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Study: Pandemic rumors may have killed hundreds of people
Pandemic rumors and information overload make separating fact from fancy difficult, putting people's health and lives at risk.
14 August, 2020
Relatives watch as a family member is buried in Caju cemetary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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<p>The reason sanitizer kills novel coronavirus is that it contains north of 60% ethyl alcohol. To kill any viral invaders swarming your body, you need to drink enough alcohol to sterilize your system. According to research by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diXGcCGzb9c" target="_blank">Dr. John Lee Hooker</a>, it only takes one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer to begin feeling the salutary effects.</p><p>That is, of course, utter bunkum. Dr. Hooker's field of study was the blues, not epidemiology, and <a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-noteworthy/drinking-alcohol-does-not-prevent-or-treat-coronavirus-infection" target="_blank">a blood alcohol concentration of 0.40% can be fatal</a>, a level well below antiseptic action. In fact, <a href="https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/alcohol-use/news/news/2020/04/alcohol-does-not-protect-against-covid-19-access-should-be-restricted-during-lockdown/_recache?fbclid=IwAR2lkIQcxfDdziOa7esAbXO-caLv66wvhmP4JxoDwXQd5z14X02jAmHZulg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">according to the World Health Organization</a> (WHO), excessive alcohol consumption during the pandemic increases your risk as it can compromise your immune system.</p><p>But those facts didn't stop similar pandemic rumors from assailing social media and offline social networks. Other rumored "remedies" espoused ingesting bleach, garlic, and hot peppers or exposing the body to extreme temperatures. Such cures can have dire consequences: None of them kill the coronavirus, some are actively harmful to a person's health, and even the benign ones can provide a false sense of protection.</p><p>These pandemic rumors, <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/2019-novel-coronavirus-myth-versus-fact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">and many more</a>, are the dark side of the "<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200202-sitrep-13-ncov-v3.pdf?sfvrsn=195f4010_6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">infodemic</a>," which the WHO defines as "an over-abundance of information—some accurate and some not—that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."</p><p>Recently, an international team of researchers sought to determine the impact of this "infodemic" on public health. They combed the internet for COVID-19-related rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories, and their findings suggest that hundreds of people have needlessly died as a result of the misinformation found online.</p>
The dark side of the information age
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1NzYwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNjE3MzY3Nn0.0HveQP16MbMkj9HXE8miohSHXETOak7oFDtBdXtE7lM/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C400%2C0%2C256&height=700" id="60d48" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9085c1a7d5b3f81344c3002acdf1df68" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A South Korean church became a viral hotspot after church officials sprayed a salt water "cure" in congregants mouths, without disinfecting the nozzle between uses.
<p>On December 31, 2020, the researchers began chronicling COVID-19-related posts circulating the internet. They examined agency websites, online newspapers, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, extracting reports until April 5, 2020. They then compiled and analyzed their data.</p><p>In total, the researchers discovered more than 2,300 reports of COVID-19-related reports. These reports were mostly classified as rumors (89 percent) followed by conspiracy theories (7.8 percent) and stigmas (3.5 percent). They came in 25 languages and from 87 countries. However, most of the false and hate-filled news spread from five countries: China, India, Spain, Brazil, and the U.S.</p><p>Of their accumulated reports, 2,276 had text ratings available, and these show the vast disparity between the dark and illuminating sides of the infodemic. False claims consisted of 82 percent of text-rated reports, while misleading and unproven claims took 8 and 1 percent respectively. Correct claims made up a paltry 9 percent.</p><p>Their finders were published in <a href="http://www.ajtmh.org/content/journals/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0812;jsessionid=B4gDZ2O-CbgjvAY1nxEoyT8M.ip-10-241-1-122" target="_blank"><em>The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene</em></a>.</p><p>"Rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories have the potential to decrease community trust in governments and international health agencies. Rumors can mask themselves as credible infection prevention and control strategies and have potentially serious implications if prioritized over evidence-based guidelines," the researchers write in the study.</p><p>In their discussion, the researchers point to a telling anecdote from Iran. There, a rumor spread that ingesting methanol—non-drinkable alcohol that is <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">even poisonous when absorbed through the skin</a>—would disinfect the body of novel coronavirus. After the rumor gained purchase in the milieu, the country saw a 10-fold increase in alcohol poisonings. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/iran-700-dead-drinking-alcohol-cure-coronavirus-200427163529629.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">Close to 800 people died</a>, thousands were hospitalized, and as many as 60 developed blindness. Other countries, including Turkey, Qatar, and India, have seen witnessed a similar, if less severe, trend.</p><p>In another story, also relayed in the study, a South Korean church told congregants they could be cleansed by spraying special saltwater into their mouths. