News

Dr. Osterholm on the virus. David Quammen writes in Spillover that our individual behaviors will make the difference.:  wearing a mask, coughing into a elbow, not going on a plane or to work when you are sick, etc.....  He also...

Mask Ratings  "The N95 respirator with no valve was the most effective in the studyrs. A disposable surgical mask made from a plastic-derived material called polypropylene ( was the next best option, followed by a mask made from two layers of...

Ed Yong is a wise person concerning the virus. He wrote the neat book, I Contain Multitudes. He has a new article in the Atlantic. We need fast tests, contact tracing, a good health care system,  and  paid sick leave....

article Osterholm says we need to treat the virus like a wildfire and strategically shut down hot spots to prevent the spread.  We need "honest, effective leadership; and quickly undertook mitigation, testing and contract tracing"

Here is comprehensive Ed Yong article on the Corona virus.  He says that we need to emphasize  disease prevention and science; to have leadership from the top on wearing masks, testing, gloves, aprons, contact tracing, quarantining- not self-centered blaming, distraction , and...

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/06/27/multiple-crises-signal-need-change-course

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/17/879255417/amid-confusion-about-reopening-an-expert-explains-how-to-assess-covid-risk He mentioned that over 400 health care workers have died from treating Covid patients.  Also, he said it will take a long time before herd immunity would limit the spread, and that that will not help individuals.  

"We must curb the high risk trade and consumption of wildlife, halt deforestation and land conversion, as well as manage food production sustainably."   https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/17/top-global-experts-say-humanity-must-heal-our-broken-relationship-nature-prevent "If we do not do things differently, we are finished," she said. "We can't go...

https://www.bluezones.com/2020/06/covid-19-straight-answers-from-top-epidemiologist-who-predicted-the-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR3fwzCO_TMSat35dP8nc1zHSGd2rYYaUi2OPtBHeY_FOsVxzEKUWjBZM8o   Michael Osterholm, leader of MN public health and of CDC, explains the details of what we face. 

Insurance cos. are increasing the fees to patients, decreasing the payment to doctors, and kicking out doctors from being in-network.   https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/29/rep-katie-porter-accuses-unitedhealth-putting-profits-patients-and-providers-midst

https://www.ecowatch.com/dogs-smell-covid-19-2646105814.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1 So we could have lots of friendly dogs that could smell a person's pee sample and instantly know if they had the virus.    No shortage of testing once alot of dogs are trained! No profiteering!

https://grist.org/justice/epa-consent-decrees-are-supposed-to-hold-polluters-accountable-will-coronavirus-get-them-off-the-hook stop cleaning up the toxic emissions into the Mississippi River and into the air; and clean up  the lead in neighboring homes. enforcement and inspections down 70%. https://grist.org/justice/will-state-level-environmental-enforcement-survive-the-pandemic more fracking permits and more pollution of neighboring communities https://grist.org/energy/coronavirus-has-states-hitting-pause-except-when-it-comes-to-oil-and-gas-drilling fracking flowback...

"destructive human pressures such as climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, population growth, and wildlife trade, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions" "approximately 173 species went extinct between 2001 and 2014, which "is 25 times more extinct species than you would...

Some of the books that I like about public health and epidemiology are The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett and Spillover by David Quammen. These have a sense of adventure and cooperation in crisis times, where investigators/detectives try to find...

"This is our time to be kind, to be calm, and to be safe".  "It is really about the recognition that we are all in the same storm".  "If you tell people what they need to  do and why, and...