Members phkrause Posted December 14, 2022 Members Share Posted December 14, 2022 December 14, 2022 Welcome to the Virus Briefing, your comprehensive guide to the latest news and expert analysis on the coronavirus pandemic and other outbreaks. Find the latest updates here, and check out our maps and vaccine tracker. A nurse prepares vaccine boosters at a Covid center in Washington D.C.Kenny Holston for The New York Times Who are the ‘never Coviders’? By Jonathan Wolfe and Whet Moser Today’s Virus Briefing is the last one for 2022. The year began as the surge in the Omicron variant in the U.S. was nearing its peak: On Jan. 20, nearly 160,000 Covid patients were hospitalized, the most at any point in the pandemic. On Feb. 2, the seven-day average of new reported deaths peaked at 2,669. As the year comes to a close, an expected seasonal increase in Covid cases has begun. The seven-day average of daily deaths is up 65 percent from two weeks ago. With cases of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., also high, several cities and counties, including New York City and Los Angeles, have advised people to mask up. But one of the most confounding mysteries of the pandemic remains: Some people have never had Covid, this season or ever. While many people may have avoided infection through precaution or luck, “never Coviders,” scientists believe, are truly out there: People who are naturally immune and whose genetics could hold clues for treatment. Jonathan Wolfe spoke with Times colleague Apoorva Mandavilli about how scientists are trying to find them, and what we might learn. Does this really happen? It probably is a real thing. There are other viruses for which we know there are people who are naturally resistant. The most striking example I can think of is H.I.V., where there is a mutation that makes some people resistant to getting infected with the virus. That’s actually been the key to curing the very few people that have been cured of H.I.V. What’s going on inside people who have never gotten Covid? We don’t know for sure. One way for the body to be resistant to a virus is through genetic mutations. So, for example, the coronavirus needs what’s called an ACE2 receptor on a cell in order to latch on to it. If you have a mutation in that particular receptor, then the virus can’t get into your cells and can’t infect you. But that kind of mutation is likely to be pretty rare. Genetics also plays a role in how severely people get sick. Some people have mutations in the innate immune system, which is like the first responder part of your immune system and is pretty generic. More specific reactions, like antibodies for a particular virus, appear later in an infection. We know now that people who have mutations in that first responder system tend to have very severe disease. So the flip side is also likely to be true: Some people may have mutations that prevent them from getting infected at all. Couldn’t they just be asymptomatic? People who are asymptomatic are still infected. The virus is in their bodies, but they have no visible symptoms, or really mild symptoms. That’s very different from what we’re talking about here — somebody who doesn’t get infected at all. But it’s been really difficult for researchers to home in on the difference between these two groups, because so many people have been infected by now. What do you mean? There were a lot of people who thought, “Oh, I’m immune to the virus.” I’ve even had friends say that to me: “I haven’t gotten it yet. Scientists should study me.” Some researchers did begin studying people who had not gotten Covid. But then Omicron came along and infected nearly everyone. Some scientists were very frustrated because they basically had to start over. On the other hand, those people were not “never Coviders” anyway. So the studies may take longer, but they’ll be based on people who truly can’t get infected. Some scientists are studying health care workers and caregivers who really should have gotten infected because they had such high exposure, but didn’t. The idea is that knowing what causes somebody to not get infected might help us figure out treatments for infection. How many true “never Coviders” are there? We don’t know because there are so many unknowns. We don’t know if all the people who say they haven’t gotten it yet really haven’t had it, or had it and didn’t know. We also don’t know if they’ve just been incredibly careful and so the virus just hasn’t had a chance to infect them yet. Also, things got complicated after the vaccines were introduced because the vaccines gave some immunity against infection. But the actual number of people who are totally immune to the virus, for whatever reason, is probably pretty small. What if I’ve never been infected? If you haven’t gotten it yet, that’s wonderful and you’re lucky, either because you’re genetically lucky or because you’ve managed to dodge the virus. But I wouldn’t assume that you are naturally resistant and throw all precautions to the wind. The chances you’re naturally immune are fairly low. And as Omicron shows, it may be that you just haven’t met the right variant yet. Your ‘never Covid’ experiences We asked you how you think