://t.co/WA9yks8cmU
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) March 9, 2022
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When asked, “How does it feels to marry a genius?” Marie Curie said: “Go ask my husband.”
— Pint of Science HU (@pintofscienceHU) March 8, 2022
From the beginning of the 20th century, her example has enabled the role of women in science to be improved, but more generally in the world of work.#HappyWomensDay2022 #pint22 pic.twitter.com/LGqh0iNh7C
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Yelena Osipova, detained last week as well
“A Russia to delight in and not to fear: a peaceful Russia, a Russia without Putin”
— Dr. Ian Garner (@irgarner) March 8, 2022
That’s one brave lady. pic.twitter.com/tBNH9RDbFS
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Apparently, the Ukrainian national mail service had a competition among artists to get the best “RUSSIAN WARSHIP, GO FUCK YOURSELF” stamp design.
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) March 11, 2022
This is the winner. pic.twitter.com/RcIIpGVer4
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered words of hope on his Instagram on Tuesday: "The spring is similar to the war we experience…harsh, but everything will be fine." pic.twitter.com/AYzQuASM3w
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 8, 2022
Bits of beauty:
