The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 188 (688)

WHO is among the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced in October, joining Sir David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, and Sviatlana Tsikhanoskaya, a Belarusian activist, among others. I wonder when the deadline for nominations might be, because there are seven or eight months left that might yield a new contender. Of the four above, I'm not sure which one I'd pick as a favorite either for the bookmakers or for me. 

Happy New Year and welcome to the Year of the Tiger. The beginning of the new year is often the most traveled weekend of the year as people return home for celebrations. Travel in China and Southeast Asia this year is said to be way down, which is not surprising given the pandemic situation. 

Cuba is vaccinating infants against covid as soon as they are born. Federal regulators here in the US have supposedly been encouraging Pfizer to apply for Emergency Use Authorization for its vaccine given to children ages six months through four years. Pfizer may submit application materials tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Moderna vaccine has gained full FDA approval for ages 18 and older. It seems that those two vaccines now have names other than "the [company] vaccine." Moderna's vaccine is called Spikevax, while Pfizer's is called Comirnaty. I must admit that Spikevax is a much sexier name than Comirnaty unless there is some meaning I'm missing there. There's just something about "spike."

The Secretary of Defense has told the Republican governors of Alaska, Oklahoma, Texas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Wyoming that National Guard members in their states are subject to the Department of Defense vaccine mandate. The proportion of Guard and Reserves personnel who have been vaccinated is much lower than the 97 percent of active-duty military personnel who have had at least one dose. 

Denmark is lifting most of its remaining restrictions even as cases continue to rise. Covid is no longer considered a "socially critical disease" requiring special attention, thanks in large part to the high vaccination rate. There will no longer be mask mandates, and nightclubs are reopening. Businesses and venues will decide if they will require proof of vaccination from those who enter. Unvaccinated travelers from outside the visa-free Schengen travel area will still face some restrictions. 

Long covid sounds bad enough for adults, but children suffering from it seems particularly unfair. A Danish study found that less than one percent of children reported symptoms lasting over four weeks. On the other hand, an Italian study of 129 children found that 43 percent reported at least one symptom 60 days after they were first infected. Symptoms include headaches, stomach aches, dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes. In some cases, symptoms persist for months after the initial infection.

February 2020 was when I first heard of some strange virus in China, but it was later in the month. At that point, it was all nebulous, as things happening in another country, especially one on the other side of the world, often are. As March entered, with news of that strange virus arriving on this side of the world, things got real. I'm approaching 700 days of these daily recaps with two full years coming not too long after. While I don't think we will ever return to what was "normal" then, there are signs of a new normal taking shape. Still, things could still pull a u-turn and hold us back. The thing about being a pessimist is that I'm not disappointed as often or as much as an optimist might be.