Masthash

#BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
9 hours ago

Counties by adult hospital capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Berkeley, SC ≥150%
⒉ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒊ Barton, KS ≥150%
⒋ Chatham, GA ≥150%
⒌ Charleston, SC ≥150%

⒍ Marshall, KY—136%

⒎ Smyth, VA—116%
⒏ Buchanan, MO—110%
⒐ Wise, VA—108%
⒑ Yuma, AZ—108%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
10 hours ago

Some 42 (-4) counties ≥ 100% capacity per HHS data.

Reporting ≥ 90%: 192 (+2)—near 8% of those with any capacity. This includes surge and overflow beds: near full can mean E/Rs with day-long wait times.

For counties w/ ICUs—near one in six are full or near full.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Map: Adult Hospital & ICU Capacity by County Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Sept 16, 2023 [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Shows a color scale of 7-day average adult inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average adult inpatient beds staffed for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks, reflecting state-level reported capacity. Patterns of black circles represent counties where adult ICUs are near full; circles are filled in where adult ICUs are entirely full. Sparse grey dots show areas where no ICU beds are reported. Most of the map is dark red-orange, with splotches of lighter orange-yellow in the interior, mostly in the Rockies. Black indicators heavily pepper the map.
anarchademic
15 hours ago

OSHA Must Protect Workers!
DEADLINE IS 9/29!

OSHA is taking public comment through Friday Sept 29

#CovidIsNotOver
#BringBackMasks
#N95
#OSHA

https://peoplescdc.substack.com/p/osha-must-protect-workers

The Vertlartnic: International [image: painting of two people sitting in a garden, one in a wheelchair] Amid An Uptick in Covid Infections, Minimisers and Vulnerable People Are Divided Over the Need for Masks in Health Care Settings
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 day ago

Counties by pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒉ Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK ≥133⅓%
⒊ Dawson, NE ≥133⅓%

Idaho—128%

⒋ Fairfax, VA—114%

⒌ Potter, TX—100%
⒍ Collin, TX—100%
⒎ Somerset, NJ—100%
⒏ Bonneville, ID—100%
⒐ Anoka, MN—100%
⒑ Onslow, NC—100%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 day ago

Some 233 (+5) counties have pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 269 (+1) counties reporting any PICU capacity, over one in five are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Map: Pediatric Hospital & PICU Capacity by County & State Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Sept 16, 2023 Shows a color scale of 7-day average inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average inpatient beds staff for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to light yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks reflecting state-level average. Sparse grey dots show vast expanses where no PICU beds are reported. Dense patterns of black dots represent counties where PICUs are full or near full. Much of the map is hatched red-orange with grey dots, with purple-red-orange counties. Scattered yellow, mostly in Mississippi watershed. Black and black-dotted counties can be spied in all regions. The state of Idaho stands out as a purple-grey hatch surrounded red/orange/yellow hatches in surrounding states.
PORKPIE :neurodiversity:
1 day ago

"Continuous” masking huh? Always with the wordplay, this one. 🙄 This is better than doing nothing (which is BC's usual approach) but only just barely. They are still only recommending health care workers “self-monitor for signs and symptoms of illness prior to work and staying home when actively sick.” 🫠 ("Actively" is doing a lot of work there.) #BCpoli #DBH #COVID #BringBackMasks

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/continuous-masking-returning-to-b-c-hospitals-clinics-care-homes-1.6580288

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 days ago

Pediatric staffing never recovered to pre-omicron levels. Rather, near one in five pediatric beds reported May of 2022: now missing. (There's been a very slight recovery in recent weeks.)

PICU Capacity Level (not shown): 68%.

Weekly average ~150 PICU beds were covid patients.

We're failing our kids. The emergency is over.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Pediatric Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for pediatric Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through September 16, 2023. Hash marks—indicating PICU beds—overlay bottom of each stacked area. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (86%), Pediatric Capacity Level (67%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied pediatric beds to total staffed pediatric beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals with pediatric beds reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. Capacity was climbing toward 55K, with climbing occupancy, before plummeting to under 10K in Jan '22. Feb '22 saw gain toward 45K; above in May of that year, before trending down to now well below 40K.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 days ago

Capacity Level has been elevated since independence from the virus was declared two summers ago—as fewer and fewer professionals are available to staff hospital beds.

Critical Staffing Level, already at 2021 levels, has been further elevated for months now—with over one in nine reporting hospitals at critical shortage.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Hospital Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through September 16, 2023. Hash marks overlay bottom of each stacked area—indicating ICU beds. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Hospital Capacity Level (75%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied beds to total staffed beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. From October 2020 forward, top of the total stack trends downward. A diagonal notation along the top edge reads: "Reported staffed beds have been declining on average ~800 a week for ~2 8⁄₉ years." [There's been a slight recovery in recent weeks.]
Ron Chusid :verified:
5 days ago

In Hospitals, Viruses Are Everywhere. Masks Are Not.