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-salt-water-cure-spray-south-korea-church-covid-19-a9404856.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">The church soon became a viral hotspot</a> as they used the same spray bottle on church-goers without disinfecting the nozzle. Nor are <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/05/weird#:~:text=They%20found%20that%20people%20from,many%20measures%20they're%20outliers." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">WEIRD</a> societies immune to pandemic rumors. In April, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/free-speech-systems-llc-dba-infowarscom-605802-04092020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">the FDA issued a warning to Alex Jones</a>, of <em>InfoWars</em> infamy, to stop peddling fake coronavirus cures, including a silver-laced gargle and toothpaste.</p><p>The researchers do note their study's limitations. For example, the speed at which COVID-19 information changes, especially during the study's report-gathering phase, means some report categorization could be subject to misclassification. Also, the researchers did not follow up on the misinformation, so they could not say how many people on average believe any rumor or conspiracy they came across online.</p><p>But the connection between the infodemic and real-world actions, as seen in Iran and other countries, shows the lethal implications if people cannot discern sound information from the flimsy. As we've seen with other outbreaks in the past, such as <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-03-13-8802290279-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">the HIV epidemic</a> and <a href="https://time.com/5609718/rumors-spread-ebola-drc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">the 2019 Ebola outbreak</a>, when people are afraid, they will grasp for beliefs that return a sense of control to their lives. In that desperation, rubbish can be just as appealing as reality. </p><p>As<a href="https://bigthink.com/videos/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory" target="_self" rel="dofollow"> Michael Shermer told <em>Big Think</em></a> in an interview earlier this year: "Whenever there's a high level of anxiety or uncertainty in an environment, your personal life or society at large, conspiracism goes up. That is to say, people find comfort in attenuating the anxiety or uncertainty they are feeling by concocting some overarching plan."</p>The cure for bad information is good
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-media_id="e0tfZ3YB" data-player_id="FvQKszTI" data-rm-shortcode-id="601aa46855087a4dfcf02a67a160e0c4"> <div id="botr_e0tfZ3YB_FvQKszTI_div" class="jwplayer-media" data-jwplayer-video-src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/e0tfZ3YB-FvQKszTI.js"> <img src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/e0tfZ3YB-1920.jpg" class="jwplayer-media-preview" /> </div> <script src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/e0tfZ3YB-FvQKszTI.js"></script> </div> <p><strong></strong><strong></strong>That doesn't mean we are defenseless. The best cure for rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories is good, evidence-based information. We just have to know how to recognize it when we find it. Unfortunately, that's difficult in the center of the infodemic vortex.</p><p>"Information overload is incredibly anxiety-provoking—which is true even when the information is accurate," Jaimie Meyer, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist, <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/covid-19-infodemic/" target="_blank">told <em>Yale Medicine</em></a>. "But here, if people get the wrong information from unreliable sources, we may have more trouble slowing the spread of the virus. And we can't afford to get this wrong."</p><p>In their study, the researchers concluded that governments and health agencies should study the patterns of pandemic rumors, track the misinformation, and develop communication strategies to circumvent these messages. </p><p>In the <em>Yale Medicine </em>article, Meyer provides advice for helping individuals deal with information overload. She recommends looking at data and graphs carefully, considering how individual studies connect with established facts, and considering the whole story (not just the eye-catching headline). </p><p>When it comes to garnering information from social media, proceed with caution.</p><p>"Everything looks the same on Twitter," Meyer said. "When you have a tweet from Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Association of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, next to a tweet that says the opposite thing from a celebrity or some random person—and they all appear similar, you have to weigh the credibility of your sources." </p><p>She recommends following health agencies like <a href="https://twitter.com/who?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">the WHO</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, and your local and state health agencies. When you come across a pandemic rumor or something that seems suspect, you can double-check it against these authoritative sources, such as the WHO's <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">COVID-19 mythbusters page</a>. And if you find yourself stressing out over the news and your social media feed, <a href="https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/mental-health-activities-coronavirus-lockdown" target="_self" rel="dofollow">take a mental break</a>.</p><p>We all would like a return to some form of normalcy, but that return will not emanate from a miracle cure. It will be a slow, steady course of handwashing, social distancing, and learning to navigate the infodemic.</p>
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Take your career to the next level by raising your EQ
Emotional intelligence is a skill sought by many employers. Here's how to raise yours.
06 August, 2020
Gear
- Daniel Goleman's 1995 book Emotional Intelligence catapulted the term into widespread use in the business world.
