Don’t wait for a vaccine

I've heard several politicians say we'll have to go very slow to reopen the economy until we have a vaccine. Hogwash.

There is no vaccine for AIDS; the vaccine for shingles only works for some; there are promising vaccines in the works for malaria which kills and cripples over a million a year, but nothing completely acceptable (and environmentalists removed the only safe protection, DDT, with no vaccine in sight); thousands of parents follow the advice they see on the internet and won't even accept measles, mumps and polio vaccines. Between the excruciatingly slow and thick government red tape and the outrage from various special interest groups about disparities and availability, it could be decades to get approval. The first black child who contracts covid19 after receiving a vaccine would have the 9th circuit throwing the whole thing out.

We don't have time, Governor DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton, to wait for approval of a vaccine. Democrats would call it racist, sexist, and homophobic if Trump even got it close to the finish line--and you know it!

You can go to Wal-Mart, but not church. Guest blogger, Michael Smith

“In Kentucky, you can go to Walmart or Target anytime you want without sanction but if you go to church, you'll be sentenced to 14 days of home confinement.

This is nuts.

Our elected leaders are flexing their tyrant muscles.

The WHO widely praised (and continue to praise) the Chinese for their clampdown in Wuhan - but what they did was to ban domestic travel to prevent the spread of the virus to Beijing and Shanghai - but curiously, the continued to allow international flights to Vancouver, San Francisco, LA and New York City.

With tyrants, you need to watch what they do rather than just listen to what they say.

Same with the government and elected officials here in our country. One should really question why unlimited travel and congregating at a Walmart is allowed and yet church congregations are not.

If government requires me to wear a mask and gloves when I am in public, I can accept that - but when they start telling me where I can and can't go, especially if it is to church, or I have to have papers signifying I have the right antibodies, we are going to have a problem.”

https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-governor-recording-license-plates-of-easter-sunday-churchgoers-ordering-them-to-14-day-quarantine?

We’ve gone too far

My son is in a hospital bed in my home office with a brain tumor, and my husband is in a hospital bed at Riverside Hospital with an undiagnosed heart problem (2 days of testing so far), and neither condition is caused by the virus. The draconian measures by the President's and Governor's task forces has dramatically impacted the health of both men and reduced my financial ability to care for them. It has shut out the people who could be helping me. We've gone too far; your family may be next.

OPINION - We've Gone Too Far
Apr 04, 2020 at 11:20 AM / By Steve Hallstrom

“I've gotten to the point where I feel that we've gone too far in playing it safe against the Coronavirus. Don't get me wrong. Some caution and personal responsibility are a good thing. But we are creating millions of people who sit at home shivering in fear as they lose their jobs, fitness, socialization and savings. There is a tremendous societal cost to this with the resulting addiction, suicide, hopelessness and isolation. These are harder to quantify but calls to suicide lines are up 3x. Read up on plasma and hydroxychloroquine. Great early results, and Cuomo said this morning that 20% of the ventilators in NY are sitting idle not being used. Most of us won't get it and if we do we won't know. If we DO get it, likely we'll get better. Listen to me. I'm not saying this is nothing. Never have. But you "all or nothings" out there have to realize there is a balance point here. 25% of small business people tell US Chamber they're on the verge of closing for good.

I'm biased here cause I'm in ownership but even if you hate small business owners, how about those who got a call last week saying your job is gone?

Unemployment? Please. That's no model for the dignity of doing your job well and won't make you whole financially. If Walmart can be open today with spacing restrictions then so can Kohl's. Let gyms set up new schedules, max 10 people and close every hour to clean. Let restaurants open with space between tables. Let theaters sell half the tickets with chairs in between.
There are ways to do this responsibly. Losing lives is awful. But remember comorbidity. Many of those dying were dying from other things before this came along. Losing freedom, health, commerce, savings, and opportunity is awful too. In a societal context, we understand we are part of a system. If I'm susceptible to something, I have the freedom to say don't come to visit me I might catch something or I might give it to you. In a free society we let the people make these decisions, not the government. You also have the right to dig a hole in your backyard and jump in it where you have no risk. If you're scared to go out to eat then don't do it. When government limits your constitutional rights, you stand in a danger zone, and that's what is happening.