#COVID #BringBackMasks https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/23/health/hospitals-masking-mandates.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Denis - The COVID info guy -
5 days ago

By Scott Squires @scott_squires

COVID is airborne. The person you chatted with could have COVID and not know it. You may spread it to others before you know you have it.

#WearAMask #MaskUp #CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsntOver #CovidIsIAirborne #StopLongCovid #BringBackMasks #KeepMasksInHealthcare #DoNoHarm

Twitter/X source: https://twitter.com/scott_squires/status/1705744762735882474

Julie Webgirl - Just Your Luck
6 days ago

MRI scans showed abnormalities in people who had had severe #Covid:

...14 times more likely in the lungs

...3 times more likely in the brain

...2 times as likely in the kidneys

...no difference in the heart or liver

#LongCovid: MRI Scans Reveal New Clues to Symptoms
#CovidIsNotOver #MaskUp #N95 #BringBackMasks

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66890505

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 week ago

adult hospital capacity rank USpol

Counties by adult hospital capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Berkeley, SC ≥150%
⒉ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒊ Barton, KS ≥150%
⒋ Chatham, GA ≥150%
⒌ Charleston, SC ≥150%

⒍ Smyth, VA—150%
⒎ Marshall, KY—140%

⒏ Yuma, AZ—110%
⒐ Buchanan, MO—107%
⒑ Wise, VA—106%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 week ago

Some 46 (+5) counties ≥ 100% capacity per HHS data.

Reporting ≥ 90%: 190 (-6)—over 8⁷⁄₈% of those with any capacity. This includes surge and overflow beds: near full can mean E/Rs with day-long wait times.

For counties w/ ICUs—near one in six are full or near full.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Map: Adult Hospital & ICU Capacity by County Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Sept 9, 2023 [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Shows a color scale of 7-day average adult inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average adult inpatient beds staffed for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks, reflecting state-level reported capacity. Patterns of black circles represent counties where adult ICUs are near full; circles are filled in where adult ICUs are entirely full. Sparse grey dots show areas where no ICU beds are reported. Most of the map is dark red-orange, with splotches of lighter orange-yellow in the interior, mostly in the Rockies. Black indicators heavily pepper the map.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 week ago

Counties by pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Seminole, GA ≥150%

⒉ Anoka, MN—119%

Idaho—114%

⒊ Aroostook, ME—110%
⒋ Scott, MN—109%
⒌ Fairfax, VA—107%
⒍ Florence, SC—102%

⒎ Potter, TX—100%
⒏ Cayey Municipio, PR—100%
⒐ Bonneville, ID—100%
⒑ Onslow, NC—100%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 week ago

Some 228 (+3) counties have pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 268 (+11) counties reporting any PICU capacity, near one in five are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Map: Pediatric Hospital & PICU Capacity by County & State Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Sept 9, 2023 Shows a color scale of 7-day average inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average inpatient beds staff for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to light yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks reflecting state-level average. Sparse grey dots show vast expanses where no PICU beds are reported. Dense patterns of black dots represent counties where PICUs are full or near full. Much of the map is hatched red-orange with grey dots, with purple-red-orange counties. Scattered yellow, mostly in Mississippi watershed. Black and black-dotted counties can be spied in all regions. The state of Idaho stands out as a purple-grey hatch surrounded red/orange/yellow hatches in surrounding states.
World Wide Mask Map
1 week ago

USian followers: Mark your calendars for Sept 25, and make sure to get your tests!

Sign Up (also on our Linktree):
https://www.covid.gov/tests

We know 4 tests per household is a shamefully low allotment, but everyone should still get theirs. It proves we still care that covid remains a concern and a threat and that we demand more and better official support and protection to survive it.

Even if you can afford to purchase tests yourself, you can share them to larger families and households, as well as give them to free pantries or directly to your unhoused neighbors.

And remember to check ALL rapid tests you acquire against the FDA extended shelf life list! Don't risk throwing away unexpired kits!

And remember to check ALL rapid tests you acquire against the FDA extended shelf life list! (Also on our Linktree for easy locating.)

Don't risk throwing away unexpired kits!

Check yours here:
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidIsNotOver
#CovidCautious #CovidConscious
#MutualAid #HarmReduction
#WeKeepUsSafe #BringBackMasks
#MappingMasking #CovidTests

Screenshot from linked site. Text reads: COVID-19 Tests. Beginning September 25, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. Before You Throw Out "Expired" Tests: Check to see if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended. [Link]
Die_Primel
1 week ago

Orrr.... 🙄
"In summary, we found that BA.2.86 is antigenically distinct from XBB.1.5 and previous #Omicron variants, and can evade XBB-induced and XBB-effective neutralising antibodies targeting various epitopes. "

#pirola #BA286 #XBB15 #Covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(23)00573-X/fulltext

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 week ago

Pediatric staffing never recovered to pre-omicron levels. Rather, near one in five pediatric beds reported May of 2022: now missing. (There's been a very slight recovery in recent weeks.)

