The Furies of August

 

We usually think of August as a sleepy month. Europe goes on vacation, as does Congress and much of the Federal government. Trips to beaches, mountains, and national parks are planned in the last gasp to enjoy summer before schools, colleges and the government get back to business as usual.

Some famous poets have described August:

August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.– Sylvia Plath

Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.– Denise Levertov.

This morning, the sun endures past dawn. I realize that it is August: the summer’s last stand.– Sara Baume

The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.–Sue Monk Kidd

And finally:

August is that last flicker of fun and heat before everything fades and dies. The final moments of fun before the freeze. In the winter, everything changes.– Rasmenia Massoud.

So, how do we reconcile these comments with the actuality of August 2021 when we are seeing a resurgent Delta Covid outbreak across the US, Hurricanes Henri and Ida causing weather damage in both New England and in areas around New Orleans and surrounding cities.  And, of course, there is a continuing crisis in Afghanistan. Where to start?

Well, Henri did not do as much damage as predicted although it had large amounts of rain and some areas lost power; however, Ida is another story. Striking New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana on the 16^th anniversary of the arrival of Katrina, this storm is packing a powerful punch. As I am writing tonight, Ida came ashore as a Category 4 and has now been downgraded to a Category 2 storm with winds around 105 miles per hour and gusts over 140 miles per hour. In addition to the winds, large amounts of rain are falling, perhaps up to one inch per hour. New Orleans is without power and is being pelted with winds and rains. The high winds have severely damaged the power grid. Levees around the city so far are holding, but not all pumps are working, which is a concern, as the city is below sea level. Roofs are being lifted off their foundations, trees are being topped and uprooted as the storm and its furies pass through. Hospitals, which continue to be full with Covid patients, are running on backup generators. Low-lying areas along the coast are reporting storm surges and flooding with some residents stranded. They will not know the full extent of damages until the storm passes and daylight comes. Luckily, only one death has been reported so far; hopefully, deaths and injuries will remain low.

In Afghanistan, the remarkable United States Military airlift continues despite some injuries to our troops and the tragic deaths of 13 young servicemen and women due to the actions of an ISIS-affiliated suicide bomber outside the Airport gates. The bombers’ actions also killed and injured over 200 Afghan citizens.  Despite many difficulties and a less than stellar start, as of Friday, over 110,600 people – (over 5000 Americans and others) have been evacuated from the airport.  Approximately 1500 Americans remain in the country and have yet to be evacuated. Some may be unable to get to the airport, others may have dual citizenship and do not want to leave at this time. Many Afghan citizens who believe that they are on the Taliban “kill list” due to their service with US or NATO forces could not make it to Kabul or are in hiding somewhere in the city. Many could not get the special identification papers that they need to be permitted to leave.

Many in Congress have overly politicized this evacuation, criticized the inability to remove all affiliated Afghan citizens, and demanded the negotiated leave date be extended. Some such as Senator Lindsey Graham sputtered and postured, calling for impeachment. Others called for Benghazi-type hearings and claimed when they (the Republicans) regain the House, they will hold President Biden accountable. Whatever happened to rallying around the flag and the President when America was attacked?

Others claimed that the Taliban will execute women who entered professions across the nation of Afghanistan as soon as the Americans leave and claim that the US has abandoned the rights of women to a savage fate. The Taliban claims it needs the talents of all and will not act savagely. Will they allow girls to continue education in schools and universities? I certainly do not know, but I hope they will allow that in the cities where these habits have taken hold. I doubt that the remote villages will see much change as they changed little under the previous government. Only time will tell what will happen. There is one train of thought that indicates the Taliban do not know how to run a country, an airport, or an economy and need international help. Turkey and Qatar have been reported as possible countries whose forces have been asked to man an international airport. The Taliban forces have not ransacked the Presidential Palace or the abandoned US Embassy and the leaders say they want the Americans to keep a diplomatic presence in Kabul. The State Department has not indicated what the plans are for the future and indicated actions will speak louder than words, so they will wait and see.

The American military struck back at the ISIS forces responsible for the bombing at the airport with a drone strike on individuals outside the city the next day and a targeted airstrike on a vehicle said to be carrying bombs in Kabul today. A rocket attack on the airport was reported this evening but was repelled by the anti-aircraft-type defenses. President Biden announced that America will not forgive nor forget these killings.  Most of the US troops killed were in their early twenties and were just babies when this war started. Two of the dead were women, one of whom had been pictured holding an Afghan baby just a few days before. They were trying to help others and did not deserve to die this way.  My condolences go out to their friends and families.