Not saying anyone has to agree with me. And there are good points on both sides. But we've swung the balance too far. New York Mills should not be run like New York City. We've set a new world record in playing it safe. We need to have something to come back to after this is over.”

HT Diane McDermott for the article.

Ejection fraction—what is measured and what does it mean?

Bob had an echocardiogram on Friday and the LV ejection fraction was below 50%.  What does that mean?  According to Mayo clinic web page, https://www.mayoclinic.org/ejection-fraction/expert-answers/faq-20058286

“Ejection fraction is a measurement of the percentage of blood leaving your heart each time it contracts.

The heart contracts and relaxes. When your heart contracts, it ejects blood from the two pumping chambers (ventricles). When your heart relaxes, the ventricles refill with blood. No matter how forceful the contraction, the heart can never pump all blood out of a ventricle. The term "ejection fraction" refers to the percentage of blood that's pumped out of a filled ventricle with each heartbeat.

The ejection fraction is usually measured only in the left ventricle (LV). The left ventricle is the heart's main pumping chamber. It pumps oxygen-rich blood up into the upward (ascending) aorta to the rest of the body.

• An LV ejection fraction of 55 percent or higher is considered normal.
• An LV ejection fraction of 50 percent or lower is considered reduced.
• An LV ejection fraction between 50 and 55 percent is usually considered "borderline."

Ejection fraction is just one of many tests your doctor may use to determine how your heart works. But even with a normal ejection fraction, your overall heart function may not be normal. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about your heart.

Some things that may cause a reduced ejection fraction are:

• Weakness of the heart muscle, such as cardiomyopathy
• Heart attack that damaged the heart muscle
• Heart valve problems
• Long-term, uncontrolled high blood pressure

Ejection fraction can be measured with imaging techniques, including:

• Echocardiogram. This is the most common test used to measure ejection fraction. During an echocardiogram, sound waves are used to produce images of your heart and the blood pumping through your heart.
• Cardiac catheterization. During cardiac catheterization, a thin, plastic tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery in your arm or leg and then gently guided to your heart. Images taken during catheterization can measure the ejection fraction of your heart.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of specific parts of your body. When an MRI is used to study the heart, it's known as a cardiovascular MRI.
• Computerized tomography (CT). During a CT scan, a special X-ray technique is used to create cross-sectional images of specific parts of your body. When a CT scan is used to study the heart, it's known as a cardiac CT.
• Nuclear medicine scan. During a nuclear scan, trace amounts of radioactive material are injected into your bloodstream. Special cameras then detect the radioactive material in your blood as it flows through your heart and lungs.”

More testing today, and we hope he’ll be home soon.

How is it treated? According to Healthline https://www.healthline.com/health/ejection-fraction#treatment

“There are a variety of treatment options for abnormal EF, including:

• Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), or beta-blockers. These medications can reduce the amount of hormones that weaken your heart muscle. They can also slow the progression of heart disease.
• Diuretics. These drugs can help get rid of excess fluid that’s causing swelling and shortness of breath.
• Eplerenone or spironolactone. These agents help you eliminate excess fluid and can help decrease stiffening of your heart.
• Biventricular pacemaker. This pacemaker helps to synchronize the contractions of your left and right ventricles so they’re working to their highest capacity.
• Implantable cardiac defibrillator. This device can be directly implanted into your chest. It sends small electrical triggers to your heart to keep it beating regularly.
• Hydralazine-nitrate. These two drugs have been successful in lowering blood pressure in people who still have symptoms when taking ACE, ARBs, and beta-blockers.”

Why an echocardiogram?

Bob was taken to the ER last night after a week or two if discomfort, and in my non-medical opinion, his primary care physician dropping the ball.  If this were ordinary times he probably would have seen her as soon as he felt shortness of breath.  A call back after his EKG on Tuesday might have helped his anxiety.   It was determined he was in A-fib, and this morning he had an echo.  So I looked that up, and this is what Sanjay Gupta says about that, and why those with a-fib should have one.

“It is painless, harmless, readily available in most hospitals and can give a large amount of very useful information about the structure and function of the heart.

As atrial fibrillation can be caused by a structural problem with the heart such as heart valve disease or heart muscle weakness, the echo can help to elucidate the underlying cause of the AF.