- One study found that EQ (emotional intelligence) is the top predictor of performance and accounts for 58% of success across all job types.
- EQ has been found to increase annual pay by around $29,000 and be present in 90% of top performers.
<script async="true" src="https://widgets.stackcommerce.com/js-deal-feed/0.1/widget.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>Emotional intelligence helps us to recognize how our emotions affect our behavior and how to adjust our reactions in stressful work and life situations.<br></p><p>This matters more in the workplace than you may realize. One <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/emotional-intelligence-career-life-personal-development/#:~:text=It's%20a%20powerful%20way%20to,in%20all%20types%20of%20jobs." target="_blank">study</a> found that EQ is the top predictor of performance and accounts for 58% of success across all job types. This skill has even been found to increase annual pay by around $29,000 and be present in 90% of top performers.</p><p>In other words, emotional intelligence is a skill sought by many employers. So, how do you build yours?</p><p><a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419766&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmhQAA&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>The Emotional Intelligence and Decision-Making Bundle</strong></a> is a great place to start. This 10-course bundle is on sale now for just $34.99.</p><p>The introductory course explains the fundamentals of EQ over 38 lessons. You'll gain insights into other people's emotions, learn how to improve relationships, and recognize how to better understand your own emotions and habitual behavioral patterns.</p><p>You'll also learn an essential career skill: conflict management. In this 68-lesson course, you'll be taught how to build rapport, listen, and understand empathy.</p><p>Emotions are the drivers behind anxiety and stress. In another knowledge-packed course, you'll be given all the tools to build your emotional resilience. Learning how to adapt to stressful situations is a skill everyone needs in all facets of life. And yes, of course EQ plays a big role in decision-making. One 53-lesson course asks you to investigate your rationality in decision-making, your objectiveness when working with others, and your problem-solving skills.</p><p><a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419766&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmhQAA&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Emotional Intelligence and Decision-Making Bundle </a>is taught by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/in/robinhills/?challengeId=AQGgaETR9NXKUQAAAXOR5uKPXznaBgDT-DSZ-uwNnFJm5z_pgcTN3r_ZJXOm_EgbIFQFeSGd2j2YXl0elXY3hTy_c5jzDuXhEQ&submissionId=803f7333-09b5-2516-3ae5-ac8b6f21d23e" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Robin Hills</a>, an emotional intelligence coach, trainer, and facilitator with over 35 years of business and commercial experience. He has taught over 57,000 students the art of EQ.</p><p><a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419766&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmhQAA&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>The Emotional Intelligence and Decision-Making Bundle</strong> </a>is on sale now for just $34.99, a 96% discount from the original price. </p><p><em>Price subject to change. </em></p><div data-react-checksum="1473071600" data-reactid="1" data-reactroot="" style="position: relative;"><a data-reactid="2" href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral-cta&utm_campaign=the-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419766&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmhQAA&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> </a>
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Face mask study reveals worst material for blocking COVID-19
A study published Friday tested how well 14 commonly available face masks blocked the emission of respiratory droplets as people were speaking.
14 August, 2020
Fischer et al.
- The study tested the efficacy of popular types of face masks, including N95 respirators, bandanas, cotton-polypropylene masks, gaiters and others.
- The results showed that N95 respirators were most effective, while wearing a neck fleece (aka gaiter) actually produced more respiratory droplets than wearing no mask at all.
- Certain types of homemade masks seem to be effective at blocking the spread of COVID-19.
<p>Which face mask best protects against COVID-19? To find out, a team of researchers at Duke University recently conducted a pretty straightforward experiment.</p>
<p>The team measured how well 14 popular face masks blocked respiratory droplets from exiting people's mouths while speaking. To measure the droplets, the researchers used "a black box, a laser, and a camera," Martin Fischer, one of the authors of the study, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/duke-university-face-mask-test-trnd" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">CNN</a>. </p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The laser beam is expanded vertically to form a thin sheet of light, which we shine through slits on the left and right of the box."</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1OTMxMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTg0MTAwOX0.bST_CrtQaRTP4nSkQYhJRxH_03v1mBCaKZXBGc9qc2g/img.jpg?width=980" id="6b6c7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a7acfe7e6f657b78485dec4eefc7aceb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Fischer et al.
<p>A smartphone camera recorded video of the participants, and a computer algorithm counted the number of droplets they emitted. To establish a control trial, the participants spoke into the box both with and without a mask. And to make sure that the droplets weren't in fact dust from the masks, the team conducted more tests by "repeatedly puffing air from a bulb through the masks."</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1OTMxNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzc2MDY1N30.yQB1xnxFdVTab51z5fv5CCBtF7t9twJiSITJAnI8XZw/img.jpg?width=980" id="e6405" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="43fad870377a5848f84a64c257d32daa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Face mask study for COVID-19" />
Fischer et al.
