Chapter 20 “lessons learnt from the COVIDs: sick seniors get slammed in long-term care”
After 65 years of age COVID found many victims so many so it virtually cleaned out long-term care homes. The worst hit were in privately run senior’s residences and long-term care facilities. The profit motive and proper senior’s care were not a good fit. As more of these facilities were inspected a whole raft of shocking stories emerged. Residents abused. Residents overly drugged up. Rotten and mouldy food. Poor cleanliness. Residents not bathed. Residents in soiled clothes for days. Rampant bed sores. And in many countries this had been the norm for years.
Workers at these facilities were so poorly paid they had to take multiple jobs setting them up to become super spreaders in an environment where the COVIDs were not terrible illnesses to struggle through but an invitation to the pearly gates.
These horrific conditions were the subject of countless exposés for over 40 years and political promises to reform the management of these facilities abounded but talk was cheap and action was too expensive. So many wonderful seniors needlessly died and the result other than grief for many families and disgust of the general population was a commission of inquiry about long term care in Ontario after the COVIDs. I sat on this commission because of my voluntary work at these facilities. So we developed a set of recommendations most of which were common sense and not costly fixes but our Ontario government clapped and applauded but forgot. Bankrupt governments have so little to offer medical and social reform causing so many of us simply to cry and ask God to forgive us and mourn the loss of so many valuable souls. Seniors have so much wisdom and experience to offer us but ageism and a tight budget and in some cases the profit motive shunted aside a rich vein of our cultural life. There were some that said the high mortality rate for seniors was a merciful act of Darwinism. Yes I think there was some truth to that as so many of these seniors, particularly those with debilitating illnesses, were suffering terribly and kept alive through modern pharmacology living a meagre and horrific existence but if you have worked with seniors like I have beneath that suffering and illness is a person fighting to survive and to politely ignore their death as “the fittest survive” doesn’t cut mustard. I think sometimes it was not the COVIDs that killed them but negligent management of long-term care and senior’s facilities. If there was any good to come out of this bad it was that bereaved and outraged families litigated against the privately operated facilities and basically shut them down globally with governments taking over their management so that in effect they became hospitals:Chapter 20
Chapter 19 “lessons learnt from COVID-19: civil rights on hold”
Historians looked back on the COVID-19 days and remarked about the abrogation of civil rights of course justified by the violating governments under the guise of emergency orders all about protecting the greater civil good and “public safety”. Strange of the incredible increase of wealth that happened to the 1% during the COVIDs. It almost seemed like a plot to destroy small and medium sized businesses.
Freedom of assembly was tossed aide under the moniker of social distancing. Quarantine and isolation under the wheels of “public health”. Union busting under the guise of flexibility in managing the healthcare system. Fines, imprisonment and public shaming under the moniker of the public good. Surveillance of citizens by “contact tracing” justified under the guise of public health. And the poor deluded population voluntarily surrendering even more rights by downloading tracing apps on their beloved mobiles. Give anti-libertarians an inch and they will take a mile. Millennials and their fucking phones gladly waving good-bye to democracy by downloading intrusive tracing apps to the applause of the politicos.
What was temporary lasted far longer than necessary and left the sweet feeling of power like Hawaiian garlands looped around the necks of politician-violators.
Those who resisted were labelled as thugs, looters and just selfish. The masses seemed to have been trumped under the mass propaganda campaign focused on public good. Perhaps there was justification in this but aide from the violation of civil rights what was more disturbing was the sheep like obedience of millions of people. Unfortunately, those protesting the violation of civil rights were most often right wing open carry Trumpists or skateboarding, bun headed, tattooed youth whose knowledge of politics was more focused on fascism or anarchism than on democracy. And of course, the far-right Christians moaning about the closing of their churches. There were so few civil rights in China almost all of the population felt no pain and, in this regard, suddenly Western democracies fell within the same ambit as totalitarianism exhibited in China. How quickly can “democracy” resemble totalitarianism!
Let a dog kill and maim and it often develops a taste for the same.
Chapter 18 “Lessons Learnt From the COVIDs: collateral damages; the death of employment and the rise of extremism and violence”
The closures of the economies led to the “root of all evil” and that was the closure of the economy aside for what might be called an “essential business”. The effect was mass unemployment. This created enormous anxiety amongst the working population in Western countries that were already living on the edge with a huge debt to income ratio. Yes there were governmental programs that offered financial assistance which was far less than the lost income. A gigantic wave of anxiety swept the working public. Yes, the banks were understanding initially then they moved in like sharks ripping the indebted into bloody shreds. Seems they failed to understand that you can’t draw blood from a stone.
