COVID-19 Detection Dogs

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Dogs smell in technicolor. They have 300 million sensors in their nose whereas human only have 6 million. In the past, dogs have been employed to sniff out drugs and explosives and even some medical conditions such as cancer. Now they have been trained to sniff out COVID-19.

COVID detection dogs have been employed y the Miami Heat to find out if fans have COVID-19 before they are seated for a game. People waiting to enter the stadium must stand on dots six feet apart and a dog walks along the line and if COVID is detected they will sit down. The breakdown process in the body that occurs with infections or cancers leads to the release of odor molecules called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs then enter the air where the scent can be picked up by a properly trained dog.

An international airport in Helsinki also employs COVID detection dogs. Passengers are asked to wipe their neck and forehead with a napkin and that napkin is put in a canister. In another room, the canisters are lined up and the dog sniffs each cup in turn, If the scent of COVID is found the dog will tap the ground with it’s paw and get a treat. On concern is the possibility that a dog might itself become infected sniffing so many samples. So far the have been found to rarely get infected. During preliminary tests at the University of Helsinki, dogs were able to detect the coronavirus in a sample with almost 100 percent certainty. THey even believe dogs are more accurate that available COVID test kits. The university found that dogs can also identify a Covid-19 case days before a person began showing symptoms. One of the Helsinki airport dogs, Kössi, has years of experience searching for signs of disease in medical samples, according to YLE in July. The eight-year-old greyhound mix learned to identify samples from Covid-19 patients in just seven minutes, according to the airport’s statement.

Dr. Death Opens Up Bed Space

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An Italian doctor is accused of killing COVID-19 patients with lethal doses of anesthetic to free up bed space at the height of the pandemic. His name is Carlo Mosca, 47, and he was the head of accident and emergency at Montichiari Hospital near Brescia, Lombardy. The hospital was overwhelmed by the massive coronavirus outbreak in Italy in March 2020.

Anesthetics were available so that coronavirus patients could be intubated, but if a patient given the drug wasn’t intubated they would sophisticate to death. The doctor left the patients to die naturally they could be in the hospital bed of weeks to a month. The injection could free up a bed immediately for the constants stream of patients needing hem.

An anonymous complaint against Mosca from late April included a WhatsApp text which read: “I am not in favor of killing patients just because he wants to free up beds” and a reply from a colleague that said: “I agree with you, he’s crazy,” according to The Times.

The doctor is accused of killing at least two patients, Natale Bassi, 61, who died on March 20, 2020 and 80-year-old Angelo Paletti who died two days later. Mosca has also been accused of faking health records with court documents saying it was done to “make the patient appear terminal and therefore not arouse suspicion,” the Daily Mail reported. The doctor is currently under house arrest at his home in Mantua and a further three deaths are also being investigated, the Mirror noted.

Cat Birthday Superspreader

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According to The Sun and Newsweek, who cited local reports, a birthday party thrown for a pet cat in Chile led to a COVID-19 outbreak that infected over a dozen people. The super spreader birthday party for the feline took place in the town of Santo Domingo, and all ten guests tested positive for COVID-19 afterwards. The attendees also infected five additional family members and friends.

“When I heard it was a cat’s birthday party, I thought it was a joke — that they were probably trying to hide something,” said Francisco Álvarez, the regional health secretary for Valparaíso, according to the Daily Mail.

“We have corroborated it with at least six of the 15 [infected] people who told us the same thing,” he added. Álvarez stated that he was surprised to know people are continuing to have social gatherings despite warnings and restrictions from authorities. The CDC labeled Chili as a dangerous travel destination. Of course a far more dangerous travel destination is the United States of America.

On Twitter Álvarez said, “An essential part of democracy is that no one is exempt form complying with the law, and that no one cam behave as if they are above it.” This is a lesson that our former POTUS has yet to learn.

