Category Archives: News to use

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

Covid19 Vaccine: Asthma Patients Off Priority Group 6 List – Invisibly Me (UK still putting very vulnerable people at risk)

It now appears that only those with ‘severe asthma’ and lung conditions will be in group 6. It’s been found that the government has separately stated in the ‘Covid-19 green book’ that priority group asthmatics need to be on ‘regular systemic steroids’, meaning oral steroids for a number of months. Those with ‘well controlled’ or ‘non-severe’ asthma are no longer considered a priority for vaccination.

While Asthma UK claims to have been asking for clarity from the government for quite some time on this issue many patients have taken to social media to state their feelings of having been ‘let down’ or ‘sold out’ by the charity for not fighting on their behalf.

Those with non-severe asthma and lung conditions will now have to wait until after all 9 priority groups have been offered the vaccination, at which point they’ll be called up by age group. This could mean that a 30 year old with asthma is being vaccinated at the same time as a fit and healthy 30 year old athlete.

Source: Covid19 Vaccine: Asthma Patients Off Priority Group 6 List – Invisibly Me

Obstacles

normabobb

Photo credited to Pexels.com

Obstacles are like mountains, we can stand and look at it pleading that it disappears, it won’t. Solutions aren’t outside of us, they are within us. We can ride any wave if we know we won’t drown. All the power and knowledge we need is within us, let’s create space to commune with our spirit within so that we can draw on our power.

© Norma Bobb-Semple 2021

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ASIA/MYANMAR – Rise of the “Civil Disobedience Movement”: appeal to stop the arrests of citizens

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Yangon – “Our appeal is to stop the illegal arrests of citizens made during the night. We will continue to nurture the Civil Disobedience Movement that thousands of people of good will, of all cultures, social classes, ethnic groups, religions are pushing forward across the country. We want to express our peaceful but firm dissent towards the military government. We want to be inspired by Gandhi and the non-violence of the Gospel”. This is what Joseph Kung Za Hmung, Burmese Catholic layman and Director of the Burmese Catholic newspaper Gloria News Journal, told Agenzia Fides about the social situation in Myanmar in the aftermath of the military coup that subverted the results of the November democratic elections on 1 February.
Jospeh Kung tells Fides: “The Civil Disobedience Movement is growing stronger day by day and currently involves personnel from all ministries, even if the military are asking them to return to work for the proper administration of the country. Many have refused to return to work in their ministries, both at the federal government level, and in offices at the regional level, within the country”.
On the tenth day of civil disobedience, Myanmar is still crisscrossed by street demonstrations calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, arrested in the aftermath of the coup that saw Tatmadaw resume the power it left in 2015 in the hands of the first Burmese civil government.
Despite the fears that spread over the weekend, the day saw a continuous head-to-head between the police and demonstrators but not the hardening of the attitude of the police expected due to the deployment of armored vehicles and the presence of equivocal characters in the most important areas of towns. There were fears of the repetition of the provocations made in 1988 by groups of criminals, which had provided the army with a pretext to bloody suppress student protests against the military dictatorship. Groups of citizens therefore organized themselves autonomously, instituting surveillance patrols and rounds which isolated these characters, many of whom could have been recruited from among the 23,000 inmates released by the junta in recent days to empty the prisons – where there are now some 400 political dissidents – and perhaps to use some of them as agents provocateurs.
The new government, which has taken the name of “State Administrative Council”, has meanwhile suspended the law the protection of privacy, thus legitimizing arrests and searches carried out without a warrant, while a new law on cyber-security is being prepared with the task of managing social networks and the spread of the Internet on a new legal basis. These are activities that the country cannot do without but which can be managed through protection software and systems to control telematic activity.
On the International level, in the meantime, pressure has increased on the eve of Aung San Suu Kyi’s court hearing in Naypyidaw which, scheduled for today, was postponed for no reason to the day after tomorrow. It is not known whether the President will also be questioned. The two leaders are accused of violating import laws and anti Covid restrictions. While the United States has already launched economic sanctions and a dozen embassies have published yet another communiqué condemning possible new violence, UN Secretary General António Guterres yesterday called on Myanmar’s military and police to ensure that the right of peaceful assembly is “fully respected” and that protesters “are not subject to reprisals”. Three days ago, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada al-Nashif noted that a lack of action on violations committed by the military Burmese, “encouraged” them by contributing to the current crisis and that the indiscriminate use of weapons against peaceful demonstrators – he added – is “unacceptable” since “more violence against the people of Myanmar will only aggravate the illegality of the coup and the guilt of its leaders”.

ECDC Technical Report: Using Face Masks in the Community – Effectiveness In Reducing Transmission Of COVID-19

I suspect that 10 or 20 years from now, after enough time has passed to dispassionately analyse this COVID-19 pandemic, one of our biggest failures will seen as our not immediately producing – on a war footing – massive quantities of medical grade PPEs for Healthcare workers, and `standardized’ face covers for everyone else.

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I suspect that 10 or 20 years from now, after enough time has passed to dispassionately analyse this COVID-19 pandemic, one of our biggest failures will seen as our not immediately producing – on a war footing – massive quantities of medical grade PPEs for Healthcare workers, and `standardized’ face covers for everyone else.

We’ve known for well over a decade that we’d face huge shortages of PPEs (see 2009’s Caught With Our Masks Down) during any pandemic, and yet the world did nothing substantial to prepare. 

