Five COVID-19 Facts

The overwhelming majority of people do not have any significant risk of dying from COVID-19.

The recent Stanford University antibody study now estimates that the fatality rate, if infected is likely 0.1 to 0.2 percent, a risk far lower than previous World Health Organization estimates that were 20 to 30 times higher.
Protecting older, at-risk people eliminates hospital overcrowding.

We can learn about hospital utilization from data from New York City, the hotbed of COVID-19 with more than 34,600 hospitalizations to date. For people ages 65 to 74, only 1.7 percent were hospitalized. Of 4,103 confirmed COVID-19 patients with symptoms bad enough to seek medical care, Dr. Leora Horwitz of NYU Medical Center concluded "age is far and away the strongest risk factor for hospitalization." Even early WHO reports noted that 80 percent of all cases were mild, and more recent studies show a far more widespread rate of infection and lower rate of serious illness. Half of all people testing positive for infection have no symptoms.
Vital population immunity is prevented by total isolation policies, prolonging the problem.

We know from decades of medical science that infection itself allows people to generate an immune response — antibodies — so that the infection is controlled throughout the population by “herd immunity.” That is the main purpose of widespread immunization in other viral diseases, to assist with population immunity. In this virus, we know that medical care is not even necessary for the vast majority of people who are infected. It is so mild that half of infected people are asymptomatic. In fact, infected people without severe illness are the immediately available vehicle for establishing widespread immunity. By transmitting the virus to others in the low-risk group who then generate antibodies, they block the network of pathways toward the most vulnerable people, ultimately ending the threat.
People are dying because other medical care is not getting done due to hypothetical projections.

Critical health care for millions of Americans is being ignored and people are dying to accommodate “potential” COVID-19 patients and for fear of spreading the disease. Most states and many hospitals abruptly stopped “nonessential” procedures and surgery. That prevented diagnoses of life-threatening diseases, like cancer screening, biopsies of tumors now undiscovered and potentially deadly brain aneurysms. Treatments, including emergency care, for the most serious illnesses were also missed. Cancer patients deferred chemotherapy. An estimated 80 percent of brain surgery cases were skipped. Acute stroke and heart attack patients missed their only chances for treatment, some dying and many now facing permanent disability.

We have a clearly defined population at risk who can be protected with targeted measures.

The overwhelming evidence around the world consistently shows that a clearly defined group, older people and others with underlying conditions, is more likely to have a serious illness requiring hospitalization and more likely to die from COVID-19. It is a commonsense, achievable goal to target isolation policy to that group, including strictly monitoring those who interact with them. Nursing home residents, the highest risk, should be the most straightforward to systematically protect from infected people, given that they already live in confined places with highly restricted entry.

More Bacon Facts

Bacon dates back to 1500 BCE. The Chinese were the first to cook salted pork bellies more than 3000 years ago. This makes bacon one of the world’s oldest processed meats.
Romans called bacon petaso. Bacon eventually migrated westward. The Romans made petaso by boiling salted pig shoulder with figs, and then seasoning the mixture with pepper sauce. Wine was a frequent accompaniment.
The word bacon refers to the "back" of a pig. The word bacon comes from the Germanic root “-bak,” and refers to the back of the pig that supplied the meat. Bakko became the French bacco, which the English then adopted around the 12th century, naming the dish bacoun. Back then, the term referred to any pork product, but by the 14th century bacoun referred specifically to the cured meat.


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Paul Revere Myth Debunked

Paul Revere’s shouting “The British are coming!” in the streets would have been the modern day equivalent of running down Times Square in New York and shouting, “The Americans are coming!”

At that point, the colonies were still technically British, and not everybody was ready for a revolution. More likely, Paul Revere, and he was just one of dozens assigned to put the word out in Boston, whispered his alarm, and instead of warning of the British, he likely said, “The regulars are coming out.” We have Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s patriotic poem to thank for anybody even knowing Paul Revere’s name.

Wordology Idiom, Metaphor, and Simile

Idiom: An idiom is an expression that conveys something different from its literal meaning, and cannot be guessed from the meanings of its individual words. "Between a rock and a hard place" is an idiom that means “in a difficult or bad position with no good way of getting out of it.” What makes an idiom different from a figure of speech is that its non-literal meaning is already familiar to speakers of the language.

Metaphor: A metaphor is a word or phrase typically used to describe one thing, but unexpectedly used to describe something different. Metaphors make language interesting and help create imagery. "He was drowning in paperwork" is a metaphor that makes a connection between having to deal with a lot of paperwork and drowning in water.

Simile: A simile is an expression that uses the words like or as to describe something by comparing it with something else. A simile is like a metaphor except that a simile uses the words like or as to signal that a comparison is being made. “She is as fierce as a tiger” is a simile, but “She is a tiger when she is angry” is a metaphor.

Flu Fact

There are estimated 1 billion cases worldwide; 9.3 million to 45 million cases in the US per year. During 2019/20, in the US, the flu has already caused an estimated 26 million illnesses this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alexa Remembers

To set a reminder, use a command like, “Alexa, remember that my wallet is on the kitchen counter.” Later, you can ask, “Alexa, where did I put my wallet?” and Alexa will remind you of whatever location you previously provided.