you might have avoided Covid so far, and got over 10,000 responses. “I spent the pandemic taking care of a friend with cancer and avoided everyone just to focus on him and make him feel safe. He passed away in February and I started going out again and seeing new people, but I still haven’t caught it! Either I am immune or I have a Covid guardian angel (him).” — Jessica Choe, Brooklyn, N.Y. “Healthy constitution. Rarely got colds or flu even before the pandemic, plus early precautions, masking, vaccines, boosters, working from home and luck. Two and a half years with nary a sniffle, so we’ve given up our masks, dine indoors, socialize and party regularly now. Probably jinxing myself as I type.” — Katherine Fife, Davis, Calif. “I think neither my husband nor I have caught Covid mostly due to luck. We don’t have kids. We maintain a small, close circle of friends that shared the same views on how best to navigate the pandemic. We also had the benefit of living in Wyoming at the start of the pandemic, a place that isn’t densely populated. We’ve since moved to Okinawa, Japan, and have become embedded in a culture that prioritizes public health and welfare over the individual. Mask-wearing is normal here, making it easier for us to continue the habits that have kept us safe and healthy these past almost three years.” — Jillian, Okinawa, Japan “I have no idea. Stupid luck? Providence? l quarantined in the basement when my husband had it (mildly) in January 2021. He now suffers from PASC, or long Covid, and it has forever changed and devastated our lives.” — Malia Schaefer, Cincinnati “Because I’m immunocompromised, I knew I had to do everything I could to not get infected. In the first year of the pandemic, I almost exclusively lived in quarantine. From then on, I always worked with an FFP2 mask, never took the bus or train, was never in the supermarket without a mask and avoided places with a high risk of infection. I have all vaccinations. Even today, I always wear a mask in public facilities. Those around me tried keeping me safe, always testing themselves before they came to see me. I am very grateful for that.” — Julia Litschke, Essen, Germany “I was sent home to WFH early in the pandemic because I had just finished chemo and radiation. I’ve been working remotely for two years now. I also got the vaccine as soon as it was available. I’ve gotten every booster, including the bivalent vaccine. My mask protocol is: Check your surroundings. Is there a ceiling? Wear a mask. Is there a crowd? Wear a mask. Neither? Take it off. That being said, I suspect I have been infected but was asymptomatic or mistook it for an allergy.” — Kim Haas, Pittsburgh Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. What else we’re following The ‘Tripledemic’ Do you have the flu, Covid or R.S.V.? This chart will help you figure it out. Coronavirus The F.D.A. authorized Covid vaccines for children as young as six months. Many pregnant women have avoided vaccination, unaware that the virus poses significant risks to both fetus and mother. Bipartisan legislation to create a Sept. 11-style independent panel to investigate the federal pandemic response is stalled in Congress, and the White House is privately resisting it. Long Covid has caused or contributed to at least 3,500 deaths in the U.S., the C.D.C. found. China has lifted its “zero Covid” restrictions, but Beijing still looks like a city in the throes of lockdown, with cases rising fast. But good data is hard to find. With global demand for Covid shots plummeting, a critical partner in Covax will stop giving free vaccines to middle-income countries. Systemic problems hindered the federal government’s pandemic response, the Democratic staff of the Senate homeland security committee concluded. A study found that Covid vaccines prevented three million deaths in the U.S., Stat News reports. Flu The C.D.C. is recommending that people 65 and older get specially formulated flu shots this year, The Washington Post reports. The coronavirus pandemic taught us new lessons about the flu, NBC News reports. Ebola The Ugandan authorities hesitated to impose restrictions in the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak because of trauma from the Covid lockdown. That decision haunts the country. Thanks for reading. We’ll be back on Jan. 4. Email your thoughts to virusbriefing@nytimes.com. Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 15, 2022 Members Share Posted December 15, 2022 White House reveals winter COVID-19 plans, more free tests WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is once more making some free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it releases its contingency plans with coronavirus cases ticking upward this winter. https://apnews.com/article/white-house-reveals-winter-covid-plans-test-kits-2b015ef4e3c97520a3981c47d00467c3 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 15, 2022 Members Share Posted December 15, 2022 NH to start COVID-19 town wastewater surveillance program CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services has started a wastewater surveillance program to monitor COVID-19 levels in