
Coronavirus Tidbits #187 4/10/22
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 posts:
Important new post from me: #UkraineWar Likely to Cause Infection Outbreakshttps://t.co/fM2jYGeWkE w thanks to Drs. @SVermund, Andrey Zinchuk @dres39, @DrTomWingfield @DrJessPotter @O_Rzhepishevska and @FLAltice for deep insights and perspective on #TB, #HIV, #opioids and more
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) April 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
On the Receiving End of Care
News
#covid is presenting like #handfootandmouth disease in MANY kids and adults I am seeing. Please test if you have any mouth lesions or rash. Don’t assume it’s ‘only HFMD’ @imgrund @DFisman @ASPphysician @IrfanDhalla @BogochIsaac @SharkawyMD
— Dr. Dina Kulik (@DrDinaKulik) April 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
Why the WHO took two years to say COVID is airborne
Early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization stated that SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through the air. That mistake and the prolonged process of correcting it sowed confusion and raises questions about what will happen in the next pandemic.
As 2021 drew to a close, the highly contagious Omicron variant of the pandemic virus was racing around the globe, forcing governments to take drastic actions once again. The Netherlands ordered most businesses to close on 19 December, Ireland set curfews and many countries imposed travel bans in the hope of taming the tsunami of COVID-19 cases filling hospitals. Amid the wave of desperate news around the year-end holidays, one group of researchers hailed a development that had seemed as though it might never arrive. On 23 December, the World Health Organization (WHO) uttered the one word it had previously seemed incapable of applying to the virus SARS-CoV-2: ‘airborne’.
On its website, a page titled ‘Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): How is it transmitted?’ was quietly edited to state that a person can be infected “when infectious particles that pass through the air are inhaled at short range”, a process otherwise known as “short-range aerosol or short-range airborne transmission”. The website says that transmission can occur through “long-range airborne transmission” in poorly ventilated or crowded indoor settings “because aerosols can remain suspended in the air or travel farther than conversational distance”.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00925-7
~ ~ ~
How COVID-19 triggers massive inflammation
A study led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital explains for the first time why COVID-19 causes severe inflammation in some people, leading to acute respiratory distress and multi-organ damage. Surprisingly, the study also finds that antibodies that people develop when they contract COVID-19 can sometimes lead to more inflammation, while antibodies generated by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines seem not to.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-covid-triggers-massive-inflammation.html?
~ ~ ~
COVID-19 cases rise in eastern US cities
In US developments, COVID-19 cases have doubled in Washington, DC, and risen about 60% in New York City since the last week of March, the New York Times reported today, a sign the BA.2 subvariant is causing increased virus activity.
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey have seen COVID-19 cases jump more than 40% over the latest 14-day period, the New York Times reports.
Other states, including Delaware, Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin, have all seen greater than 10% increases in daily case counts, as well.
~ ~ ~
Shanghai lockdown snarls world's busiest port and China supply chains
Shanghai's grinding coronavirus lockdown is slowly clogging China's supply chains, as delays hit the world's busiest container port where staff are tangled in a morass of Covid controls.
Beijing has refused to tack away from its strict zero-Covid strategy that has protected its public health system through the pandemic but at a mounting economic cost.
https://medicalxpress.com/
~ ~ ~
As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: “Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.” https://t.co/0ZTc8fznaV pic.twitter.com/pAnEGOlBIh
— Alice Su (@aliceysu) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
Study sheds light on death spike in Hong Kong COVID-19 surge
The recent Omicron variant surge in Hong Kong came with a mortality rate among the world's highest yet in the pandemic, a troubling development in a region known for its strong pandemic measures, and today researchers from the United States, Hong Kong, and China who dug into the data suggest that vaccination lapses in older people played a major role.
The team published its findings today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Vaccine gap in oldest Hong Kongers
Hong Kong's surge began in early January with a cluster of Omicron infections in a quarantine hotel. Its fifth wave peaked on Mar 4, along with a mortality rate of 37.7 per million population that was among the highest in the world during the pandemic.
