Taking Off Your Mask? Think Again! Omicron Reinfections Increase Risk of Long COVID - Part 2

Some large studies in Denmark, England and the United States show 20 per cent to 30 per cent of people who tested positive for COVID-19 experienced at least one post-acute symptom, up to 12 months after infection. Symptoms included loss of smell and taste, fatigue, shortness of breath, reduced limb strength, concentration difficulties, memory disturbance, sleep disturbance and mental or physical exhaustion.

In England, the prevalence of persistent symptoms was higher in women and older people. Obesity, smoking or vaping, hospitalisation and deprivation were also associated with a higher probability of persistent symptoms. Those who were hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK showed even more severe outcomes.

In the US, younger survivors were at higher risk than people over 65 for heart-rhythm disturbances and musculoskeletal pain. This is consistent with other observations that long COVID is not a disorder only of older age.

Older survivors had a significantly higher risk of developing certain conditions, including kidney failure, clotting disorders, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), type 2 diabetes, muscle disorders and a variety of neurologic and psychiatric conditions.

A US study involving more than five million people shows the risk of long COVID increases with the number of reinfections.

ADOPT REGULAR MASK USE

There are lessons from the 1918-19 influenza pandemic that we need to bring back into our repertoire, not for a month or two but for the long term.

Japan adopted mask wearing as a key public-health element on a short list of available measures. As science writer Laura Spinney notes in her excellent 2017 coverage of the flu pandemic’s history, it “probably marked the beginning of the practice of mask wearing to protect others from one’s own germs”.

In Japan, mask use was compulsory for some, such as the police. In some towns, people were not permitted on public transport or allowed to enter a theatre without a mask.

Japan had the lowest death rate of all Asian countries in the flu pandemic and is looking to be close to the lowest cumulative mortality in the OECD for the COVID-19 pandemic.

We would remain stronger and healthier – and reduce the burden of long COVID – if we increased vaccination coverage and universally adopted Japanese-style regular mask use and physical distancing.

Queen of Hearts 

The people of U.S. must rise up to organize political reforms and carry out regime change to get rid of all the self-interest and self-serving warmongers, scums, thugs, ruffians, hoodlums, crooks and scoundrels .

      Since its inception in 1776 the United States government has been governed by self-serving and self-aggrandized warmongers, crooks and scoundrels. Its governance has always been geared to serve the interests of the elites and its foreign policies to serve the greed and expansionist objectives of the warmongers. This explains how the US expanded from thirteen provinces of about six hundred thousand square miles to the present colossal state of more than three and a half million square miles in territory, all of which were forcefully grabbed through military might of wars of aggressions and conquests.

Thus far historically US land grabs through wars of aggressions and invasions had been carried out against small or weak states which offered feeble resistance to US military adventures.

The United States is so used to get what it wants through military might and being accustomed to it, it arrogantly thinks it can do the same to Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and many more other countries.

Any country that does not see eye to eye with the US or does not follow US dictates will face regime change from the US. Its modus operandi has always been using the CIA and its NGOs to instigate and foment choas and turmoil in the targeted country and to stealthily build and support opposition parties with funds to topple the government and thereafter to instal a puppet pro US government which will be under total US control.

It is time for the world to take strong action to give the the rogue United States its own medicine. The BRIC countries and other peace loving countries must seek to regime change the terrorist state of the US government and ensure there is a complete change in US toxic governance and poisonous and destructive foreign policies. The American people especially the non-white Americans are not happy with the senseless self-interests, self-serving and  self-aggrandized warmongers, thieves, thugs, ruffians, hoodlums, rogues and scoundrels in the US government. The angry disadvantaged American people are ready to rise up to overthrow these scumbag politicians and replace them with a socialist government that genuinely will serve and look after the interests of the people by and large. Let's give the rogue US its own medcicine by organizing , supporting and funding opposition members of the public to unite in solidarity to overthrow the illegal undemocratic US government which has always been run by rogues and scoundrels.

Its time for all countries to boycott US products and sanction the rogue US in all spheres of human activities. First sanction all US politicians as well as their trade and commerce and finance. Get rid of their toxic Petro Dollar in which it uses to cheat and swindle the whole world and enrich themselves at others expense. 

The United Nations Organisation with the help of BRIC countries must seek to get rid of US fake democracy which has always been the dictatorship of two rogue political parties and replace it with a socialist system of government that genuinely serves and looks after the interests of the people. The new socialist government is more likely to follow the UNO international fundamental laws and rules and thus helpt to secure world peace and order. 

