Covid-19 Good And Bad

HERMAN CAIN, former Republican candidate for president, dies from covid complications, likely contracting it from a Republican rally on June 20 in Tulsa...

He was 74, and a very good man.

R.I.P.

That is really sad news. He never was able to recover.

Miami Dade, a major school district, has decided they will not reopen schools as scheduled  but will conduct online classes instead on august 31st. The situation will be reconsidered again on September 30th.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is a superstar in the area and loved by the community. I hope he stays in the school system and doesn't go into politics.  

This dude posts a link to a slide show and acts as if he posted a link to a study in the freakin' New England Journal of Medicine. I'm a health and nutrition nut. I've read tons on the effects of stress and anxiety on the body. It's ability to regulate hormones, and yes, it's effect on the immune system. However, the way you've presented this borders on anecdotal. First of all, regardless of you deeming them interchangable, "fear" is not necessarily synonymous with "stress" and "anxiety". You can worry about something, "fear" it, something such as, say, corona virus or lack of employment because of corona virus, and your body won't necessarily have a biological response akin to a measured feeling of stress and anxiety. And even in those who do deal with high levels of stress and anxiety, to the point of needing medication, it doesn't necessarily, or commonly, result in degradation of one's immune system. It can, yes, but so can pretty much anything. Americans are severly immunocompromised but it isn't because of fear. It's because of poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, environmental factors, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive smoking, and yes, also stress. Longterm stress. Not fear of a virus. Frankly, even thar silly slide show you linked listed factors more relevant than fear. You chose to bring up fear though because your statement was more political than scientific. You didn't say, "Being an unhealthy fat ass compromises the immune system which is alarming because people are sitting at home eating junk food, drinking cocktails, instead of getting out and taking a walk." It is what it is but don't you dare make a political statement veiled in a scientific statement and then try to challenge, or judge, my understanding of the subject. When I said it was the dumbest thing i've heard all month, I wasn't speaking from a place of being uninformed. I'm very informed on the subject and I promise you there isn't a person alive with a healthy diet, physically active, non-smoker, doesn't drink excessively, gets plenty off sleep, no underlying conditions, who got covid-19 because they were afraid of covid-19.

I just got back from our neighborhood Publix. Just picking up a few things before the storm hits us.

Saw a guy I've never seen before collecting all the loose shopping carts in the parking lot. I'm a pretty big guy but this guy was huge...like former NFL lineman huge. He was sweating his ass off & seemed so out of place.

He came to get my wagon & while thanking him I asked if he had been working @ Publix long because I hadn't seen him before. He told me no & that he had been a construction contractor but lost his business & had to work there & drive for Uber at night.

I felt horrible for the man & I peeled off 2 twenties and stuffed them in his hand & told him things will get better. He said they already did because now he'll be able to get his daughter a present for her birthday on Saturday.

There are so many people hurting though no fault of their own. When you see something. do something to help our fellow Americans. 

Please

Midnite - nice job. You do indeed have a good heart. Go Trump (had to shit in the pie didn't I)

Excellent points  

For sure — washing hands is great to do.  You have to have proper rest, diet, and exercise.

You are also correct about fear, from a medical perspective.  Fear is a natural reaction or function for self-preservation, etc.  The issue is that it is designed to be used for a short period to get you out of trouble.  The problem is when you are in a state of fear for a long time.  That is when it has an effect on your immune system.  That is when it can weaken it and make you susceptible to colds, flus, etc.

One of the papers we reviewed a couple of years ago also demonstrated from the psychological aspect the affect all emotions have on the body and the immune system.  It was pointed out that the blood would actually have elevated levels of biomarkers for inflammation.   

So, quite naturally with a bombardment of bad news it will cause some folks to be an emotional wreck and that for sure affects your whole body.  

For example, watch when a person has the stress of caregiving — it is so stressful it will weaken that person’s immune system and they will get ill.  

In the winter when people are inside more — or even in the summer when it is so hot — folks that are not resting, eating, or exercising properly, will often get colds and things that others do not.  

So, of course, it is natural if you have a weakened immune system you are more likely to catch anything that is already contagious. 

Snorkel..you would have done the same. Sometimes it's just the right thing to do.

Like replacing Trump!

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/07/how-jared-kushners-secret-testing-plan-went-poof-into-thin-air

This is a lengthy article which I don't expect many Trumpettes to read but it's an interesting read. I found it amusing that the Trump administration stiffed the UAE for 52 mil.