Among the deaths, 96% occurred in people ages 60 and older, and of those 70% were unvaccinated. "The high overall mortality rate during the ongoing 2022 Hong Kong Omicron COVID-19 outbreak is being driven by deaths among unvaccinated persons aged ≥60 years," the team wrote.
~ ~ ~
A way to prevent loss of smell and taste from COVID
Loss of smell and taste—a hallmark symptom of COVID-19—was not on the minds of a group of Yale School of Medicine researchers when they embarked on a study of Camostat in the spring of 2020.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-loss-covid-.html?
~ ~ ~
People wrongly believe their friends will protect them from COVID
People may feel less vulnerable and take fewer safety precautions about COVID-19 when they are with, or even just think about, their friends instead of acquaintances or strangers, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-people-wrongly-friends-covid-.html?
~ ~ ~
Simulation-design tools map a ventilation system to reduce COVID-19 infection risks
Advanced computing expertise is being used to help ensure that hospice patients are better protected from COVID-19 following a pioneering study led by The University of Manchester.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-simulation-design-tools-ventilation-covid-infection.html?
~ ~ ~
COVID and diabetes, colliding in a public health train wreck
After older people and nursing home residents, perhaps no group has been harder hit by the pandemic than people with diabetes. Recent studies suggest that 30-40% of all coronavirus deaths in the United States have occurred among people with diabetes, a sobering figure that has been subsumed by other grim data from a public health disaster that is on track to claim 1 million American lives sometime this month.
People with diabetes are especially vulnerable to severe illness from COVID, partly because diabetes impairs the immune system but also because those with the disease often struggle with high blood pressure, obesity and other underlying medical conditions that can seriously worsen a coronavirus infection.
“It’s hard to overstate just how devastating the pandemic has been for Americans with diabetes,” said Dr Giuseppina Imperatore, who oversees diabetes prevention and treatment at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diabetes patients hospitalized with COVID spend more time in the ICU, are more likely to be intubated and are less likely to survive, according to several studies, one of which found that 20% of hospitalized coronavirus patients with diabetes died within a month of admission. Though researchers are still trying to understand the dynamics between the two diseases, most agree on one thing: Uncontrolled diabetes impairs the immune system and decreases a patient’s ability to withstand a coronavirus infection.
https://theworldnews.net/bd-news/covid-and-diabetes-colliding-in-a-public-health-train-wreck
~ ~ ~
Some U.S. states are changing the definition of a COVID patient, which is causing a large drop in the number of patients. One of those states is New Hampshire, where the health department is counting only 4% of COVID patients 1/3
— BNO/Medriva Newsroom (@medriva) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
On 16 March 2022, British Airways removed masks mandates on their flights. They flaunted about their policy change with this tweet, which got 21,000 likes
— Dr Elisa Perego (@elisaperego78) April 4, 2022
Today, British Airways has cancelled dozens of flights from Heathrow Because of covid-related staff shortages
No comment https://t.co/S2xRU40w04
~ ~ ~
Gridiron club dinner:
NEW: Gridiron Club organizers tell @ABC that at least 67 guests have tested positive for COVID-19 after their annual dinner, last Saturday, in Washington, D.C.
— Arielle Mitropoulos (@AMitrops) April 9, 2022
~ ~ ~
The result? Wave #6 and extension of the pandemic. More time for more variants to form. This has to end. #COVIDIsAirborne must be acknowledged. Once it is acknowledged, it is fixable and we can slow the spread. Check out countries that addressed air vs those that did not.
— Kimberly Prather, Ph.D. (@kprather88) April 7, 2022
(4/4) pic.twitter.com/k5mqHBo6nu
I'll have more on this thread next week. Infuriating:
Event organizers should be able to decide the level of risk they can tolerate and the precautions they wish to have, including ventilation.
