Washington Post: "We’re losing ground against diseases we’ve already defeated"

"As we race to build global immunity against covid-19, we’re losing ground against diseases we’ve already defeated. There are two reasons for this: growing vaccine hesitancy as a result of the politicization of coronavirus vaccines, and the disruption of routine childhood inoculation.

We cannot let this persist. Health officials — and the public at large — must shore up our defenses against all diseases and keep routine childhood vaccination requirements from becoming enmeshed in our growing ideological divide.

All vaccines work in two ways: First, they build immune memory to help protect against infectious diseases and reduce our ability to transmit them. Second, they reduce the chance we come across anyone else with the disease through the same mechanism (particularly important for vulnerable people, such as the elderly or immunocompromised). That means vaccines work best when they have high rates of population uptake."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/07/were-losing-ground-against-diseases-weve-already-defeated/

A measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is seen t a pediatrics clinic in Greenbrae, Calif., in February 2015. (Eric Risberg/AP)

Fact check: "The Southwest Airlines mess and rumors of a vaccine walkout"

"What are you going to believe: Official statements or social media?

The Southwest Airlines cancellations over the weekend are a good example of how news travels on two different tracks today.

In the part of the United States that relies on traditional media, rumors that the cancellations were the result of a pilot protest over coronavirus vaccine mandates were dismissed because, well, there was no evidence. Official entities, such as the airline, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Southwest pilots union, all issued statements saying the rumors were false."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/13/southwest-airlines-snafu-rumors-vaccine-walkout/

Fact check: "The Southwest Airlines mess and rumors of a vaccine walkout" (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)

The background on QR codes; QR code for Election Collection 2021

"Just open a phone camera, point it at this special type of link and get transported to a website with more information than a paper menu ever offered. Even classically brick-and-mortar businesses like furniture retailers are using QR, or quick response, codes to help shoppers choose what to buy.

But QR codes serve a purpose beyond cutting down on germs. They turn analog interactions — like ordering a pizza — into digital ones, and those digital interactions can be subject to tracking by the restaurant or store. Because QR codes open a browser, companies might use that digital signal to connect the dots between online and offline activity."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/07/are-qr-codes-safe/

The QR Code to get to the "Election Collection 2021" is shown here

The QR Code to get to the "Election Collection 2021"

Workforce insights: "They’ll go back to work when they feel safe – and well-compensated"

"The anemic September employment report, with only 194,000 jobs added, illustrates the extent to which the recovery stalled as coronavirus cases surged last month, but it also signals something deeper: America’s unemployed are still struggling with child-care and health issues, and they are reluctant to return to jobs they see as unsafe or undercompensated.

For months, economists predicted a surge in hiring in September as unemployment benefits expired for millions of workers and schools reopened across the country. Instead, last month marked the weakest hiring this year, and an alarming number of women had to stop working again to deal with unstable school and child-care situations.

The numbers are striking: 309,000 women over age 20 dropped out of the labor force in September, meaning they quit work or halted their job searches. In contrast, 182,000 men joined the labor force, Labor Department data showed."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/08/september-jobs-report-takeaway/

Workforce insights: "They’ll go back to work when they feel safe – and well-compensated"

“It’s going to get worse again before it gets better”

"The commercial pipeline that each year brings $1 trillion worth of toys, clothing, electronics and furniture from Asia to the United States is clogged and no one knows how to unclog it.

This month, the median cost of shipping a standard rectangular metal container from China to the West Coast of the United States hit a record $20,586, almost twice what it cost in July, which was twice what it cost in January, according to the Freightos index. Essential freight-handling equipment too often is not where it’s needed, and when it is, there aren’t enough truckers or warehouse workers to operate it.

As Americans fume, supply headaches that were viewed as temporary when the coronavirus pandemic began now are expected to last through 2022.

Dozens of cargo vessels stuck at anchor off the California coast illustrate the delivery disruptions that have become the signature feature of the recovery, fueling inflation, sapping growth and calling into question the global economic model that has prevailed for three decades."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/supply-chain-issues/?itid=hp-top-table-main

The Guardian had a similar article shared here last week:

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/09/why-are-there-shipping-delays.html

“It’s going to get worse again before it gets better”

One story, two headlines

Boston Globe:  

"Eric Rosengren, president of the Boston Fed, moves up retirement, citing kidney illness"

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/27/business/eric-rosengren-president-boston-fed-retire-after-fed-begins-review-how-it-oversees-investments-officers/

Washington Post: 

"Two Fed officials announce retirements amid controversy over ethics and stocktrading"

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/09/27/eric-rosengren-boston-fed/

If you only do one thing with your privacy settings ...

