Ali Kinani, 9 years old, was killed by Blackwater guards in Baghdad #Trump just pardoned his killers. — The Free

Originally posted on Alma Cubanita: fascists Ali was sitting in the back seat of his father’s SUV with two of his cousins. Blackwater riddled the car with bullets. Ali’s father was driving. When the shooting stopped they thought they had experienced a miracle that they were safe. One of Ali’s cousins said that Ali had…

Ali Kinani, 9 years old, was killed by Blackwater guards in Baghdad #Trump just pardoned his killers. — The Free

O Little Town #MerryChristmas

Bless, have mercy on us, forgive and protect us all…

penned in moon dust

The days were dark

and frightful cold.

A harsh regime

or so I’m told

They feared the worst

hoped for the best

how so like now

no time to rest

but they forged on

with hearts so true

O Bethlehem

what do we do?

For these are times

unsure at best

we pray we beg

yes, give us rest

disease and hate

rule in our day

how so like centuries

so far away

This hope we trust

is there for all

an animal’s trough

a dirty stall

a savior for

each, every, ALL

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep…

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Two studies find that COVID-19 antibodies last 8 months | CIDRAP

Two studies published yesterday demonstrate that COVID-19 immune responses last as long as 8 months, although the authors focus on different reasons.

The first study, published in Science Immunology, followed a small cohort of Australians from day 4 to day 242 after infection. All patients demonstrated the presence of memory B cells—immune cells that “remember” viral proteins and can trigger rapid production of antibodies when re-exposed to the virus—as long as 8 months after initial infection.

The second study investigated antibody responses in 58 confirmed COVID-19 patients in South Korea 8 months after asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, finding high rates of serum antibodies. These results, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, is contradictory to both the first study’s antibody data and previous research that showed antibodies waning after 20 days, but the authors suggest that variations in immunoassay test characteristics and manufacturing may be responsible for the difference.

Source: Two studies find that COVID-19 antibodies last 8 months | CIDRAP

More Than 2,900 Health Care Workers Died This Year — And the Government Barely Kept Track | Kaiser Health News

More than 2,900 U.S. health care workers have died in the COVID-19 pandemic since March, a far higher number than that reported by the government

Source: More Than 2,900 Health Care Workers Died This Year — And the Government Barely Kept Track | Kaiser Health News

Passenger Who Had Medical Emergency on Flight Died of Covid-19, Coroner Says – The New York Times

A coroner in Louisiana confirmed on Tuesday what some had feared: that the death last week of a 69-year-old man who experienced a medical emergency aboard a United Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles had been caused by Covid-19.

The coroner’s office in Jefferson Parish identified the passenger as Isais Hernandez, 69, of Los Angeles, who was on United Flight 591 when it took off from Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 14.

The episode prompted alarm after social media reports at the time indicated that the man’s wife had told emergency medical workers that her husband had tested positive for the coronavirus.

At the time, United and medical professionals said they had not known that Mr. Hernandez had Covid-19. The airline did say that the man’s wife had been overheard telling an emergency worker that her husband had symptoms of Covid-19, including loss of taste and smell.