<p>The results, published Friday in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/08/07/sciadv.abd3083" target="_blank">Science Advances</a>, showed that some masks are pretty much useless. In particular, neck fleeces (also called gaiters) actually produced more respiratory droplets compared to the control trial — likely because the fabric breaks down big droplets into smaller ones.</p><p>The top three most effective masks were N95 respirators, surgical masks and polypropylene-cotton masks. Bandanas performed the worst, but were slightly better than wearing no mask at all.</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1OTMxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTg1NTg3MH0.eWOSSQzfjcX8dicgHEdJfkF74I5u6IOMlKOkdx0NE7g/img.jpg?width=980" id="0902f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0493fa450b52867bd6b6182209fb1e9d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p class=""><br></p>Fischer et al.
<p>Research on mask efficacy is still emerging. But the new results seem to generally align with <a href="https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/News-Releases/2020/04/Testing-Shows-Type-of-Cloth-Used-in-Homemade-Masks-Makes-a-Difference" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">prior tests</a>. For example, a study from June published in <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0016018" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">Physics of Fluid</a> found that bandanas (followed by folded handkerchiefs) were least effective at blocking respiratory droplets. That same study also found, as <a href="https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/News-Releases/2020/04/Testing-Shows-Type-of-Cloth-Used-in-Homemade-Masks-Makes-a-Difference" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">others have</a>, that masks made from multiple layers of quilter's fabric were especially effective at blocking droplets.</p><p>The researchers hope other institutions will conduct similar experiments so the public can see how well different masks can block the spread of COVID-19.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"This is a very powerful visual tool to raise awareness that a very simple masks, like these homemade cotton masks, do really well to stop the majority of these respiratory droplets," Fischer told CNN. "Companies and manufacturers can set this up and test their mask designs before producing them, which would also be very useful."</p>
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COVID-19 survivors share their harrowing tales
The virus is unlike anything many people have ever experienced.
12 August, 2020
Photo: Tomas Ragina / Shutterstock
- The public Facebook group, Survivor Corps, is a place where long haulers and survivors congregate.
- Months after recovering from COVID-19, some are suffering from joint pain, hair loss, and cognitive issues.
- These cautionary tales are important in a county where many remain skeptical over the dangers of this virus.
<p><br></p>
<p>A concerted effort to stop famines in Africa spread across America in the '80s. Every Gen Xer remembers "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AjkUyX0rVw" target="_blank">We Are the World</a>," which, as a 10-year-old, is burned into memory for life. There were also the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OInh0tIM8ds" target="_blank">heartbreaking videos</a> from Ethiopia. Relief commercials centered on one young boy to make the most emotional impact. The team might have been borrowing a page from what <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/who-said-it-joseph-stalin-or-oliver-cromwell-9017590.html" target="_blank">appears to be</a> a Joseph Stalin quote: "One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."</p><p>That idea is relevant today as Americans shrug off over 160,000 deaths to the novel coronavirus—<em>except </em>when that death is someone close to them. As a nation, we've reached peak conspiracy theory, with every study or mandate being challenged and decried. Yet for a certain segment of the population, COVID-19 is very real. For some, it remains real months after the infection begins. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/COVID19survivorcorps" target="_blank">COVID-19 Survivor Corps</a> public group on Facebook offers opportunities for people to share their singular tragedies—the struggles many Americans aren't taking seriously. From immune system- and obesity-shaming to flat out calling the pandemic a lie, the lack of empathy is stunning. This group offers a stark reality check. </p><p>Below are posts from that page. While the group is public, I have not included names. These are anecdotal cases. The point in sharing these stories is not to make a definitive statement, but to remind Americans who have not personally grappled with the virus, or who were fortunate enough to be an asymptomatic carrier, that the struggles are real. </p><p>Five million cases are just a statistic. These people, and the 90,000 other members, are real. If you're struggling with COVID-19 or simply want to support those who are, considering joining the group. It's one of the few places of refuge on social media that offers support, advice, and valuable information. (<em>I've lightly edited the posts for grammatical mistakes</em>.)</p>
Coronavirus - The Latest: The Covid-19 'long-haulers'