Mine is not near as good as your's Midnight1. But anyway.

I had to take my Mom to the dmv along with my daughter and ex. My daughter and ex helped my Mom get her id card while I drank coffee at the restaurant next door.

There was a group of senior citizens just finishing their breakfast. One gentleman was wearing a MAGA hat. I walked over and gave him 2 $5 bills to go towards his meal.

One guy told me to meet him there the next day so he could show me his MAGA hat!

That's a great story sundance. Senior citizens are so proud & love to share stuff with strangers.

The fact that you took the time to approach them, most likely made their day.

Your lucky to still have your Mom brother. Try to spend as much time with her as you can.

Thanks for sharing this with the forum sundance!

Chade & Raiders... great points.   The Mind has an incredible influence on the overall health of an individual.    I'm a true believer on the topic...  Stay positive,  and mind over matter... these aren't just random talking points.  They can effect your overall health.   Of course,  you need to take care of yourself , too... ( that's part of being + right ?)

Researchers publish "debunking" of a
hydroxychloroquine study touted by Trump

By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
Updated 1:33 AM ET, Fri July 31, 2020

Researchers on Wednesday published scathing critiques of a study
President Trump repeatedly touted on Twitter.
That study, published earlier this month in the International Journal
of Infectious Diseases, claimed to show that hydroxychloroquine
saved lives. President Trump tweeted about it enthusiastically.

"The highly respected Henry Ford Health System just reported,
based on a large sampling, that HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE cut
the death rate in certain sick patients very significantly.
The Dems disparaged it for political reasons (me!).
Disgraceful. Act now," the President tweeted on July 6.

But the study had multiple errors, flaws and biases,
according to letters to the journal's editors.

Henry Ford doctors chose to prescribe hydroxychloroquine to
some patients, but not to others -- and that may have
introduced some bias into the study, the letters suggested.

For example, the patients in the Henry Ford study who were
given hydroxychloroquine had fewer risk factors for heart disease,
the Albany researchers, Eli Rosenberg, David Holtgrave and
Tomoko Udo, wrote in their letter.
Also, the hydroxychloroquine patients were more than twice as
likely to be given steroids, a treatment known to be effective
against Covid-19.
The Detroit study was not a randomized clinical trial, 
which is the gold standard in medicine and helps avoid these
potential biases. In such trials, patients are randomly assigned
to take a drug or not take it, which means the two groups should
be very similar.

"As a result of the flaws in the analysis the conclusions
reached in [the study] are invalid," Graham Atkinson, an independent
consultant in health care policy, wrote in one of the letters.

Source: https://tinyurl.com/y4c873b3

Midnight1 

So you agree "stress" and "anxiety" can have an effect on the immune system. Cool. That was my point. I wasn't making a political statement but you took it that way. And I agree we as Americans should do all the other things you listed above.

A lot of things "can" affect the immune system. However, of these things, stress, in many ways, is one of the least insignificant. Stress won't make or break.

https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/blog/human-nutrition/five-factors-that-affect-immune-system

I think you are vastly underestimating the affect stress can have on the immune system.

All the science and studies demonstrate this.  Even healthy people that exercise and eat great can get stressed.  Stress will then affect your sleep and can even branch off into not allowing you to exercise as you should or eat correctly.

Stress is extremely important.

A lot of us would rank it directly behind hygiene (especially washing your hands) — because it will eventually affect all of the other factors as well.

Many, many folks that are otherwise fine get stressed and it will weaken their immune system very quickly.

You can argue that an otherwise healthy person may not be affected as much, but there is little evidence of that and plenty the other way.

In other words you can go jogging and swim everyday and eat fantastic and get very stressed.  Whereas, a person that really does not do the correct things will not be affected by the same stress levels.

Stress is very crucial to a healthy immune system. More and more evidence has demonstrated this.

In addition to the direct impact of stress on immune function, unmanaged stress can influence our sleep patterns, our mood, our dietary intake and our physical activity levels. All of these factors are associated with immune system function .

https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/stress-can-cause-fever-here-what-you-need-to-know-47640769

https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-tips/stress-fear-2.shtml

As we mentioned last week, stress is generally caused by two factors: physical exertion and fear.

Transcendental meditation reduces stress and it can be done at home without endangering others.

Outside covid testing stations are being dismantled here in South Florida prior to the storm's arrival.

We had 257 souls lost today in Florida but Trump has the nerve to tout his very good ratings regarding covid.

What a POS!

No Snorkel. I did not go back!