PICU Capacity Level (not shown): 67%.

Weekly average ~120 PICU beds were covid patients.

We're failing our kids. The emergency is over.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Pediatric Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for pediatric Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through September 9, 2023. Hash marks—indicating PICU beds—overlay bottom of each stacked area. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Pediatric Capacity Level (65%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied pediatric beds to total staffed pediatric beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals with pediatric beds reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. Capacity was climbing toward 55K, with climbing occupancy, before plummeting to under 10K in Jan '22. Feb '22 saw gain toward 45K; above in May of that year, before trending down to now well below 40K.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 week ago

Capacity Level has been elevated since independence from the virus was declared two summers ago—as fewer and fewer professionals are available to staff hospital beds.

Critical Staffing Level, already at 2021 levels, has been further elevated for months now—with over one in nine reporting hospitals at critical shortage.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Hospital Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through September 9, 2023. Hash marks overlay bottom of each stacked area—indicating ICU beds. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Hospital Capacity Level (74%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied beds to total staffed beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. From October 2020 forward, top of the total stack trends downward. A diagonal notation along the top edge reads: "Reported staffed beds have been declining on average ~830 a week for ~2 6⁄₇ years."
anarchademic
2 weeks ago

COVID-19: A NEW DISEASE PARADIGM
John Snow Project Editorial
14 September 2023

What if SARS-CoV-2 continues to infect us even after the initial symptoms fade?

#CovidIsNotOver
#BringBackMasks

https://johnsnowproject.org/insights/a-new-disease-paradigm/?

In light of the accumulating evidence, we propose a new paradigm for COVID-19: COVID-19 is a disease that has an acute and chronic phase. Both phases can be asymptomatic or symptomatic, and the severity and nature of symptoms in either phase depends on the host immune response, viral inoculum and location of infection. In the chronic phase, commonly known as Long COVID, many more people than those who exhibit symptoms of Long COVID, or perhaps everyone who has been infected by COVID-19, is on the same spectrum of T cell activation and may share as yet undiscovered characteristics of viral persistence or immune dysfunction, regardless of whether they experience Long COVID symptoms or not, and the experience of those symptoms, which may be associated with further immune perturbation on reinfection, may be related to the location and/or quantity of viral RNA/protein/replicating virus in persistent reservoirs.
Dame Holly
2 weeks ago

All masks also block pollen and grass seeds and are great for hayfever.

I see no downside to still masking - even outdoors. Especially in hayfever season.

#BringBackMasks

emeritrix
2 weeks ago

Be careful out there!

#CovidIsNotOver
#BringBackMasks

from Mike Hoerger @michael_hoerger at the bad place (x):
"The psychological dynamics are bleak. Expect the news media to focus on the fact that transmission is going down (the "good" news) instead of the much bigger picture that it's leveling off at very high rates (the very bad news). The over-optimism will likely undermine vaccinations and masking. The narrative should be "plan to take multi-layered precautions like using masks, getting boosters, and using remote options through January," but will more likely be "cases are headed back down.""
https://x.com/michael_hoerger/status/1702416143640564128?s=20

There is more COVID-19 transmission today than during 63.5% of the pandemic. CURRENT ESTIMATES FOR September 13, 2023 Wastewater Levels (copies/mL) 579 New Daily Cases 843,000 % of Population Infectious 1.76% (1 in 57 people) New Daily Long COVID Cases 42,000 to 169,000 WEEKLY ESTIMATES FOR September 13, 2023 New Weekly Cases 5,900,000 New Weekly Long COVID Cases 295,000 to 1,180,000 2023 CUMULATIVE ESTIMATES AS OF September 13, 2023 Total 2023 Cases To Date 175,200,000 Total 2023 Long COVID Cases To Date 8,760,000 to 35,040,000 4-WEEK FORECAST FOR October 11, 2023 Wastewater Levels (copies/mL) 479 (-17% lower) New Daily Cases 697,000 % of Population Infectious 1.46% (1 in 69 people) New Daily Long COVID Cases 35,000 to 139,000 What's the COVID Risk in an Office or in a Classroom? Number of People | Chances Anyone is Infectious 1 1.8% 2 3.5% 3 5.2% 4 6.9% 5 8.5% 6 10.1% 7 11.7% 8 13.3% 9 14.8% 10 16.3% 15 23.4% 20 29.9% 25 35.9% 30 41.4% 35 46.4% 40 50.9% 50 58.9%...
anarchademic
2 weeks ago

Be careful out there, folks.