Even the reopening of economies could not replace the jobs that were lost. Simply because the economy reopened did not mean businesses reopened. There was enough government money to power through to the end of the COVIDs but after the well ran dry by the time Virus # 26 started to rip through the globe the government rescue taps were starting to turn off.
A gigantic wave of mental illness roared through the working population. Anxiety was off the scale. Depression mounted. Suicides became a regular occurrence. Big Pharma was raking it in with anti-depressants and amongst those hardworking people all hope seemed to have been robbed.
Extremism started its foundational growth initially with a whole series of “Fuck The Vulnerable” movement and then a similar “Fuck the 1 %” movement. Break-ins of the upper-class mansions were common and increasingly violent. There was a near coup in the United States in 2021 by right wing nationalists and extremists led by Kim Jong Trump. People started dressing down and selling off luxury cars to avoid being attacked. Biker gangs were employed by neighbourhood groups for protection. The 1% were quaking in their boots and were organizing themselves into “Save Capitalism Militias”. The W From Home mentality now turned into a necessity as a trip downtown to the office invited armed robbery in metropolitan centres.
The 1% looked increasingly to the military for protection. Several Amazon warehouses in the United States were torched and firebombs lobbed at Walmart headquarters in the United States. But as the military had been largely reduced to due lack of funding and decimated because of its forced conscription into long term care facilities it looked as if a military coup to protect the 1% was not coming too soon.
You are now the President of the United States a welcome blessing from the former President that was replete with hates you have a very tough job ahead of you with a fractured America left and created by your predecessor who failed his attempt at a coup but for most of us history knows he’ll slip up in a pile of his poop we pray he won’t be back in 2024 that son of a bitch and a political whore packing his family pea brained as they were with the only qualification should have been their disqualification So Biden good luck in repairing a Trump ravaged nation he left behind in tatters for you that he was an asshole was true calling you Sleepy Joe when so many of us wished he would simply go and never return in 2024 however even if impeached he can run through his family as we may suffer yet more
The PR material for the film “X” indicated it was an erotic thriller. Yes on the face there is an appearance of sanitized eroticism but the film is in my opinion more about the fall from grace of a formerly bullied teenager who has risen to her royal highness of private Californian orgies.
Christian (Hope Raymond) is a self admitted 26-year-old pervert, known as “X”, who along with her partner Danny hosts masked orgies in a secluded seaside Californian home. Christian works ostensibly for “The Foundation” a charitable endeavour of some unknown sort. But she uses The Foundation’s home for masked orgies that turn out to be a profitable business.
Christian is a lesbian but more often asexual and prefers getting off watching her guests pee and poop in the bathroom. You see she has a secret camera with a video clip in the bathroom which she records during her orgies. To her guests she proclaims you are now in a world free of shame and no fantasy is obscene.
Like a Shakespearean play the film is set to five acts and there are many references to a royal court of old.
In Act One “Kingdom” we get the lay of the land where there is strict secrecy and security. No names are to be used but rather numbers stamped on the neck of each guest. You have from 12 p.m. to 12:15 to leave but then the doors are shut and no one may come in or exit and the games begin and end at 3 a.m. In Act One we meet Stella-Marie who Christian has memories of her being bullied at high school by Stella-Marie and possibly knowing that Christian had snuck into the boy’s bathroom using her phone to film some boy at the urinal.
In Act Two “The King” we see Christian ruling the roost making sure everything is on track. And the camera keeps on rolling. Christian says that you are only who you really are when no one is watching. Christian uses the bathroom scenes to stoke her sexual fantasies.
In Act Three “The King” the perverse party continues and we get a chance to meet Danny who is Christian’s partner. A man with a good head on his shoulders increasingly frustrated with Christian’s obsession with security.
In Act Four “The Knave” someone has removed the recording disc from the camera in the bathroom. Jackson, Christian’s long-time friend, admits to her he has done something very bad at the party which I think involved raping Danny in the bathroom during one of the orgies and he admits to taking the recording clip and destroying it and wouldn’t you know it Jackson has leaked the tape or parts of it and Christian and many of her guests are exposed.