communities. https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-new-hampshire-4928d3224974c9e2215c06e4bcd0679a Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 16, 2022 Members Share Posted December 16, 2022 2 linked to COVID relief fund fraud arrested NSB residents accused of using phony ministry Mark Harper and Frank Fernandez Daytona Beach News-Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Two New Smyrna Beach residents were arrested Wednesday as part of a scheme in which they used a phony ministry to defraud the Small Business Administration out of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Joshua Edwards and Evan Edwards were arrested early Wednesday at their home on Borassus Drive in New Smyrna Beach pursuant to an indictment. The indictment has not yet been unsealed. Evan Edwards also goes by the alias of Ian Heringa, according to the indictment. Joshua Edwards and Evan Edwards were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. They are accused of submitting a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application on behalf of Aslan International Ministry, Inc., to First Home Bank, now known as Bay-First, according to the indictment. Businesses applied for the government loans through federally insured See COVID, Page 2A Continued from Page 1A institutions like banks. Joshua Edwards was also indicted on one count of making a false statement to a lending institution. Additionally, Evan Edwards was indicted on two counts of visa fraud for stating on an immigration application that he had never been arrested when in fact he had been arrested on Sept. 17, 2020, and for claiming that the gross annual income of Aslan was $1,358,728 when he knew that was false, according to the indictment. Joshua Edwards was also indicted on a count of visa fraud for claiming on an application for permanent residency that he had never been arrested when he had been arrested on Sept. 17, 2020, according to the indictment. Joshua and Evan Edwards claimed that Aslan International Ministries had an annual payroll of $2,764,438 when in actuality it was 'significantly lower or entirely nonexistent' according to the indictment. Joshua and Evan Edwards claimed that Aslan had 486 employees but again the actual number was 'significantly lower or entirely nonexistent' according to the indictment. Joshua and Evan Edwards also claimed that Aslan had annual revenue of $51,869,741 in 2019 and $48,235.824 in 2018 when the actual amount was 'significantly lower, or entirely nonexistent,' according to the indictment. No other family members were arrested or indicted. But a press release from the Department of Justice in 2021 stated that Joshua Edwards, Joy Edwards, Evan Edwards, and Mary Jane Edwards allegedly defrauded the Small Business Administration out of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds in April 2020. The government obtained a civil judgment ordering the forfeiture of $8,417,261.38 in proceeds from bank fraud and money laundering offenses related to COVID relief fraud, the release stated. Joshua Edwards, on behalf of Aslan, submitted a fraudulent loan application seeking funds from the PPP, according to the release. Members of the Edwards family used the funds from the loan by attempting to purchase a $3.7 million luxury home in the Four Seasons, a private community at Walt Disney World Resort, a press release stated. They transferred the remaining money among bank accounts they held to try to conceal the funds, the release stated. Joshua Edwards is listed as the registered agent and an officer of Aslan International Ministries with a principal address of the Edwards home in New Smyrna Beach, according to Florida Division of Corporations records. Evan Edwards and Joy Edwards are listed as officers of the foreign nonprofit corporation, according to state records. Law enforcement seized all of the fraudulently obtained funds, according to the release. COVIDfrom page A1 to A2 This is the New Smyrna Beach home where Evan and Joshua Edwards were arrested Wednesday morning by federal authorities. Joshua Edwards defrauded the government by filing a fraudulent application for $8.4 million under the Paycheck Protection Program in April 2020, according to the Department of Justice. MARK HARPER/NEWS-JOURNAL Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 17, 2022 Members Share Posted December 17, 2022 What if You Get COVID-19 More Than Once? A growing number of people are getting COVID-19 twice, 3 times, even 4. How risky are repeat infections? https://www.everydayhealth.com/coronavirus/what-if-you-get-covid-19-more-than-once/? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 21, 2022 Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 10 Most Common COVID-19 Symptoms Now A new study identifies the most prevalent COVID-19 symptoms at this moment, starting with sore throat in the No. 1 spot and including a relatively recent sign of infection: sneezing. https://www.everydayhealth.com/coronavirus/top-covid-19-symptoms-have-changed-study-finds/? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 21, 2022 Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 Family charged in PPP scam used religious exemption Mark Harper Daytona Beach News-Journal USA TODAY NETWORK A New Smyrna Beach family alleged to have fraudulently filed forms to obtain an $8.4 million COVID relief loan was also granted religious property-tax exemptions on their single-family home in 2019 and 2020. Evan Edwards, 64, and his son Joshua, 30, were indicted in U.S. District Court in Orlando Wednesday on six counts alleging they defrauded the government by filing a phony Paycheck Protection Program application and paperwork for work visas. They claimed the church they ran, Aslan International Ministry Inc., had 486 employees and a payroll of $2.8 million when it did not, according to U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. By claiming their home in The Palms section of Venetian Bay was used for church purposes, they were able to avoid paying more than $10,000 in property taxes, Volusia County records show. Aslan International Ministry Inc. purchased the 2,030-square-foot home for $332,500 in 2018. See HOUSE, Page 2A Continued from Page 1A Jan Cornelius, chief deputy property appraiser for Volusia County, said she remembered the Edwards' application, as it was initially denied in 2019. “Evan Edwards came into our office after receiving the denial. He presented documentation (of church activities), including missionary lodging, broadcasting and prayer hotlines,” Cornelius said. With that, the exemption was granted for 2019, which carried over into 2020, as well. Larry Bartlett, the property appraiser, said Volusia County started in 2020 requiring officials seeking the religious tax exemption to sign an affidavit verifying that the properties were used for legitimate religious purposes. In 2020, Edwards signed the form, but in 2021, it came back as “undeliverable.” Also, by then, the Edwards had been ordered by a court to pay back the $8.4 million after the government made a civil forfeiture claim against them, so the religious exemption was removed, Cornelius said. Edwards paid $5,147.95 in property taxes in 2021 and $5,426.37 in 2022. Cornelius, asked if the county could attempt to collect taxes for the Edwards' New Smyrna Beach home for 2019 and 2020, responded: “I guess we could. In this case, we didn't.” Florida law allows for exemptions of properties for charitable, religious, scientific or literary purposes. While Bartlett said the religious exemption on property taxes is “the most lenient” of exemptions, his office does require documentation, such as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit determination by the Internal Revenue Service. “Even parsonages for leaders or priests can be granted an exemption,” Bartlett said. The Volusia County Property Appraiser's Office currently has 93 singlefamily homes exempted for religious purposes. Twelve are affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Orlando, while five are listed under Living Faith World Ministries in Daytona Beach. These organizations have three homes exempted each: First United Methodist Church of Port Orange, Faith Baptist Church of Deltona and Florida United Methodist Children's Home in Enterprise. This is the New Smyrna Beach home where Evan and Joshua Edwards were arrested Wednesday morning by federal authorities. Joshua Edwards defrauded the government by filing a fraudulent application for $8.4 million under the Paycheck Protection Program in April 2020, according to the Department of Justice. MARK HARPER/NEWS-JOURNAL Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 21, 2022 Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 China limits how it defines COVID deaths in official count ZHUOZHOU, China (AP) — China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official COVID-19 death toll, a Chinese health official said, a narrow definition that limits the number of deaths being reported as the virus surges following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-covid-d130817ed350e805295ee16c50ae6a46 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 21, 2022 Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 WHO “very concerned” about reports of severe COVID in China GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization said the agency is “very concerned” about rising reports of severe coronavirus disease across China after the country largely abandoned its “zero COVID” policy, warning that its lagging vaccination rate could result in large numbers of vulnerable people getting infected. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-covid-world-organization-ecea4b11f845070554ba832390fb6561 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 21, 2022 Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 Did CDC Confirm That Thousands 'Died Suddenly' as a Result of COVID Vaccines? CDC data issued in October 2022 provide evidence that COVID-19 vaccines increase a person's risk of death. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cdc-died-suddenly-covid-vaccines/? Rahab 1 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 25, 2022 Members Share Posted December 25, 2022 ‘A very hard road ahead’ for China as COVID-19 cases spiral BAZHOU, China (AP) — Nearly three years after it was first identified in China, the coronavirus is now spreading through the vast country. Experts predict difficult months ahead for its 1.4 billion people. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-covid-0437741cbb7db5e090bcf904ff38779b? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 25, 2022 Members Share Posted December 25, 2022 China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant Could the COVID-19 surge in China unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world? https://apnews.com/article/science-health-china-covid-306b688d84e31a9462f82d0ead1f4584 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 25, 2022 Members Share Posted December 25, 2022 New law ends COVID-19 vaccine mandate for US troops WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces around the world will no longer be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, after the mandate was lifted under an $858 billion defense spending bill passed by Congress and signed into law Friday by President Joe Biden. https://apnews.com/article/biden-lloyd-austin-e4047962b92087be278c6886e2e2d0c5? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 26, 2022 Members Share Posted December 26, 2022 Packed ICUs, crowded crematoriums: COVID roils Chinese towns BAZHOU, China (AP) — Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China’s industrial Hebei province, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Beijing. Her mother-in-law had COVID-19 and needed urgent medical care, but all hospitals nearby were full. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-beijing-covid-d0718b53ded7fb1a70c2db8e564ed072? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 26, 2022 Members Share Posted December 26, 2022 Long COVID: Could mono virus or fat cells be playing roles? A British historian, an Italian archaeologist and an American preschool teacher have never met in person, but they share a prominent pandemic bond. https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-158aca71b75b36dc660aef54d58c8a0e Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 27, 2022 Members Share Posted December 27, 2022 Japan to require COVID-19 tests for all visitors from China TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Tuesday that Japan will tighten border controls for COVID-19 by requiring tests for all visitors from China starting Friday as a temporary emergency measure against the surging infections there. https://apnews.com/article/health-business-china-japan-covid-0935f496eea6a5be28ae0fc5f8a44ea7 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 28, 2022 Members Share Posted December 28, 2022 Hong Kong scraps vaccine pass, COVID-19 tests for travelers HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong will scrap some of its COVID-19 restrictions, including PCR tests for inbound travelers and vaccination requirements to enter certain venues, the city’s leader said Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/health-hong-kong-china-covid-19-pandemic-business-2ea89b8e322b3fd0d9348b84b5451dab? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 29, 2022 Members Share Posted December 29, 2022 US will require COVID-19 testing for travelers from China The U.S. announced new COVID-19 testing requirements Wednesday for all travelers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-covid-19-pandemic-ab51ca49e69633ae7028db36d06c54f3? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 29, 2022 Members Share Posted December 29, 2022 Germany’s governing coalition argues over COVID restrictions BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s governing coalition is arguing over whether remaining COVID-19 restrictions should be dropped after one of the country’s top virologists was quoted as saying that the pandemic is over. https://apnews.com/article/health-business-pandemics-germany-covid-a0206a3febf5046338ede1b2a839fd04 Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 29, 2022 Members Share Posted December 29, 2022 Lack of info on China’s COVID-19 surge stirs global concern BEIJING (AP) — Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-disease-outbreaks-covid-19-pandemic-guangzhou-01318eb4fc58a0515d8e8bd1577e385d? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2022 Members Share Posted December 31, 2022 More European nations tighten COVID rules for China flights PARIS (AP) — France, Spain and England will implement tougher COVID-19 measures for passengers arriving from China, authorities said Friday. https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-spain-china-europe-5ed55c9076305c02eff52b13e2d70caf Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted January 5, 2023 Members Share Posted January 5, 2023 January 4, 2023 Welcome to the Virus Briefing, your comprehensive guide to the latest news and expert analysis on the coronavirus pandemic and other outbreaks. Find the latest updates here, and check out our maps and vaccine tracker. Covid-19 patients in the lobby of a hospital in the city of Chongqing in December.Noel Celis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images China’s unfolding tragedy By Jonathan Wolfe In early December, China suddenly reversed its “zero Covid” policy. That set off a wave of infections that has swept across the nation, overwhelming hospitals and funeral parlors. Two events this month could further inflame the already raging outbreak. On Sunday, the country will reopen to tourists, and visitors will no longer be required to quarantine upon arrival. A few weeks later, China will celebrate Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest holiday — typically the largest annual migration of people on the planet. For insight into the situation in China, I spoke with Keith Bradsher, The Times’s Beijing bureau chief. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For those who aren’t familiar, what was life like in China before the restrictions were removed? Almost overnight, the rules changed on Dec. 7. Until then, people were at constant risk of being sealed in a hospital room for weeks if they caught a Covid infection. Until Dec. 7, people who even went to the same shop or eatery as someone who later turned out to be infected, or even passed an infected person on the street, could end up being taken away to a quarantine center for a prolonged stay, sometimes with meager food and sanitation, or sealed in their homes. In big cities like Beijing or Shanghai or Shenzhen, it became necessary to line up every two or three days and sometimes daily at sidewalk booths for P.C.R. tests, all tracked by the health codes on our cellphones. Because of the extreme sensitivity of the tests, an infected person could be kept in isolation for weeks or even months. And even after people left quarantine they could face permanent discrimination. There were some places that you weren’t allowed to go if you ever had Covid, like some government offices. So what do things look like now? After Dec. 7, life was transformed. The good news was that we could suddenly move around without worrying about being locked up in a hospital or quarantine center. But the cost in illness and death has been high. We went from medics being responsible for detaining people to suddenly caring for a lot of sick people. We’ve gone from funeral homes allowing lengthy services for as many as 100 guests to lacking adequate cremation capacity and barely allowing immediate family members to say goodbye. We’ve seen hospitals practically overflowing, with little space left for more sick people. There’s an acute shortage of ventilators. There is an acute shortage of ibuprofen. Even hospitals don’t have enough ibuprofen to bring down the fevers of the very sick. All of these are scenes that were witnessed in the West when the pandemic first emerged in early 2020. But in China, it has been a surprise that there were not more preparations for the change in direction. Workers loading a body onto a cart at a crematory in the southwestern city of Chongqing, China, in December.Noel Celis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images What do you mean? The vaccination program nearly ground to a halt in late spring without ever reaching many of the country’s older adults, who tended to resist vaccination. Many thought they could hide indefinitely from the virus. Their faith in China’s vaccine industry had also been damaged by vaccine scandals before the pandemic, even though there is no evidence of safety problems for the Covid vaccines. The spread of the virus is extraordinary because not only do you have a population with almost zero past exposure or immunity, but now — in a policy about-face — you have towns encouraging people to come to work even if they are positive for Covid, as long as they are not especially feverish. I’ve been talking to companies in northern China, and some have told me that anywhere from 80 to 100 percent of their staff members have been infected. Why did China change its policy so quickly? China faced several big challenges. There was mounting domestic unhappiness with the burden of quarantine and frequent testing, which resulted in street protests. China was also losing control of the virus even before the policy change on Dec. 7. The death rate began to spike upwards right after the loosening of restrictions, even though it takes the virus a couple weeks to reach the fatal phase. The immediate jump in activity at funeral homes suggested that there were a lot more people who were infected right before the policy change but were hiding at home. Finally, the economy was in terrible shape through the autumn because people in China stopped going out to shop or to restaurants for fear of being infected. At the same time, overseas demand for goods from China was withering. How are the Chinese people feeling? Absolutely everyone seems to know some elderly person about whom he or she is deeply worried right now — because the threat of serious illness from Covid increases with age. The country is experiencing a terrifying surge, and yet cities are encouraging travel for Lunar New Year, which starts in less than three weeks. We will likely see surges in rural areas, where many of the residents are elderly. Passengers, including one wearing full-body protective gear, at the Shanghai Railway Station last month.Qilai Shen for The New York Times What would a rural surge look like? There was a study back in 2007 by the agriculture ministry which surveyed 3,000 villages. They found