#CovidIsNotOver
#BringBackMasks

"COVID levels are so high, they’re hovering near 2020’s initial peak, as the WHO urges those at high risk to take any booster they can get their hands on "
https://fortune.com/well/2023/09/16/united-states-covid-levels-approach-first-pandemic-peak-2020-who-urges-vaccination-boosters-high-risk/

https://x.com/michael_hoerger/status/1702416143640564128?s=20

There is more COVID-19 transmission today than during 63.5% of the pandemic. CURRENT ESTIMATES FOR September 13, 2023 Wastewater Levels (copies/mL) 579 New Daily Cases 843,000 % of Population Infectious 1.76% (1 in 57 people) New Daily Long COVID Cases 42,000 to 169,000 WEEKLY ESTIMATES FOR September 13, 2023 New Weekly Cases 5,900,000 New Weekly Long COVID Cases 295,000 to 1,180,000 2023 CUMULATIVE ESTIMATES AS OF September 13, 2023 Total 2023 Cases To Date 175,200,000 Total 2023 Long COVID Cases To Date 8,760,000 to 35,040,000 4-WEEK FORECAST FOR October 11, 2023 Wastewater Levels (copies/mL) 479 (-17% lower) New Daily Cases 697,000 % of Population Infectious 1.46% (1 in 69 people) New Daily Long COVID Cases 35,000 to 139,000 What's the COVID Risk in an Office or in a Classroom? Number of People | Chances Anyone is Infectious 1 1.8% 2 3.5% 3 5.2% 4 6.9% 5 8.5% 6 10.1% 7 11.7% 8 13.3% 9 14.8% 10 16.3% 15 23.4% 20 29.9% 25 35.9% 30 41.4% 35 46.4% 40 50.9% 50 58.9%...
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
2 weeks ago

Counties by adult hospital capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Berkeley, SC ≥150%
⒉ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒊ Marshall, KY ≥150%
⒋ Chatham, GA ≥150%
⒌ Charleston, SC ≥150%

⒍ Barton, KS—145%

⒎ Warren, NY—124%

⒏ Smyth, VA—111%
⒐ Ellis, OK—110%
⒑ Yuma, AZ—109%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
2 weeks ago

Some 41 (-11) counties ≥ 100% capacity per HHS data.

Reporting ≥ 90%: 196 (-7)—near 8⅙% of those with any capacity. This includes surge and overflow beds: near full can mean E/Rs with day-long wait times.

For counties w/ ICUs—over one in seven are full or near full.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Map: Adult Hospital & ICU Capacity by County Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Sept 2, 2023 [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Shows a color scale of 7-day average adult inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average adult inpatient beds staffed for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks, reflecting state-level reported capacity. Patterns of black circles represent counties where adult ICUs are near full; circles are filled in where adult ICUs are entirely full. Sparse grey dots show areas where no ICU beds are reported. Most of the map is dark red-orange, with splotches of lighter orange-yellow in the interior, mostly in the Rockies. Black indicators heavily pepper the map.
trendless
2 weeks ago

I haven't kept a super close eye on these Auras with the upgraded straps, but this is as cheap as I've seen: https://www.kmstools.com/3m-n95-2-strap-disposable%20dust-mask.html

$1.79/ea at KMSTools online or in-store :flag_BC: / :flag_AB:

#MaskUp #WearARespirator #BringBackMasks #N95

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
2 weeks ago

Counties by pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒉ Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK ≥133⅓%

Idaho—120%

⒊ Fairfax, VA—105%

⒋ Potter, TX—100%
⒌ Bonneville, ID—100%
⒍ Anoka, MN—100%
⒎ Onslow, NC—100%

⒏ Scott, MN—100%
⒐ Collin, TX—100%
⒑ Winnebago, WI—100%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
2 weeks ago

Some 225 (-4) counties have pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 257 (-3) counties reporting any PICU capacity, approaching one in seven are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Map: Pediatric Hospital & PICU Capacity by County & State Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Sept 2, 2023 Shows a color scale of 7-day average inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average inpatient beds staff for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to light yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks reflecting state-level average. Sparse grey dots show vast expanses where no PICU beds are reported. Dense patterns of black dots represent counties where PICUs are full or near full. Much of the map is hatched red-orange with grey dots, with purple-red-orange counties. Scattered yellow, mostly in Mississippi watershed. Black and black-dotted counties can be spied in all regions. The state of Idaho stands out as a purple-grey hatch surrounded red/orange/yellow hatches in surrounding states.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
2 weeks ago

Pediatric staffing never recovered to pre-omicron levels. Rather, one in five pediatric beds reported May of 2022: now missing.

PICU Capacity Level (not shown): 67%.

Weekly average ~115 PICU beds were covid patients.