This leads to Act V “The Maelstrom” where Christian assembles her guests and admits to the camera, apologizes for the “bad publicity” but naively suggests the orgies continue with camera and all. This causes an uproar and Christian is driven out of the house. The film ends with Stella-Marie and Christian about to have a serious lesbian role in the hay but Christian can’t go on with it and Stella says “You’re on your own now. It’s your cross to bear”.
Christian has a very poor self image occasionally insulting herself and one wonders if the bullying ever took place at all at her high school. She appears distant and wholly superficial and it is hard to identify her as a human being. Whatever the psychiatric term is she is detached from reality.
As the filmmakers write, “The great irony of our story is that the main character, Christian, has created this world for her guests where no fantasy is too obscene, while secretly her sexual shame causes her desires to manifest them selves in a predatory fashion.”
This is not a titillating story but one of perversion and selfishness. Poetic justice is served at the end.
Chapter 17 “Lessons Learnt from COVIDs: Governments with no money”
Western governments handed out money like candy canes to both individuals and businesses. Various augmentations to unemployment insurance, wage subsidies and low interest loans to businesses just to name a few.
Just ask the late Tsar Alexander of Russia about this. Hungry and unemployed people are desperate and quite frankly dangerous to social stability. It makes a ruling elite extremely nervous as it can mean off to the guillotine courtesy of angry mobs, murder, sedition, assassinations, political extremism and if it continues for too long revolution.
Western governments shovelled money out the door to stop or delay these nasty social events. Was it a question of care or compassion or self preservation! And given their acts had shut down the economy the amount doled out was not supported by any tax revenue. It was if the politicos were sitting on a pile of dynamite with the fuse slowly burning and heading in their direction. When the money had dried out BOOM!
All the brave talk of shutting down a reopened economy was the bravado of a deluded bankrupt. Meaningless tough talk.
Aside from so many governments letting their medical systems deteriorate and the refusal of many to have socialized medicine in place can you blame governments for emptying their coffers? By the time Virus#26 rolled into town in 2030 their had been some restocking of government coffers but carrying such a massive debt load and with high unemployment there was very minimal tax revenue flowing in and with such low credit ratings who wanted to lend any money to a government? Government financing 101 and that is save up and avoid deficits in anticipation one day this extra money saved will be needed. Not that maniacal savings really would have kept the ship afloat. Governments that can offer no relief to distressed citizens fall into Revolution 101
UPDATE ON SUPPLY OF THE PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE IN CANADA
19/01/21
Because of the urgent need to vaccinate more people, we’ve explored innovative ways to increase the number of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine we’re able to supply this year, and we now believe that we can potentially deliver approximately 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.
To accomplish this, certain modifications of production processes will be required. Pfizer is scaling up manufacturing operations in our Puurs, Belgium manufacturing facility to increase dose availability and output, and, as a result, there will be a temporary impact on some shipments until mid-February in order to quickly enable increased production volumes afterwards.
Pfizer is working closely with all Governments on allocation of doses. While the precise percentage allocation may fluctuate, we anticipate that it will balance out by the end of Q1 2021. Pfizer remains dedicated to helping each country meet the vaccination needs of its citizens without compromising our highest safety and quality standards.
SACRAMENTO – California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica S. Pan issued the following statement today recommending providers pause the administration of lot 41L20A of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine due to possible allergic reactions that are under investigation.
“Our goal is to provide the COVID vaccine safely, swiftly and equitably,” said Dr. Pan. “A higher-than-usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported with a specific lot of Moderna vaccine administered at one community vaccination clinic. Fewer than 10 individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours. Out of an extreme abundance of caution and also recognizing the extremely limited supply of vaccine, we are recommending that providers use other available vaccine inventory and pause the administration of vaccines from Moderna Lot 041L20A until the investigation by the CDC, FDA, Moderna and the state is complete. We will provide an update as we learn more.”
All appeared to be experiencing a possible severe allergic reaction during the standard observation period – a type of adverse event that the CDC reports some people have experienced when receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
While no vaccine or medical procedure is without risk, the risk of a serious adverse reaction is very small. While less data exists on adverse reactions related to the Moderna vaccine, a similar vaccine shows that the expected rate of anaphylaxis is approximately 1 in 100,000.
More than 330,000 doses from this lot have been distributed to 287 providers across the state. The shipments arrived in California between Jan. 5 and 12. The state has not been notified of any other cluster or individual events related to this lot.
The manufacturer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing the lot and related medical information.