— Dr. Weana Len, M.D. Commentary (@DrLeanaWenMD) April 7, 2022
Attendees who want more protection can choose to wear a high-quality mask.
Diagnostics:
COVID-19 test-to-stay strategies safe, effective for students
A study today in Pediatrics suggests a test-to-stay (TTS) strategy, as opposed to quarantine, was a safe and effective tool for Massachusetts public schools for the 2021-22 school year, as it was associated with both limited COVID-19 transmission and increased in-person learning days for students.
The TTS program required all students exposed to a COVID-19 case in the classroom to use a rapid antigen test for 7 days following the last exposure date. If the test was negative, students could remain in school. The program was opt-in, and for students who chose not to participate, an exposure resulted in at-home quarantine for at least 7 days following any in-school close contact if the student was not fully vaccinated.
Apr 8 Pediatrics study and commentary
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/04/covid-19-scan-apr-08-2022
~ ~ ~
Huge progress. Medicare now covering home rapid COVID tests. This is fantastic…finally. @michaelmina_lab https://t.co/weRwUHgqB4
— Rick Bright (@RickABright) April 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
This is not someone you want sitting next to your kid at school. Or someone you want sitting next to your parent in the nursing home. Or at work.
— Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) April 9, 2022
Test-to-Exit is an immensely important approach to slowing spread
NOT testing to exit early just gives the virus more opportunity https://t.co/e2taklFSDL
~ ~ ~
We have found this in real world setting where over 70% of Boosted people were still highly positive at day 6 after the start of isolation.
— Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) April 9, 2022
This was 3x higher than us boosted people
It shows that Boosted start their isolation sooner after exposure
3/ https://t.co/3idjBJzMCk
~ ~ ~
Test before leaving isolation.
— Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) April 9, 2022
Just please do it. Get a test somewhere - your neighbor, whoever… and test before you leave isolation at 5 days.
It’s MOST likely that you’re still infectious, esp if you have been recently vaccinated/boosted and have a breakthrough infection https://t.co/e2taklFSDL
Drugs and Vaccines:
Recent market research shows only 17% who went to a health provider with diagnosed covid got prescribed an oral antiviral.
— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) April 8, 2022
Even when prescribed, availability and perceived cost remain treatment barriers.
Clearly we need to do more than test, in order to adequately treat. pic.twitter.com/nb4NNthqim
~ ~ ~
This is worrying. 1 in 20 surveyed primary care doctors are unvaccinated against covid! That is sad. I hope they didn't cause disease & suffering in others. I thought it would be hard to work without vaccination, just as hepatitis B vaccination is required https://t.co/HZ8iktskGj
— Madhusree⚕️ Singh, MD (@thinkalot) April 7, 2022
~ ~ ~
"For immunocompetent individuals below 60 years of age, the administration of a second booster dose is not supported by the available data on continued level of vaccine protection against severe disease or death" https://t.co/lWwdV5vkf1 #COVID19
— onisillos (@onisillos) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
…for at least 2 months & maybe longer (the @NEJM study followed patients for only 6-8 weeks). But the good (2-fold) protection against SYMPTOMATIC infection appeared to by gone at 2 mths. https://t.co/XMp0S6z9eE
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) April 7, 2022
This finding is a bit of a shocker & merits some rethinking.(5/25)
Wachter's whole thread is worth a read: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1512170975911051275.html
~ ~ ~
Fourth COVID vaccine dose (modestly) boosts protection against infection, severity
A study in Israel during the Omicron variant surge finds that rates of COVID-19 infection and severe illness were lower after a fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine than after three doses, and while protection against infection waned quickly after 4 weeks, protection against severe disease was still strong at 6 weeks.
The study, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), involved data from 1,252,331 people aged 60 years and older, who became eligible for a fourth COVID-19 shot in Israel on Jan 2, 2022. The study period ran from Jan 10 to Feb 18 for severe illness and to Mar 2 for infection.
