An article in today's Washington Post reports on research being conducted on whether asymptomatic covid-19 sufferers have preexisting immunity that lessens the virus's effects. In one experiment they tested blood samples collected several years ago and found that in 40 to 60 percent of the samples, the T cells in the blood seemed to recognize the SARS-CoV-2 virus even though it did not exist at that time. The question is whether previous exposure to a different coronavirus might have been the cause. Just as interesting and perhaps more relevant to the here and now is that there seem to be more asymptomatic cases in settings in which masks were worn. Did mask-wearers perhaps get fewer virus particles than people not wearing masks? The doctors have been saying that wearing a mask protects others, but it may well protect the person wearing it as well.
I could still get to test out my prediction that a cancellation of the intercollegiate fall football season will lead the local university to go totally virtual in the fall. There has been more discussion of just how safe it is to have two strapping young men face-to-face and exhaling on each other. Since most schools planning to have football have just started or are just starting practice, this would be the week to make a decision about shutting it down.
Some athletic conferences have been discussing moving football to the spring. The fall season usually has preseason practice in August and games running from late August or early September to December with bowl games happening in late December and early January. That's a good five months. If you use January for preseason practice, games would start in February, a month in which there can still be wintry weather in the north. Postseason games would happen in May, a month in which many schools would be running final exams. I just can't see that being all too practical, but it's another decision I don't have to make.
Putting the house back together continues. I am going crazy with the Dymo LetraTag label maker older son gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago. No more handwritten labels for the drawers in the card catalog or the DVD cabinet. We're going high-tech here! And it is a truly sorry statement on my life that I get that much excitement from making labels.
I was supposed to see my ear doc in October for him to check on the screw in my skull (the formal name for it is an abutment, but I kinda like screw in the skull). The office called this morning about changing the date of the appointment. I suggested we wait until January, thinking the fewer things planned for 2020, the better. Even moving the appointment that far out, I had to answer all the covid-19 screening questions. Did I have any of the following long list of symptoms? Had I been out of the country in the last month? And so on. I told the person who called up front that I had been self-isolating since March, but I still was asked about whether I had been around anyone who later tested positive for covid-19. She was just doing her job, and I can't blame her. I just found it a bit humorous.
The numbers for Virginia actually looked better this morning, but then the number of cases reported on a Sunday always seems a bit suspect to me. The governor does not seem to have a briefing scheduled for tomorrow, but I'll check again tomorrow, especially if the numbers for today are headed back up. In the meantime, I shall make labels and watch the news and try not to get too depressed or too angry over the antics of HWSNBN.
1 comment:
Our weekend figures are dodgy and have been since day one. You can see it clearly on a graph, there is an obvious five and two pattern.
My new thing is canning (never have I ever) and when the zombies come over the hill I will be prepared. My concern about our rising figures is shown in the sack of flour, bags of rice and tins of tomatoes I bought this week.
Post a Comment