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As students return to schools and colleges, the Delta variant continues to ravage Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, and South Carolina who are the top five states this week with numbers of cases per 100,000. Florida alone is averaging 246 deaths per day and is still only 52 % vaccinated. In Florida, the number of deaths per day is now higher than at any time since the pandemic started.  Governor DeSantis is pushing Regeneron clinics over mask-wearing – amazing! Since the outbreak across the south, some states are reporting increased numbers of vaccinations; the daily vaccination numbers which had been stagnant are rising across the country. Some physicians believe that the recent full FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine might increase acceptance by some who were previously reluctant. They advised the third vaccine for immunocompromised patients and a third shot or booster for those who were vaccinated more than six months earlier.

More patients are currently hospitalized across the nation with COVID illnesses (over 100,000) than at any time since the severe winter surge before vaccines were widely available.

The Florida governor’s restriction against mandatory mask-wearing in schools has been ignored by many school districts and overturned by a court. In Maryland, the State Board of Education mandated the wearing of masks in all schools. As can be seen below, the Maryland case numbers are the highest in months; the vaccination rate is 61 % for fully vaccinated. Vermont has the highest vaccination record with 68 % vaccinated; Alabama has the lowest percentage at 37 %.

COVID STATS – NY Times:

US Totals: Total cases: 38,875,807. New Cases: 156,886.

                  Total deaths: 637,356.      New Deaths: 1296.

Maryland Totals: as of 8/27/21

                  Total Cases: 492,547.      New Cases: 1,373.

                   Total Deaths: 9,971.        New Deaths:  8.

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This week saw marches in many states advocating for the passage of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Last week the House of Representatives on a party-line vote passed the John Lewis Act. Neither Bill is expected to pass in the Senate unless there is some change in the filibuster rule. Meanwhile, in Texas, both houses have passed what many see as an onerous bill with voting restrictions. This is the bill, which brought many Democrats from Texas to boycott their session and come to DC to push for a national voting freedoms act.  After reworking to collate both versions the bill is expected to soon become the law in Texas. Some 18 Republican-led states have passed restrictive laws this year. I agree with many who are worried about the mid-term elections next year. Since the Republicans are a minority party, the only way they can win is with unfair laws and gerrymandering.  I, for one, will work to counter these measures as much as possible with education and getting out the vote. Please join me. Join former Attorney General Eric Holder also as he advocates for fair elections and an end to gerrymandering.

“Til next week – Peace!

Next Steps?

 

Someone once said, “There is never a wrong time to do the right thing”. I have a feeling that phrase might run through President Biden’s mind his week. Leaving Afghanistan was not supposed to be this difficult. And – it was the right step.

·         The American Embassy was supposed to have more time to process visas for those special interpreters and aides to the Americans.

·         The Afghan army was supposed to offer some opposition to the Taliban; the Taliban was not supposed to race through the provinces like General Sherman across the South.

·         The Afghan president was not supposed to leave the country as the Taliban approached Kabul.

·         As American and NATO forces pulled out there appeared to be a vacuum that facilitated the advance of the Taliban army.

However, all of those things happened and greatly complicated the evacuation of Americans and Afghan citizens who helped American troops. It turned out that the only escape option was a single airport in Kabul, which was being guarded by hostile Taliban forces and secured by the Americans. Many advisors had predicted that it would take at least a year to eighteen months for the opposition to advance to Kabul. So, because of the failure of this planning, American military forces had to again be sent to Kabul to protect the evacuation. Over 6000 American troops are now facilitating this evacuation. Subsequently, the forces airlifted embassy personnel to the airport by helicopter.

The military troops have now flown thousands of people out of Afghanistan; thousands more are waiting, some at the airport, others in severe crushes of humanity outside the gates under a blazing sun and high temperatures. Afghan children and the elderly became dehydrated. The crush of the crowds as they surged toward the airport gate trampled some who stood in wait and took the life of a two-year-old child who fell beneath the hordes. Her mother survived but left her post to bury her child. This so should not be happening. This was not the intent of the president as he ordered troops home from a twenty-year war. Where did all of this go wrong?

