Surpassing 1918

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The Independent reported that the Covid-19 death toll in US surpassed that of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. The US recorded over 676,000 deaths since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, crossing the estimated 675,000 deaths from last century’s influenza pandemic.

This has become the worst health crisis in Americas history. Nothing has been learned over the past 100 years. Actually our fractured country is far worst off than it ever was to handle such a crisis. Alternate realities trump common scene and basic health measures.

The following was advice published in the Douglas Island News, a newspaper from Douglas, Alaska, in 1918…

Wear a mask.

Live a clean healthy life.

Keep the pores open – that is bathe frequently.

Live in an abundance of fresh air, day and night.

Get plenty of sleep.

Gargle frequently (and always after having been out) with a solution of salt and water. (Half teaspoon of salt to one glass, 8 0z of water).

Report early symptoms to a doctor at once.

Respect the quarantine regulations.

Avoid crowds. You can get sick just being near someone who is infected.

Avoid persons who sneeze or cough.

Do not neglect your mask.

Do not disregard the advice of a specialist just because you do not understand.

Do not disregard the rights of a community – obey cheerfully the rules issued by authorities.

Do not think you are entitled to special privileges.

Do not go near others if you have a cold or fever – you may expose them to illness and death. See a doctor.

Do not think it is impossible for you to get or transmit the virus.

Keep your hand out of your mouth.

Do not cough or sneeze in the open.

Do not use a public towels or drinking cup.

Do not visit the sick or handle articles from the sick room.

Don’t worry.

Do not be a dumb ass.

 

 

Emmy Awards

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I didn’t watch the 73rd Annual Emmy Awards. I didn’t have much interest in watching a bunch of Hollywood elites pose on the red carpet in the midst of a raging pandemic. It seemed to be a week of red carpet photo ops from the Met Gala to the Emmy’s. Since I haven’t sketched Nicki Minaj‘s cousin’s friend’s balls, I decided to sketch the Emmy balls being held high by the supple hands of winged women.

Seth Rogan expressed what was on the minds of many viewers when he got on stage as the first presenter in his pumpkin colored suit. “Let me start by saying there is way too many of us in this little room,” he said. “What are we doing? They said this was outdoors. It is not. They lied to us.” “We’re in a hermetically sealed tent right now. I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than to make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That has been decided.”

Levy, of course, is the beloved Schitt’s Creek star and co-creator who was in attendance to present during the ceremony after his comedy had a banner year during last year’s so-called Pandemmys. He’s also 74, putting him at a higher risk of severe illness if infected by COVID-19.

“This is insane,” Rogen quipped. “I went from wiping groceries to having Paul Bettany sneeze in my face.”

LA requires that everyone must wear masks indoors but apparently there is an exemption for Hollywood types. Folks at the Emmys were fully vaccinated but breakthrough cases and asymptomatic spread are common these days. “No Masks at the #Emmys because rules are for the little people,” wrote one Twitter user, echoing the sentiments of many others. Of course I would have respected Seth Rogan even more had he dropped the mic after making his remarks and ran the hell out of that tent.

53 year old Brigerton make up artist, Marc Pilcher, flew to LA from England to pick up his award in the hermetically sealed tent on top of a parking garage. He was fully vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions. He died from COVID-19 several weeks after receiving the award. Did he get infected at the ceremony, on the flights or at an after party? No one knows. He would probably still be alive however had he not gone to LA. He died October 3, 2021.

10,000 TSA Agents Infected

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CNN reported that more than 10,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have now tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. According to TSA numbers released September 13, 2021, more than four in every five employees who tested positive worked at airport security checkpoints.

The TSA recorded its 10,000th case during the first week of September, 2021 a representative for the agency said. As of September 17, 2021, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 among employees had risen to 10,243.

Of the 65% of workers who responded to an agency-wide survey, 72% said they are fully vaccinated. 26 have died after contracting the virus.

Florida was high on the list of those infected. At Miami Airport (MIA) 513 TSA agents were infected, Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) had 370 TSA agents infected and Orlando Airport (MCO) had 356 infected.

Being a federal agency, the TSA is required to mandate that all workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Nov. 22, 2021 per an executive order signed by President Joe Biden earlier this month. The TSA has also continued to urge employees to get their shots, most recently in a statement issued on the passing of Robert Logan, Jr., a TSA officer at Boise Air Terminal (BOI) in Idaho who became the latest employee to die of COVID-19.

Hazmat Hamlet

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Beginning October 1, 2021 Orlando Shakes will require patrons to present either proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to be allowed entry into the theater.

This follows in the tradition of Broadway in NYC and the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts which have the same policy in place.

Managing Director Douglas Love-Ramos said in a release the measure will help keep guests safe and the venue from having to shut down. “We strongly believe that this is the right thing to do at this time,” he said.

Patrons over the age of 12 looking to attend the theater must mask up during the entire performance, regardless of vaccination status. Patrons who’ve left their vaccination card at home will be allowed to present a photo or digital copy of the document.