How we find ourselves –  a year into this pandemic – still faced with shortages of N95s for HCWs, and the public continuing to struggle with a hodgepodge of sketchy commercial and/or homemade face covers simply boggles the mind.

In Asian nations where public mask wearing has been nearly universal (Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, etc.), COVID-19 remains largely suppressed.  Not that face masks offer perfect protection; they don’t.  

But when consistently and correctly worn, they have been shown to reduce the transmission of COVID. 

A recent MMWR Study (see below) found that when properly fitted and worn, even non-medical face masks can reduce exposure from infected wearers and reduce exposure of uninfected wearers. 

Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021


Early Release / February 10, 2021 / 70
Please note:. This report has been corrected.

John T. Brooks, MD1; Donald H. Beezhold, PhD2; John D. Noti, PhD2; Jayme P. Coyle, PhD2; Raymond C. Derk, MS2; Francoise M. Blachere, MS2; William G. Lindsley, PhD2

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Universal masking is recommended to slow the spread of COVID-19. Cloth masks and medical procedure masks substantially reduce exposure from infected wearers (source control) and reduce exposure of uninfected wearers (wearer exposure).

What is added by this report?

CDC conducted experiments to assess two ways of improving the fit of medical procedure masks: fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, and knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face. Each modification substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure.

What are the implications for public health?

These experiments highlight the importance of good fit to maximize mask performance. There are multiple simple ways to achieve better fit of masks to more effectively slow the spread of COVID-19. 

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Today the ECDC has published a 31-page Technical Report on the use of face masks (both medical and non-medical) by the public to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. 
The quality of the evidence on the effectiveness of non-medical grade masks is admittedly scant and of low certainty, mostly because few studies have been conducted, and there is no universal `standard‘ for these types of PPEs. 
Nevertheless, the ECDC recommends the use of both medical and (in some circumstances) non-medical face covers by the public in situations where the virus is circulating and exposure is likely. 

I’ve reproduced the executive summary below, which includes their recommendations for mask wearing, but you’ll want to follow the link to download and read the report in its entirety. 

Using face masks in the community: first update – Effectiveness in reducing transmission of COVID-19


Technical report
15 Feb 2021 

This technical report reviews the evidence that has been accumulated since the emergence of COVID-19, in addition to what has existed on this topic prior to the pandemic, and updates the ECDC opinion on the suitability of using face masks in the community published on 9 April 2020.


Executive summary

The role of face masks in the control and prevention of COVID-19 remains an issue of debate. Prior to COVID-19, most studies assessing the effectiveness of face masks as a protective measure in the community came from studies on influenza, which provided little evidence to support their use.

Assessment of the evidence

The evidence regarding the effectiveness of medical face masks for the prevention of COVID-19 in the community is compatible with a small to moderate protective effect, but there are still significant uncertainties about the size of this effect. Evidence for the effectiveness of non-medical face masks, face shields/visors and respirators in the community is scarce and of very low certainty.

Additional high-quality studies are needed to assess the relevance of the use of medical face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic.


Recommendations

Although the evidence for the use of medical face masks in the community to prevent COVID-19 is limited, face masks should be considered as a non-pharmaceutical intervention in combination with other measures as part of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking into account the available evidence, the transmission characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the feasibility and potential harms associated with the use of various types of face masks, the following options are proposed:

  • In areas with community transmission of COVID-19, wearing a medical or non-medical face mask is recommended in confined public spaces and can be considered in crowded outdoor settings.
  • For people vulnerable to severe COVID-19, such as the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions, the use of medical face masks is recommended as a means of personal protection in the above-mentioned settings.
  • In households, the use of medical face masks is recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19 or confirmed COVID-19 and for the people who share their household.
  • Based on the assessment of the available scientific evidence, no recommendation can be made on the preferred use of medical or non-medical face masks in the community.
  • When non-medical face masks are used, it is advisable that masks that comply with available guidelines for filtration efficacy and breathability are preferred.


The very limited scientific evidence regarding the use of respirators in the community does not support their mandatory use in place of other types of face masks in the community. Although respirators would not be expected to be inferior to non-medical or medical face masks, the difficulties to ensure their appropriate fitting and use in community settings as well as potential adverse effects related to lower breathability should be taken into account.

The use of face masks in the community should complement and not replace other preventive measures such as physical distancing, staying home when ill, teleworking if possible, respiratory etiquette, meticulous hand hygiene and avoiding touching the face, nose, eyes and mouth.

The appropriate use of face masks and promoting compliance with their use when recommended as public health measures are key to the effectiveness of the measure and can be improved through education campaigns.

Using face masks in the community: first update – Effectiveness in reducing transmission of COVID-19 – EN – [PDF-702.58 KB]

15th Day of February – Fatcowco – 1949 – Excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves start where the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls found.

1949 – Excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves start where the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls found.

Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves on February 15, 1949, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.

Qumran Caves are a series of caves, some natural, some artificial, found around the archaeological site of Qumran in the Judaean Desert of the West Bank.

1949 – Excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves start where the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls is found.

The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish religious manuscripts that were found in the Qumran Caves in the Judaean Desert, near Ein Feshkha on the northern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank.

Source: 15th Day of February – Fatcowco