Tag Archives: pandemic

medical news

‘Pandemic of unvaccinated’

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

No one — and I mean not a single sane human being — wants to welcome this latest medical nightmare.

Which is that COVID-19 cases are on the increase, as are hospitalizations and, oh yeah, deaths from the worldwide pandemic.

Who’s responsible for this distressing turn of events? President Biden calls it the “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” That is a mantra repeated late this week by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rachelle Wallensky.

Think of this for just a moment.

Those who dismiss the vaccines, who refuse to take them, who believe the foolishness being spread out there (that they turn bodies in magnets and plant the spores of Satan into our skulls) have contributed to this horrible new wave of infection and death.

CDC officials report the greatest spike in infection/hospitalization/death come from those parts of the country with the lowest vaccination rates. Those happen to be mostly in the southern part of the nation. Hmm. What does one make of that? Is there a political component to this horrible news? I happen to believe there is, but I’ll save that for another blog post.

Today I am concerned about my own family. Almost all of us are full vaccinated. The only one who hasn’t received the vaccine is our granddaughter, our 8-year-old. She will get hers soon.

But what does this mean for those of us who have been vaccinated? I keep hearing reports of fully vaccinated Americans being stricken by that delta variant COVID-19 strain that is knocking the stuffing out of us.

My wife and had not jettisoned our masks. We had them handy, partly for occasions such as what we are discussing today: a resurgence of the virus.

With that said, we’re donning our masks once again when we venture into public places with other human beings, many of whom do not bother with the masks. I don’t wish them ill, but I do wish they would follow our lead — my bride and me — and cover their faces while they mingle with the rest of us.

Oh, and the vaccines still are safe. They still are effective. They still are preventing needless headache, heartache and hysteria.

If only we all would heed the advice of highly trained medical professionals to get vaccinated.

medical news

Why target Dr. Fauci?

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

There is so much to unpack about the ongoing controversy surrounding the COVID pandemic and our nation’s effort to defeat it that I am left to separate these issues and examine them one at a time.

For instance, why has Dr. Anthony Fauci become a target of the far-right wing goofballs out there who now are applauding Americans’ refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Just to revisit Dr. Fauci’s entrance onto the national stage for a moment, I feel the need to remind everyone of a thing or two.

POTUS 45 brought him aboard ostensibly to provide medical advice on how to respond to the pandemic as it began to tighten its grip on the nation in early 2020. The ex-POTUS made an inspired choice, given that Fauci has long been renowned as the nation’s leading infectious disease expert.

Then he debunked the counsel that Fauci gave. The then-Numbskull in Chief called Fauci an “idiot,” and accused him of overstating the severity of the disease.

The president left office after being defeated by President Biden. The criticism of Dr. Fauci has continued. Members of Congress are calling for Fauci to be fired. Why? Beats the hell out of me!

Dr. Fauci has become a lightning rod for those who continue to insist that vaccines present some threat to their health. Meanwhile, the good doctor insists the vaccines are effective, they are safe, they prevent people from being infected by a disease that can kill them.

It’s fallen on deaf ears and become — if you can believe it — live ammo for the critics to fire back at the doctor and his friends and allies in the Biden administration.

Fauci spoke with uncharacteristic emotion when he referred to the conservative political action conference in Dallas this past weekend where attendees actually cheered reports of Americans declining to be vaccinated. Do these nimrods want Americans to die?

So, the criticism continues. What should be a universally unified effort to fight a killer disease has been split along partisan lines. To think, too, that an esteemed medical professional — with stellar and unimpeachable credentials built over many decades — has become a target of right-wing goofs who think they know more than he does.

Astonishing.

medical news

End the vaccine politics

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By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

My request is simple and straightforward.

Let us end the politicization of the COVID-19 vaccines … shall we?

I am sickened to the core at the yammering of right-wing talking heads/blowhards/gasbags who continue to insist that the government is trying to force us to do something we don’t want to do, such as take the vaccine that protects us against a virus that continues to kill Americans.

For starters, no one is “forcing” anyone to do anything of the sort. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to tell us until they run out of breath that all the available vaccines are safe, they are effective and they will protect us from infection, sickness and death.

And yet we hear from right-wing politicians and their pals in the right-wing media continue to insist that President Biden should “fire Anthony Fauci” because the good doctor — and senior administration pandemic medical and health adviser — is trying to frighten us into taking the vaccine.

Good grief, man!

I interpret Dr. Fauci’s message differently. He seeks to speak to us using common sense. If you have a vaccine that works, and is safe, it makes sense to take it to ward off the effect of a virus that has killed 4 million human beings worldwide and more than 600,000 Americans. Why is that such a frightening concept?

Don’t answer that. I know why. Because it serves as political grist for those who adhere to the misplaced skepticism and deception about the virus expressed by President Biden’s immediate predecessor, the former Moron in Chief.