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="73d1813a9b48841241c01857476e48b4"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kUyKpu-djdc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>I've been out of the hospital</strong> from COVID-19 for four weeks now and started having severe pain in my big toe, almost like I stepped on a piece of glass or have a severely ingrown toenail—I don't and there's no cut or intrusion. Now my toe is really swollen and red. It hurts to walk or put any pressure on it. Is this what's called COVID toe, and what's the protocol?</p><p><strong>I am on 18 days in bed</strong> with COVID. Luckily, I've been able to manage this horrible beast from home (so far). I actually thought I was feeling better yesterday, and then today I'm going in another direction. I'm having terrible pain when I breathe (right side), and I'm exhausted. I just finished Augmentin, and a week prior, a Z-Pak. I have an inhaler. Today, my doctor wants me to start a Medrol Dosepak (steroids). Has anyone else tried this and has it helped? I'm desperate to try anything right now as long as I can get better. Please give me your thoughts on the steroids; I'm seeing mixed reviews in here.</p><p> <strong>I've been sick with COVID symptoms</strong> for 22 weeks. I'm not getting better. My original symptoms haven't gone away, and I just develop new ones every few weeks. I read an article on three immune responses to this virus. 1) Overactive immune response 2) Normal immune response 3) little or no immune response.</p><p>I am having little or no immune response to this virus.</p><p>It's taking over my body slowly. My primary doctor can't help me. My family and husband don't believe my symptoms and I have nowhere to turn. </p><p>I am so frightened.</p><p><strong>How many of you are experiencing hair loss</strong>, especially hair loss after 5 months? I'm shedding like a dog. </p><p><strong>I had COVID in June</strong>. At least 15 straight days in bed. No smell, no taste except certain spices. I've been diagnosed with two eye conditions now. Fatigue won't go away. Simple things like unloading the dishwasher or taking a shower exhaust me; I need to sit down. Has anyone recovered from these symptoms? If so, how long did it take?</p><p><strong>Has anyone experienced increased joint pain</strong>, specifically in your hands, after COVID? I've had some joint pain in the past, but never this much. It's been four months since I had the virus and the pain seems to have increased since then. [<em>147 comments on this, nearly every one verifying joint pain, especially in hands, ankles, and elbows</em>.]</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1MjM1My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODY3MDQ1NH0.kLb96llJPfNztWm5iBofQCcFzBOPhDhCifXo4nhKCy0/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C43%2C0%2C63&height=700" id="b5ec6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9122cab0798caf7485085efc4927ee21" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="medics wearing face masks" />
Medics wait to transport a woman with possible Covid-19 symptoms to the hospital on August 07, 2020 in Austin, Texas.
Photo by John Moore/Getty Images
<p><strong>I had COVID symptoms for 2.5 weeks</strong> in March (could not get tested). I was a lot better for two months and then started the whole ordeal again 70 days ago (and am still sick). I have been to the ER twice and told that they think I have COVID. My clinic nurse said the same thing, as did my friend, who is an Urgent Care doctor.</p><p>I have had weeks where my fever went away and other symptoms decreased. But several times now, it comes back full force with a vengeance. The roller coaster is depressing. </p><p><strong>I was fortunate enough to be accepted </strong>into the Mt. Sinai post-COVID treatment program and was really happy to have some experts keep an eye on my long-term effects. Four months after COVID, my EKG came back normal, my antibodies high, and my bloodwork normal. My next tests were a lung function test and CT scan to see if there's long-term damage from the pneumonia. I just got a letter from my health insurance company, Oxford, rejecting the cost of the CT scan. I'm so disappointed. Is anyone else having their COVID treatments rejected by health insurance?</p><p><strong>I'm new here and it looks I'm one of the youngins</strong> in the group (19 btw). I got COVID about a month ago, and I got out of quarantine about a week-and-a-half ago, and I still have yet to see any of my friends. I wouldn't say I'm super popular but I do have a lot of friends, so I thought most of them would want to see me. I was super wrong. The stigma around COVID, especially with the younger demographic, was a joke before I got it in my friend group. Every single one of my friends didn't take it seriously and thought it would never appear in anyone they knew. When I got the virus it sent them all into shock and a couple of them hated me saying it was all my fault telling me that I shouldn't leave my house for a couple months and to not talk to them until next year. Now that I'm fully recovered I thought some friends would want to see me, but actually nobody does. </p><p><strong>Rapid heart rate when standing</strong> (160s-170s). Advice on how to deal with it? Twenty-three days from a positive test. Fever is pretty much gone but I'm trying to get back on my feet, literally. I'm kind of at a loss—whether this is temporary or I should ask my doctor for certain tests. My heart rate is elevated even when lying down (and is tolerable) but even more elevated when sitting. Seems like this isn't just "fatigue."</p><p><strong>My husband recovered from COVID</strong> last month but has been in a lot of pain. Weak and tired all the time. He gets tingly fingers and hands and feet and his ankles feel weak, like his bones are brittle. Has anyone else had this? He's rolled his ankles two or three times since and this has never happened before. His body just feels worn out and exhausted all the time, like he's a 70-year-old man, and he's only 34.</p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://derekberes.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">Substack</a>. His next book is</em> "<em>Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."</em></p>
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Russia claims world's first COVID-19 vaccine but skepticism abounds
President Vladimir Putin announces approval of Russia's coronavirus vaccine but scientists warn it may be unsafe.