that in 90 percent of those villages, there were essentially no able-bodied people between the ages of 16 and 40 who had stayed. Almost all had gone to the cities to find jobs. So rural areas often have lots of grandparents raising grandchildren while the middle generation works in the cities. The fear is that just as the virus has raced through the population in Chinese cities, it will now race through Chinese villages in the next several weeks. The other scary part in all of this is that this is the first wave, and it’s mostly being driven by earlier versions of Omicron. So people in China are acquiring resistance to Omicron subvariants that are already fading away globally. As China reopens its borders in the coming weeks, there is a possibility that the latest immune-evading subvariants may come next, as they have already become prevalent in parts of the United States. If that happens, residents may face further illness instead of a hoped-for single wave that quickly disappears. What will China’s reopening mean for the course of the pandemic? It’s unclear that this will cause new variants to emerge. Some scientists have said that what’s happening in China is less likely to affect the rest of the world because it’s basically exposing a low-immunity population to variants that have already circulated a lot globally. I think the tragedy here is less of a global tragedy and more of a tragedy of China. It’s a tragedy of the loss of so much of its older generation, which is now being sacrificed in a race to reopen and restart the economy quickly. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. Bernie Olshansky The pandemic then and now As the pandemic continues to unfold, people are trying to redefine what’s normal. Some returned to prepandemic life many months ago, while others feel they may never do so. To capture this moment, The Times asked 200 readers who had sent us photographs of their pandemic lives at the end of 2020 to share a new photo reflecting what normal means two years later. Here’s how their lives look now. What else we’re following Coronavirus Covid hospitalizations are on the rise in the U.S., but R.S.V. and flu hospitalizations are declining, NBC New York reports. The Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for about 40 percent of cases in the U.S., The Guardian reports, and about 75 percent of cases in the Northeast, PBS reports. China denounced Covid testing requirements imposed by other countries on travelers as “excessive” and threatened to retaliate. Covid misinformation surged on Twitter after the N.F.L. player Damar Hamlin was injured during a game, The Washington Post reports. Paxlovid use has declined in the U.S. because of insufficient investment and fears about side effects, Nature reports. 2022 was the worst year for many U.S. hospitals, and its aftershocks will continue for years, Vox reports. R.S.V. The Times Opinion section argues that the recent wave of respiratory illnesses shows the health care industry is badly equipped to care for critically ill children. Monkeypox Cases of monkeypox in the U.S. have declined from an average of about 450 per day this summer to an average of about five per day, Politico reports. Other viruses The Times’s Stephanie Nolen explores how countries with some of the most fragile health systems in the world have managed to shut down recent outbreaks. Thanks for reading. I’ll be back next Wednesday. — Jonathan Email your thoughts to virusbriefing@nytimes.com. Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted January 5, 2023 Members Share Posted January 5, 2023 Beds run out at Beijing hospital as COVID-19 spreads BEIJING (AP) — Mostly older men and women wearing masks rested on cots in hallways, while others slept upright in crowded waiting rooms with numbered chairs. Many received fluids intravenously, while others were given oxygen. The sound of people coughing — and of new patients arriving on gurneys — was steady. https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-china-government-beijing-762d314d452875ecc525d5c21dbfa541? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted January 6, 2023 Members Share Posted January 6, 2023 EXPLAINER: Is China sharing enough COVID-19 information? TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As COVID-19 rips through China, other countries and the World Health Organization are calling on its government to share more comprehensive data on the outbreak. Some even say many of the numbers it’s reporting are meaningless. https://apnews.com/article/china-covid19-data-sharing-77a28c2fc02f4c01774db8836762b608? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted January 8, 2023 Members Share Posted January 8, 2023 China suspends social media accounts of COVID policy critics BEIJING (AP) — China has suspended or closed the social media accounts of more than 1,000 critics of the government’s policies on the COVID-19 outbreak, as the country moves to roll back harsh anti-virus restrictions. https://apnews.com/article/health-china-government-covid-19-pandemic-beijing-3259cdf2fb41e8dd3d64f6c6d3b7cc80? Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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