Joe Biden says the virus “is on the run.” I believe him. However, we are not out of danger. Indeed, the danger is heightened by those who continue to wage a political war in the middle of a fight for our lives against a virus.

medical news, national news

Pandemic isn’t ‘over,’ doc

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By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

If you thought a physician is an individual who uses common sense and scientific evidence to form opinions, then you haven’t heard the rantings of a congressman from the Texas Panhandle.

Republican Ronny Jackson, who represents the 13th Congressional District, put this gem out there on Twitter:

The pandemic is over. It’s time to FIRE FAUCI and let America open up again! Choose FREEDOM over Fauci, and liberty over government bureaucrats!

Earth to Carpetbagger Jackson: The pandemic isn’t over … you well-educated moron!

The delta variant is still sickening Americans. Granted, the big picture is a lot brighter than it was a year ago, or even six months ago. The variant, though, accounts for roughly half of the new cases of COVID-19 infections being reported.

As for “firing” Dr. Anthony Fauci, I would rather hear from him than hear from a loudmouth GOP politician who once served as White House physician, most notably for the 45th POTUS who continues to foment The Big Lie about the 2020 presidential election.

Jackson is a doctor, a retired Navy admiral. I get that he’s well-educated. He also is an interloper, moving to the 13th District of the Texas Panhandle only to run for public office.

He also hasn’t distinguished himself since taking office, blasting out ridiculous Twitter taunts and tirades daily … in the mold of the disgraced former Moron in Chief, the guy who lost his bid for re-election to President Biden.

Rep./Dr. Jackson is disgracing himself.

local news, medical news, State news

Get vaccinated, Texans!

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

This isn’t good news, folks.

Texans like to boast about how our state is No. 1. Well, we are far from No. 1 in the rate of inoculation against that killer virus, the COVID-19 pandemic that’s still killing too many of us.

The Texas Tribune reports that the state has inoculated about 43 percent of its population fully against the virus.

I was struck by the results coming from Amarillo and from Beaumont, two communities where I used to live. Amarillo had been vaccinating at double the state rate. Then the good folks of the Panhandle decided to stop exceeding the state standard. Amarillo’s fully vaccinated rate stands at 30 percent, a good bit below the state inoculation rate.

The Beaumont-Port Arthur metro area fares even worse, with just 28 percent of its residents claiming to be fully vaccinated.

I don’t know about you, but I believe that is disconcerting news to say the least. At worst it is frightening, given the spike in that the “delta variant” now accounts for about 25 percent of the new infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/06/coronavirus-texas-vaccination-amarillo/

President Biden keeps telling us that it is the “patriotic” thing to do to get vaccinated. The first time I heard him say it, I though the then-new president was overstating the importance. No more, man! I now am on board fully with Joe Biden’s summoning our patriotic spirit in fighting the virus.

I have been using High Plains Blogger to extol the message. And I will continue to speak out on this forum. It’s the best avenue at my disposal to say what I believe needs to be said.

I am able to speak with a clear conscience about vaccination. I am fully vaccinated, as is virtually my entire immediate family. We stand proudly as those who heeded the call to get the vaccine. To be sure, we have paid a hefty price from the pandemic. Two of our immediate family members were hospitalized with symptoms; one of those family members became, in the words of the medical staff tending to her, “seriously ill” from the virus, which means we could have lost her. I thank God Almighty each day that we didn’t.

This is all my way of urging everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine to get the medication shot into your body. The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and practically every medical expert on Earth say the vaccines are safe; they are effective; they will protect you and those with whom you come in contact.

As for my former neighbors in far-reaching regions of this vast state who continue to resist the vaccine, they are playing a dangerous game.

Note: A version of this blog was published initially on KETR.org.

medical news

Goal not met; big … deal

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

It’s the Fourth of July, everyone, a time for cheering, celebrating and acknowledging the accomplishments of this great nation.

Oh, but one thing we aren’t celebrating: President Biden’s prediction that we would have 70 percent of our population vaccinated fully against the COVID-19 virus.

Hey, we stand at 66-plus percent. That’s not bad. Am I worried that the president’s goal remains unmet? Only if we give up on the battle to get everyone vaccinated while eradicating the killer.

It was an ambitious goal to be sure.

I will compare it instead to where we were a year ago. The nation is faring many times better these days than we were at this time in 2020. The vaccines are being distributed. We have pledged to share much of it with needy nations. Infection rates are down, as are death rates. Yes, we have these troublesome virus variants with which to contend.

President Biden’s goal of 70 percent vaccination is far from a deal breaker. It only should remind us of work that still awaits for us to return to what we like to call “normal” activity.

medical news

Biden falls short … so what?

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By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

President Biden vowed to have 70 percent of Americans inoculated against the killer virus by the Fourth of July.

Well … he’s gonna fall a bit short. Not by much, but we won’t hit the magic mark.

The New York Times reports that it appears that 67.6 percent will be totally vaccinated by that date, which has forced the White House to recalibrate its celebration of the progress they have made in getting us past the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new mantra is 300 million vaccinations in the first 150 days of the Biden administration.

You know what? It’s still — shall we say — a big f****** deal!