"These analyses provided evidence for the effectiveness of a fourth vaccine dose against severe illness caused by the omicron variant, as compared with a third dose administered more than 4 months earlier," the researchers wrote. "For confirmed infection, a fourth dose appeared to provide only short-term protection and a modest absolute benefit."
Apr 5 NEJM study
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/04/covid-19-scan-apr-06-2022
~ ~ ~
Pulse oximeters did not change outcomes for patients in COVID-19 monitoring program
Using a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels is no better than just regularly asking patients with COVID-19 if they are short of breath, according to new research at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Pulse oximeters have often been applied because of concerns that patients might not notice their blood oxygen levels sliding dangerously. But people in Penn Medicine's COVID Watch program—which uses automated text messages to keep tabs on patients recovering at home—had the same outcomes whether they used oxygen-measuring devices or not. Findings from this work were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-pulse-oximeters-outcomes-patients-covid-.html?
~ ~ ~
Pfizer's $5 Billion Bill for Covid Pills to Take Big Bite from New Pandemic Funds
(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration is on the hook to pay Pfizer Inc. nearly $5 billion for pills it’s already ordered to treat Covid-19, meaning as much as half of a scaled-back pandemic funding bill the Senate is debating is already spoken for, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Senators announced a deal Monday to provide $10 billion in new Covid funding, far less than the White House has requested. The true purchasing power of the package will be even less because of commitments the government’s already made, the officials said.
~ ~ ~
Well that was abrupt. https://t.co/kq8WhY7g0q
— Bug Pharmacist 💊🧫 Tim Gauthier (@IDstewardship) April 6, 2022
Devices:
Used something I picked up in Twitter. After I was harassed for wearing a mask by a guy when I was out shopping ….I replied: “I wear a mask because of the deep state’s facial recognition system”. This froze the person for quite a while. I think I caused a meltdown.
— George Wachsmuth (@GeorgeWachsmuth) March 11, 2022
Epidemiology/Infection control:
https://twitter.com/JuliaRaifman/status/1512444502451146752?s=20&t=YviQ2msdppxhi2dq4c3-RQ
~ ~ ~
3/here is MA., which I also saw mentioned in tweet. Only if on Decadron. I found zero news reports, just tiny print on gov site. https://t.co/DdifVaLFMx pic.twitter.com/e3veNKhjG0
— J. Offir, Ph.D. (@dontwantadothis) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
"Black and Hispanic adults were more likely to be worried that they personally will contract COVID-19. Black and Hispanic adults, as well as those with lower incomes were also more likely to say they don’t get paid time off if they get COVID-19."https://t.co/xkQmQJrsC6
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
PE:
Covid linked to 33-fold increase in risk of pulmonary embolism https://t.co/gRULlcO5T6
— Crawford Kilian (@Crof) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
The risk of blood clots (pulmonary embolism and DVT) and bleeding events with Covid: Country-wide data from Sweden indicates the heightened risk extends out to 6 months and occurs even with mild infections in first 30 days https://t.co/JYf7zLkuOB@bmj_latest pic.twitter.com/7Ht6Sm4WN3
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) April 6, 2022
Long Covid
Absolutely fantastic interview with @doctorasadkhan & @jencurtinmd on the critical role of #MicroClots in #LongCovid
— charlos (@loscharlos) April 7, 2022
"All LC patients whose blood she has studied, these clots have been found, and they go quite a long way to explain the symptomatology."https://t.co/iZKaSKcPpc
~ ~ ~
81 study meta analysis on prevalence https://t.co/nwN0mBwXPW
— charlos (@loscharlos) April 8, 2022
~ ~ ~
Case report of a #LongCovid patient, sick for 7 months, whose symptoms completely resolved after taking Paxlovid.
