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!
In Tennessee today, 3,843 people had new confirmed positive SARS-CoV2 infections, 15 people died, and hospitalizations rose to 2,017 patients. Positivity was 16.46% today.
There are 49 pediatric patients hospitalized with Covid-19, with 14 in ICU and 5 on ventilators, statewide.
I'm repeatedly asked why health officials do not consider a person to be immune if they have had Covid in the past, and insist that everyone must be vaccinated regardless of their immunity status. I do wish I had an answer to that, but I have found nothing that is satisfactory to me.
You'll get explanations about how immunity might not be as good from prior infection as it is from vaccination, and how severity of one's case is connected with the longevity of antibody response, but these are not convincing arguments to me at this point.
So I apologize that I cannot give you a good "why" beyond my almost automatic sneer at how governments work.
I'm still understanding that the vast majority of hospitalized and critical patients with Covid-19 are not vaccinated. There are many breakthrough infections that I'm hearing about, but they are not developing severe Covid. That doesn't mean that they're not necessarily sick, but it does give hope that the vaccines are actually doing their job in preventing severe disease. The only vaccinated people developing severe disease, as I understand it, are immune-compromised people.
My advice remains primarily to fix your comorbidities at whatever cost that takes, no matter now aggravating or annoying, get the vaccine if you do not have a contraindication, and realize that your vaccine doesn't prevent you from infecting others.
Simple surgical or face masks do not have a significant role in protecting the wearer.
They instead help to keep the wearer from spreading the virus. This has not changed.
What has changed is the arrival of the delta variant, and evidence that vaccinated people still have high viral loads in the nasopharynx, and therefore can broadcast the virus just like the unvaccinated.
If all you're measuring is the consistency of advice over time, you're looking at the wrong metrics.
Knowledge advances. Advice adjusts. That isn't incompetence. Instead, it is EXACTLY what you want to have happen.
So if you're griping about masks, that's an issue that you have, not one that the scientific and medical communities have.
I'm fascinated by words and how they are used.
Word choice tells much about the speaker.
Words like "the jab" and "the poke" are not spoken by most who understand and support science. Same with "muzzle" and "face diaper."
These words do not change minds. They play only to those with the same mindset. To others, they are verbal bullying.
If you're trying to bridge a divide, you cannot do that with bullying. No matter your side.
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 ...
