Off the shore of Greenpoint on this sunny Tuesday afternoon, three dolphins were spotted swimming in the East River. Yes, dolphins! You can breathe easy, fellow pandemic-weary New Yorkers—for what better omen exists for welcoming the spring. Source: Three Dolphins Spotted Frolicking In East River Near Greenpoint – Gothamist
Category Archives: News to use
Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works
Silence — normabobb

Photo credited to Pexels.com There is never a choice between being silent or having to be silenced. We are as free as the Sparrows who sings because they can. We speak because we can and we refuse to be gagged. © Norma Bobb-Semple 2021
Silence — normabobb
Cold infections could help stave off coronavirus infections – study – The Jerusalem Post
Scottish researchers have found that antibodies accumulated during the common cold can serve as a level of protection against the novel coronavirus.
Research performed by the University of Glasgow creates an argument that the human rhinovirus “triggers an innate immune response” that blocks coronavirus replication in the respiratory tract, the university said.
Previous research has shown that when human rhinovirus infections come into contact with other respiratory viruses, the “type and severity” are generally affected, normally in the virus’ ability to spread.Source: Cold infections could help stave off coronavirus infections – study – The Jerusalem Post
Brazil posts record single-day toll of 3,251 virus deaths – The Washington Post
Brazil has reported more than 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day for the first time amid calls for the government and the new health minister to take action to stem the nation’s resurgence of coronavirus infections
Source: Brazil posts record single-day toll of 3,251 virus deaths – The Washington Post
Myanmar Crackdown Drives Urban Exodus to Countryside as Junta Blames Protesters For Violence — Radio Free Asia
Myanmar’s junta warned journalists Tuesday against reporting on a shadow government made up of elected lawmakers deposed in last month’s coup, while army gunfire claimed its youngest victim, and fear and fatigue after seven weeks of escalating military violence drove an exodus of migrant workers from major cities.
The military regime that ousted the elected government of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in its third news conference since the Feb. 1 coup, repeated unsubstantiated claims that election fraud prompted the military takeover, and — also without proof — blamed protesters for violence that has killed hundreds of civilians.
Extremist Groups Still Found to Be Thriving on Facebook
Despite these pages violating Facebook’s ban on posts that glorify violence, Avaaz found that 119 of the pages were still active as of March 18 and had a combined 27 million followers. Upon reviewing the 119 pages, Facebook told AP that only 18 “actually violated” the company’s policy, and they were removed from the site by Tuesday. That fact alone makes me a little skeptical about how extensive Facebook’s ban on extremism really is. The company told AP the Avaaz’s report isn’t an accurate representation of its efforts to combat extremism.
Source: Extremist Groups Still Found to Be Thriving on Facebook
Senate Confirms Vivek Murthy as Surgeon General – The New York Times
Dr. Murthy will return as surgeon general at a critical moment, as the president tries to steer the nation out of the worst public health crisis in a century while expanding access to health care for millions of Americans. During his confirmation hearing, he told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that he would make ending the coronavirus pandemic his highest priority.
Vaccination Time for Jamaican Seniors
Needless to say, we were happy to see the blue boxes carried in. And when they had organized themselves, the health workers started bustling around; beginning with some public education and counselling. Patients went on to the “jab” (I felt a sudden surge of anxiety for my husband at this point, and hovered around like a mother hen!) and then to the “recovery room,” where the vaccinated ones (vaccinees?) sat for twenty minutes to make sure they did not have any immediate adverse effects. After that, we checked out with another health worker and have an appointment for my husband to have his second shot on June 1 – a little under three months from now.
This morning was an interesting experience. My dear husband, who falls in the over-75 bracket, received an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine. This is the much-discussed AstraZeneca, which is the first vaccine that Jamaica has received, to date. By the way, Jamaica was the first Caribbean country to receive vaccines through the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility (which, so far, has been disappointingly low in terms of supplies).

We are on our doctor’s list. Professor Dr. Eldemire-Shearer is a very special person to us. She has been our family doctor since “way back when,” and she also happens to be in charge of theMona Ageing and Wellness Centre at the University of the West Indies (UWI). She is also Patron of the National Council for Senior Citizens (a government entity) and Honorary Chair of the Caribbean…
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Brazil’s COVID-19 crisis affecting nearby countries | CIDRAP
Brazil’s dire situation is affecting neighboring countries, with cases rising in Venezuela’s border states of Bolivar and Amazonas. Etienne said cases are also increasing in Bolivia’s Pando department, with ICU occupancy very high in Loreto department in northern Peru. Source: Brazil’s COVID-19 crisis affecting nearby countries | CIDRAP
Officials reexamining AstraZeneca COVID vaccine data | CIDRAP – (Regular news media is making people think something is wrong with flashy headlines – read this if you want to know what is going on)
In a statement, NIAID said it is urging AstraZeneca to work with the DSMB and provide the panel with the most recent efficacy data available. Today, AstraZeneca responded that it would comply with the request.
Source: Officials reexamining AstraZeneca COVID vaccine data | CIDRAP
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