Pallbearers of Democracy

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The House Impeachment managers, led by Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate on January 25, 2021. Senators were sworn in on January 26, 2021 for the second impeachment of Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection.” The house managers waited outside the Senate chamber in the exact same spot rioters confronted Capitol police on January 6, 2021.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the president pro tempore who will be presiding over the trial, administered the oath to senators. Senators then signed the oath book declaring their intent to serve as impartial jurors. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who said the impeachment was “Dead on arrival,” challenged the constitutionality of an impeachment trial against a former president. Just five Republicans, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey, joined all Democrats in opposing the measure, an indication that Democrats will not attract the 17 Republicans that would be needed to convict Mr. Trump at trial. Most Republican Senators will not truly be impartial, they will not convict Trump because they fear him and his lunatic “base.” As Trump said in the past, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” Who knew he could kill 400,000 Americans and incite a riot on the Capitol building and not face consequences. He probably loves the idea of the trial since it will keep his name in the headlined for one more month before he fades into obscurity.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Paul’s interpretation of the Constitution was “flat-out wrong,” and noted that the Senate had previously held an impeachment trial for an official who was no longer in office in 1876. On January 27, 2021, Schumer insisted that the Senate would push forward with an impeachment trial of the former President despite not having the GOP votes needed.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Senator Susan Collins have pitched their colleagues on supporting a censure resolution against Mr. Trump. Censure is a formal disapproval that can be adopted by one, or both chambers of Congress. Unlike impeachment, censure is not a power provided by the Constitution. Censure, is “stronger than a simple rebuke, but not as strong as expulsion.” For an authoritarian like Trump it is just a slap on the wrist.

House Delivers Articles of Impeachment to Senate

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On Monday, January 25, 2021 House impeachment managers walked across the Capitol and delivered to the Senate the charge against Donald J. Trump, the first president in history to be impeached twice. The charge is incitement of insurrection. They were led into the Senate chamber by the lead impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin of (D-MD), who read the article of impeachment. Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D-VT), the president pro tempore of the Senate, is expected to preside over the impeachment trial. The Constitution says the chief justice presides when the person facing trial is the current president of the United States, but senators preside in other cases, one source said.

The trial is slated to begin the week of February 8, 2021. The expectation is, that it will take up much of February and wrap up by month’s end, if not sooner. Before the start of the trial the Senate hopes to confirm President Joe Biden‘s Cabinet and potentially handle the President’s Covid-19 relief package. Trump’s legal team and the House managers will have two weeks to exchange pre-trial briefs before arguments begin. Senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. 17 Republican Senators would have to vote to convict the former president in the Senate that now evenly split 50/50. 10 house republicans voted to impeach the president but getting 17 Senators to weigh the evidence in an impartial way seems a long shot.  Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), the only Republican who voted to convict Trump in the first impeachment trial, said, “I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. If not, what is?”

Joe Biden has proposed a 1.9 trillion dollar COVID Relief Plan. Sixteen bipartisan senators discussed the aid plan with Biden administration officials on Sunday, January 24, 2021 and while the lawmakers agreed on the need for vaccine distribution money, many questioned the overall price tag. It could take weeks for Congress to finish talks around a coronavirus relief deal and for Democrats to decide whether they should forge ahead with an aid bill without GOP support. The bill includes calls for funds to streamline vaccinations, $1,400 direct payments, a $400 weekly unemployment supplement, and state and local government support.

Florida Vaccine Tourism

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Vaccine tourism involves people visiting other states across the country in search of COVID-19 vaccines. “Frustrated by crashing appointment websites, shortages of COVID-19 shots and a patchwork of confusing eligibility rules, people with time and money are heading out of town in pursuit of a potentially lifesaving inoculation.”
Tourists have been visiting Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut, according to Bloomberg.

Vaccine is in short supply across the country. People who have set up appointments are finding their appointments canceled due to the vaccine supply running out. Stated simply there was no plan for this historically huge emergency distribution plan. The Joe Biden administration is hoping they can get the situation under control, but the previous administration kept them in the dark.

My sister in south west Florida worked hard to get her first vaccine shot. It involved dozens of calls and setbacks. when she was waiting for the shot in a line of cars she noticed the car in front of her had a New Jersey license plate. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he doesn’t want out-of-state residents coming to Florida to get their COVID-19 vaccines, which are in limited supply, and is pushing a new restriction on the vaccine distribution. There have been multiple media reports about wealthy residents of other states or other countries flying to Florida to get COVID-19 vaccines. These included real estate developers, attorneys, Hollywood insiders and the mother of an Argentine television personality. There are now only two social classes in America, the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated.