In an address to the nation today, President Biden indicated that over 28,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan to date. He stated that the evacuations will continue past the August 31^st deadline if necessary. Some talks are going on with the Taliban to possibly extend the flights past the August 31^st negotiated deadline. Other reports note that the Taliban will not move into full control of the city until the Americans leave. Many residents report that the Taliban are already going door-to-door looking for weapons and following lists of former government employees. Additional reports indicate fears that reprisals will begin soon and desperation is increasing across the city, especially among women who believe they will no longer be allowed to work or attend school, despite Taliban claims to the contrary.

In the New York Times today, Adam Nossiter analyzed the Afghan war and Americas’ participation in that war. He indicated that the war the Americans thought they were fighting against the Taliban was not the one their Afghan allies were fighting. He believed this difference changed the effort into a neo-colonial adventure that was doomed from the start. The Taliban members were from the local tribes and villages and to many, their repressions were not considered out of order. Americans are horrified about the whipping of women and denial of their rights, but to many in remote villages, this was customary and supported. So, while women in Kabul made inroads against these traditional customs, those far from the capital did not agree. America could not build a society that resisted change.

Another perspective was noted today in an op-ed in the Washington Post. In this piece, a retired veteran military officer, who had been gravely wounded in Afghanistan, supported the withdrawal and the presidents’ decision. Dan Berchinski noted America could not outlast the Taliban. He indicated that once the mission changed from fighting terrorists to nation-building; we had lost whatever advantage we might have held over the Taliban. Although he is angry that he and others gave up limbs and lives for this effort, he faults the military for always predicting rosy outcomes despite realities that showed otherwise. And, although he agrees with the exit strategy, he also indicates that it should have been better managed. He also states in part: “to cite the messiness of the withdrawal as evidence that the war is worth continuing is shortsighted. Over the past several days, veterans such as myself have been asked if our service was in vain. My answer is that it won’t be if we draw the correct lesson from recent events and recognize that heartbreaking news footage, as awful as it is, is no justification for perpetuating an unwinnable war.”

Another opinion also appearing in the Post was that of Fareed Zakaria who after noting that over thirty meetings of the National Security Council (NSC) were held in recent months to plan the withdrawal, indicated that he thought the planning did not lead to an action plan, but perhaps memos about one. He felt that maybe the NSC and the Pentagon have too many layers of bureaucracy to affect a workable solution. Zakaria also cited the recent Afghanistan Papers published by the Post which reported that the military would give a sunny picture to the outsider, while to themselves, they spoke in less certain terms and voiced skepticism. He concluded that success is still possible if the administration stops meeting and starts doing.

I believe that the President made the correct decision to end a war that we were not going to ever win. I think the evacuation should have started sooner and that he should not have deferred to the wishes of the Afghan President to delay those moves. He obviously did not think that Kabul would fall to the Taliban so rapidly and thought that there was more time to move people. Reports came out this week that presidential aide Stephen Miller in the previous administration deliberately complicated the procedures which would have allowed our Afghan allies to get necessary permits to come to America. That, in addition to the hollowing out of experienced diplomats under both Secretaries of State Pompeo and Tillerson, made it difficult for a truncated staff to efficiently function. I think most Americans agree that we should try as much as possible to allow free passage to all of our allies who need to leave. However, I regret that the rapid takeover will keep many from outlying areas from navigating through dangerous checkpoints manned by the Taliban to make it safely to Kabul and the airport. That rapid collapse of the local military, which was not foreseen, was a serious miscalculation.

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Currently, the Delta variant continued its rapid swath across much of the South this past week as cases rose across the nation. The CDC is close to getting FDA approval to add a third vaccine or booster shot for many who are immunocompromised or over 65. Additionally, The World Health Organization begged developed nations to not give third shots when much of the less developed world has yet to get even one vaccine dose. In Afghanistan, it is estimated that approximately 2.4% are vaccinated, for example. That country has reported more than 7,000 deaths and over 150,000 infections, according to Reuters. Some social scientists are concerned about a wider gap between nations with vaccines and those without and the possibility of even greater social upheaval due to the lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure. Meanwhile, Governor DeSantis of Florida is threatening local school boards with loss of funding should they require masks in their schools.  He continues to rants even as his state reports a total of 3.04 million cases, with 12,636 new cases of Delta variants and an overall total of 42,252 deaths. Alabama has reported having no available ICU beds due to its overwhelming level of severe unvaccinated COVID patients. The top five states with percentages of populations afflicted are Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee. (You remember Tennessee, the state where the vaccine director was fired and they threatened health care workers in recent weeks!) Nationally vaccinations have begun to rise again with a daily average of around 1 million doses a day. Maybe some people are finally getting the message!