11 August, 2020
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced coronavirus vaccine at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020.
Credit: Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
Coronavirus
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
<p>Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday, August 11th that his country was the first to <a href="https://apnews.com/fcda62ad992db414d65f23b2adb78e44" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">approve a coronavirus vaccine</a>, provoking skepticism from Russian and international scientists. Putin said the vaccine has met the Health Industry's standards and was even tested on his own daughter. Others aren't so sure, pointing to the lack of evidence from Russia and the seeming fact that the vaccine did not undergo the necessary phase 3 trials and was only administered to dozens of people. Such a sample is not enough to determine the vaccine's effectiveness on a large scale, but the Russian authorities will start giving the vaccine to doctors on the virus frontlines first and move on to mass vaccination as early as October.</p><p>Putin, leading a country that has had almost 900,000 cases of COVID-19 by this point, stood by the vaccine's effectiveness:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity," <a href="https://apnews.com/fcda62ad992db414d65f23b2adb78e44" target="_blank">said</a> the Russian President. "We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world."</p>
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">Putin also claimed that the vaccine was tested on one of his daughters, sharing </span><span style="background-color: initial;">that the day of the first injection her temperature reached 100.4 degrees but then fell to a bit over 98.6 degrees the following day. The second shot also led to a slight fever. Overall, this resulted in the daughter developing a "high number of antibodies," according to President Putin.</span></p><p>Russia's own Association of Clinical Trials Organizations offered a note of caution, stating that "Fast-tracked approval will not make Russia the leader in the race, it will just expose consumers of the vaccine to unnecessary danger," as <a href="https://apnews.com/fcda62ad992db414d65f23b2adb78e44" target="_blank">reported</a> by the Associated Press.</p><p>International scientists were also much more guarded with their optimism, pointing out that without a phase 3 trial, which usually engages tens of thousands of people and lasts months, you can't truly tell if the vaccine is safe and works. By comparison, American vaccine trials require 30,000 people each during final stages. Several such studies are currently underway.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1MjMwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMjgxMzY4NX0.mlGI4knWk_gtvxqBkYNes6GumSsqwp0Yc1QJ_BukeLo/img.jpg?width=980" id="37bf2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8b8af84971672c8cdd358d54bb96a067" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Russian coronavirus vaccine" />
A new coronavirus vaccine on display at the Nikolai Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia.
Credit: Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/ Russian Direct Investment Fund via AP
<p>Professor Danny Altmann of Imperial College London, shared his reservations about releasing an ill-researched vaccine:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably," he commented in <a href="https://apnews.com/fcda62ad992db414d65f23b2adb78e44" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">a statement</a>.</p><p>Rushing a vaccine can be damaging to the health of millions and contribute to the further spread of COVID-19 by fostering a false sense of protection. It can also erode trust in vaccines in the general population.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1MjMxMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjY0OTEwNH0.ZZeWx-3-S4TgOWLY8RSamRX5vVolbWCSI9NsKtwJNCo/img.jpg?width=980" id="664af" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0b05209a6b95972c828e1ff691a2ca40" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="coronavirus vaccine trial volunteers" />
Medical workers draw blood from volunteers participating in a trial of a coronavirus vaccine at the Budenko Main Military Hospital outside Moscow, Russia.
Credit: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
<p>The developers of the Russian vaccine have used a technology that's similar to what is being studied by other labs looking to stop the coronavirus spread – Oxford University, AstraZeneca, and China's CanSino Biologics. This method involves modifying the <em>adenovirus</em>, which causes the common cold, to transport genes for the protein coating the coronavirus. This essentially prepares the body to spot a real COVID-19 infection if it comes.</p><p>The vaccine is being researched by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow with help from Russia's Defense Ministry. The goal of the vaccine is to provide immunity of up to two years.</p><p>Further trials of the Russian vaccine will begin shortly, with thousands of participants not just from Russia but the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines. Brazil might also participate. </p>
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Learn how to take control of your finances for under $40
Be your own accountant and handle your assets with this personal finance class bundle.
10 August, 2020
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- As we navigate the global pandemic, staying on top of your finances is essential.
