Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Omicron Ba.4 and Ba.5 | The Professor’s Convatorium

…I do not wish this virus on anyone. It is terrible and possibly damages your health systems long-term. And myself, Mom, and my sister, we are all fully vaccinated (2 doses) and fully boostered (2 more doses) and absolutely plan to get boostered next month for the Omicron subvariants. I can’t imagine what HELL we would’ve experienced had Mom and I not been maximally protected by those four Pfizer and Moderna shots.

Recently, most all U.S. states have dropped their entire COVID mandates and protocols despite the skyrocketing cases of Omicron infections across the nation. This is massive mistake! Furthermore, I tried diligently to report my COVID infection as well as my Mom’s, but could not do so. Why? State governments now require that only clinically approved testing sites can report new cases to the county and state agencies, like the CDC. There are likely hundreds or thousands of new cases/infections not being reported because like us, we tested with At Home Antigen Test Kits. These positive results are not accepted by county and state databases. Hence, if your county health center reports for example only 10 new cases in a day or 23 new cases in a week, it is very wise to add maybe 15-20 more cases on top of that… give or take 50 more infected people. 🙄🤦‍♂️ That’s just a random guess on my part given our small populated area/county here in Kerrville. If you reside in a large metropolitan area, it’s wise to add a lot more cases to what public agencies report. Believe me, their numbers now are far too low!

This biological war is by no means over, it’s not even in decline. As long as all of us refuse to declare war on COVID by abiding by protocols and mandates, wear masks, social-distance, stay away from large indoor crowds, and test, test, test… this deadly virus will just keep morphing into smarter, stronger new variants and subvariants. That’s simple cytology and biology folks.

Source: Omicron Ba.4 and Ba.5 | The Professor’s Convatorium

Sealed Affidavit in Trump Search Should be Redacted, Judge Says – The New York Times

Warrant affidavits — which are written and sworn to by federal agents before searches take place — contain detailed information about criminal investigations and are almost always kept under seal until charges are filed.

As part of his ruling, Judge Reinhart ordered the government to send him under seal proposed redactions to the warrant affidavit by next Thursday at noon. He said he would review the suggestions and decide if he agreed with them. But he did not set a specific date for the affidavit to be released.

“This is going to be a considered, careful process,” Judge Reinhart said.

♫ Dizzy ♫ (Redux) — Filosofa’s Word

After my tooth-grinding, growling rant earlier, I thought something silly and completely irrelevant might be fun for tonight’s music post.  I last played this one over two years ago, so … time for just a bit of silliness … Released in 1969, this song hit in the UK, Canada, and the U.S. Tommy Roe […]

♫ Dizzy ♫ (Redux) — Filosofa’s Word

Education On The Chopping Block — Filosofa’s Word

The education of our young people is probably the single most critical issue, after climate change and the environment, that our nation faces today.  In recent decades, we have seen the decline of our public education system.  Schools have stopped or cut back on teaching such things as civics, social sciences, philosophy, and even literature, […]

Education On The Chopping Block — Filosofa’s Word

HVCC rejects SUNY COVID-19 vaccine mandate (Me: Caving to the fears of the unvaccinated and their stupidity still risks us all!)

“We have heard from many prospective and current students who are concerned that mandated COVID vaccination, at this point in the pandemic, imposes an undue burden on their ability to advance their education and pursue careers, after more than two years of enduring the pandemic,” he said.

Source: HVCC rejects SUNY COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Viewpoint: We Cannot Afford to Surrender to COVID-19 Now – Kevin Kavanagh, MD

…The irony is the latest round of CDC relaxations comes at the same time as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released guidance that an individual should have 3 negative rapid home tests over 5 days before one can be assured that you are not spreading the virus. A study from Yale University found that routine testing of participants immediately before an event decreased spread by more than 40%, and research from Harvard and the Boston Public Health Commission has reported that schools that abandoned masking requirements had an increase in COVID-19. This increase accounted for 30% of the COVID-19 cases in the school districts.

All these changes are all happening in the backdrop of a flood of studies detailing the dangers of long COVID-19. The Netherlands recently released a controlled study which found 1 in 8 patients developed long COVID-19. The Brookings Institute estimates that 2.4% of the United States’ workforce is not working due to long COVID-19. Similar data has been produced in the United Kingdom where according to the United Kingdom’s “Office for National Statistics cited by Saunders, 1.9% of the adult UK population—1.2 million people—report that their activity is limited ‘to an extent’ or ‘a lot’ by long COVID-19,” and that long COVID-19 is a main driver in the UK’s work forces shrinking by 440,000 workers.

Long COVID-19 also does not spare children, and 80% of children in the United States have had SARS-CoV-2. The CDC recently released a study finding that children can develop long COVID-19, and those afflicted have higher rates of serious illness, including myocarditis and cardiomyopathy (1.99 times more likely), thromboembolism (1.87 to 2.01 times more likely), Type 1 Diabetes (1.23 times more likely) and acute and unspecified kidney failure (1.32 times more likely)…

Source: Viewpoint: We Cannot Afford to Surrender to COVID-19 Now

HHS says it plans to extend Covid-19 public health emergency – POLITICO (Me: Whew…)

State and local public health officials — having not heard differently this week — are expecting the Biden administration to extend the Covid-19 public health emergency for another 90 days in mid-October.

An extension would ensure expanded Medicaid coverage, telehealth services, boosted payments to hospitals and other pandemic measures remain in place beyond the midterm elections even as public health experts and lawmakers debate the merits of a PHE that was first declared in January 2020.

“The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency remains in effect and as HHS committed to earlier, we will provide a 60-day notice to states before any possible termination or expiration,” an HHS spokesperson told POLITICO.

The administration has not notified groups, including the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Federation of American Hospitals and the American Public Health Association, that the PHE would end, a courtesy HHS has said it would issue 60 days before the Covid-19 declaration is terminated. The 60-day notice would have been issued early this week under that pledge.

“Silence from the administration means that the public health emergency will almost certainly be extended into January 2023,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Source: HHS says it plans to extend Covid-19 public health emergency – POLITICO

Back to the Blue | Millikin University (Covid rules)

Guidelines for individuals who test positive for COVID-19:

  • Students:  It is preferred that you isolate off-campus at your permanent home address if possible. If this is not possible, you may have options to isolate in your current residential space. Upon testing positive, you must report the results to Campus Life (campuslife@millikin.edu) during business hours and after hours to Public Safety at 217.464.8888. Residential students may also contact their RA. Student-athletes must also report a positive COVID-19 test to their coaching staff. Students should not attend in-person classes or activities for at least 5 days and up to 10 days if symptoms have not improved by day 6.

Source: Back to the Blue | Millikin University