Negative results for PCR medical tests must be within 72 hours of the show, while negative rapid antigen test results will be acceptable as long as they were done at least 48 hours before showtime. Self-administered home COVID test results will not be accepted.

“We long for the day that we won’t need to worry about COVID and its restrictions,” Love-Ramos said. “But until then, we must do our part to help contain the spread of COVID and its variants, to keep our guests, staff, volunteers and artists as safe as possible.”

Ticket holders who purchased directly through Orlando Shakes and cannot meet the demands of these new policies will be entitled to a refund.

Florida Napalm in the Morning

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Don Winslow released a short film titled Florida is Vietnam. The film pointed out that the United States lost  58,200 soldiers over 11 years in the Vietnam war. As of September 16, 2021 Florida has lost 47,000 people to COVID-19.

Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis has been downplaying the severity of the COVID death toll while hospitals were at capacity. He has been also hiding date and shuffling the numbers to spread the death toll out over time. Florida will likely surpass the numbers of dead from Vietnam.

Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, and the Florida Center for Government Accountability filed a lawsuit last month alleging the state of Florida is violating its open records laws by not disclosing more COVID-19 data, including county-level death figures. Just before going to court DeathSantis released some of the data.  USA TODAY Network – Florida analysis of the data shows that Florida counties where former President Donald Trump won heavily are experiencing some of the worst death rates. Vaccination rates are lower in those counties. There were large holes in the data released with many Florida counties reporting, “No data rather than the number of dead.

In a single day, September 15, 2021, 1,296 people died on  in Florida. The state now ranks 10th among states where coronavirus is spreading the fastest per person — and as top health officials leave their posts. The Department of Health confirmed September 14, 2021 that Deputy Secretary Shamarial Roberson is stepping down. Florida Health Secretary and state Surgeon General Scott Rivkees is also leaving after his contract runs out Sept. 20, 2021. Ron DeathSantis has blood on his hands.

Vaccine by Halloween

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Yahoo News reported that, the US could authorize COVID-19 vaccines for younger kids, 5 to 11, by Halloween, Pfizer‘s new timeline suggests. The company expects to submit data to the FDA for this younger age group in early October. Pfizer is testing a lower dose of its vaccine among young kids to avoid unnecessary side effects.

The timeline might be as follows:

  • Late September 2021: Pfizer’s clinical trial will show whether the shots are safe and effective for kids ages 5 to 11.
  • Early October 2021: Pfizer will submit that trial data to the FDA.
  • Late October 2021: The FDA could authorize COVID-19 shots for emergency use among kids ages 5 to 11.
  • Early November 2021: Pfizer will submit trial data for kids between 6 months and 5 years old to the FDA.
  • Late November 2021: The FDA could authorize the shots among kids between 6 months and 5 years old.

    Moderna, meanwhile, expects to have data about its vaccine’s efficacy among young kids later in the fall or early this winter.

    Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on September 24, 2021 that we might even see the FDA authorize both the Moderna and Pfizer shots for kids before the winter.

    Johnson & Johnson is on a slower timeline. The company won’t start studying its vaccine among children ages 12 to 17 until this fall. If the shot is shown to be safe and effective among older kids, J&J could then start enrolling 2- to 11-year-olds in its trial, followed by children younger than 2. That means a single-dose shot likely won’t be available to kids until sometime in 2022.

Anti Vax Horror

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Orlando’s crop of Halloween Horror attractions are opening full boar in the midst of the pandemic. Scare actors are hard pressed to compete against the daily horrors of anti vaxers and anti maskers who selfishly spread the horrors of COVID-19 in the name of freedom. They have gone so far as to adopt the star of David which marked the Jews during WWII claiming that being forced to get a vaccine is equal to the holocaust. Their is no limit to their horror.

Halloween Horror Nights, and two Florida-based Howl-O-Scream events don’t require guests to wear masks, they are “encouraged”. Some of the scare actors  at Howl-O-Scream had facial coverings that had facial features printed on them to blend in with the intended character.

A Petrified Forest has the added benefit of being outside where the virus can potentially disparate on a breeze.

With Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis specifically blocking masking mandates and vaccine passports, it is a real challenge to keep actors and participants safe.

NYC theaters that are finally opening back up and they are requiring audiences to prove vaccination or a negative test and they must wear a mask at the performance. Disney started requiring masks for guests again when COVID cases ticked back upwards due to the Delta variant, but Universal Studios and Sea World, do not require masks, including at their haunt events. Social distancing markers are also long gone, so press together in mass crowds and share the horror. What could go wrong?

Local actors are also not showing up for auditions. What actor can compete against the real life horror of so many anti vaccination Karens? They are an army of the damned. Florida has passed the peak of Delta Variant hospitalizations but deaths continue to rise and will likely continue to do so for several weeks. The Florida governor also does his best to hide the death numbers for as long as possible. If he sweeps them under the rug or spreads them out he could possible be considered a candidate for president.

The Delta surge is even more deadly than the surge back in January 2021. Infections among children and teenagers have increased by 28% over the week before with some children’s hospitals noticing an uptick in admissions as well in the first few weeks back at school. An infant died in Orange County this week. Florida has now surpasses 50,000 deaths. That is more deaths than what can be seen in most countries around the world. Good luck searching for your Halloween Horrors.