A Florida Department of Health database indicates that 39,214 people who received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida were from out of state, representing 3.5% of the 1,122,405 people receiving a vaccine. Individuals with an out-of-state identification now will be required to provide proof of residency or semi-permanent residency to get a vaccination through the Department of Health in Brevard County. Examples include a utility bill, property tax receipt or lease agreement for Florida property.

Pre-Pandemic: Christmas Cantata

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In October of 2019, Pam got a couple of free tickets to a show at the Amway Arena called Christmas Cantata. The all Chinese cast presented Christmas Carols in October. The entire floor and first level of the stadium were packed. A large orchestra in the pit supported the case on stage.

In 2014, Gracias Choir won the Grand Prize at the Riva del Garda International Choral Competition in Italy and First Prize at the Montreux Choral Festival in Switzerland. In 2015, Gracias Choir was recognized as the world’s best choir, winning 1st place at the world’s most prestigious International Choir Competition Marktoberdorf in Germany.

Gracias Choir’s Christmas Cantata is filled with cherished music and unforgettable stage sets.

The evening featured the Nativity story told as an epic opera, brand new Act 2 of a heartwarming musical based on “The Gift of the Magi”, and a glorious rendition of Handel’s Oratorio “Messiah”.  Also, there was be a dance performance and memorable gift.  Each act of the  Christmas Cantata expresses the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of hope, love, and forgiveness of God in our hearts.

After the music two guys got on stage and started proselytizing hard. Their story involved miracle cures from a disease from the Amazon. It was sort of like watching an Abbot and Costello vaudeville act that involved miracles. My sketch was done and we decided to slip out. On the way out, free books were being offered and they were being pushed hard. We managed to escape empty handed.

Due to the pandemic performances in 2020 have been broadcast on TV. a schedule is on their website.

January Surge

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January has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis. California has been hit hardest, on January 21, 2021 the state recorded 736 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, the highest since the start of the pandemic. Of nearly 36,000 cumulative COVID-19 deaths statewide, more than 10,000 have been reported since New Year’s Eve, including more than 4,500 in L.A. County. The state’s most populous county, which has tallied more than 14,600 deaths, accounts for roughly 41% of California’s cumulative COVID-19 deaths, despite being home to only a quarter of the state’s population.

Florida is also experiencing a Winter Surge. On January 10, 2021 the Florida Department of Health reported 108 more resident deaths linked to COVID-19 on Sunday along with 12,313 new positive cases.

The January 3, 2021 White House COVID-19 Task Force report categorized Florida in full pandemic status for all categories: test positivity and high levels of community transmission in nearly 90% of the counties. Weekly figures of closely monitored pandemic data continue to rise and trend closer in similarity to what was seen statewide during the summer spike, considered to be the height of the pandemic in Florida.

The former administration had literally no plan for distributing the vaccine and hopefully Joe Biden the president elect will treat the ongoing COVID crisis with advice from scientists and experts. He plans to “manage the hell” out of the pandemic. His detailed strategy, pledged a genuine “wartime” effort to expand vaccine distribution, supplies and testing. He mandated masks on federal lands and in inter-state train, bus and air travel. He plans new vaccination sites across the country and to activate pharmacies in every neighborhood. There is hope now that the White House is taking the virus seriously. Dr. Anthony Fauci is almost giddy being able to state facts with no fear of presidential reprisals. “The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence, what the science is — let the science speak, it is somewhat of a liberating feeling,” Fauci said.

Rep. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said, “In terms of potential deaths and the impact on our economy, the crisis we face from coronavirus is on the scale of a major war, and we must act accordingly. We must begin thinking on a scale comparable to the threat, and make sure that we are protecting working people, low-income people, and the most vulnerable communities, not just giant corporations and Wall Street.

 

Vaccine Hunger Games

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The botched United States Government roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine has been referred to as the Vaccine Hunger Games. After being sworn in, President Joe Biden found out that the former administration literally had NO PLAN for vaccine distribution. His administration will have to start from scratch. The former administration said there was a reserve of vaccines on hand to be used for a second inoculation for people who got the first shot and Biden decided to use that reserve to get more shots in arms up front. However once in office he found out that there was no reserve.