In Maryland, the new cases are more than ten times what they were a few short weeks ago. The state rate of being fully vaccinated is now 60%.

COVID Stats – NY Times:

US totals:  Total Cases: 37,777,607. New Cases: 149,675. 

Total Deaths: 628,288.  New deaths: 1,008.

Maryland Totals: 8/20/21 – Total Cases: 484,847. New Cases: 1,206.

Total Deaths: 9,922. New Deaths: 6.

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Fortunately, Hurricane Henri was not as devastating as it could have been to New York and New England, although it left lots of rain and some power outages along the way. Sending wishes for sunnier days!

I cannot quit today without linking to the birthday party for the panda cub Xiao Qi Ji as that cute little one turns one-year-old! Happy Birthday, little guy!

‘Til next week – peace!

The Taliban Takes Charge

 

Today the President of Afghanistan fled and left the country to the care of the Taliban. His troops had offered little resistance to the advances of the renegade terrorist forces. This president has long been considered corrupt and one who had little connection to the general populace. However, he was the head of the country and, until now, the head of a mostly functional government. As I see it, this is a catastrophic end to a sad war. This situation offers lots of questions but provides few answers.

Why did this happen?

Could this breakdown have been predicted and prevented?

Where were our military and CIA intelligence on these matters?

Should we have moved staff and supporters before we announced the dates of our withdrawal?

What will happen to the women who remain? How will girls have access to education? The country employed Afghan women in positions across the government for many of the last twenty years; will the civil service just dissolve? Does public service disappear? Will women meekly return to the Draconian medieval rule of the Taliban as seen before the war? Where is the moral authority that can challenge these policies? Today, there are 40 million people living in Afghanistan. What does the future hold for them?

Pundits say that western nations will have little influence over the actions of the Taliban while other countries such as China and Russia will try to get influence eventually to take minerals and other wealth. Some consider Pakistan and some other nearby Islamic countries, such as Iran, as allies, and are currently allowing some refugees to enter.

There are already tales of executions in other parts of the country and punishments for women who are seen using smartphones or being out of their homes unaccompanied by a male relative.

Others say that the Taliban has changed; that the new leaders will try to govern, but this seems doubtful. They already have control of all the millions of dollars worth of military equipment which Americans left the Afghans so that they could defend their country. Who knows if we could destroy all sensitive material as the Embassy was abandoned? What leverage do the Americans have to change anything now?

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) said that ‘this was a failure of intelligence as the US underestimated the Taliban and overestimated the ability of the Afghan forces.’ It appears that once Ben Laden was located and killed, then our anti-terrorist mission in the country was abandoned and we instead fought the Taliban. The Taliban has now opened the jails, which held many real terrorists who may again form terrorist cells across the area.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney tweeted:

“The Trump/Biden calamity unfolding in Afghanistan began with the Trump administration negotiating with terrorists and pretending they were partners for peace, and is ending with American surrender as Biden abandons the country to our terrorist enemies.”

Of course, she is defending the family association with the war, as her father was one of the biggest cheerleaders for going into Afghanistan (and Iraq) over twenty years ago when he served as VP for President Bush. Generally, Republicans are ‘out tweeting’ themselves in attacks on President Biden for his troop withdrawal decision. But, what decision would they have made–endless war with no solutions? Their president had set an even earlier withdrawal date.

President Biden had expected that the Taliban would gradually take control over the next year and did not expect this rapid fall of the established government. Additional troops are currently arriving in Kabul to stabilize the airport and protect and evacuate the remaining Americans there and remove as many of the Afghans who worked for the US as they can. The US thought that there was more time to get visas for these translators, drivers, guides, and their families. We had already started bringing some to the US and nearby countries for processing, but this was a small number when compared to those who could have been moved. However, reports state that the Taliban is hunting those remaining and killing them for their work with the Americans. Although President Biden indicated such actions would bring international scorn and isolation, others had noted that international opinions mean little to the Taliban and that they prefer being outside the international norms as they create their Islamic state. They have already announced the “new country’s” name as the Islamic Emirate. Many think that the country will again become a haven for Al-Qaeda, Isis, and other terrorist groups.