"There’s probably a little bit of Google in every part of your life. The company hosts a sprawling network of tools and apps we use for everything — from school assignments and work emails, to watching how-to videos and making calls. The good news is that Google has tried to collect its most important privacy settings into one place, which means you can protect your data in Gmail and Google-owned YouTube at the same time.

Google offers a “Privacy Checkup” to get through settings quickly, but defaults to more mild options than we’ve listed below. There are some trade-offs when you limit Google’s data collection, according to the company. Google services that give recommendations might not be as helpful, and any ads you see will be less accurately targeted.

These privacy setting recommendations are based on your Google Account settings on the Web. You can also access them through individual Google apps or your settings on an Android phone by going to Settings → Google (or Google Services)."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/23/google-privacy-settings/

If you only do one thing with your privacy settings ...

"The region is one of many across the globe being struck by severe drought."

"Sergio Koci’s sunflower farm in the lowlands of northern Argentina has survived decades of political upheaval, runaway inflation and the coronavirus outbreak. But as a series of historic droughts deadens vast expanses of South America, he fears a worsening water crisis could do what other calamities couldn’t: Bust his third-generation agribusiness.

“When you have one bad year, you can face it,” Koci said. Some of his 20,000 acres rest near the mighty Paraná River, where water levels have reached lows not seen since 1944. On the back of two years of drought-related crop losses, he said, the continuing dryness is now set to reduce his sunflower yields this year by 65 percent.

“When you have three bad years, you don’t know if there will even be another year,” he said.

From the frigid peaks of Patagonia to the tropical wetlands of Brazil, worsening droughts this year are slamming farmers, shutting down ski slopes, upending transit and spiking prices for everything from coffee to electricity."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/24/argentina-brazil-south-america-drought/

Meanwhile, on the home front:

"Breaking news in the weather department this morning... We have now moved into first place for the wettest July through September. #EnoughIsEnough"

https://twitter.com/growingwisdom/status/1442073286591062017

We have now moved into first place for the wettest July through September

Passwords may be going away, starting with Microsoft

"You’ve got a lot of passwords to keep track of for your online bank account, insurance company, social media profiles and even your kid’s school software. But starting today, your Microsoft account doesn’t have to be one of them.

The company said Wednesday that it is officially retiring written passwords for personal accounts, including Outlook, OneDrive and Family Safety. Corporate accounts have been eligible for password-free sign-on since March.

The change comes as the entire IT industry rethinks its decades-long reliance on “shared secret” passwords — or the kind you have to remember. People have a tendency to lose and forget them, creating extra costs and headaches for companies and customers alike."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/15/microsoft-passwordless/

Microsoft announced it is rolling out a no-password sign-on system for personal accounts on its Outlook, OneDrive and Family Safety products. (Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg News)

   

George W. Bush: “It is our continuing duty to confront them” (video)

"Few Americans expected wisdom from former president George W. Bush on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Even fewer expected wisdom on the current state of our politics. That is nevertheless what we got from his remarks in Shanksville, Pa., today.

In perhaps the most important words spoken in his political career, Bush in his remarks at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 drew a straight line between the 9/11 terrorists and the 1/6 terrorists. “We have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within,” he said. “There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit." He added, "It is our continuing duty to confront them.” Bush’s words were an indictment not only of the violent MAGA insurrectionists but also, implicitly, of his party that coddles them and the leader whom the 1/6 terrorists wanted to install by force."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/george-w-bushs-full-speech-at-911-memorial-in-shanksville/2021/09/11/cbaaba95-863f-48d8-826a-13685ad3d46a_video.html

Video link ->  https://wapo.st/38ZjChH

Washington Post: "Study sessions, parties and dorm life: How college students can minimize COVID risk on campus"

"College students across the nation are back on campus, bracing for another tumultuous semester amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

And as their universities grapple with mask recommendations, vaccine mandates and distancing rules, students are charged with making serious health-related decisions. Health experts have some risk-reduction advice to make those tough calls a little easier.