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has had a disjointed plan in distributing vaccines. The Governor said he is not smart enough to figure out how to best get vaccine shots in arms. He is leaving it up to hospital administrators. At first hospitals were assigned the task of giving the shots to essential workers but the governor’s plan quickly changed to include anyone 65 years and older. That forced health departments to scrap plans to inoculate grocery store clerks and teachers. By setting the age to 65 instead of 75 the Governor created a melee as thousands fought for the limited supply of vaccines. It would be survival of the fittest or most tech savvy.  Senior citizens sat in lawn chairs sometimes overnight to try and get the limited number of shots. People are facing dead phone lines and overloaded websites which crash from the overload. Many are having to travel to other counties in their quest for a shot. The statewide vaccination rate is less than 5 percent of the vaccine that was sent to the state. Since every state has its own plan the overall distribution has been chaos up until now. On top of this each state has no idea how many doses they will be getting which making it impossible to ramp up the distribution process.

On a positive note, it looks like the National case numbers are starting to fall from the height of over 250,000 cases a day earlier in January. I also post risk levels for each state each day and for a solid month every state was blood red meaning every sate was a high risk for COVID-19 infection. However over the last weeks several northern states have been showing signs of improvement. Today Maine turned green for the first time in months meaning it is moving in the right direction. The effects of vaccines on the numbers will not be immediate so the basic precautions, of wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands often, are the best defense of combating this virus until enough people are vaccinated. About 90% of the population needs to get the vaccine for herd immunity to protect everyone from the virus. The other 10% would be protected thanks to the virus’s inability to spread among the other 90% of the population. It will require a major campaign to convince 90% of Americans to get vaccinated.

My sister in South West Florida made it her full time job to get vaccinated and I am thankful that as of yesterday she succeeded. It was a log arduous battle for her but she won the Hunger Games.

 

COVID-19 Wildfires

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California is experiencing a wildfire of a COVID-19 crisis surpassing 3 million COVID-19 cases this week. The state reported 694 new Covid-19 related deaths January 20, 2021, its second highest single day toll to date. As of January 20, 2021, California had a total of 3,019,371 confirmed infections. More than 20,800 people hospitalized across the state for Covid-19. Approximately 4,750 of those patients are in intensive care units.

The Los Angeles Times reported that LA County is particularly hard hit. A dozen mobile refrigerated trailers are parked in the county morgue parking lot to handle all the bodies. Each trailer can store 25 bodies. Overwhelmed funeral homes are forced to turn families away.

As the pandemic rages in California, medics are being told to ration oxygen.  At the start of the new year, oxygen and the medical supplies associated with it were hard to come by in parts of Southern California and some hospital administrators worried they would have to choose which patients get these resources during the next COVID-19 surge.

There is hope that the vaccine roll out might help curb the surge in deaths. However the vaccine roll out has been slow, coming in fits and starts. San Francisco’s public health department will run out of covid-19 vaccine January 21, 2021 because the city’s allocation dropped substantially from a week ago and doses that had to be discarded were not replaced. Two thirds of the state is under a regional stay-at-home orders based on ICU capacity. Sleep Train Arena, the former home of the Sacramento Kings north of Sacramento’s downtown has been turned into a COVID-19 treatment facility to ease the strain on southern California hospitals. The arena should be able to handle 244 patients with the proper staffing and resources. Creating more bed space is easy, but finding staff for these facilities is the dilemma.

California health officials and researchers at the state’s universities and hospitals are trying to learn more about another variant of the coronavirus. Only days after the so-called “UK variant” was identified here in the state, a different, separate variant has now been traced to outbreaks in Santa Clara County. The UK variant spreads more easily being more infectious. Researchers are trying to find out if the the California variant is also more infectious.

Los Angeles International Airport is now offering COVID-19 test results in as little as 30 minutes with the addition of rapid antigen tests at the airport’s on-site laboratory. The nasal-swab antigen tests are available only at the Terminal 6 lab location and cost $80. California officials are pinning their hopes on the newly inaugurated President Joe Biden as they struggle to obtain coronavirus vaccines to curb the surge that has packed hospitals and morgues in the state.