Herd Stupidity

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Cows are actually pretty smart. Researchers are training cows to use bathrooms (Moo Loos) to avoid nitrous oxide, emissions and they are finding cows are as easy to train as little children. The MAGA crowd on the other hand smeared feces on the walls of the capitol on January 6, 2021.

Republican governors and US representatives are slinging plenty of denials and misleading poo about the pandemic. Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis invited anti vaxers to a press conference and allowed a quack to claim that the vaccines changes peoples RNA, WHICH THEY DO NOT.  By remaining complicit the governor is allowing mass murder of his constituents. The governor knew the statement to be false – he is a Harvard graduate after all – and he remained silent, thus showing his cowardliness and weakness. DeathSantis was vaccinated and therefor is safe from COVID-19 but he accepts the wild conspiracy theories that kill his followers.

Joe Biden proposed a six-pronged “Path Out of the Pandemic” includes a controversial provision that would require private companies with over 100 employees to require them to submit to either a Covid-19 vaccine or weekly testing. The edict would be enforced by OSHA, the federal agency responsible for worker safety. Several GOP state governors, including South Dakota’s Kristi Noem, Tennessee’s Bill Lee, Georgia’s Brian Kemp, Florida’s Ron DeathSantis, and Iowa’s Kim Reynolds, criticized the mandate and promised push back.

Children must be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps rubella, hepatitis B and Chicken Pox, yet Republican governors choose to revolt against mandating a COVID vaccine that works and saves lives.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott banned vaccine mandates, DeathSantis plans to fine city officials when they insist on vaccine mandates for city employees, DeathSantis also tried to ban vaccine mandates for cruise ships but he lost in court. The anti vaccine movement is beneficial for these governors when they run for re-election or seek a higher office. This stupidity is why America leads the world in deaths from COVID-19 and will continue to do so.

18 of 20 Gorillas Test Positive for COVID-19

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The Independent reported that 18 Gorillas at the Zoo Atlanta tested positive for COVID-19. Handlers at Zoo Atlanta noticed that a number of western lowland gorillas were experiencing mild coughs, runny noses and slight loss of appetite, so they collected fecal samples and tested the gorillas for disease.

The disease was most likely transmitted to the gorillas from an asymptomatic worker who subsequently tested positive. The employee was vaccinated, according to a report. Zoo Atlanta’s policy requires all workers to wear gloves, masks and face shields while on the job.

The tests were conducted at a University of Georgia lab. Covid tests were also sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Amex, Iowa. Zoo Atlanta is reportedly awaiting those results before definitively saying that the gorillas have Covid.

All 20 gorillas living at the facility are now being tested for Covid. There are four gorilla troops at Zoo Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), members in each troop have shown signs of infection. Zoo Atlanta spokesperson, Rachel Davis, told the AJC that employees are not mandated to take Covid vaccines.

Zoo Atlanta’s Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, African lions, clouded leopard, and Sumatran tigers have all received the Zoetis vaccine, which was developed for veterinary use.

In the United States, respiratory disease and increases in mink deaths have been seen on most affected mink farms. There is a possibility of mink spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people on mink farms. Mink-to-human spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Poland, and new data suggest it might have occurred in the United States. 17 Million of mink were killed in  Denmark in November 2020. Their bloated carcasses rose from the ground where they were buried. Locals referred to them as Zombie Mink.

Zoos in San Diego and Detroit have also vaccinated their at-risk animals. The US Centers for Disease Control has stated that animals are not a major contributing factor to spreading Covid to humans. Research is ongoing so there are many unanswered questions.

COVID Visiting Hour

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The New Zealand Auckland district health board faced criticism for allowing hundreds of visitors to see patients a day despite a strict city-wide lock down in place to help stamp out an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant.

Around 5 p.m. last week, Kevin, a recent patient at an Auckland, New Zealand, hospital, noticed a young woman disappear behind a curtain to visit another patient in his ward.

“It was pretty obvious what was happening in there,” Kevin, the first patient, told 1 News. They were having sex.

“It was just all a bit staggering, all very embarrassing,” he added.

Kevin alerted the staff to the sexual activity, and they quickly intervened.

“There was a view that, ‘Hey, don’t be a spoilsport,’ but it was the wider COVID question that I was raising, and in fact, I made a complaint to the staff on that,” said Kevin.

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern, was asked by a reporter at a press conference about the sexual disregard for social distancing. Arden was at first flustered and then amused, she responded, “I would say, generally, regardless of the Covid status, that kind of thing shouldn’t generally be part of visiting hours, I would have thought.”

On September 13, 2021, New Zealand extended the strict lockdown of Auckland for another week due to the persistence of Covid-19 transmission. Auckland, the country’s most populous city which was confined with the rest of the country in mid-August after a single case of Covid-19 was reported, it will remain under a national level 4 alert until midnight on Sep. 21, 2021 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.