We're failing our kids. The emergency is over.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Pediatric Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for pediatric Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through September 2, 2023. Hash marks—indicating PICU beds—overlay bottom of each stacked area. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Pediatric Capacity Level (66%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied pediatric beds to total staffed pediatric beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals with pediatric beds reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. Capacity was climbing toward 55K, with climbing occupancy, before plummeting to under 10K in Jan '22. Feb '22 saw gain toward 45K; above in May of that year, before trending down to now well below 40K.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
2 weeks ago

Capacity Level has been elevated since independence from the virus was declared two summers ago—as fewer and fewer professionals are available to staff hospital beds.

Critical Staffing Level, already at 2021 levels, has been further elevated for months now—with over one in nine reporting hospitals at critical shortage.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Hospital Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through September 2, 2023. Hash marks overlay bottom of each stacked area—indicating ICU beds. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Hospital Capacity Level (75%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied beds to total staffed beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. From October 2020 forward, top of the total stack trends downward. A diagonal notation along the top edge reads: "Reported staffed beds have been declining on average ~840 a week for ~2 ⁵⁄₆ years."
World Wide Mask Map
3 weeks ago

One of our team members just enrolled in this to test out the system. Their tests shipped in under 3 hours and arrived the next day. 🤯 [head exploding emoji]

🧐 Please note:
[focused monacle face emoji]

The signup has a few nosy questions, which are mandatory. One was about whether you identify as a marginalized gender. Another asked whether you have avoided healthcare recently and why. Incredibly "covid" wasn't an option? Nevermind "covid exposure risk in unmasked healthcare settings." Okay! 🫠 [melting face emoji]

We presume from the phrasing that these are for demographic research purposes.

🤩 One nice thing:
[starry eyed emoji]

You do NOT need to use the provided tests to access telehealth support or antivirals, so no need to save them for a special occasion.

You can use ANY FDA-approved covid test and still qualify for all features of the program, running thru April 2024.

It seems like a solid program, though of course we can't attest yet to the experience of seeking telehealth support or how easy they actually make getting the antivirals.

(Have to say, hoping we can avoid learning that one from direct experience.)

Enrollment and more info here.
https://www.Test2Treat.org

#CovidIsntOver #CovidIsAirborne
#BringBackMasks #MutualAid #MappingMasking #TestToTreat

Screenshot from Test2Treat.org. Next to stock photos showing a diverse array of people doing various activities, text reads: WHEN YOU SIGN UP, YOU GET: Free COVID-19 tests if you need them, Access to COVID-19 telehealth visits with a healthcare provider, COVID-19 medication* delivered to your home or pharmacy. In the white space to the right and left, www.Test2Treat.org has been photoshopped in.
Screenshot of 2 answers from the Test2Treat FAQ page tiled together. Text reads: Do I have to use an eMed® Test to Treat Kit to participate in the program? No, you do not. You can use any FDA- authorized COVID-19 test. The eMed® Test to Treat Kits are offered by the program for your convenience. How long will I have access to these services? Once you register, you will have access to telemedicine through April 2024. You can keep your COVID-19 tests if you don't use all of them.
Kaladin 🧑‍🦽💨
3 weeks ago

@brainwane Would you or anyone know where I can get a "MR Safe" N95/FFP3 in the United States? I have an upcoming MRI and don't feel that a standard surgical mask is sufficiently safe.

https://www.clinicalradiologyonline.net/article/S0009-9260(22)00227-6/fulltext
Found only 2 safe and I can't find either domestically.

Please boost for reach.

#CovidIsNotOver #maskinmedicalsettings #WearN95 #BringBackMasks

Babu Menos 💬
3 weeks ago

Frances Ryan, columnist with The Guardian and book author, on the public COVID amnesia:

“Covid’s back, you say? As disabled and vulnerable people know all too well, it never went away”

“Clinically vulnerable (CV) patients still ‘need’ the Covid-19 protections. They just don’t get them.”

“NHS staff in England don’t have to wear a mask, and the majority who have respiratory symptoms are no longer asked to test for Covid.”

“The paradox of the pandemic has always been that the only way to ‘move on’ is to actually engage with it.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/10/covid-coronavirus-disabled-vulnerable-people

More from Frances Ryan: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/frances-ryan

(Repost because the original toot lacked alt text on the image and also because I wanted to quote a few more bits.)

h/t @Pinchy63

#SARSCoV2 #COVID #COVID19 #LongCOVID #CovidIsNotOver #WearAMask #MaskUp #BringBackMasks #CleanAir

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 weeks ago

Counties by adult hospital capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Berkeley, SC ≥150%
⒉ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒊ Chatham, GA ≥150%
⒋ Marshall, KY ≥150%
⒌ Charleston, SC ≥150%

⒍ Barton, KS—132%

⒎ Lincoln, NV—118%
⒏ Warren, NY—109%
⒐ Yuma, AZ—109%
⒑ Wise, VA—107%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 weeks ago

Some 52 (+6) counties ≥ 100% capacity per HHS data.