Secondly, the echo can help assess the size of the atria. If the atria look very enlarged then it makes it more unlikely that the heart can be restored to a normal rhythm.

Thirdly, one important risk factor for strokes in patients with AF is the presence of heart failure. The echo can easily identify if the heart is weak and therefore help with risk assessment.

Fourthly, sometimes when the heart rate is excessively fast due to AF and not adequately controlled, the heart itself can start weakening. This is called a tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. The echo can identify a tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy and therefore guide appropriate treatment. The good news is that with appropriate rate control treatment, a tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy can easily be reversed.

Finally, some heart rhythm control medications such as Flecainide should not be used in patients with structural heart disease. A normal echocardiogram is reassuring with this regard and allows such medications to be used.”

https://drsanjayguptacardiologist.com/blog/why-everyone-with-afib-should-have-an-echocardiogram/

Tom Cotton on the Afghanistan War and draw down

“Nineteen and a half years after the War in Afghanistan began, President Trump is moving forward with a plan to draw down the number of American forces there. The longest U.S war in history began October 7, 2001 when the U.S. and allies drove the Taliban from power. The Islamic extremist group had allowed al-Qaeda to operate and plan the September 11 terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. I recently spoke with Senator Tom Cotton who is on the Armed Services Committee. He served in Afghanistan while in the Army in 2008.”

https://sharylattkisson.com/2020/04/watch-troop-drawdown-in-afghanistan/?

http://fullmeasure.news/news/terrorism-security/afghanistan-troop-drawdown

Something’s not right.

It's just not right. Today my husband drove a mile to a small hardware store to buy an additional recycled material container for trash day. With all the medical and nutritional plastic we're generating for Phil’s illness, our usual bin isn't enough. That's essential? A recycle bin? We can't sit in our cars in a church parking lot for Easter but we can park in a hardware store lot? The "cure" has become worse than the disease. And Trump will be blamed either way.

When data don’t tell the truth

There are vast differences of opinions about this, left and right and middle. But if a 95 year old breaks a hip playing tennis, dies of pneumonia in the hospital, and upon testing is found to have coronavirus (which had not kept him off the courts), I just don't see that as a coronavirus19 death, not matter how Dr. Brix and Dr. Amy Acton (Ohio Dept. of Health) dig through the data and advise the president and Ohio's governor.

Note from a friend on the current situation

“I thought toilet paper hoarding was bad.  Well freezers are worse.  I went to a small Sears store this am as I needed some parts.  The store manager was on the phone and he sold a freezer over the phone.  I asked him if selling a freezer over the phone was normal?  He said yes.  He said he sells many every day over the phone.  He said he has no freezer inventory, all the incoming order product is sold, and his future orders he was placing today are all sold.  He said the factories are running like crazy but they can not keep up.  As I was leaving a couple talked to him or more appropriately begged him to sell a floor model.  Unfortunately I would bet no freezers are made in the USA any more.  The last time I looked at a new refrigerator we bought a FEW MONTHS AGO IT SAID MADE IN MEXICO.”

Note: there are still appliances made in the U.S.A. http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/appliances.html

The hydroxychloroquine flap

It is so frustrating to see the Democrats in media still hoping this drug will fail.  PSA: Not all drugs work for all people. THC helps some and not others. Aspirin is a miracle drug for many but doesn't help everyone. Many cannot use Tylenol. Ever talk to someone trying to get just the right Parkinson's treatment--one size/treatment doesn't work. And statins? Oh my--cripples some with mysterious muscle problems and cures others. I use fish oil for bursitis, and even if it is a placebo, it works for me--maybe not for you. Peer review articles by researchers don't always agree. Politics seems to be the best disinfectant going these days--wiping the brain cells of Trump haters clean

Dr. Anna Meenan says they can get away with it for now, because it has a strange name that no one except the doctors and the president can pronounce, and it's normally used for unusual indications (malaria prevention, lupus). It is no more dangerous than penicillin (allergic reactions and rashes in some people) in short term use. If someone discovered that penicillin seemed to work on this virus, you can bet they would be clamoring for it. The data is looking better and better for hydroxychloroquine when used early in the course of the illness. I predict those MSM pundits will have to eat their words eventually. It's not a cure-all, but it will have a place in treatment.