The Biden medical team has faced some push back from Americans on the vaccines. Some folks are reluctant to get vaccinated because of concerns about side effects. Or they have perhaps deluded themselves into thinking their immune anyway. Or — and this is the tough part — they adhere to a political notion that the pandemic is overrated in the first place.

The Times reports: Experts say that from a disease control perspective, the difference between 67 percent and 70 percent is insignificant. But from a political perspective, it would be the first time Mr. Biden has set a pandemic-related goal that he has not met. Mr. Biden has continually set relatively modest targets for himself and exceeded them, including his pledge to get 100 million shots in the arms of Americans by his first 100 days in office.

Biden Likely to Fall Just Shy of His July 4 Vaccination Goal (msn.com)

Whatever the case, President Biden’s lofty goal is just a tad out of reach. No sweat. We’re still a long way closer to eradicating the pandemic than we were a year ago.

I’ll accept that.

medical news

Most ridiculous political argument … ever!

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

There isn’t an official scorekeeper of these matters, but I want to offer a nominee for most ridiculous political argument in human history.

It’s the argument over whether wearing a mask in public should be allowed. Or should be discontinued.

I have grown weary of all the news reports we hear about individuals bristling at mandates to wear masks in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that, I hasten to add, is still killing people, albeit at rapidly declining rates.

Commercial air passengers are getting arrested; hospital employees in Houston filed suit against their employer for requiring they wear masks; people are defying government orders; they ignore business signs imploring customers to mask up and maintain social distancing.

This is absurd in the extreme! It’s also dangerous — and deadly!

You know how this argument breaks along partisan lines. Conservatives hate the mask mandates; progressives are more tolerant of them. What’s more, they’re fighting with each other, sometimes actually coming to blows.

Holy crap, man!

President Biden took office in January and said mask wearing was an act of “patriotism.” I thought in the moment that he was perhaps overstating a bit the importance of masking up. Now I believe that he was correct in seeking to appeal to our collective love of country.

As for the political disagreements, I will continue to stand with those who believe we haven’t yet crossed the finish line in this battle against the killer virus. It’s getting closer, but we aren’t there.

Not yet.

local news, medical news

Masks still visible

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Gov. Greg Abbott is just so doggone proud that “Texas is 100 percent back” from COVID-19 precautions.

Good for you, governor. Keep crowing. I just want to report that not everyone is buying the happy talk, at least not just yet.

My wife and I returned from a month on the road in our pickup and RV. We put just shy of 5,500 miles on our vehicles, visiting many states of various political persuasions between North Texas and the Pacific Ocean.

We came home Monday to Princeton. Do you know what I discovered upon my return to the neighborhood supermarket down the street and around the corner? I found a lot more exposed faces inside, but also a lot of masks still covering other faces.

If I had to take a wild guess I would say roughly 60 percent of the customers in the store were masked up. Store employees remain virtually fully masked.

To which I say: Good for them and good for us!

Look, Texas has done well in vaccinating residents as the medicine has become available. Most of my family here is vaccinated. We’re still waiting for our 8-year-old granddaughter to get the green light. She is behaving herself, understanding the concept of social distancing and the importance of mask-wearing.

I am a good bit away from ditching the masks we have in our truck. I want to resume what we used to call “normal life” as much as the next guy. I am willing and able to exercise some additional patience, though, awaiting for the all clear sign.

medical news

Fauci fires back

By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

The Republican congressional caucus believes it smells Dr. Anthony Fauci’s blood in the water.

The GOP believes it has discovered a potentially mortal self-inflicted wound on the nation’s top infectious disease expert. It wants Fauci fired from his post as President Biden’s chief medical officer.

Why? Because of emails that have revealed that Fauci has changed his mind on the impact of the COVID virus and the effect of mask-wearing, which Fauci once dismissed as ineffective.

He has changed his mind about how to combat the killer virus. As if that’s a firing offense! You must be joking. Sadly, many among the GOP congressional caucus aren’t offering laugh lines. They want Fauci fired.

Again, I ask: For what?

Fauci is firing back at his critics. He says he is “following the science” as it relates to the pandemic that swept into this country at the end of 2019. It has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and sickened millions more. Did the good doctor know all there was no to know about the virus when Donald Trump brought him on board to help craft a White House response to the pandemic? No, he didn’t.

Nor did anyone else.

Fauci took up his own defense while visiting on NBC News with Chuck Todd. As Newsweek reported: “It wasn’t only me,” Fauci told Todd of the advice not to wear a mask. “I’m picked out as the villain. It was the surgeon general of the United States and the entire CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was saying the same thing.”

Fauci Calls Push for Firing ‘Preposterous,’ Says He’s Being Attacked for ‘Following the Science’ (msn.com)

However, Fauci has been singled out by the likes of the QAnon queen, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, as a candidate for imprisonment. Ridiculous! Then again, Rep. Greene’s idiocy is known throughout the country.

When one “follows the science,” as Fauci has done, the journey might take one down a dead-end alley or two. So it well might have happened with the good doctor. This email kerfuffle is being hyped by demagogues.