Reporting ≥ 90%: 203 (+7)—near 8⅖% of those with any capacity. This includes surge and overflow beds: near full can mean E/Rs with day-long wait times.

For counties w/ ICUs—near one in six are full or near full.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Map: Adult Hospital & ICU Capacity by County Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Aug 26, 2023 [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Shows a color scale of 7-day average adult inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average adult inpatient beds staffed for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks, reflecting state-level reported capacity. Patterns of black circles represent counties where adult ICUs are near full; circles are filled in where adult ICUs are entirely full. Sparse grey dots show areas where no ICU beds are reported. Most of the map is dark red-orange, with splotches of lighter orange-yellow in the interior, mostly in the Rockies. Black indicators heavily pepper the map.
trendless
3 weeks ago

"COVID is back" only in the sense that media+govts are talking about it again. It never went away.

Just because you hadn't been hearing the word doesn't mean it wasn't being spoken about, knowingly or otherwise.

While the aforementioned entities don't suffer symptoms or illnesses that necessitate explanation, they do discuss delays, worker shortages, supply chain disruption, etc.

On the other hand, an individual must use euphemisms like allergies, summer cold, under the weather, out sick, fatigue, brain fog, diabetes, autoimmune disease, cancer, natural causes, etc, to gloss over new or ongoing health issues.

#CovidIsNotOver #MaskUp #WearARespirator #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 weeks ago

Counties by pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒉ Nevada, CA ≥133⅓%

Idaho—126%

⒊ Collier, FL—102%

⒋ Fairfax, VA—100%
⒌ Potter, TX—100%

⒍ Bonneville, ID—100%
⒎ Onslow, NC—100%
⒏ Anoka, MN—100%

⒐ Aibonito Municipio, PR—100%
⒑ Scott, MN—100%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 weeks ago

Some 229 (--) counties have pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 260 (-6) counties reporting any PICU capacity, approaching one in five are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Map: Pediatric Hospital & PICU Capacity by County & State Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Aug 26, 2023 Shows a color scale of 7-day average inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average inpatient beds staff for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to light yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks reflecting state-level average. Sparse grey dots show vast expanses where no PICU beds are reported. Dense patterns of black dots represent counties where PICUs are full or near full. Much of the map is hatched red-orange with grey dots, with purple-red-orange counties. Scattered yellow, mostly in Mississippi watershed. Black and black-dotted counties can be spied in all regions. The state of Idaho stands out as a black-grey hatch surrounded red/orange/yellow hatches in surrounding states.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 weeks ago

Pediatric staffing never recovered to pre-omicron levels. Rather, one in five pediatric beds reported May of 2022: now missing.

PICU Capacity Level (not shown): 66%.

Weekly average ~90 PICU beds were covid patients.

We're failing our kids. The emergency is over.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Pediatric Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for pediatric Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through August 26, 2023. Hash marks—indicating PICU beds—overlay bottom of each stacked area. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Pediatric Capacity Level (65%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied pediatric beds to total staffed pediatric beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals with pediatric beds reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. Capacity was climbing toward 55K, with climbing occupancy, before plummeting to under 10K in Jan '22. Feb '22 saw gain toward 45K; above in May of that year, before trending down to now well below 40K.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
3 weeks ago

Capacity Level has been elevated since independence from the virus was declared two summers ago—as fewer and fewer professionals are available to staff hospital beds.

Critical Staffing Level, already at 2021 levels, has been further elevated for months now—with over one in nine reporting hospitals at critical shortage.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Hospital Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through August 26, 2023. Hash marks overlay bottom of each stacked area—indicating ICU beds. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Hospital Capacity Level (75%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied beds to total staffed beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. From October 2020 forward, top of the total stack trends downward. A diagonal notation along the top edge reads: "Reported staffed beds have been declining on average ~850 a week for ~2⅘ years."
Ron Chusid :verified:
3 weeks ago

Jill Biden, currently reinfected with Covid on masks in 2021: "doesn’t the air smell so much sweeter without our masks?”
#COVID #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/entertainment/the-scene/wawa-welcome-america/jill-biden-offers-message-of-hope-in-phillys-celebration-of-freedom/2869187/

Babu Menos 💬
4 weeks ago

“As U.S. COVID hospitalizations rise, some places are bringing mask mandates back”

From npr:

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/31/1196943567/covid-cases-surge-mask-mandates

#COVID #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #CoronaVirus #LongCOVID #PSA #FAQ #WearAMask #BringBackMasks #MaskUp #DontGetInfected #COVIDIsNotOver #COVIDKills

Jennifer Heighton
1 month ago

“It’s better to avoid infection in the first place and not roll the dice.”