Diane McDermott says India had banned the export of this drug. Trump called them and told them to end the ban, that we want that drug and that we need it. India 2 days later ends the export ban and supplies us with the drug.

Sam Sorbo has some ideas for homeschoolers

Texas Home School Coalition and Sam Sorbo, an accomplished actress, author, homeschool mom and advocate have partnered together to help provide families these immediate, easy-to-use resources in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

https://coronavirushomeschooling.com/

“Millions of families have suddenly and unexpectedly been stranded at home, potentially through September, without any game plan to educate their kids. This is unprecedented, and requires an unprecedented response. We mobilized our entire team and have worked around-the-clock to produce excellent daily lesson plans beginning with grades K through 5. Using our website, every parent has immediate access to this free resource, as well as support from our team of education professionals,” said Sam Sorbo, Spokesperson for Texas Home School Coalition. “We are rolling out new resources every week, for children of all ages, so that parents have the vibrant, comprehensive, necessary resources to teach at home. COVID-19 may
shut down our schools, but the learning shouldn’t have to stop, as we empower parents to take the reins and continue their childrens’ education at home in the coming months.” 

Pandemic planning

"Needs vs. Wants vs. Desires During the Coronavirus."

I saw this as a topic in an article on financial planning. Events or relationships that don't cost anything would be at the top for me.

Attending church.

Coffee with a friend.

Walking with neighbors.

Concert in a city park.

Browsing the public library shelves.

Emergency authorization for Covid-19

“The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization of Abbott’s newest coronavirus test, which can read out positive results within 5 minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. The portable ID NOW machine, which will run the SARS-CoV-2 test, can be used in doctor’s offices, expanding the availability of testing beyond hospital and laboratory settings, and the company aims to produce 50,000 tests daily starting next week.”  The Scientist

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/fda-gives-abbott-emergency-use-of-five-minute-coronavirus-test-67351?

If everyone does a little. . .

Regardless of what you hear, don't be greedy or stupid and hurt others. Pay your tithe; pay your rent; pay your mortgage; pay your utility bills; if you still have a local store that uses a tab, pay them. If you have discretionary money, buy local and leave a big tip. Exchange services if you can. If you don't like anything Biblical, just call it stone soup.

Optimism about Covid-19

Want some good (or at least better) news? If your liberal friends deny it, the author is probably on the right track.

"First, the rate of increase in deaths from COVID-19 is decreasing, in the United States and in most countries. That means there is a slowing of deaths, not just the calculated mortality rate, a different statistic that will keep decreasing as we unveil a larger number of people carrying the virus with mild or no symptoms. In the United States as well as in Italy, Spain and other countries most heavily impacted, there is a significant slowing in added deaths. This is evidence that isolation policies are working."

And second. . .

And third . . .

https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/490582-the-case-for-optimism?

The president, his critics, and coronavirus

The President took action on the coronavirus plague a month before the first death in a Washington nursing home. That isn't good enough for Democrats, who apparently always thought the federal government should control everything--as long as a Democrat was president.

I think we'll see more impeachment charges for Trump listening to advisers. Or not listening. Or giving an uninformed opinion like all of us on FB. Or trusting God. Or praying with conservative Christians. Or using the media too often. Or firing or replacing someone. Or not firing someone the left hates. Or appearing in public with no face mask. Or getting tested and alarming people. Or not getting tested and setting a bad example which then killed Great Aunt Tillie who was 95 with only one lung. And on, and on.

Michael Smith adds some perspective to death statistics

"I'm not trying to minimize the deaths from the Coronavirus pandemic but when I heard a report yesterday that now in New York, one person dies every 17 minutes due to the disease and that it could get to one person every 9 minutes.

So I checked to see if I could find comparable numbers anywhere on the CDC's website and here's what I found:

Mortality reason #1:
Number of deaths: 36,338
Deaths per 100,000 population: 11.2
Death rate - 1 person per every 15 minutes - comparable to the current mortality frequency of the pandemic in New York.

Mortality reason #2:
Number of deaths: 64,795
Deaths per 100,000 population: 19.9
Death rate: 1 person every 8 minutes - comparable to the predicted mortality frequency of the pandemic in New York.

Mortality reason #1 - unintentional falls.
Mortality reason #2 - unintentional poisonings.

One might think the moral panic is being stoked by the way this pandemic is being promoted in the media.