One health expert said that while no public health precaution is 100 percent effective, layering them offers a solid defense against covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

“I tell folks: ‘Think of the vaccine like a really good raincoat, but if it’s storming outside, you still need an umbrella if you want to stay dry,’ ” said Henry Wu, assistant professor and senior physician at the Emory University School of Medicine. “And I think right now, we’re storming in most of the country.”

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/09/08/covid-college-students-faq/

Dean College students are back on campus in Franklin

The COVID-19 pandemic ends when?

"It’s basically over already. It will end this October. Or maybe it won’t be over till next spring, or late next year, or two or three years down the road.

From the most respected epidemiologists to public health experts who have navigated past disease panics, from polemicists to political partisans, there are no definitive answers to the central question in American life: As a Drudge Report headline put it recently, “is it ever going to end?”

With children returning to classrooms, in many cases for the first time in 18 months, and as the highly contagious delta variant and spotty vaccination uptake send case numbers and deaths shooting upward, many Americans wonder what exactly has to happen before life can return to something that looks and feels like 2019."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/covid-how-will-it-end/2021/09/04/44bdd69a-fed7-11eb-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html 

What we know and don't know does change, the CDC has the record of the current status  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

The COVID-19 pandemic ends when?

Inside the job market on Labor Day 2021

"A mystery sits at the heart of the economic recovery: There are 10 million job openings, yet more than 8.4 million unemployed are still actively looking for work.

The job market looks, in some ways, like a boom-time situation. Business owners complain they can’t find enough workers, pay is rising rapidly, and customers are greeted with “please be patient, we’re short-staffed” signs at many stores and restaurants.

But the nation remains in the midst of a deadly pandemic with covid-19 hospitalizations back at their highest rates since January. The surge is weighing on the labor market again, with a mere 235,000 jobs added in August. There are still 5 million fewer jobs compared to before the pandemic, reflecting ongoing problems, including child care as some schools and day cares shut down again from outbreaks.

..... 

At heart, there is a massive reallocation underway in the economy that’s triggering a “Great Reassessment” of work in America from both the employer and employee perspectives. Workers are shifting where they want to work — and how. For some, this is a personal choice. The pandemic and all of the anxieties, lockdowns and time at home have changed people. Some want to work remotely forever. Others want to spend more time with family. And others want a more flexible or more meaningful career path. It’s the “you only live once” mentality on steroids. Meanwhile, companies are beefing up automation and redoing entire supply chains and office setups."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/09/04/ten-million-job-openings-labor-shortage/

job openings exceed the number of unemployed

The Washington Post: "How the pandemic set back women’s progress in the global workforce"

"The first year of the pandemic knocked 54 million women around the world out of work, widening the gender gap in employment. It could take years for that gap to narrow again. 

Of the women who lost jobs in 2020, almost 90 percent exited the labor force completely, compared with around 70 percent of men. 

How did this happen? Country-level data offers clues. The Washington Post analyzed available data and focused on three countries that offered revealing case studies: Peru, Thailand and France."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/coronavirus-women-work?itid=hp_orw-hp-2021

Found via Twitter:  https://t.co/oElQCSG1wO

Huapaya worked during the early months of the pandemic at a restaurant, where she cut her hand on a bottle. She now works as a house cleaner twice a month and as a nanny for another family and sells meals on Sundays. (Daniela Rivera Antara for The Washington Post)

COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine updates, including Franklin's vaccine stats - a quick recap

1 - Maura George (@maurageorgemd) tweeted Fri, Aug 27, 2021:

As a mom of 3 little boys, I am desperate to get my kids' childhood back to normal. As a doctor, I want data to know that what we're doing is actually effective. I was floored when I graphed these numbers from ATL schools this week. #maskmandate https://t.co/7prNuI7XAQ

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/maurageorgemd/status/1431368291948302347?s=03

Georgia Dept. of Public Health data -> https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report

COVID-19 cases in Atlanta students, mask mandate

2. "Children’s hospitals around the country are seeing a surge in Covid-19 patients"

"As the Delta variant grips the country, children who are not yet eligible for vaccination are at higher risk of being infected — especially in places where the virus is surging. A New Orleans children’s hospital had so many Covid-19 patients that a federal “surge team” was called in to bolster an exhausted staff.

Children under 12 may have to wait until the end of the year to get vaccinated. Half of the adolescents in the U.S. have now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the White House said on Friday."