The world must encourage the Americans to get rid of all the fakes, scums, rogues and chicaneries in US politics and government so that the US can carry out true political reforms to a socialist system that serves the people and help to secure world peace and order instead of the rogue state policies to constantly pursue  permanent wars of aggression that cause endless agonizing deaths and painful suffering to millions of innocent people  and great destructions to properties. These permanent wars of aggression only serves to enrich the elitist rogues and scoundrels who have no conscience at all for all they covet is wealth, riches and power. Death and destruction is not their concern at all. They are truly  diabolical and demonic in nature.

The United Nations Organisation led by Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, India, North Korea and other peace loving countries should organize NGO's to carry out regime change in the United States. Unless the whole toxic American fascist political system is changed and unless the warmongers, thugs, hoodlums, ruffians, crooks and scoundrels are prevented from running the US government there will never be peace and tranquility in this world. 

In fact this present US toxic dictatorial political system is so infested with evil people that their insidious diabolical policies of pursuing permanent and perennial wars of aggression may eventually bring destruction and an end to mankind through nuclear wars. 

As it is the prognostic political outlook for peace is no good as the satanic United States which is beset with endless problems and miseries of its own making intend to put the blame of their disastrous problems on other countries like Russia and China and is thus starting wars all over the world as its means to set itself free of all its diabolical problems.

Southernglory1

Wednesday, 31st August, 2022

Anything wrong being Chinese or being pro China?

Me pro-China? I accept the label, says ex-foreign minister George Yeo as he weighs in on Sino-US tensions

Photo credit to Today Online.

This statement by George Yeo Yong Boon may seem to be just a casual remark but it is a big thing in Singapore, especially coming from an ex minister, a PAP minister. According to George Yeo, a Chinese must be a lesser Chinese in Singapore, meaning he has to keep his Chinese profile low, not to be exuberant about being a Chinese.  A Chinese professing to be pro China is like using a megaphone saying 'I am Chinese' in Raffles Place. This is a no, no. I have never heard of any PAP minister mentioning 'pro China' casually in public. Even when Lee Kuan Yew was wearing his signature ethnic Chinese designed shirt in official functions, no one dared to mention it or whether he was making a statement, that he was a Chinese after all and proud of it.

Since his passing, no ethnic Chinese minister would dare to put on an ethnic Chinese shirt but happily putting on ethnic Malay or Indian dresses during their respective festivals. OK, some did put on during Chinese New Year festival. Even the beautiful and elegant cheongsam, a signature dress of Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, is hardly donned by the female PAP ministers or MPs, albeit a few did.

Something is puzzling. Is there an unwritten message that PAP ministers and MPs are to avoid or shun looking like Chinese or to mention that he is pro China? Or it is a fact that they are all not pro China but pro West, pro Americans, because Singapore is pro America? Oops, oops, Singapore is neutral, not pro America and definitely not pro China. OK, I will not dispute with anyone disagreeing with me on this point. 

In the last 200 years, when the evil West invaded, destroyed and looted China to bankruptcy, and condemned China and Chinese as a no talent, useless and clueless subhuman, evil, hideous, no character, poor and despicable, a far change from the glorious days of Chinese Empires with 5,000 years of culture and literature and inventions, it was understandable to dissociate with China or being identified as a Chinese. When a country or civilisation is poor and destroyed, a country in disarray, poverty and illiteracy everywhere, everyone trying to eke out a living, it was difficult, very difficult to stand out and say I am Chinese, I am proud of my Chineseness and China.

Those sad and pathetic days of China and the Chinese Civilisation are passe. China is now a rich and prosperous nation state, vying to be the number one super power with America, and actually has surpassed the Americans in may fields. China is still calling itself a developing country but in many senses already a developed country. The per capita income may look low but in purchasing power terms, hundreds of millions of the Chinese are already middle class with more millionaires and billionaires than the Americans. China probably is the only major economy that can proudly claim to have wiped out poverty among its people.

Today, there is no shame to be called a Chinese. The smear and slandering by the white men to condemn Chinese as no talent and clueless subhuman have been smashed as a mischievous white myth. The Chinese people are as talented if not more talented than the white men. And they are very proud of being Chinese, proud of the achievements of their govt and CCP. It is glorious to be citizens of the next super power, the next biggest economy, the most advanced nation in science and technology etc etc.

And yes, I have yet to see a proud and confident Chinese PAP minister or MP identifying himself as a Chinese or like George Yeo, not fighting the label of being pro China. Of course he qualified himself by asking others to judge him after reading his books. Maybe he is still more comfortable being a baba or a banana, being a lesser Chinese. But by not feeling defensive when labelled as pro China, is already a big step forward for an ex PAP minister.  I have not read his books. It may turn out that he is still pro America. This is serious stuff. In the USA, the political career of a politician would be finished if he called himself pro China. Not sure if this is also the case in Singapore.