I don't know how to get people to look at this pandemic with any sense of proportionality - there's just too much fear out there that blocks any sense of rationality."

Thoughts on the current situation upon waking up at home today

I've been thinking . . .

1) One of the things that has been the most surprising to me in this latest crisis is the demand (and willingness) to cede all personal, local and state sovereignty to the federal government—by liberals, conservatives and even some libertarians and thousands of know-nothings who don't even vote.

2) What hasn’t been as surprising is It’s been exacerbated by the raging horror and hate for the president where everything he says, comments on or jokes about becomes front page news and taken out of context. I’ve briefly skimmed some of the federal guidelines established after the Swine flu epidemic of 2009-10 built on other disaster plans. I see no evidence that Clinton, Bush, Obama or Trump were expected to be knowledgeable about virology, epidemics, public health or supply and storage of medical products. They were expected to be managers of a disaster and appoint knowledgeable people.

3) Third, it is shocking to see that local communities and hospitals have not taken care of having their own people protected with proper equipment. Did they think everything bad happens only in LA or New York City? These are guidelines for states and local agencies to follow! Yes, there are some warehouses scattered around the country in case of bioterrorism, but those supplies (and extremely secret locations) are not necessarily suitable for a virus. The make-up of committees or task forces is not in concrete, nor are the budgets. The opportunity for political machinations and pork are spectacular, and the bidding process probably follows long established murky procedures and regulations developed the last 50 years for another war—the War on Poverty, many of which are being swept aside in the scramble to defeat this virus. There are minority set asides, exceptions for LGBTQ groups, demands for female appointments, environmental protection regulations, disability protections, climate change models, etc. all of which have protective, special interest groups which run to the media and claim they are being ignored or abused. That’s how abortion pork got into Pelosi’s wish list about Covid-19—she is politically supported by Planned Parenthood. If the CDC seems sluggish or bloated, it's because increasingly it's been expected to achieve social change goals, not medical.

4) 25 year old reporters who don’t even remember 9/11 are getting their opinions published and faces on the evening news; the rumor mill is grinding away; people are panicked by every suggestion, some as wild as Trump has killed someone who drank fish tank cleaner in hopes of obtaining a cure. 80 year old bloggers or Facebookers of my generation are making false assumptions based on their own immunity built up during their lifetimes, bringing with it their political gripes.

5) I’d rather have various companies within the supply chain—from McDonald’s to Microsoft to Meier’s-- doing their best to serve, keep their people employed and make a profit, than to listen to a party hack like Pelosi that is pushing for socialism so we’d all be on the same page and under the same umbrella leading us to failure and disaster. Let’s at least go down fighting that system.

Thoughts on bizarre behavior of the anti-Trumpers

The PA at Marc's was playing good (you can sing it) music this morning, and paused to apologize for shortages (although there were very few), and then reminded us: "We will get through this with everyone working together." Now, when the President says that, my Democrat friends call him a liar and idiot, then repeat smears about Fox News which continues to flash the light at the end of their dark tunnel. When a discount grocery clerk with a pleasant voice and an essential job says it, we all smile and nod. Even the Democrats. Funny what politics does to otherwise smart people.

Many drugs that were used for other viruses are being repurposed and researched for use with Covid19. If Trump mentioned them in one of the many TV briefings, then you'll see media reports denying their usefulness. Media would rather you die than support anything Trump says. Just so you know, check out the NIH/NLM LitCovid data base. Today's entries are from March 26. There you can hear the experts agree, disagree or confirm just about anything about Covid19 and various body parts, transmission, countries, opinions, etc.  But the governor of Michigan is forbidding doctors to prescribe the malaria off label drug for treating this virus while it’s being further tested.  She hates Trump that much—he’d spoken hopefully about it in a news conference.  Some people are so unhinged about the president it will cost someone their life~~

Members of the President's Covid19 task force who sound hopefully cautious are now being accused by the mob and its media of being Trumpsters. You know, there were a lot of Americans who didn't like FDR in 1941 for the take overs and failures of the 1930s. They believed, and it's been shown in many academic studies since, that there were Communists among his advisors (and also Eleanor's). But they sucked it up and supported the war effort.

The covid virus song—really cute.

https://www.facebook.com/chaya.parkoff/videos/10219750438745903/