EUROPEANS + FERMENTED VEGGIES = RESIST VIRUS BETTER
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200708/Study-links-fermented-vegetable-consumption-to-low-COVID-19-mortality.aspx
Basically if your gut is healthy your immune system will work better and you will be less susceptible to dying of the virus.  Eating fermented foods is a quick and easy way to assure that your gut has a steady supply of beneficial bacteria.

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1/20 KENYANS w/ COVID ANTIBODIES BUT CASE COUNTS VERY LOW
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/pandemic-appears-have-spared-africa-so-far-scientists-are-struggling-explain-why
The pattern may be similar throughout Africa, and testing is beginning to find out.  They don't hazard any guesses as to why so few Kenyans are getting sick or dying from this virus but I have one.  If you simply look at the photograph of two children in the article, and then compare that with a photograph of two children of the same age in the U.S. the difference is striking.  People there are lean, they are not overfed.  Here we snack ourselves into metabolic problems, and dine our way to fatty livers, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and a host of problems that all impact our ability to fight of contagion.  In other words the average skinny African kid is probably a whole lot healthier and the average padded American kid, and I suspect the adults show the same pattern.  Not many are repeating it but obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for a bad covid outcome, and here in America we're big.

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Some days I see the emails with the latest COVID news and I just hit delete.  I don't need to know every single thing.  I don't have to think about it every single day.  I am curious, and attentive, but the value of a media blackout for morale cannot be overstated.  I get so fed up with the "news cycle" and the hopeless and repetitive nature of political reporting.  And I get really sad when I study on COVID.  It is good for me to turn it off.

We can't be hypervigilant all the time.  We're designed to nap. 

"MILD" WRONGLY DEFINED AS NOT NEEDING HOSPITALIZATION
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02335-z
People who don't get hospitalized don't get medical follow-up either. We all know that some seek hospital care more willingly than others.  Some of us refuse to go to the hospital; we know it is full of antibiotic-resistant infections and stressed-out doctors and staff. I had a pneumonia that could have been Covid but I did not go to the hospital; I self-treated at home. My pneumonia was not "mild". I thought about going in. Many people who've survived the virus at home are having longterm after-effects. This author is absolutely right that we need a better way of categorizing and tracking the cases that did not result in hospitalization.

THE KIND OF MASK YOU USE MATTERS
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Does-your-coronavirus-mask-work-New-study-15473251.php
I've noticed that many police, highway patrol and fire department personnel are using what I would call "neck gaiters" for masks.  These are a single thin layer of polyester with some lycra for stretch. They drag the thing up over their mouths and noses when in close proximity with others. This kind of" mask" doesn't stay up well. Thin layers of fabric may stop large droplets but they are definitely not catching the aerosols which have turned out to be a major route of infection. Public servants who are in direct contact with the public should be wearing quality masks. Well, everybody should, but "should" doesn't get very far in America.

OVER 900 HEALTHCARE WORKERS HAVE DIED OF COVID
https://khn.org/news/exclusive-over-900-health-workers-have-died-of-covid-19-and-the-toll-is-rising/
POC's dominate the count and you can see from the photos that many victims of all colors are obese.  To reduce this grim outcome perhaps we should use front line workers who have fewer risk factors. Smokers shouldn't be on the front lines. People with hypertension, obesity, diabetes or a heart condition could (and should) be exempted from front line work. There's a great emphasis on PPE (personal protective equipment) and it is important, but the healthcare worker's baseline level of health and resilience is just as important.  People with immune compromise of any origin should not be expected to work with COVID patients. Period. There are so many obese nurses! They should not be put in this position. I heard on a podcast yesterday that 70% of our BMI is due to genetics: no point in punishing people for being heavy. We should evaluate the immune sufficiency of healthcare providers and place them accordingly. Those on the front lines of the pandemic should have top notch immune systems--and be most likely to survive the virus with minimal negative effects. Yes, I know there's a shortage, but seriously sending all these fine people to their deaths trying to help others?  This is murder.

ABOUT 10% OF COVID VICTIMS HAVE PROBLEMS AFTER 3 WEEKS
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3026
We're just starting to collect information about the after-effects of this virus but for a lot of people recovery is extremely slow.  This report has some excellent resources (links) for patients who are having trouble after they are supposed to have "recovered".  The list of possible lingering symptoms is long, and you are not malingering if you have chest pain or "lung burn" and would like to get some help.

A GREAT TIME TO QUIT SMOKING: EVEN YOUTH HIGH RISK IF SMOKE
https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(20)30399-2/fulltext
Vaping is not protective. Using it just once in a while is not protective.  Inhaling smoke at all increases your risk, even if you're young. There has never been a better time to quit and quit for good.

SANTIZING OVER-RATED: MUST AVOID BREATHING SAME AIR
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/scourge-hygiene-theater/614599/
Now that we know that the primary way COVID is spread is via respiratory droplets, and that very little spread is via fomites (germs on things), we can adjust our priorities accordingly.

SEE-THROUGH MASKS COMING SOON
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/28/893071631/demand-surges-for-see-through-face-masks-as-pandemic-swells
This is very important for the hearing impaired and for children who may not be as good at hearing spoken communications as they are at reading the lips and face of the person speaking.

CHINESE VACCINE RESEARCH STRUGGLES TO FIND PARTICIPANTS
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02244-1
Because they have largely controlled the virus, people aren't as eager to participate in vaccine trials.  I do not know if the people of China know about their previous vaccine scandals.

FRESH AIR AS COVID PREVENTION: LET'S TALK VENTILATION
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/07/why-arent-we-talking-more-about-airborne-transmission/614737/
When treating patients for the flu of 1918, one of the main practices of naturopathic doctors was to house the patients in individual tents, and to bring them outdoors whenever possible.  The belief was that fresh air was good for their recovery.  Now we know that fresh air is also one of the best ways to limit transmission.  Homeowners and businesses should consider the value of fresh air flow and do the work to enhance it before winter!!