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<script async="true" src="https://widgets.stackcommerce.com/js-deal-feed/0.1/widget.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>The stock market may have rebounded, but roughly half of Americans <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/266807/percentage-americans-owns-stock.aspx" target="_blank">don't own any stock</a>. Thankfully, learning how to budget and invest are skills that anyone can learn.<br></p><p><a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-complete-personal-finance-master-class-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-complete-personal-finance-master-class-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419764&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmSQAQ&scsonar=1" target="_blank"><strong>The Complete Personal Finance Master Class Bundle</strong></a> is your ticket to financial freedom. The nine courses featured in the bundle include detailed instructions on how to manage your personal finances, the skills needed to trade stocks, and the fundamentals of real estate.</p><p>Three courses focus on managing personal finances—an especially valuable skill at a time when consumer spending is down and unemployment is on everyone's minds. The first course puts your bank account into perspective by honing in on the three pillars of personal finance: saving, protecting, and making money. Twenty-five exercises show you how to accomplish this trio.</p><p>The bundle also includes a personal finance masterclass offering six hours of lessons that will help you gain the tools you need to manage and build your wealth so you can attain a new level of financial independence. Another course shows you the ins and outs of today's economy by introducing you to a few simple, proven laws of money management.</p><p>For those wishing to invest, two classes on day trading will point you in the right direction. If real estate is more your speed, two more courses help you analyze and understand the market. A final course on financial analysis rounds out your education in money and markets.</p><p>Ready to take control of your finances? <a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-complete-personal-finance-master-class-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-complete-personal-finance-master-class-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419764&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmSQAQ&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>The Complete Personal Finance Master Class Bundle</strong></a> is on sale now for just $39.99, a 97% discount from the list price.</p><p><em>Price subject to change.</em></p><div data-react-checksum="356730509" data-reactid="1" data-reactroot="" style="position: relative;"><a data-reactid="2" href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/the-complete-personal-finance-master-class-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral-cta&utm_campaign=the-complete-personal-finance-master-class-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419764&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmSQAQ&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> </a>
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How COVID-19 will change the way we design our homes
Pandemic-inspired housing innovation will collide with techno-acceleration.
09 August, 2020
Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Coronavirus
COVID-19 is confounding planning for basic human needs, including shelter.
<p> Around the world, home builders are vigilantly reading tea leaves in the fog, trying to figure out how to survive (and even thrive in) an unfolding economic disaster. And we mourn the fallen, working to keep our loved ones healthy and safe.</p><p>COVID-19 has drawn a political dividing line in much of the world. It reminds me of something an American revolutionary, Samuel Johnson, said in 1775: "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." In my story, the scoundrel is this virus – COVID-19.</p><p>Home builders construct the physical environments for families, who turn them into homes – homes we hope are filled with laughter, love, aspiration and celebration. Good housing is the cornerstone of strong communities.</p><p>Much of how COVID-19 impacts us will be determined by science, but not all. "The question of how the pandemic plays out is at least 50% social and political," Sarah Cobey, epidemiologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, told <em>Scientific American.</em></p><p>Just as the Spanish flu gave us the vanity room, which originated as a hand-washing basin immediately inside the front entry of a home, COVID-19 will influence innovation in home design.</p>
<p>
Open-plan, ever-larger houses have ruled the market for decades, even though family size has shrunk and middle-class real earnings have remained flat. U.S. households averaged 2.44 children in 1965 but 1.9 by 2015. With 128.6 million households, that's 7 million fewer children. Yet the average size of U.S. houses grew 62% from 1973-2015, from 1,660 square feet to 2,687. House size was still growing in 2018. In Canada, houses have also grown as families shrunk. In Europe, average house size has grown to 1,880 square feet (which Europeans will say astounds them).
</p><p>
Pandemic thinking will likely favour less-open spaces (though people will crave nature-positive spaces), perhaps reviving cozy dens to supplement living rooms. Spending may shift into less obvious enhancements of safety and comfort. Better interior insulation will enable quieter places. Screened-in porches and outdoor spaces, and new approaches to landscaping will help keep mosquitoes and other disease-bearing critters at bay. A bedroom, kitchen, living room area and bath that is a little removed from the core of the house will accommodate adult children now and elderly parents later (at Lennar, we call this the Next Gen Home). Split HVAC systems can prevent sickroom air from being pumped into everybody's space. Such mini-HVAC systems with no ductwork have become very affordable.
</p><p>
Home-based jobs call for better home offices (Lennar calls this the Next Gen Home Office). The infamous toilet flush in the background of U.S. Supreme Court by-telephone oral arguments underscored the perils of inappropriate home-work spaces. So do videos of children and pets interrupting conference calls or other tasks. A larger home-based work force will drive designers to balance job requirements with the privacy and safety of the family.
