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:
Hospitalizations: 1,023
Deaths: 29
Positivity: 6.34%
The FDA today issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer's Covid vaccine for children ages 5-11.
However, the CDC has not yet issued guidance on its use, so the vaccine doses are not yet available. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next Tuesday and will decide on what, if any, vaccination recommendations they will make. Their decision will be given to the CDC director, who will make the final decision on the use of the pediatric dose vaccines.
As a reminder, the pediatric dose is 1/3 of the adult dose, and has been shown to provide 90% protection from symptomatic Covid-19 disease.
For reference, the CDC reports that 170 children in the 5-11 age group have died from Covid.
The CDC released a study today that appears to show that the mRNA vaccines are more effective than previous infection with SARS-CoV2. The only outcome measured, however, was positive test in hospitalized patients with Covid-like illness. On a cursory reading of the report, I did not see other outcomes evaluated, such as death from Covid. In all, this study doesn't tell me enough to make a different recommendation from my general pro-vaccine for previously-uninfected individuals position, with all of the usual caveats, such as talk to your own doctor and don't depend on my opinions for your decisions.
The weekend is here. Go outside!
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 ...