— Hannah Davis (@ahandvanish) March 27, 2022
Paxlovid is one of the most obvious drugs for a Long Covid clinical trial - why isn't it happening?https://t.co/LTdrq2xMZw
~ ~ ~
🚨 When a tilt test was conducted with #LongCovid patients, researchers found "orthostatic intolerance suggestive of autonomic dysfunction in nearly all subjects". https://t.co/5hN84RZb6V
— Jonas R. Kunst (@KunstJonas) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
Studies find long COVID symptoms, including joint pain, at 1 year
Two new studies detail long COVID symptoms, with one from France showing that 85% of patients who had symptoms 2 months after illness onset still had them at 1 year and some symptoms worsened, and one from China revealing that 12% of patients reported rheumatic symptoms at 1-year follow-up.
In the first study, researchers in Paris analyzed data from 968 adult COVID-19 participants in an ongoing prospective cohort study in France, including their responses to the online Long COVID Symptom Tool questionnaire about daily occurrence of 53 symptoms from December 2020 to October 2021. The data were published today in Nature Communications.
Of patients with symptoms 2 months after symptom onset, 85% still had them at 1 year. The prevalence of 27 symptoms such as a loss of taste or smell declined over time, while 18 symptoms (eg, shortness of breath) remained stable, and 8 (eg, abnormal sensations due to nerve damage) increased.
Symptoms had a greater effect on patients' lives starting at 6 months. "Our results are of importance to understand the natural history of post COVID-19 disease," the researchers concluded.
Apr 5 Nat Commun study
The second study, conducted by researchers in Harbin and Beijing, involved face-to-face interviews of 1,296 COVID-19 survivors 1 year after they were released from the hospital from Jan 7 to May 29, 2020. The findings were published yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
Of the 1,296 patients, 12.3% still reported rheumatic symptoms at 1 year. The most common symptoms involved joints in the knee (38%), hand (25%), and shoulder (19%). The symptoms were independent of illness severity and corticosteroid therapy during the initial illness. Older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.22) and female sex (OR, 1.58) were risk factors for these symptoms.
"Our investigation showed a considerable proportion of rheumatic symptoms following COVID-19 in discharged patients, which highlights the need for continuing attention," the study authors wrote.
Apr 4 Open Forum Infect Dis study
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/04/covid-19-scan-apr-05-2022
Tips, general reading for public:
Ventilate
Wear a mask
Test before leaving quarantine
Politics:
Why do we call them "restrictions," anyway? Do you look at a life-jacket and think "there's my drowning restriction"?
— Trevor J. Adams (@HalifaxEditor) April 7, 2022
~ ~ ~
Wanna know why prices are high at the pump? $205 billion in Big Oil profits. (How much of that will go to buying influence in Congress, do you suppose?) pic.twitter.com/7Qef1BL26h
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
Reminder: If Democrats had not won both Georgia Senate runoffs, Mitch McConnell would have unilaterally blocked Biden’s Supreme Court nominee for 3 whole years. Thank you, Georgia.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) April 7, 2022
~ ~ ~
when Thurgood Marshall was confirmed in 1967 to become the first black man on the Supreme Court, 16 of 22 senators from the 11 states of the old Confederacy voted no or didn't vote
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 7, 2022
when Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed today to become the first black woman, 18 of 22 voted no
~ ~ ~
GOP:
The Clean Water Act of 1972 provides federal standards to prevent water pollution by chemical, physical, & biological agents known to cause cancer, disease, & nerve damage. It's been the cornerstone of America's water protection for half a century
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) April 6, 2022
And SCOTUS just repealed it 5-4
~ ~ ~
IOW, the question of whether the GOP does or doesn’t hold Congress is the question of whether we have a democratic government. Anyone who thinks the 2022 election is a midterm is wildly off the mark: it’s the determination of the future of this nation and its democracy—full stop.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) April 8, 2022
~ ~ ~
preserve war crimes
Six GOP House members voted against a bill that would require the State Dept to report and preserve evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
— Kristin Wilson (@kristin__wilson) April 6, 2022
Tom Massie (KY)
Scott Perry (PA)
Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA)
Warren Davidson (OH)
Andy Biggs (AZ)
Paul Gosar (AZ)
~ ~ ~
NATO
63 Republicans voted against a resolution reaffirming US support for NATO.
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) April 6, 2022
Never surprised, always disappointed.