Via the New York Times Friday highlights->    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/briefing/kabul-evictions-candyman.html

The full article and heart rendering photos can be found ->

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/us/children-covid-delta.html

3 -  "Why Provincetown’s Response to Its COVID Outbreak Was So Effective"

"Source investigation complements standard contact tracing; it’s not a substitute. When outbreaks are detected, people need to be informed immediately, so they can get tested and ensure they are not unknowingly spreading the virus. Once a cluster is detected, venues should re-evaluate their COVID mitigation measures and ensure that staff are vaccinated and ventilation systems refresh indoor air at least four to six times per hour. High-risk venues should keep lists of patrons, and outreach to customers through social media can be very effective. Mandating that customers are vaccinated, as New York, San Francisco and New Orleans have done, may not suffice to prevent outbreaks. Some European countries are requiring evidence of a negative coronavirus test for unvaccinated people entering indoor entertainment venues.

The Provincetown outbreak occurred as thousands of people arrived to celebrate the Fourth of July, believing their vaccinations would protect them against infection. When infected people began feeling ill, some didn’t immediately attribute their symptoms to COVID-19 because of the widespread belief that breakthrough infections were almost impossible. After the cases emerged, the local health department’s investigation was undoubtedly helped by strong word-of-mouth communication, as many infections affected members of the gay community, a group that for decades has witnessed the effects of the AIDS pandemic. Since then, many local businesses have reassessed their COVID mitigation measures, the town reinstituted an indoor mask mandate and new cases have leveled off."

Also from the New York Times, where the full article can be found ->  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/opinion/provincetown-covid-contact-tracing.html

4 -CNN’s Leana Wen: ‘Public health is now under attack in a way that it has not been before’

An excerpt from the full interview (which is definitely worth reading to get the full context:

"Yeah. It’s the height of American exceptionalism that we are where we are. I have family in other parts of the world where health-care workers and vulnerable elderly people are begging to get the vaccine. And here, we’re sitting on stockpiles and begging people to take the vaccine.

I think how we got here is complicated, right? I agree with the surgeon general in issuing the advisory about misinformation and disinformation — certainly that plays a big role here. There are individuals out there who are knowingly spreading misinformation. There are others who are clicking and then, unfortunately, sharing misinformation that’s leading to question that and the efficacy of vaccines. That misinformation is taking away people’s freedom to make decisions for themselves and their families.

And I think the Biden administration needs to take some responsibility here, also, for their miscalculation and misjudgment in being so uneasy about vaccine verification and relying on the honor code. Come on. Did they really think that the honor system was going to work during a pandemic when many people behaved so dishonorably? The honor system did not work. And, of course, the unvaccinated are now running around living their lives as if they are vaccinated. And that’s led to the surge that we are now seeing. We lost the powerful incentive to increase vaccines in that really important window."

Read the full interview on the Washington Post page (subscription maybe required)  
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/cnns-leana-wen-public-health-is-now-under-attack-in-a-way-that-it-has-not-been-before/2021/08/19/42c76184-ef0b-11eb-a452-4da5fe48582d_story.html

5 - Via the MA.gov DPH weekly updates, here is the vaccine statistics by age group for Franklin, Not that the population up to 11 years old is excluded as the vaccine is not yet authorized for them.

Boston Globe article with their coverage on this week's data

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/15/nation/massachusetts-confirmed-coronavirus-cases-by-city/

My downloaded copy filtered for Franklin data (as of 8/26/21)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YTnqmKTprkfFDGkBEoM678QlxqbvNgP9/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101938843903614700481&rtpof=true&sd=true

The full data file can be found on the MA Gov page

https://www.mass.gov/doc/weekly-covid-19-municipality-vaccination-report-august-26-2021/download

Franklin's vaccine stats as of 8/26/21

In Heat vs. Humidity debate, humidity wins

Good timing for this article given the heat wave baking the area. It is nicely done and interactive so spend a few minutes to review and understand. It doesn't matter whether you accept climate change or not, dealing with humidity is a requirement to remain healthy.

"When it comes to heat, the human body is remarkably resilient — it’s the humidity that makes it harder to cool down. And humidity, driven in part by climate change, is increasing.

A measurement of the combination of heat and humidity is called a “wet-bulb temperature,” which is determined by wrapping a completely wet wick around the bulb of a thermometer. Scientists are using this metric to figure out which regions of the world may become too dangerous for humans.

