Members get a daily Covid-19 topic focused on Covid in Tennessee.
Supporters are part of a self-improvement sub-group where value is dispensed daily on personal growth in all aspects of life, informed by many sources. New members welcome!
Tennessee Covid numbers today:
New confirmed SARS-CoV2 infections: 2,861
New Covid deaths: 40
Hospitalized: 3,596
Positivity: 18.94%
In a move that sounds more like Soviet central planning than an American government action, it was announced Monday that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking over control of the distribution of monoclonal antibody doses.
This is being done in the name of staving off shortages, but many feel that it is aimed at putting pressure on residents of Southern states to vaccinate rather than rely on monoclonal antibody treatments to prevent severe disease.
Up until now, distribution was based on orders received, or, you might say, the treatments were being sent to where they are being most used. Southern states are consuming about 70% of produced supply currently, because delta is impacting the South more than other parts of the country, and because Southern states are emphasizing their availability in an attempt to stave off even worse morbidity and mortality than we are already experiencing, partly because of population resistance to vaccine advice.
It sounds like a page torn from an Ayn Rand novel to me.
I've talked about cheap at-home Covid tests in the past, but they have again risen as a possibility. Now, Harvard epidemiologist and all around smart fellow Michael Mina is advocating the widespread use of cheap rapid tests as a path out of the pandemic. I encourage you to look him up and read his letter to the President about writing an Executive Order reclassifying these tests as public health tools rather than medical devices, removing the obstruction of the FDA to the creation and distribution of these tests.
Stay healthy!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