How did the US get to this point in this too-long war? President Biden has long opposed this war. He was a lone voice in opposition to President Obamas’ agreement to the military surge. President Obama voted against the Iraq War when he was a Senator, but went along when the military assured him the surge in Afghanistan would provide a way to end the US involvement. In case you forgot, that was over ten years ago. The previous president went into “peace talks” with the Taliban, which excluded the Afghans and set in advance the date for withdrawal of US forces. He secured an agreement that the Taliban would not attack Americans once the agreement was in effect. This then allowed the Taliban to just bide their time and wait until the troops left Afghanistan.

I think that President Biden was correct in leaving this war. He could see that there was no way to “win” and that we could not force our will for democracy on a country that did not share our goals. The New York Times noted that the Afghan troops on remote bases relied on Americans for air cover and supplies. Once the Americans stepped back, the local military commands could not maintain supply routes or provide adequate air cover. Soldiers who were left on bases with little food or ammunition just faded into the night and left their bases, armaments and all, as the Taliban approached; often few shots were fired.

Over 600,000 American troops fought in Afghanistan over the last 20 years; there were over 2500 American troops who lost their lives in this war. Countless others returned maimed from war injuries or continue to suffer from traumatic brain injuries or traumatic stress disorder. Aside from the trillions of dollars spent, wars have a human cost that follows long after the shooting stops. But, maybe soon, we can say that the US is no longer at war anywhere.

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This weekend, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake of 7.2 strength; this was even stronger than the quake several years ago in 2010, which almost destroyed the capital of Port-au-Prince and left over 300,000 dead and thousands more injured. The country has yet to recover from that first earthquake and, years later, a subsequent hurricane. Now, this latest earthquake has already claimed over 1300 dead, and another tropical storm heads for the island, even as the search and rescue continue. Fortunately, this quake happened in a less populated portion of the country. The recent assassination of the country’s president and the reality that there is no entity in charge compounds rescue options as gangs roam the streets of the capital city. Americans are sending aid and search and rescue teams, so hopefully, help can arrive before the storm.

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Now to the other news which has us all masking up again and staying inside- the Delta variant. It is now present in every county in this country. The New York Times reports that Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida have the highest rates of cases per 100,000, with rates of 126, 110, and 101 respectively. Florida has over 15,000 residents hospitalized. Texas has over 10,000 patients currently hospitalized with COVID, mostly the Delta variant and most unvaccinated. Case rates are increasing across Maryland and the DC Metro area also, but at lower levels. As schools are getting ready to open for the fall semester, controversies about mask mandates are accelerating. The Florida Governor is continuing his anti-mask rants even as polls show, he is losing popularity over this stance. He has threatened school boards and superintendents if they do not follow his dictates. Children, too young to be vaccinated are becoming quite ill with this variant, a change from the original coronavirus population. The Delta variant spreads much more rapidly and sickens soon after exposure. Texans are also having similar problems with their governor. Isn’t it great to see that parents really want to protect their children and are ready to stand up and defy measures (such as no masks) that they believe are harmful?

Covid Stats - NYTimes:

Total US cases: 36,727,846. New Cases: 130,808. 

Total Deaths: 621,228. New Deaths: 662.

Maryland Totals: 8/13/21: Total Cases: 478,067. New Cases: 950.

Total Deaths: 9,878. New Deaths: 5.

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Could it be possible that once this present debacle is over, that this country is headed for a period of peace and we will have no wars to fight? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a generation grow up and not get battle scars as they enter adulthood? I wonder, if as someone once told me, that the only way to get promoted in the military is to have combat experience, will we find some conflict somewhere that demands our intervention? Who knows? (That said, my three brothers, my husband, my stepfather, and my uncle all served, so I know to not glorify war.)

“Til next week, Peace!

Mandates, Masks & Misinformation

As Dr. Fauci recently stated: this pandemic resurgence has become a virus of the unvaccinated. Over 85% of the COVID cases recorded recently are attributed to the Delta variant, which is not the original manifestation they developed the vaccines to treat. However, the good news is that these vaccines are working against this variant also, even as reports of some vaccinated people testing positive, few have been sick enough to be hospitalized.