</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0NjM2Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTI4MDQ2MH0.aQZirj2jDCmwTn94E7cHku5Np1Sj3XYTd5U-cjHFJA4/img.png?width=980" id="7841f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ad162e4cbaa85f0a8bb886bcdc9ea738" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Pandemic-inspired housing innovation will collide, however, with three critical forces that were already simmering pre-COVID and are now at a high boil.</p><ul><li><strong>Techno-Accelerations.</strong> The pandemic has accelerated the already-brisk integration of real and virtual activities, including remote work, remote health, and remote education. But electric and automated vehicle compatibility, delivery-enablement systems, frictionless purchasing and the Internet of Things (IoT) enabling the remote maintenance and repair of homes . . . all require fast bandwidth – faster even than 5G. It also requires security: in a geopolitical environment where surface attack areas have expanded, we all want military-grade cybersecurity.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Climate.</strong> As China began publicly grappling with deaths from COVID-19 in mid-January 2020, the World Economic Forum's "2020 Global Risks Report" was released. It warned that climate change makes more of the planet hospitable to infectious pathogens. Resilience is therefore the watchword of the remainder of the century. Energy and flood resilience, and smart insurance and other financing products that will encourage a great migration away from the coasts . . . these are the characteristics of the new urban morphology brought about by climate change.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Social Justice.</strong> While COVID-19 did not cause the social justice movement that swept many parts of the world this summer and the U.S. in particular, the virus amplifies economic burdens which, in turn, exacerbate the movement's root causes: income inequality is central to this dynamic. The Institute for Policy Studies found America's 400 richest people are worth $US3 trillion, more than all African-American households plus 25% of Hispanic households combined. There's little doubt these numbers err on the low side now. COVID-19 has wiped out the ready resources of many families and that will spark varying degrees of political reaction globally. Populist housing policies that threaten capital investment could deter home building and contribute to future housing crises. Inclusionary housing programmes that accelerate wealth creation among traditionally excluded populations, enable financing, inject innovation into housing use and urgently work toward housing security for vulnerable populations will underpin how governments reallocate precious housing-related subsidies.</li></ul><p>The ghosts of the 2008 financial crisis hang over the pandemic economy. But the 2008 crisis was housing-ignited. High-risk mortgages drove up the prices of houses buyers couldn't afford but bought anyway. This textbook housing bubble was buoyed by an irrational conviction that prices would keep rising and rising. Low interest and inflated housing values led millions to refinance or, in the U.S., extract home equity loans to pay for remodelling, cars, boats, campers, and bucket-list quests. The housing bubble popped and its bad ink seeped through world economic systems.</p><p>A 6 January 2020 <em>Washington Post</em> article opened with: "A strong job market and low mortgage rates should sustain the housing market in 2020. The problem will be finding enough homes for buyers. With unemployment hovering at a 50-year low and interest rates well below historical norms, the real estate industry is being dragged down by scarcity in housing stock…."</p><p>Within three months, U.S. unemployment had surged to historic levels (more than 23 million Americans were officially unemployed at the start of May, more than 30 million by the end) but that <em>Washington Post</em> article still holds true today. Low mortgage costs in the U.S. and the developed world continue to drive affordability. And the deficit in housing production inherited from the 2008 crisis still constrains supply while, at the same time, millennials all over the world are starting their families.</p>
<p>Sales of existing houses — normally about 90% of the U.S. market — have been eviscerated this year. New homes are favoured over resale, and de-urbanisation is occurring where it can. If new-home sales of the late spring and, as reported in the media, the early summer, continue, 2020 could be a fair year for new home builders. There's been a big jump in online sales of new homes, a global spike in online home-searching activity, and purchasing occurring often without buyers even walking through a house. A new, fully warranted home, bought without having to spend time with realtors and owners, has great appeal.</p><p>In the last century, vaccines and the public health movement largely eliminated dreaded contagious disease in much of the world. Industrialised countries have periodic outbreaks that remind us of this danger, among which, the HIV/AIDS, SARS, Zika, and West Nile viruses. Public health professionals tell us we could be entering an era in which mass urbanisation, climate change, stressed natural eco-systems and other factors will yield a pandemic (or something approximating one) every 7-10 years. This will force a reckoning with what it means to work together toward a better future. But we will also realise that we will all seek refuge in a home. Maybe knowing that will be our true last refuge.</p><p>Reprinted with permission of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/how-covid-19-will-change-what-we-call-home-ddfe95b686/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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