Below is the recommendation sent to providers today:
Recommendation that Providers Pause Administration of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Lot 041L20A
This week, a higher-than-usual number of adverse events were reported with a specific lot of Moderna vaccine (Moderna Lot 041L20A) administered at one community vaccination clinic. Fewer than ten individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours. Follow up investigation of outcomes of these individuals is underway, and more information will be forthcoming.
All appeared to be experiencing a possible severe allergic reaction during the standard observation period – a type of adverse event that the CDC reports some people have experienced when receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine site switched to another lot of Moderna vaccine after closing for a few hours.
More than 330,000 doses from this lot have been distributed in the state, and we have not been notified of any other cluster or individual events related to this lot.
The manufacturer, CDC and FDA are promptly reviewing the lot and related medical information. No additional clusters have been reported. Their investigation continues, and we expect to learn more this week.
Out of an extreme abundance of caution and also recognizing the extremely limited supply of vaccine, we are recommending that providers use other available vaccine inventory and pause administration of vaccines from Moderna Lot 041L20A until the investigation is complete.
There are not immediate replacement doses during the pause in addition to pending orders scheduled for shipment in the next few days.
We expect to provide an update this week as we learn more.
Providers of COVID-19 vaccine should continue their routine precautions to recognize and manage allergic reactions and potential adverse events.
Trouble with Moderna vaccine in Californihttps://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/managing-anaphylaxis.html
These interim considerations provide information on preparing for the initial assessment and management of anaphylaxis following COVID-19 vaccination. Institutional practices and site-specific factors may also be considered. In all cases, appropriate medical treatment for severe allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event that an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of a COVID-19 vaccine.alert icon
Appropriate medical treatment for severe allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event that an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Observation period following COVID-19 vaccination
CDC currently recommends that persons without contraindications to vaccination who receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine be observed after vaccination for the following time periods:
30 minutes: Persons with a history of an immediate allergic reaction of any severity to a vaccine or injectable therapy and persons with a history of anaphylaxis due to any cause.
15 minutes: All other persons
Early recognition of anaphylaxis
Because anaphylaxis requires immediate treatment, diagnosis is primarily made based on recognition of clinical signs and symptoms, including:
Respiratory: sensation of throat closing, stridor (high-pitched sound while breathing), shortness of breath, wheeze, cough
Skin/mucosal: generalized hives, itching, or swelling of lips, face, throat
Symptoms of anaphylaxis might be more difficult to recognize in persons with communication difficulties, such as long-term care facility residents with cognitive impairment, those with neurologic disease, or those taking medications that can cause sedation. Persons with communication difficulties should therefore be monitored closely for the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis listed above after receiving an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and should also be monitored for more non-specific signs of possible anaphylaxis including flushing, sudden increase in secretions (from eyes, nose, or mouth), coughing, trouble swallowing, agitation, or acute change in mental status.
Symptoms often occur within 15-30 minutes of vaccination, though it can sometimes take several hours for symptoms to appear. Early signs of anaphylaxis can resemble a mild allergic reaction, and it is often difficult to predict whether initial, mild symptoms will progress to become an anaphylactic reaction. In addition, not all symptoms listed above are necessarily present during anaphylaxis, and not all patients have skin reactions. Symptoms are considered generalized if there are generalized hives or more than one body system (e.g., cardiovascular, gastrointestinal) is involved. If a patient develops itching and swelling confined to the injection site, the patient should be observed closely for the development of generalized symptoms (beyond the recommended observation periods noted above, if necessary). If symptoms are generalized, epinephrine should be administered as soon as possible, emergency medical services should be contacted, and patients should be transferred to a higher level of medical care. In addition, patients should be instructed to seek immediate medical care if they develop signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction after their observation period ends and they have left the vaccination site.
Medications and supplies for assessing and managing anaphylaxis
COVID-19 vaccines will likely be administered in a wide variety of clinical settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient medical offices, pharmacies, mass vaccination sites, and curbside or drive-through sites. These settings differ in terms of usual on-hand human and material resources to manage anaphylaxis. The following medications and supplies are important for evaluating and managing of anaphylaxis and are recommended for COVID-19 vaccination sites.
The following emergency equipment should be immediately available to the clinical team assessing and managing anaphylaxis.