Many cities and counties are returning to mandating indoor masks again as Delta rages across the country. County and State governments are starting to mandate vaccines for their employees; colleges and universities are also requiring vaccines for students who are returning to on-campus classes. Those who refuse to vaccinate might face job losses as this surge increases; at the least, refusal would subject them to weekly testing and mandated masking. The Federal government is asking the military and all federal employees and contractors to get vaccinated but has stopped just short of an absolute requirement for vaccination. Although some states are reluctant to comply, even some Southern Governors, such as in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama, are urging their residents to get vaccinated.

Not so with authorities in Florida, Texas, and Arizona, however. Those governors continue to politicize the pandemic and are thundering from their podiums that their states will not knuckle under to rules from the Biden administration which they feel should be guarding the borders rather than usurping states’ rights and telling governors how to run their states. President Biden called out Florida and Texas this week basically telling their governors “to get out of the way” if they will not step up and help control the virus outbreaks in their states.

Governors Abbott in Texas and DeSant9s in Florida are both looking at serious outbreaks of COVID in their states, yet are not allowing mask mandates for public schools or buildings. They are not requiring state employees to be vaccinated, but are allowing testing to be done. For the first time since February, the US is again recording over 100,000 cases a day. Statistics below show the problem between vaccination rates and cases in some states:

·         Louisiana - 35% vaccinated – 4,603 new cases, 2,097 hospitalized.

·         Florida -    49% vaccinated – 19,450 new cases 12,647 hospitalized.

·         Arkansas - 37% vaccinated – 2,263 new cases    1,207 hospitalized.

·         Alabama – 35% vaccinated – 2,829 new cases    1,845 hospitalized.

·         Texas   -    44% vaccinated –11,900 new cases   8,194 hospitalized.

·         Maryland - 59% vaccinated –     696 new cases       520 hospitalized.

·         Virginia -     55% vaccinated - 1,469 new cases       660 hospitalized.

·         Connecticut - 64% vaccinated – 534 new cases       200 hospitalized.

The US finally reached the 70% vaccination mark, that President Biden hoped to have by July 4^th, this past week with that many residents having had at least one vaccine; currently, the fully vaccinated rate stands at 50%. Over 80% of residents over 65 are now fully vaccinated. But as the Delta variant snakes into nursing homes, many with unvaccinated staff, death rates are slowly rising in these facilities. Many non-profit nursing homes are requiring vaccinations for their staff, as are some chains of nursing homes. At the same time, some smaller nursing home executives spoke out against possible Medicare rules requiring vaccine mandates, as they feared staff will leave if mandates are in place. Where are their concerns for the residents that they are supposed to care for? With bed shortages and waiting lists in hand, I assume they are not worrying about where their next elderly victims are coming from (Hint – sarcasm here!)

As schools prepare to open for the first major terms of in-person learning in 18 months, the masking and vaccination battles continue. Some schools require that teachers and staff be vaccinated before schools open, while in other states, governors declare that school boards cannot require either masks or vaccinations. Since the CDC has again advised indoor mask-wearing in all venues, these states are at odds with these advisories. Some unions have spoken out in favor of vaccinations, while others have spoken out against vaccinations being required for return-to-work protocols. Today the American Federation of Teachers, a major union, spoke in favor of vaccine mandates; the White House indicated that 90% of teachers and staff were vaccinated. Parents, wanting most to protect their children and send them back to safe environments, have few choices aside from providing masks and hoping the schools enforce the wearing of masks.

I have returned to limiting my exposure and wearing a mask whenever I go into public areas. Maryland still has lower numbers than many places, as is shown above, but the numbers of cases are increasing with each passing day and deaths are again noted.

