Wildfire smoke exposure can increase risk of contracting COVID-19 : https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exposure-wildfire-smoke-can-increase-risk-covid19-194019729.html . And the reverse is also true: persons who have had COVID-19 are at increased risk from wildfire smoke: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/wildfire_smoke_covid-19.html#:~:text=People%20with%20COVID%2D19%20are,function%20related%20to%20COVID%2D19. Times like this make you wonder why people still smoke cigarettes or vape.
WSJ: Vaping declines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaping-falls-among-young-people-in-u-s-11599672664 . A little bit of good news.
Wildfire smoke exposure is heavy throughout Oregon and California: https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2020/09/how-to-protect-yourself-from-the-health-dangers-of-wildfire-smoke-plus-view-a-map-of-air-quality-in-your-area.html . Portland’s air quality index was 397 at 6 pm Thursday and rising; some parts of the state are near readings of 600. Here are photos from the two states: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/photos-show-the-crazy-intensity-of-wildfires-raging-in-the-west_n_5f58ecccc5b62874bc171041?ncid=%20edlinkusaolp00000029 . Updating this article, over 3 million acres have now burned in California, an annual record with the worst of the fire season to come.
Portland declares state of emergency: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/emergency-declaration-in-portland-due-to-extreme-threat-of-fire/283-a1bc7e6f-f214-4615-a51d-ae10e4ca0804 . Nearly 1 million acres have burned in Oregon and 500,000 people have been evacuated – this is by far the worst natural disaster we have faced. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/scenes-of-devastation-in-oregon-as-dozens-of-wildfires-continue-to-burn-2020-09-10#:~:text=Authorities%20in%20Oregon%20now%20say,Oregon%20Office%20of%20Emergency%20Management. ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day_Storm_of_1962 ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillamook_Burn .
Post-COVID heart damage: https://news.yahoo.com/post-covid-heart-damage-alarms-researchers-there-was-a-black-hole-in-infected-cells-172015067.html . Once again, check out the bradykinin hypothesis, which appears to explain the connection here, in the News for September 2. I am disappointed that the bradykinin hypothesis has not received more attention in the general news media, as it continues to appear to be the needed breakthrough in addressing severe COVID-19 cases and in addition appears to explain the longer lasting effects.
COVID-19 teacher deaths raise alarms: https://apnews.com/3e97872bf3cd8697064014efcf2ec622 .
COVID-19 quarantine surges eating disorders: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/10/covid-19-quarantine-eating-disorders-neda/5765046002/ .
Over 513,000 US children have been diagnosed with COVID-19: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-09-09/report-more-than-half-a-million-us-children-have-been-diagnosed-with-covid-19?src=usn_nl_coronavirus . Over 100 children have died. Here is the American Academy of Pediatrics report: https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/ . 1/3 of children admitted to the hospital end up in the ICU: https://www.aappublications.org/news/2020/08/07/covid19hospitalization080720 .
WSJ: More on AstraZeneca vaccine trial pause: https://www.wsj.com/articles/astrazeneca-ceo-sees-oxford-vaccine-possible-by-end-of-year-despite-setback-11599733063 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/safety-experts-probe-event-pausing-astrazeneca-covid-19-study-11599674538 .
WSJ: More comments on the use of multiple vaccines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/several-covid-19-vaccines-could-join-winners-circle-11599730201 . This article does note the need to keep track of who got what vaccine, which is important if long-term efficacy or side effect issues emerge.
Fauci: We have entered a “pandemic era”: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)31012-6?_ga=2.228285915.799778676.1599802103-1990120102.1595082966#%20 .
Climate change accelerates the “pandemic era”: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/09/10/climate-change-covid-19-does-global-warming-fuel-pandemics/5749582002/ .
Fauci: Hunker down: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fauci-says-u-s-needs-hunker-down-fall-winter-n1239798 . With the problems we face, I am once again stunned by the “inject bleach” comment.
WSJ: The future of primary care: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-doctors-appointment-11599662314 .
WSJ: US round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-deaths-tick-lower-for-now-11599669843 .
