Some insight from Kat Storti for those who continue to say…”It's just the flu”.
“Feeling confused as to why Coronavirus is a bigger deal than Seasonal flu? Here it is in a nutshell. I hope this helps. Feel free to share this to others who don’t understand…
It has to do with RNA sequencing…. I.e. genetics.
Seasonal flu is an “all human virus”. The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognized by the human immune system. This means that your body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year… you get immunity two ways…through exposure to a virus, or by getting a flu shot.
Novel viruses, come from animals…. the WHO tracks novel viruses in animals, (sometimes for years watching for mutations). Usually these viruses only transfer from animal to animal (pigs in the case of H1N1) (birds in the case of the Spanish flu). But once, one of these animal viruses mutates, and starts to transfer from animals to humans… then it’s a problem, Why? Because we have no natural or acquired immunity.. the RNA sequencing of the genes inside the virus isn’t human, and the human immune system doesn’t recognize it so, we can’t fight it off.
Now…. sometimes, the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human, for years it’s only transmission is from an infected animal to a human before it finally mutates so that it can now transfer human to human… once that happens..we have a new contagion phase. And depending on the fashion of this new mutation, thats what decides how contagious, or how deadly it’s gonna be..
H1N1 was deadly….but it did not mutate in a way that was as deadly as the Spanish flu. It’s RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently, too.
Fast forward.
Now, here comes this Coronavirus… it existed in animals only, for nobody knows how long…but one day, at an animal market, in Wuhan China, in December 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. At first, only animals could give it to a person… But here is the scary part…. in just TWO WEEKS it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists call this quick ability, “slippery”
This Coronavirus, not being in any form a “human” virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket. And this was because, Humans have no known immunity…doctors have no known medicines for it.
And it just so happens that this particular mutated animal virus, changed itself in such a way the way that it causes great damage to human lungs..
That’s why Coronavirus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza…. this one is slippery AF. And it’s a lung eater…And, it’s already mutated AGAIN, so that we now have two strains to deal with, strain s, and strain L….which makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.
We really have no tools in our shed, with this. History has shown that fast and immediate closings of public places has helped in the past pandemics. Philadelphia and Baltimore were reluctant to close events in 1918 and they were the hardest hit in the US during the Spanish Flu.
Factoid: Henry VIII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him, till the Black Plague passed…(honestly…I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had no tools in his shed, except social isolation…
And let me end by saying….right now it’s hitting older folks harder… but this genome is so slippery…if it mutates again (and it will). Who is to say, what it will do next.
Be smart folks… acting like you’re unafraid is so not sexy right now.
#flattenthecurve
. Stay home folks… and share this to those that just are not catching on. “-Kat Storti
Get some reading done during your “social distancing”. As an avid reader I really liked this one….
This piece from Parker Palmer….
“In every crisis of my life, learning has helped me find my way thru. That means paying attention, allowing myself to feel as well as think, looking at things from different angles, gathering the best info available, trying to connect the dots, and “living the questions” when the answers elude me.
That’s why I love this excerpt from T.H. White’s novel “The Once and Future King,” based on the legend of King Arthur. The wizard Merlyn, who’s been entrusted with educating the young Arthur, is speaking to the future king at what we'd call a “teachable moment.”
As Americans and world citizens, we’re at a teachable moment called “pandemic,” and I’m trying to learn. Here are a few things I’m learning at this moment—a moment in which I hope and pray for the well-being of all. Please let us know what you are learning:
• I’m learning more about some personal dynamics. I’m re-fighting old inner wars between fear and faith, self-reliance and seeking help. As some of the fallout from this crisis comes my way, instead of of asking “Why me?”, I’m relearning to ask, “Why not me?”
• I’m learning more about the good hearts of people who reach out in ways that reflect our shared humanity. I'm touched by those who ask, “How you doing? Any way I can help?”, and clearly want to know.
• I’m learning more about millions of people around the planet who are in a “high-risk category” every day of their lives—not because of age or health, but because of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or poverty. They live in non-stop pandemics of racism, sexism, nationalism, homophobia, structural economic inequality, and armed conflict. I now have a tiny window to glimpse a bit of their experience for a little while. May I learn all I can, and may my learning stick.
• I’m learning more about people who, until a few weeks ago, railed against “Big Government” and what they call “Socialism.” Now they're demanding federal intervention on every level—from healthcare, to corporate bailouts, to fixes in the ”free” market that will save their 401Ks. Do they see what happens to their “convictions” when THEY, not the dispossessed, are at risk? When their personal storm passes, will they remember the way they flipped, or will they flip back?
• I’m learning more about what it means, to quote Merlyn, to “see the world around you devastated by evil lunatics.” Devastation doesn’t always happen with the murderous swiftness of 9/11. It can begin with little things that go unnoticed, such as #45’s decision in 2018 to eliminate the NSC’s pandemic response team, which would have come in handy a few months ago.
Why would a leader fire experts that way? From words spoken and actions taken over the past three years, the answer seems clear: “Certain things stand in the way of Making America Great Again, including Big Government, the Deep State, science, facts, hard questions, truth-tellers, and dissenters.” So no one should be surprised by the fact that #45, when asked why he did it, said: “Nasty question.” “I know nothing about it.” “I don’t take responsibility for any of it.”
If the buck doesn’t stop THERE any more, I guess it stops HERE—with We the People, who have a chance to learn enough from this crisis to right the Ship of State and get it back on course. May we come thru the storm, and may we learn from it.”-Parker Palmer
Did you watch the first episode of the new season of West World? It looks great but I need the internet recaps to learn all the details I missed.
Covers Of The Day (Happy Birthday to John Sebastian…he turns 76 today…here are some Lovin Spoonful covers)
Quotes Of The Day
“Idris Elba found out he was exposed so got tested even though he had no symptoms. A reasonable course of action that is available to no one in this country.”-Matthew Miller
https://twitter.com/idriselba/status/1239617034901…
“So trump wasn't happy bribing Ukraine. Today, he tries to bribe a German company, CurVac, to move their research to the US so he could control the vaccine. This is God awful embarrassing. He needs to be “thrown” out of office.”-American Veteran
“I hopped on Facebook just to take a peek at my crazy MAGA relatives. They're all insane. It was all “Nancy Pelosi this” and “open borders that.” The level of willful ignorance and xenophobia is just breathtaking. “-Danielle Ames
“For those looking for a good read relevant to our times, consider The Fifth Risk, in which Michael Lewis discusses the harms that come from rejecting expertise and good government. “-Barb McQuade
https://amazon.com/Fifth-Risk-Michael-Lewis/dp/13…