From the lips of the former President, his aides, Dr. Atlas, and his favorite TV networks, misinformation about COVID and its treatments have been present almost as soon as they identified the pandemic. The tales have only increased as time went on. CNN and the New York Times have reported on the website of one Florida physician, which contains thousands of postings of misleading data. This osteopathic physician who makes millions from sales of his publications and nutrition products is, also according to the Washington Post, a major funder of the anti-vax movement. The government identified him as one of the top purveyors of misleading data about COVID in the country. Others have claimed that the vaccine will alter your DNA–it won’t. (This was thought to have come from the idea that the mRNA vaccines–are derived from DNA–they are not!) Other anti-vaxxers claim all vaccines cause autism–this has been around for a generation and the British physician who supposedly provided proof has been roundly scorned for his faked science. (Because of this claim, however–the anti-vaxxers added COVID vaccines to their repertoire.) Some claim that the vaccine will harm an unborn child and urge pregnant women to not take the vaccine. (The scientists advise pregnant women to consult their own physicians, but advise further that it is usually safer to take the vaccine than to add the risk of COVID to their pregnancy.) Still, other groups claim that taking the vaccine will cause infertility. This is also an old claim used by some Muslim clerics in third world countries against the polio vaccine campaigns being run by the World Health Organization. (The polio vaccine does not cause infertility; neither does the COVID vaccine.) Many of these claims have been repeated on right-wing media outlets, leading to further disillusionment among their faithful listeners/viewers. So, considering these admonitions, vaccine hesitancy is real, but health care providers can overcome it with proper education and factual information. Some pundits have claimed that since rewards–lottery tickets and scholarship have not worked, then perhaps penalties might be effective. I am unsure, but I do think that if more companies were to provide vaccinations at the workplace for their employees and allow them a day or two off with pay to address any side effects which might occur, that more people might step up to get the vaccine. It’s just a thought, but I think it is worth trying.

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COVID stats this week – NY Times (8/8/21)

US Totals – Total Cases: 35,812,64. New Cases: 110,360. 

Total deaths: 616, 594. New deaths: 516.

Maryland totals: 8/6/21–Total cases: 472,224. New cases: 890.

Total deaths: 9,846. New deaths: 4.

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The Senate tonight moved closer to the passage of the infrastructure bill and seemed to have enough senators on hand to pass the legislation. It then goes to the House where the Democrats have only a four-seat majority, so they can stand few nay-sayers on this. It is thought that Nancy Pelosi wants the other major spending bill (the so-called Reconciliation bill) to be passed in tandem, so hold on to your hats this might be a bumpy ride. But infrastructure is popular everywhere, except in the camp of the former president who has railed against it.

The former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen testified recently to Congress and reported on the pressure he received from that president to declare the election fraudulent. He was told to just say it was corrupt, and the president and his minions would take care of the rest. He declined to go along with this scheme and others; hence, the insurrection!

The zoo this week reports on the upcoming birthday party for the panda – can you believe it has been almost a year that we have been watching this little ball of fluff turn into a one-year-old? Tonight, the panda cam shows Xiao Qi Ji sound asleep.

“Til next week, peace!

Delta Variant is Dominant!

The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has become the dominant strain in the US and it is coming right at the unvaccinated populations. It is also easily transmitted and is deadly. Some authorities have likened this rapid spread to the easy transmission of chickenpox. (Before the vaccine for chickenpox was available, children easily contracted the virus from classrooms or events such as birthday parties.) Now, because of vaccine requirements for most elementary school enrollments, chickenpox and other childhood diseases are rare.

Over 99 percent of the COVID-19 Delta variant cases and all the recent deaths have occurred in unvaccinated patients. While there have been some outbreaks among vaccinated people, none of those were severe cases. Vaccinated people can transmit this variant even as they have few symptoms. Patients with this Delta variety can become ill rapidly with upper respiratory disease-type symptoms but without the COVID-related losses of taste and/or smell. There is no state which is free of this variant; in just a few short months it has gone from fewer than 10% of the US caseload to more than 85% of the cases being diagnosed today. According to Dr. Fauci, this outbreak is opportunistic as it is coming for the unvaccinated and, in fact, he called it a disease of the unvaccinated. He indicated that we are seeing another significant increase and that it will become worse soon. With approximately one-third of the country or 100 million people not yet vaccinated we are again seeing a surge similar to that seen last winter. He noted that we need to get more Americans vaccinated. The vaccination rate in Britain is now approximately 80% and, although they are still having COVID outbreaks, the numbers are significantly below those of last year.

Although not a hard divide, we are seeing a type of red state/blue state division on vaccine acceptance. Since much of the country is still celebrating the reopening of events, beaches, resorts, and businesses, these fresh cases are dismaying. The White House this week made vaccination or frequent testing a requirement for the military and government employees and reinstated a mask requirement for the buildings, as did the House. Other states and cities are following suit. Red-state governors in Arkansas and Alabama have spoken out in favor of vaccinations even as Missouri held back while their state cases expanded. Florida, however, is an exception as Governor DeSantis refuses to allow local jurisdictions to impose mask mandates for schools or businesses. Meanwhile, his state of Florida counted more than 20,000 new cases, on a single day this week. Two weeks ago, the recent cases for the entire country tallied approximately 31,000. One-fifth of the US total cases counted this week come from Florida. Florida has a lot of travel from South America. Scientists have noted another new variant in Peru and it is under the watch of the World Health Organization. They call this the Lambda variant; so far they have not identified it in the US, that I know of.