~ ~ ~
MTG
Raskin response Greene Heckling: The gentlelady said something about the Russian hoax… if she wants to continue to stand with Putin and his bloody invasion, she is free to do so and we understand there is a strong Trump/Putin axis in the gentlelady’s party.. pic.twitter.com/aZQMRe4FmJ
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
HawleyBrian Schatz telling Josh Hawley to go fuck himself is worth a watch. pic.twitter.com/X225SVla2G
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) April 8, 2022
~ ~ ~
I’m not going to list them all here. The @dailykos has already done this. And yes there are actually 675 listed starting with everyone’s favorite at #1 https://t.co/mz3ASh8gke
— Travis Allen (@TravisAllen02) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
JUST IN: Former Trump aide, RNC operative, and “pro-life” activist Ruben Verastigui has just been sentenced to 12+ years in prison for child porn. He posted about how the sexual abuse of babies is his “absolute favorite.” There are allegedly more Republican staffers to come.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) April 7, 2022
~ ~ ~
“Exciting change to my personal life.”
— Roshan Rinaldi (@Roshan_Rinaldi) April 4, 2022
He was indicted by a federal grand jury for campaign finance felonies. pic.twitter.com/0DiBwiO9U9
~ ~ ~
Still can't get over how on the SAME WEEK that Republicans are desperately trying to label everyone else pedophiles and groomers, the Tennessee GOP is advancing a bill *literally* legalizing child marriage. Truly beyond parody.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) April 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
Fox
NEW: President Biden called Fox News “one of the most destructive forces in the United States” and called Fox’s owner Rupert Murdoch “the most dangerous man in the world,” per @nytimes.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) April 4, 2022
TuckyRose:
“Why do I care what is going on in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia? And I’m serious. Why do I care? And why shouldn’t I root for Russia, because I am?”
— Peter Strzok (@petestrzok) April 3, 2022
Approach the moral high ground with humility because this is the news channel of one of the US's two political parties. pic.twitter.com/mFpQY1bN1V
TFG:
Read more here: https://t.co/RH47iXTlpy
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 4, 2022
Medicare/insurance
Private insurance spends 17x more on administrative costs than traditional Medicare—to pay for things like stock buybacks, executive pay, and ads.
— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) March 29, 2022
Medicare for All would save taxpayers billions and generate better health outcomes. It is fiscally responsible policy. pic.twitter.com/u5OlBtOXDR
~ ~ ~
In Canada, insulin is $12 on average.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 31, 2022
In Mexico, it's about $16.
Yet in the U.S., it's nearly $100 for the same lifesaving drug.
Same continent. Same drug. Wildly different prices.
Why? Corporate greed.
Today, the House will cap the price of insulin. The Senate must follow.
Voting:
A former Trump admin official who is now a leading GOP candidate for Congress in NH voted in 2 states in the 2016 primaries, per AP.https://t.co/LSI1l3t4sw
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 5, 2022
Abortion:
Oklahoma criminalizes abortion: Senate Bill 612, would make performing an abortion “except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency” a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. https://t.co/uSO2RPCV67
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 5, 2022
Trans:
Do you all know how bad this is? A doctor working together with parents to provide care that is recommended by every major medical and pediatric association, like puberty blockers, will be a FELONY, punishable by up to 10 years in jail. https://t.co/WWbB5AZY6b
— Jen Richards (@SmartAssJen) April 7, 2022
DeSantis/Florida:
And with his degrees from Yale and Harvard, this is not lack of education or opportunity. He is deliberate, well-educated, driven by ideologies and strategic.