Should be available at all sites
If feasible, include at sites (not required)
Epinephrine prefilled syringe or autoinjector*
Pulse oximeter
H1 antihistamine (e.g., diphenhydramine)†
Oxygen
Blood pressure cuff
Bronchodilator (e.g., albuterol)
Stethoscope
H2 antihistamine (e.g., famotidine, cimetidine)
Timing device to assess pulse
Intravenous fluids
Intubation kit
Adult-sized pocket mask with one-way valve (also known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) mask)
*COVID-19 vaccination sites should have at least 3 doses of epinephrine on hand at any given time. †Antihistamines may be given as adjunctive treatment but should not be used as initial or sole treatment for anaphylaxis. Additionally, caution should be used if oral medications are administered to persons with impending airway obstruction.
Management of anaphylaxis at a COVID-19 vaccination site
If anaphylaxis is suspected, take the following steps:
Rapidly assess airway, breathing, circulation, and mentation (mental activity).
Call for emergency medical services.
Place the patient in a supine position (face up), with feet elevated, unless upper airway obstruction is present or the patient is vomiting.
Epinephrine (1 mg/ml aqueous solution [1:1000 dilution]) is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis and should be administered immediately.
In adults, administer a 0.3 mg intramuscular dose using a premeasured or prefilled syringe, or an autoinjector in the mid-outer thigh.
The maximum adult dose is 0.5 mg per dose.
Epinephrine dose may be repeated every 5-15 minutes (or more often) as needed to control symptoms while waiting for emergency medical services.
Because of the acute, life-threatening nature of anaphylaxis, there are no contraindications to epinephrine administration.
Antihistamines (e.g., H1 or H2 antihistamines) and bronchodilators do not treat airway obstruction or hypotension, and thus are not first-line treatments for anaphylaxis. However, they can help provide relief for hives and itching (antihistamines) or symptoms of respiratory distress (bronchodilators) but should only be administered after epinephrine in a patient with anaphylaxis. Because anaphylaxis may recur after patients begin to recover, monitoring in a medical facility for at least several hours is advised, even after complete resolution of symptoms and signs.
Considerations for anaphylaxis management in special populations
Older adults, including long-term care facility residents There are no contraindications to the administration of epinephrine for the treatment of anaphylaxis. Although adverse cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome, have been reported in some patients who received epinephrine for treatment of anaphylaxis (particularly among older adults with hypertension and/or atherosclerotic heart disease) epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. It is important that sites providing vaccination to older adults, including long-term care facility residents, have healthcare personnel on hand who are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis. This will help to not only ensure appropriate and prompt treatment in patients with anaphylaxis, but also to avoid unnecessary epinephrine administration in patients who do not have anaphylaxis.
Pregnant people Pregnant people with anaphylaxis should be managed the same as non-pregnant people. They should be closely monitored to ensure adequate perfusion, and their fetus should be closely monitored as well, as appropriate.
Patient counseling
Patients who experience anaphylaxis after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination should be instructed not to receive additional doses. In addition, patients should be referred to an allergist-immunologist for appropriate work-up and additional counseling.
Reporting of anaphylaxis
Any adverse events that occur in a recipient following COVID-19 vaccination, including anaphylaxis, should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Vaccination providers administering a COVID-19 vaccine that is under Emergency Use Authorization are required by the Food and Drug Administration to report vaccine administration errors, serious adverse events, cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, and cases of COVID-19 that result in hospitalization or death. Reporting is also encouraged for any other clinically significant adverse event, even if it is uncertain whether the vaccine caused the event. Information on how to submit a report to VAERS is available at https://vaers.hhs.govexternal icon or by calling 1-800-822-7967. In addition, CDC has developed a new, voluntary, smartphone-based tool, called v-safe, that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide patients with near real-time health check-ins after they receive a COVID-19 vaccination. CDC/v-safe call center representatives will follow up on reports of medically significant health impacts to collect additional information to complete a VAERS report. Information on v-safe is available here: /vsafe
Lieberman P, et al. “Anaphylaxis: A practice parameter update.” Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2015; 115(5): 341-384. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2015.07.019.
Shaker MS, et al. “Anaphylaxis-a 2020 practice parameter update, systematic review, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) analysis.” Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2020;145(4):1082-1123. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.017.
Such a shame you may have tried to make Make America Great Again and you may have accomplished certain actions preventing America from going down the drain
But your arrogance and disdain plus your bullying and attempts at forced shame really called your self aggrandizement nothing but a cynical political game
Your attempted attempt at a coup made millions call you a political poop with no more intelligence than the characters on “F Troop”
Happy sailing you murderous and barbaric brute at the end of the day the fascists will say you were cute and I can only hope your Republican enablers will shut up an in embarrassment keep mute
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