The New York Times today had an extensive article trying to determine who the unvaccinated folks are and why they persist in opposing this health measure. There appeared to be no single universal reason as the explanations included concerns about side effects of the vaccine and its potential costs, worry about its safety or effectiveness, distrust of the government, inadequate information, to simple dislikes of all vaccines, and belief in personal immunity since they had had COVID already. CDC and other branches of government are sponsoring multiple areas of outreach to communities through physicians, clergy, and other influencers at the local level and public service ads from media personalities. Cash inducements and other prizes are being offered in some places to increase vaccinations numbers. Employers and entertainment venues are asking for proof of vaccinations as the country continues to open up; this also may be a positive move and be a motivator for some. Some Republicans are speaking up as Congressman Steve Scalise, second in ranking for the House Republicans recently very publicly got vaccinated and Senator Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, is promoting the vaccine.

Viruses mutate; this is a known fact. Unless we can get enough people immunized in this country, we will continue to be susceptible to other variants and significant surges. Until the world can mobilize and vaccinate other populous areas such as those seen in Africa, India, Pakistan, South America, and South Asia, we will not be free of this menace. Many say that the actual death toll in India may never be known as thousands of bodies were burned or discarded in rivers without official death certificates. The United States has donated millions of vaccines to a pool with other nations, but the need is for billions of doses and logistically may require years to fully implement across less than friendly territories for health workers. (This is assuming that Europe, Russia, and China will cover their own needs effectively. Neither Russia nor China has been forthcoming about their case statistics and fatalities.)

So, it seems, that we celebrated too soon! Just two weeks ago, I reported that cases were dropping and fatalities were down. Fresh cases then for the US were about 31,000; for MD they were only 166. The numbers below show how statistics have changed in such a short time.

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COVID stats NY Times – 8/1/21

Total US cases:35,039,644. Total New Cases: 79,763. Total Deaths: 612,982. Total New Deaths: 312.

MD stats: (7/30/21) Total Cases: 467,961. New cases: 526. Total Deaths: 9,818. New Deaths: 0 (there is usually a lag in reports of deaths from new cases.)

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Obviously, other things are happening in the world aside from COVID. The Olympics in Japan is one of those events. Despite COVID, the Games have gone on although with strict protocols and few in attendance to cheer the athletes. There is still debate, even as the Games continue, as to whether they should have been held at this time since Japan is in a Covid surge period. We have already seen some spectacular American swimming, especially from Bethesda’s Katie Ledecky and Florida’s Caeleb Dressel with their Gold medals. Kudos to all who have competed.

I guess I need to say a few words about Simone Biles and her stepping down from the competition at the Olympic Games. I totally support what she has done. When she is hurtling herself through the air, walking on tiny beams, and swinging across uneven bars or over vaults; she has to have full body and mind synchronization. If her concentration is broken or she gets distracted, she could be seriously injured. In the past, a Soviet gymnast became permanently paralyzed as a quadriplegic at the age of 20 when attempting a move that is now banned; she competed when her leg was not recovered from a fracture and she fell and broke her neck. She died at age 46. Other American gymnasts have died or been seriously injured in practice or at the games in previous years; these stories are not myths - the athletes must have the option to step back if they feel they will be unsafe. Some of the male commentators who criticized her withdrawal could never accomplish half of what Simone has already done at the age of 24, so they should, in my opinion, just say nothing. Simone has given viewers years of spectacular performances and I hope she can do so safely in the future. She was a Gold medalist and World Champion before these games and I hope she can be such again, should she wish.

Meanwhile, back on the Legislative front, it appears possible that the Biden infrastructure Bill will actually get a vote on the Senate floor as it has advanced with bi-partisan support. Hopefully, the Senators will have time to read it as it is about 2000 pages long so far. However, the House also has to agree and the Budget Bill has to also get to reconciliation. Senator Schumer is holding the Senate in town until this legislation is done; meanwhile, the House is already on recess. But, as they say – it ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings, so I will listen for the Aria!

So much news, so little time it seems to get to everything!

“Til next week – Peace!