Politics, Science, and Other Assorted Musings

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: Where Have All The Masks Gone? And Where is the CDC? https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2023/09/07/where-have-all-the-masks-gone/?sh=219f88ec6c94 Unfortunately, Biden joked about not masking despite CDC recs after his wife got Covid–again. His excuse is that he tested negative. News  COVID hospitalizations have now been slowly rising for 8 straight weeks (9/1 report) For the week ending August 19, admissions increased 18.8% compared to the previous week. Deaths from COVID rose 17.6% last week and make up 2% of the nation’s deaths. Test positivity level at 14.9%. Biobot’s wastewater tracking shows a continuation of a gradual rise since about the middle of June, with levels highest in the South and West.   ~ ~ ~ COVID patients exhale high numbers of virus during the first eight days after symptoms start, as high as 1,000 copies per minute,  Covid isn’t…

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 posts — 2 this week you won’t want to miss! CDC Weighs Lower Infection Safety Precautions For Healthcare Workers https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2023/08/21/cdc-weighs-lower-infection-safety-precautions-for-healthcare-workers/?sh=658b49717ba4 ~ ~ ~ Public Pushes Back On CDC’s Plan To Weaken Infection Control https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2023/08/25/public-pushes-back-on-cdcs-plan-to-weaken-infection-control/?sh=7ce1edc17179 Video highlights of the public comments (10″): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsCShaibO6M&t=4s   News  August 24th update (Biobot io) wastewater data Possible good sign, as numbers slightly down from last week. Estimated 580,000 new infections per day 1 in every 570 new people were infected today 1 in every 57 people currently infected 580,000 new infections/day 1 in every 570 new people were infected today 1 in every 57 people currently infected ~ ~ ~ Updated vaccines for the fall Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet slated for Sept. 12. New Covid vaccine should be approved and available shortly after. It…

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. News  Critically important HICPAC meeting Tues, Aug 22 – Pls take action Excerpts from my letter to my Senators and Reps, as well as John Sarbanes, because he serves on the Health Oversight committee, which provides CDC’s funding: HICPAC (Healthcare Infection Control Advisory Committee) advises the CDC on guidelines for infection control in healthcare settings. They met in June and published slides summarizing their draft guidelines here. The planned HICPAC revisions will water down infection control protections, particularly for aerosol transmission and MDRO (multiply drug-resistant organisms). Most immediately worrisome is their conclusion that plain surgical masks (aka “baggy blues”) are equivalent to N95s and provide adequate protection to healthcare workers  (and patients). There has been abundant evidence to the contrary. You can read more about the issue here. HICPAC’s proposal also fails to…

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. Reminder, Resilience: One Family’s Story… is increasingly pertinent, as some of our politicians shift rightward. All proceeds go to Holocaust education. Available here.         New post: Food Supplements Are Transforming Tuberculosis Survival In India Note: The increased survival by providing food and micronutrients is likely not just true in India, nor just for TB. Why isn’t nutrition a priority in taking care of people? News  EG.1 Omicron subvariant (Eris), a descendant of XBB.1.9.2, continues its steady rise. ~ ~ ~ US is nearing 500k estimated infections per day (Aug. 9) from New wastewater numbers 484,000 new infections/day 1 in every 680 people were infected today 1 in every 68 people currently infected ~ ~ ~ 8/7: Most markers show more small rises for fourth straight week Hospitalizations-one of the main markers-were up 12.1% compared to…

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. Reminder, Resilience: One Family’s Story… is increasingly pertinent, as some of our politicians shift rightward. All proceeds go to Holocaust education. Available here.       Ohio Election is going on now => Aug 8 Please remind your friends in Ohio to VOTE NO on Proposition 1, the only thing on the ballot. Abortion access and gerrymandering are especially on the line. On August 8, the only thing on your ballot will be Issue 1 to permanently end majority rule in Ohio. A yes vote is a vote to end majority rule  A no vote defends majority rule and the sacred principle of ‘one person, one vote’  to volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/opalmissionvote/event/568468/ ~ ~ ~ New post: Kidney Transplants From HIV-Positive Patients Likely To Save Lives https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2023/07/30/kidney-transplants-from-hiv-positive-patients-likely-to-be-a-game-changer/?sh=1e1a952a1977   News  U.S. COVID hospitalizations climb for second straight week. Levels are still…

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. Reminder, Resilience: One Family’s Story… is increasingly pertinent, as some of our politicians shift rightward. All proceeds go to Holocaust education. Available here.         Ohio Election is going on now => Aug 8 Please remind your friends in Ohio to VOTE NO on Proposition 1, the only thing on the ballot. Abortion access and gerrymandering are especially on the line. On August 8, the only thing on your ballot will be Issue 1 to permanently end majority rule in Ohio. A yes vote is a vote to end majority rule  A no vote defends majority rule and the sacred principle of ‘one person, one vote’  to volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/opalmissionvote/event/568468/ News  Trend in Hospital Admissions From Covid — +10.3% in most recent week Jun 16, 2023Jul 15, 2023 ~ ~ ~ Wastewater surveillance may be best marker of…

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. Reminder, Resilience: One Family’s Story… is increasingly pertinent, as some of our politicians shift rightward. All proceeds go to Holocaust education. Available here.         New post: In-N-Out Burger’s New Masking Policy Threatens Their Employees’ Health https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2023/07/17/in-n-out-burgers-new-masking-policy-threatens-their-employees-health/?sh=1da77c4909c8 In-N-Out finally released a statement about their discriminatory mask ban policy. They are doubling down on valuing “smile” over the health and safety of their employees and their families.  – Dr. Lucky Tran Call In-N-Out at 1-800-786-1000 about their discriminatory policy banning masks. News  Covid: COVID-19 Weekly Update for the United States Key Data Takeaways (as of 7/17/2023)• COVID-19 indicators, including emergency department visits, test positivity, and wastewater levels, have begun to show small increases nationally.• Hospital admissions have leveled off after steadily declining. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home ~ ~ ~ Had COVID but no symptoms? You might have this genetic mutation At least 20% of people…