Any PAP minister or MP dares to say he is pro China? Or is it an official but unspoken policy not to have this mentioned? I am still waiting for the day when an ethnic Chinese minister or MP would be comfortable to identify himself as ethnic Chinese and pro China. This is the 21st Century. But the mindsets of the 60s and 70s are still the predominant consideration in the calculus of the ethnic Chinese politicians.  It is easier to be pro Americans than pro China.

During LKY's days, Singapore always deferred to the sensitivities of the neighbouring countries, and was the last to officially recognise China, after all the neighbouring states had done so. Today, some of the Asean states are more closed to China diplomatically and strategically than Singapore. Indonesia and Malaysia's economies are increasingly more integrated with China than Singapore. Hardcore pro America Philippines is openly pro China for a change. Asean used to be taken for granted as pro America but now stubbornly neutral.

The Chinese politicians of Singapore are queer when China is concerned. Being too close to China or to be seen as pro China is taboo, like a disease. It is alright to be pro America. Better to be seen or called a baba or banana than to be called a Chinese. The Chineseness is unspoken and not to be mentioned. Very sensitive.

And, Singapore is a Chinese majority nation state. Is it? If the babas and bananas are not Chinese (OCBC), or would not called themselves Chinese but lesser Chinese, is Singapore a Chinese majority state? Would it be more appropriate to call Singapore a baba/banana majority state?

What do you think?

PS. According to Singlish Dictionary, OCBC means Orang Cina Bukan Cina or Chinese but not Chinese.

Taking Off Your Mask? Think Again! Omicron Reinfections Increase Risk of Long COVID - Part 1

The latest Omicron variant BA.5 is fast becoming dominant worldwide. As it continues to surge, reinfection will become increasingly common and this in turn means more people will develop long COVID.

The two most concerning aspects of long COVID are its high prevalence and a link between reinfection and a higher risk of harmful outcomes.

In the face of official attitudes that are increasingly laissez-faire towards the continuing pandemic, many people no longer take even those precautions over which we have individual control: Mask wearing, physical distancing and choosing carefully whether to attend crowded events. The consequences are an increase in both daily case numbers and the lurking burden of long COVID.

Omicron variants, and BA.5 specifically, show several worrying features.

They can evade immunity acquired through earlier infections and breakthrough infections in vaccinated people. BA.5 is better able to infect cells, acting more like Delta than the previous Omicron variants.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LONG COVID

SARS-CoV-2 is not unique in its ability to cause post-acute symptoms and organ damage. Unexplained chronic disability occurred in a minority of patients after Ebola, dengue, polio, the original severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and West Nile virus infections.

What is different is the sheer size of this pandemic and the number of people affected by long COVID.

One critical issue about long COVID is that we should not underestimate it.

It is now clear from multiple large studies that:

1) It is a set of syndromes;
2) It affects multiple organs and systems;
3) It resolves in some but remains persistent in others;
4) It can be markedly debilitating;
5) Its pathology is poorly understood.

We are just beginning to find ways to predict risk and monitor its course, and management is, at best, ad hoc. Though some countries are praising how well they have adopted Covid Resilience!

Perhaps most crucially, reinfection may now become a feature of the pandemic for at least the next 12 to 36 months, raising the risk of long COVID with each repeat infection.

Queen of Hearts 

Hygiene - Science versus Belief

I was hygience conscious fifty years ago, from non-flushing toilets to HDB flushing toilets. Fifty long years ago I knew about hygiene, and Indians in India only just recently discovered hygiene.

How to progress when one highly educated, staunchly relgious, University professor interviewed admitted he still bathe in the Ganges, knowing it is highly polluted, saying that he follows his heart and ignored his head. He should, of all people, know the dangers of bathing in such a highly polluted river, yet goes in for his dip day in and day out. The Ganges must be the most polluted river in the world.

India is touted as the world's largest democracy, freedom to do anything, but when it comes to freedom of doing things or getting things done, it always get stuck in the mud, due to leaders not able to overcome public opinion and stalled by fear of voters backlash. This has hindered India's progress and can only move at a snail's pace while the world zips by.

China zipped past India within a matter of three decades. Give India three decades and see what happens. So much hindrances, so much of the population still resisting progress and preferring to adopt small scale manufacturing that cannot break into the global market. That is India's biggest problem and with such a massive population growing so fast, the problems get more difficult to solve. 

  Anonymous