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) April 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
This is a sad example of the rabid, anti-fox rhetoric sweeping the nation. Any reports that I’ve been aggressive or inhospitable in any way is just not true!
— Capitol Fox (@thecapitolfox) April 5, 2022
All I want is to be loved and treated with respect. https://t.co/xmOYPXOdhW
~ ~ ~
ERA:
My daughter has worked for a place (won’t name it here) for almost 5 years and only makes $12.50. Her brother interviewed there today (they didn’t know that he was her brother) and offered him $16.50. He has less experience and would be reporting to her. #EqualPay
— Caity (@caitymills) April 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
Ukraine:
Rachel - I've two sets of lists to which I refer ⤵️⤵️
— Christopher Burgess (@burgessct) April 3, 2022
Yale School of Management
Their link: https://t.co/Lg5EFKcn7Y
And @squeezingputin
Their link: https://t.co/MKcctxs0HY pic.twitter.com/YtXaYraG9V
Feel good du jour:
Numbers grow so fast, already nearing 7.5 million meals & over 4 million pounds of food…but wanted to share what the @WCKitchen #ChefsForUkraine team is doing with your support! Thousands of Ukrainians making this effort possible…We will make sure they never stand alone! 🙏💪🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/DMIx94ZriY
— José Andrés 🇺🇸🇪🇸🇺🇦 (@chefjoseandres) April 7, 2022
~ ~ ~
Happy Retirement, Betty!
— National Park Service (@NatlParkService) March 31, 2022
Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest active ranger in the National Park Service at age 100, retired today after a remarkable career. Learn more: https://t.co/sUOb3R5ZFQ
📸Betty Reid Soskin @RosieRiveterNPS pic.twitter.com/u1vDWqqwwA
~ ~ ~
Everyone should be quiet by a bubbling brook.
— Madhusree⚕️ Singh, MD (@thinkalot) April 3, 2022
This is the San Diego river.. @MissionTralsPrk pic.twitter.com/9xlueFi6MW
~ ~ ~
When It’s Cold Enough To See The Melody
— Mustafa KAZEMI מוסטפא (@CombatJourno) April 7, 2022
A male red-winged blackbird singing.
By Ewout van Voorst pic.twitter.com/rKsdQQIaj2
~ ~ ~
#Copenhagen is planting fruit trees in streets so everyone can enjoy fresh fruit. In #Ottawa, fruit #trees are being planted to support local food banks. #Adelaide is considering a similar plan to help the homeless.
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) April 5, 2022
We have the solutions. Implement them.#ActOnClimate #nature pic.twitter.com/2bLHu1UtkE
Comic relief:
https://twitter.com/juderich59/status/1512251050698412032?s=20&t=YviQ2msdppxhi2dq4c3-RQ
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden_/status/1511829354300547078?s=20&t=YviQ2msdppxhi2dq4c3-RQ
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden_/status/1511056419839221765?s=20&t=YviQ2msdppxhi2dq4c3-RQ
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/typo_cat/status/1509669897067925524?s=20&t=dLo7r9AwGUioAK1-9Zdpaw
Perspective/Poem
Asked why New Zealand does not suffer from the rage of older white men like in other western Anglo countries, PM Jacinda Adern replied, "Because we've never allowed Rupert Murdoch to set up a media outlet here." The guy has wreaked havoc on civil society in US.
— Jaimey Sexton (@JaimeySexton) April 3, 2022
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/Goodable/status/1511876537427333125?s=20&t=YviQ2msdppxhi2dq4c3-RQ
~ ~ ~
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) April 7, 2022
~ ~ ~
watched a documentary today about lorena ramirez, an indigenous ultra marathon runner from mexico and i'm in love with her humour she always runs marathons in her sandals and look at what she says when she is given nike running shoes pic.twitter.com/VXwdqGIZIg
— m (@mahdahondabeat) April 5, 2022
Bits of beauty:

