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 update:
Hospitalized: 2,194
Positivity: 12.07%
Molnupiravir. It's the exciting new drug being developed by Merck, et al. So far, we've only gotten a press release, but the initial report was that it cut hospitalizations/deaths by 50%. None of the study group died, while 8 of the placebo group died. The trial was stopped because it was deemed unethical to give placebos to the patients.
The drug is a 5 day twice-daily pill regimen to be started as soon as one is diagnosed with Covid. The US Federal government has agreed to purchase 1.7 million doses.
Currently, it has not been studied in pregnant women.
Its mechanism of action causes extreme mutations in the genetics of the coronavirus. This renders the affected viruses unable to replicate and expedites the decline of the viral load. There has been theoretical reason to question the drug's ability to cause mutations in human cells, but that has not been seen yet.
Currently, the treatment cost is expected to be $700 for a 5-day course, though that may change before release. Merck intends to apply for an EUA on its way to full approval.
In other news, New Zealand has finally admitted that their Zero-Covid policies are not realistic and that they will be relaxing restrictions soon.
J&J is vying for a booster. I would speculate that a J&J booster would bring that vaccine's efficacy to within the range of the mRNA vaccines.
Currently, there is no booster for the Moderna vaccine. As it is a higher-dose vaccine than Pfizer, I expect that there will be little need of a booster in the near future, and a booster will probably be a lower-dose shot (guessing about 50% of the basic vaccination dose).
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 ...