American Academy of Pediatrics - Pediatricians are concerned that “they are seeing long COVID symptoms in children after their second or third reinfection.”

My interview with Spice Radio regarding Back to School & @protect_bc’s Open Letter demands to gov’t so BC can avoid another tripledemic.
#CovidIsNotOver
#BringBackMasks #LongCOVID
#tripledemic #BCED

@bcndp

Listen:
https://share.transistor.fm/s/614ebadf

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Counties by adult hospital capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Berkeley, SC ≥150%
⒉ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒊ Marshall, KY ≥150%

⒋ Barton, KS—135%

⒌ Warren, NY—119%
⒍ Smyth, VA—114%

⒎ Wise, VA—110%
⒏ Yuma, AZ—109%
⒐ Buchanan, MO—107%
⒑ Charleston, SC—105%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Some 46 (+4) counties ≥ 100% capacity per HHS data.

Reporting ≥ 90%: 196 (+13)—over 8% of those with any capacity. This includes surge and overflow beds: near full can mean E/Rs with day-long wait times.

For counties w/ ICUs—near one in six are full or near full.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Map: Adult Hospital & ICU Capacity by County Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Aug 19, 2023 [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Shows a color scale of 7-day average adult inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average adult inpatient beds staffed for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks, reflecting state-level reported capacity. Patterns of black circles represent counties where adult ICUs are near full; circles are filled in where adult ICUs are entirely full. Sparse grey dots show areas where no ICU beds are reported. Most of the map is dark red-orange, with splotches of lighter orange-yellow in the interior, mostly in the Rockies. Black indicators heavily pepper the map.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Counties by pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒉ Coconino, AZ ≥150%
⒊ Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK ≥133⅓%

Idaho—129%

⒋ Dona Ana, NM—128%

⒌ Fairfax, VA—107%

⒍ Potter, TX—100%
⒎ Bonneville, ID—100%
⒏ Anoka, MN—100%
⒐ Onslow, NC—100%
⒑ Winnebago, WI—100%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Some 229 (-4) counties have pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 266 (+3) counties reporting any PICU capacity, over one in six are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Map: Pediatric Hospital & PICU Capacity by County & State Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As of: Aug 19, 2023 Shows a color scale of 7-day average inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average inpatient beds staff for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to light yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks reflecting state-level average. Sparse grey dots show vast expanses where no PICU beds are reported. Dense patterns of black dots represent counties where PICUs are full or near full. Much of the map is hatched red-orange with grey dots, with purple-red-orange counties. Scattered yellow, mostly in Mississippi watershed. Black and black-dotted counties can be spied in all regions. The state of Idaho stands out as a black-grey hatch surrounded red/orange/yellow hatches in surrounding states.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Pediatric staffing never recovered to pre-omicron levels. Rather, one in five pediatric beds reported May of 2022: now missing.

PICU Capacity Level (not shown): 66%.

Weekly average ~85 PICU beds were covid patients.

We're failing our kids. The emergency is over.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Pediatric Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for pediatric Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through August 12, 2023. Hash marks—indicating PICU beds—overlay bottom of each stacked area. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Pediatric Capacity Level (64%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied pediatric beds to total staffed pediatric beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals with pediatric beds reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. Capacity was climbing toward 55K, with climbing occupancy, before plummeting to under 10K in Jan '22. Feb '22 saw gain toward 45K; above in May of that year, before trending down to now well below 40K.
"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Capacity Level has been elevated since independence from the virus was declared two summers ago—as fewer and fewer professionals are available to staff hospital beds.

Critical Staffing Level, already at 2021 levels, has been creeping upward—with over one in nine reporting hospitals at critical shortage.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #hospitals #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #datavis

Chart: Hospital Capacity: United States Data: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services [ beadsland on Ko-fi ] Stacked area chart of daily 7-day averages for Unoccupied Beds, Non-Covid Beds, and Acute Covid Beds, for the period from August 2020 through August 19, 2023. Hash marks overlay bottom of each stacked area—indicating ICU beds. Dotted lines indicate historical and current Hospitals Surveyed (85%), Hospital Capacity Level (75%) and Critical Staffing Level (12%). First has fallen off as psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals have gone to once-annual reporting; second is the ratio of total occupied beds to total staffed beds, nationally; last the ratio of hospitals reporting critical staffing shortages as a share of those that answered said question either 'yes' or 'no'. From October 2020 forward, top of the total stack trends downward. A diagonal notation along the top edge reads: "Reported staffed beds have been declining on average ~860 a week for ~2⅘ years."
Nili Kaplan-Myrth, MD PhD
1 month ago

Hospitals in California, New York, and Massachusetts have reinstated mask mandates.