Keep forgetting your spouse’s birthday or anniversary? Can’t remember where you put your keys or your phone? Forgot the name of your new neighbor? Give the job to Alexa. Just tell Alexa what you want her to remember and when you are in a bind, she will remind you.

There are other ways you can take advantage of Alexa's built-in memory. Say, "Alexa, remember that Maggie’s shoe size is 7." Say, "Alexa, remember that we are leaving for vacation on August 3." Then, ask Alexa for Maggie’s shoe size, or when your vacation is, and she will respond with what you told her.

Making this feature even handier, its use is not tethered to your Echo. Just use your iPhone or Android device to ask Alexa to recall something when you are out and about. If you are shopping for shoes for Maggie and you forgot her size, just use the Alexa app on your phone to ask for a reminder.

Try this handy reminder say “Alexa, remind me to take out the trash at 6PM,” and she will notify you at the proper time.

Happy Friday

A smile is to your face as happiness is to your soul.

It is time to smile and be happy, especially on a Happy Friday!

Walpurgisnacht

Germany is a country that does not traditionally celebrate Halloween. Instead, it has Walpurgisnacht, the Witches’ Night, which takes place every year on April 30.

One of the largest Walpurgisnacht celebrations in Germany takes place at the Hexentanzplatz, the Witches’ Dance Floor, a mountain plateau looming over the sleepy town of Thale. Locals light an enormous bonfire and run wild dressed as witches, demons, and all forms of nightmarish ghouls. Statues of witches and demons from regional folklore line a square where local vendors sell all sorts of Harz specialties from sausages to schnapps.

Mark Twain Quote

"The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin."

How to Pronounce It

Nutella
new-tell-uh

IKEA
ee-kay-uh

Hyundai
hun-day

Porsche
por-shuh

Bayer
buy-er

Hoegaarden
who-garden

Cetaphil
seat-uh-fill

Del Monte
del-mon-ti

Huawei
wah-way

Adidas
Ah-dee-dahs

Chevrolet
shev-ro-lay

Hermès
air-mez

Van Heusen
van hoy-sen

Givenchy
zhee-vahn-shee

Versace
ver-sa-cheh

Elixir of Life

These days of Covid are finding many people seeking the "magic cure". Throughout history, people have sought the elixir of immortality and many of them died in the process of consuming that which killed them, instead. "Cures" have been found as far back as from 202 BC to 8 AD.

Just as we have no magic cure now, we did not have one in the past. As our "quest for the "nectar of the Gods" goes on, we are doomed to a more pragmatic cure. Those hoping for a 90 day solution to the current problem are as misguided as our ancestors, but the beauty of human nature is that we keep trying. Thankfully people like Jonas Salk and others come along often enough to keep our faith. It will happen again, but we must do our part - and keep the faith.

Covid and Closed in

If you are feeling a bit closed in, think about this. Human beings may dominate the planet with our sprawling cities, but we are just one species among some 8.7 million species that live together on planet Earth.

One 2011 study published in the journal PLoS Biology estimated that "the various forms of life on the planet included 7.8 million species of animals, 298,000 species of plants, 611,000 species of mushrooms, mold and other fungi, 36,400 species of protozoa, and 27,500 species of algae or chromists." It is also worth noting that the researchers did not venture to put an estimate on the number of bacteria.

The world population of people is 7.8 billion. As of now, 2.5 million people have been affected by Covid with 706,000 recovered, and 1.7 million active cases.

In perspective I think it is time for the media to get over themselves and report on the vast many good things going on in our planet rather than just focusing in on the half-vast Covid.

Wordology

Continuous and Continual - Continuous and continual are not the same, although they are similar. As Grammarist notes, things that happen without any interruption (like the flowing of a river) are continuous, while things that happen regularly with breaks in between (like bus departures) are continual.

Farther and Further - The difference between farther and further might be subtle, but it is important. Though both words mean "more distant," farther refers to physical distance, and further refers to figurative distance.

Allusion and Illusion - An allusion is a reference, most often one made in literature. An illusion, on the other hand, is a mirage or some other sort of deceptive appearance.

Evoke and Invoke - Evoke and invoke both come from the Latin word vocare for "call," so it makes sense that they are two of the most commonly confused words in the English language. These verbs are not interchangeable.
Evoke means "to call forth" and is typically used in reference to memories or emotions. Invoke, meanwhile, means "to call upon" and is most often heard in a court of law.

Alcohol and Brain Cells

Alcohol does not necessarily kill brain cells. Alcohol can, however, lead indirectly to the death of brain cells in two ways: In chronic, heavy alcohol users whose brains have adapted to the effects of alcohol, abrupt cessation following heavy use can cause excitotoxicity leading to cellular death in multiple areas of the brain. In alcoholics who get most of their daily calories from alcohol, a deficiency of thiamine can produce Korsakoff's syndrome, which is associated with serious brain damage.