University of Missouri chancellor faces free speech backlash over COVID-19: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/09/10/mizzou-president-blocks-students-tweeting-covid-19-precautions-missouri-university/3457454001/ . Note that the county recently reported a 44.6% COVID-19 positivity rate. By definition this is not a safe environment.
CDC changes COVID-19 screening for international travelers: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/09/10/cdc-unveils-new-covid-19-screening-system-international-passengers/5767545002/ .
WSJ: COVID-era concerts: https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-concerts-during-covid-unprecedented-legal-questions-11599665380 .
WSJ: Travel post-pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-travel-will-change-post-pandemic-10-expert-predictions-11599674976 . Hover bags? Are any of these experts thinking about climate change and energy use?
Permanent job losses mount; 884,000 new weekly unemployment claims: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/09/10/unemployment-claims-hold-steady-at-884000/#3253dbc36b3e .
WSJ: Job postings slow dramatically: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-job-openings-leveled-off-late-in-the-summer-11599664068 . Momentum is “easing”? I guess that’s technically accurate. When a car crashes into a wall, that is an example of momentum easing …
WSJ: US food trends: https://www.wsj.com/articles/10-food-trends-for-the-next-decade-family-dinners-less-booze-and-more-11599678489 . Um, if booze intake drops and family dinners/cook-at-home rises, restaurants are even more screwed than they are now. And that industry has already been a primary source of job losses.
WSJ: More Broadway storefronts go dark: https://www.wsj.com/articles/business-vacancies-rise-on-new-york-citys-broadway-11599652800 .
Payroll tax deferral mandatory for 2.2 million federal workers: https://money.yahoo.com/trumps-payroll-tax-deferral-is-mandatory-for-22-million-federal-employees-and-military-members-194730143.html . This is pretty much the “inject bleach” theory of Social Security solvency.
WSJ: UK adds restrictions as Europe sees cases surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-imposes-new-covid-19-restrictions-as-europes-infections-rise-11599674585 .
WSJ: More on the TikTok sale: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-u-s-discuss-ways-to-avoid-sale-11599680388 . ByteDance has no reason to resolve this before the election.
WSJ: South Korea sees remote learning as permanent: https://www.wsj.com/articles/remote-learning-in-south-korea-becomes-a-fixture-of-pandemic-life-11599668494 .
More on India’s low COVID-19 mortality rate: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/11/asia/india-covid-death-rate-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html .
WSJ: Trump deliberately downplayed severity of COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-says-he-played-down-coronaviruss-severity-in-bob-woodward-interview-11599675374 .
Trump allegedly disclosed nuclear secrets to Bob Woodward: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/09/09/trump-claims-to-have-built-a-new-secret-nuclear-weapons-system/#6861a7331a1e . We shouldn’t lose sight of this startling revelation in the midst of all the Trump-Woodward headlines about COVID-19.
World wildlife has declined 70% since 1970: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/endangered-species-animal-population-decline-world-wildlife-fund-new-report/#:~:text=Every%20two%20years%2C%20the%20World,the%20overall%20health%20of%20ecosystems. . Here is the WWF report: https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-us/ .
ARRGGH! Okay, time to lighten things up …
Karma defined (in Hinduism and Buddhism): the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/10/democrats-early-voting-lead-412106 . Yogi Berra: It ain’t over ‘til it’s over: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/berra-yogi#:~:text=Lawrence%20Peter%20Berra%20got%20the,practiced%20yoga%2C%20on%20the%20screen. And so, everything is connected. QED. Also note the Hank Aaron quote in the article, just below the “Yogi” naming history. Stay focused.
Son says 80-year-old “dad is grounded”: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hiker-turns-up-at-press-conference_n_5f5952f0c5b67602f6001843 .
Smiling turtle bred back from near-extinction: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/sep/09/myanmar-smiling-turtle-breeding-success . The smiling turtle was believed to be extinct until rediscovered in 2002. And no, this has nothing to do with Mitch McConnell, even though he was elected Majority Whip at the start of 2003; he has almost never been photographed smiling.