A term we rarely hear about, the wet-bulb temperature reflects not only heat, but also how much water is in the air. The higher that number is, the harder it is for sweat to evaporate and for bodies to cool down."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/climate-change-humidity/?itid=orw-hp-2021

For those working outside or participating in athletic activities, tips to stay healthy

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048167

In Heat vs. Humidity debate, humidity wins

“We should not even be thinking about closing the book or backing off, but rather ratcheting up the effort”

As shared earlier this week (Virus theory vs politics: "unlikely hard answers will be provided this week"), the report did lead to no hard conclusions and more research (in the scientific manner) remains to be done. The 90 day push accomplished much but could not reach a conclusion in the time allotted.

"President Biden on Tuesday received a classified report from the intelligence community that was inconclusive about the origins of the novel coronavirus, including whether the pathogen jumped from an animal to a human as part of a natural process, or escaped from a lab in central China, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The intelligence community will seek within days to declassify elements of the report for potential public release, officials said.

The assessment is the result of a 90-day sprint after Biden tasked his intelligence agencies in May to produce a report “that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion” on the origins of a virus that has killed more than 4 million people globally and wrecked national economies. But despite analyzing a raft of existing intelligence and searching for new clues, intelligence officials fell short of a consensus, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the report is not yet public."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/24/covid-origins-biden-intelligence-review/ 

New York Times coverage of this topic (subscription maybe required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/world/asia/china-conspiracy-theories-coronavirus.html

"Food insecurity is a silent problem"

"The number of Massachusetts households lacking enough food to get by doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study from Project Bread.

More than half a million residents, more than a quarter of them children, who are eligible for SNAP, or food stamps, don’t receive benefits for the nation’s No. 1 anti-hunger program, according to the research by Project Bread, a Boston nonprofit that works to end hunger in the state.

“The cycle of hunger, it definitely is real,” said Erin McAleer, president and CEO of Project Bread, which surveyed more than 800 Boston residents in partnership with the city’s Office of Food Access and UMass Boston’s Center for Survey Research."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/22/metro/hungry-mass-households-doubled-during-pandemic/

Direct link to the Project Bread study updated in Aug 2021

https://www.projectbread.org/research/barriers-to-snap

"Food insecurity is a silent problem"

A related article from The Washington Post based upon census data

"Hunger around America is improving, compared with a month ago, according to the most recent U.S. census data. But food insecurity has a long way to go before returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Self-reported food insecurity for the week ending Aug. 2 was at its lowest levels since the start of the coronavirus pandemic for households with children, according to the census data. That dovetails with strong jobs numbers, stronger economic growth and other bright spots in the economic recovery.

But food stamps enrollment is still way up, 2 million more than last year and 6 million more than in 2019. And food banks are still seeing dramatically more need than during pre-pandemic times." 

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/08/23/hunger-pandemic-food-stamps/

Washington Post: "Booming business at dollar stores"

"A growing number of Americans are relying on dollar stores for everyday needs, especially groceries, as the coronavirus pandemic drags into its 18th month. Chains such as Dollar General and Dollar Tree are reporting blockbuster sales and profits, and proliferating so quickly that some U.S. cities want to limit their growth. The 1,650 dollar stores expected to open this year represent nearly half of all new national retail openings, according to Coresight Research.

Foot traffic at the largest such chain, Dollar General, is up 32 percent from pre-pandemic levels, far outpacing the 3 percent increase at Walmart, one of the few retail winners of last year, according to Placer.ai, which analyzes shopping patterns using location data from 30 million devices."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/08/20/growing-number-americans-are-relying-dollar-stores/

A shopper pushes a cart through Family Dollar in Chicago. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News)

Iceland's short story: vaccines work

"Vaccine opponents have gleefully pointed to Iceland as proof that the shots are a “failure.” But contrary to online misinformation and conspiratorial social media posts, infectious-disease experts say Iceland’s outbreak actually illustrates how effective the vaccines are at preventing the virus’s most severe impacts.

Many of the country’s recent infections have occurred among vaccinated people, but they’ve been overwhelmingly mild. So even as new cases multiplied, Iceland’s rates of covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths have remained low. Of the 1,300 people currently infected, just 2 percent are in the hospital. The country hasn’t recorded a virus death since late May."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/iceland-covid-surge-vaccines/2021/08/14/bdd88d04-fabd-11eb-911c-524bc8b68f17_story.htm

Iceland Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. (Michael Sohn/AP)