How long will we wait in Canadian hospitals and healthcare clinics?

Nov 2022, the chief of staff of the children’s hospital in #Ottawa begged people to #MaskUp (not that anti-maskers would let her speak when I brought that to our school board - antisemitic death threats still continue).

#COVID is on the rise. Everyone’s at risk. At the minimum, healthcare should lead.

#BringBackMasks

@CBCNews

trendless
1 month ago

>SARS-CoV-2 is a protean virus. It seems designed to reinfect a previously infected host, changing its outer coat as well as some of its properties.

>We all remember Omicron and how it swept the world that had already experienced several waves of Covid cases. There were so many changes in the outer spike protein of Omicron that previous infections did little to protect from new infections. How much previous infection protects from disease still remains in question.

>BA.2… contained 54 amino acid mutations from the original Wuhan virus. The cause for concern with BA.2.86 is that it contains 41 amino acid mutations on top of the BA.2 mutations, totaling 95 mutations from the Wuhan virus.

>BA.2.86 is likely a common descendant of one of the original Omicron variants, BA.2, [?and a more recent variant, XBB?]. In the spike protein of BA.2.86, we see 60 amino acid mutations, including substitutions and deletions. For context, the Alpha variant, which fueled the second-largest surge of cases in the United States behind the initial Omicron surge, contained just ten spike amino acid mutations. Dr. Eric Topol describes BA.2.86 as "Omicron Squared."

>…the updated Covid vaccine set to be released this fall is designed to protect against the XBB.1.5 variant, but not BA.2.86. The hope is that the vaccine will protect against BA.2.86 should it widely circulate, but it would be unsurprising if the variant evaded booster protection, given the degree to which BA.2.86 is mutated in the spike is extreme.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2023/08/24/covid-19-the-shapeshifting-protean-virus/

#CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsAirborne #MaskUp #WearARespirator #BringBackMasks @novid

Mike Buckthought (he/him)
1 month ago

“This decision will hurt everyone. It will hurt doctors and nurses. It will hurt seniors. It will hurt children. It will hurt young, healthy adults (who goes to the hospital when they’re feeling great?) There’s only one small group it will help, and that’s healthcare CEOs and their bottom lines.”

Jessica Wildfire: The CDC Doesn’t Care if You Get Sick and Die in The Hospital

https://www.okdoomer.io/hospi/

#HealthCare #COVID #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

Mike Buckthought (he/him)
1 month ago

“It’s now obvious we’ve started a COVID surge with a new variant, right when flu and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] are about to hit. Our healthcare system is on its knees. We have the tools, and we need to use them. Not restoring mask protections to healthcare would be criminal.”

The Georgia Straight: Four months after healthcare mask mandate dropped, a protest calls for its return

https://www.straight.com/city-culture/four-months-after-healthcare-mask-mandate-dropped-a-protest-calls-for-its-return

#COVID #CovidIsNotOver #BC #BringBackMasks

katharine
1 month ago

ICYMI: My recap of the Covid pandemic — Masking and Social Obligations in a 21st Century Pandemic — is a lighthearted exploration of shifting masking attitudes and our ethical duty to our fellow humans. TL;DR: #BringBackMasks and #CovidIsNotOver

https://sparklingobservationalist.medium.com/folderol-masking-and-social-obligations-in-a-21st-century-pandemic-6846a7192ffb

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Counties by pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Coconino, AZ ≥150%
⒉ Seminole, GA ≥150%
⒊ San Juan, UT ≥133⅓%

Idaho—140%

⒋ Dona Ana, NM—114%
⒌ Fairfax, VA—106%

⒍ Potter, TX—100%
⒎ Cleveland, OK—100%
⒏ Bonneville, ID—100%
⒐ Anoka, MN—100%
⒑ Onslow, NC—100%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

"You do you" is Eu-gen-ics.
1 month ago

Some 233 (+12) counties have pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 263 (-4) counties reporting any PICU capacity, over one in seven are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Map: Pediatric Hospital & PICU Capacity by County & State Data: U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services, American National Standards Institute As Of: Aug 12, 2023 Shows a color scale of 7-day average inpatient beds occupied over 7-day average inpatient beds staff for 48 contiguous states only. Scale runs from black (well over 140%), to purple (120%), to red (80%), to orange (50%), to light yellow (10%). Counties for which no hospitals/beds are reported are represented by colored hatch marks reflecting state-level average. Sparse grey dots show vast expanses where no PICU beds are reported. Dense patterns of black dots represent counties where PICUs are full or near full. Much of the map is hatched red-orange with grey dots, with purple-red-orange counties. Scattered yellow, mostly in Mississippi watershed. Black and black-dotted counties can be spied in all regions. The state of Idaho stands out as a black-grey hatch surrounded red/orange/yellow hatches in surrounding states.