Category: Coping with COVID
Happy belated birthday, Phil Collins!
As I was collecting content for this issue of The Transmission, I learned Phil Collins turned 72 yesterday! His music will live on forever, especially In the Air Tonight, a true classic. I heard a story long ago about the origin of that song, a dark tale of an icy murder, and anger. The real […]
Jan 31, 2023
Test your knowledge of spillover viruses, starting with … what are they?
(NPR) After three years of living with an unprecedented pandemic, how much of your knowledge has changed about how these catastrophes start? Like, what exactly is a “spillover”? Where do viruses like SARS-CoV-2 come from? And how often do they … spill over? Take our quiz and test your knowledge.
Jan 31, 2023
Greetings from the North Shore of Oahu
Winter kinda sucks, so I decided to check ticket prices on flights to Hawaii, found a great deal and clicked the purchase button. I was on a plane headed West in less than 12 hours after that search. Best purchase ever! It’s a quick trip, but just enough to warm my soul in and make […]
Jan 24, 2023
Several celebrities test positive for COVID after Golden Globes…
and speaking of the Golden Globes, I would like to talk about Jennifer Coolidge and (spoiler alert) why did season 2 of the White Lotus end the way it did? (ABC) In the wake of the Golden Globes last week, several celebrities said they have tested positive for COVID-19. At least four stars, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Pfeiffer, […]
Jan 17, 2023
Who named the new COVID variant “The Kraken?”
Source article in Fortune. Everyone knows the names of the major COVID variants like Alpha, Delta, and Omicron. But last year, viral evolution shifted, muddying the waters, as well as the names of the major variants. Instead of spawning entirely new variants, COVID began evolving within Omicron itself—at a breakneck pace, no less. The organization responsible […]
Jan 10, 2023
2022 in Review
Google recently released their annual “year in search” video. The 2022 edition was vastly different that the previous year. COVID didn’t show up on the list this year, I think my searches alone would have put it in the top ten. 2021 searches reflected getting through COVID, the lockdowns, mental health, and how to develop […]
Dec 27, 2022
Dogs May Reliably Detect SARS-CoV-2 Infections at Mass Events
(JAMA) Dogs trained to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection by smell correctly identified individuals with active infections at concerts with a specificity of nearly 100% and a sensitivity of 82%, researchers reported in BMJ Global Health. The results suggest that dogs may provide a fast and reliable screening option for public events at which mass screening is required. Eight trained […]
Dec 20, 2022
Aromatherapy spray that killed two people in a multistate outbreak also killed pet raccoon
(NBC News) A lavender and chamomile-scented aromatherapy spray contaminated with deadly bacteria that killed two people in 2021 also killed one of the victim’s pet raccoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. In October 2021, investigators with the CDC discovered the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei in the lavender and chamomile scent of Better Homes & Gardens […]
Dec 20, 2022
Time to mask up again
Went to the local CVS today for an influenza vaccine and COVID booster #5. We were the only ones wearing a mask aside from the feisty senior citizen who rushed her cart up the adjacent aisle to beat us to the line. Got the shots, had COVID (for the first time) in late October, so […]
Dec 13, 2022