→ Staying home, we protect all others ←
Top picks – Local info
- Kangra
- All official Kangra notices are at these links. Whatever you see on other websites (including this one!), WhatsApp groups, etc., should be checked against these:
- Kangra official notifications
- Kangra police: PoliceKangra at Facebook
- Kangra DC: DCKangra at Facebook
- more Kangra resources …
- Himachal Pradesh
- HimachalPradesh at Reddit
- more HP resources …
Top picks – Coronavirus info
- Coronavirus Information – https://ncov2019.live/wiki
- Nice clear info on what it is, how we get infected, symptoms, mythbusters, and more.
- Six months of coronavirus: the mysteries scientists are still racing to solve – https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01989-z
- From immunity to the role of genetics, Nature looks at five pressing questions about COVID-19 that researchers are tackling.
- 3 July 2020
Top picks – Coronavirus statistics
- Coronoavirus Dashboard – very nicely organised.
- Current stats for world, countries, states/provinces, summarised on home page.
- Asia section: on home page – on separate page
- World map: https://ncov2019.live/map
Useful Covid-19 links
COVID-19 in India, Vaccination, Dashboard, Corona Virus Tracker FAQs on Covid-19, vaccination, etc in India. Apply for movement pass during lockdown. State/UTs Helpline numbers. Live HelpDesk. State/District details. [Govt of India | mygov.in | retr 21 jan 2021]
Eye exams at home: A safe way to update your eyeglass Rx in the age of COVID-19 | ZDNet
"I do think that technology such as EyeQue can work. The technology appears to be innovative and has the ability to offer a clear prescription if someone is unable to see their eye doctor." Can't handle nuances of astigmatism and glaucoma, but certainly useful. Long and informative articles. -- David Gewirtz [ZDNet | zdnet.com | 8 oct 2020]
India temporarily suspends flights from UK over mutant coronavirus strain | Hindustan Times
"The suspension will come into effect on December 22 and will remain in place till December 31." "The United Kingdom stood shut off from the rest of Europe on Monday after allies cut transport ties ... after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was a danger to the country." "The new strain of the virus was first detected in September and has been shown to increase the spread of the disease in labs. So far, there is no evidence to suggest that it leads to more deaths." -- Hindustan Times [Hindustan Times | hindustantimes.com | 21 dec 2020] Archived at Tibet Sun: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2020/12/21/india-temporarily-suspends-flights-from-uk-over-mutant-coronavirus-strain
US allows emergency Covid vaccine in bid to end pandemic
Good summary [The Tribune | tribuneindia.com |12 dec 2020]
Covid-19 Portal | Government of Himachal Pradesh
"Central repository for all COVID related orders, advisories and media bulletins." [Covid-19 Portal | covidportal.hp.gov.in | retr 3 dec 2020]
COVID-19 pandemic in Himachal Pradesh | Wikipedia
Monthly and distric-wise statistics [Wikipedia | wikipedia.org | retr 3 dec 2020]
Your field guide to the four potential COVID-19 vaccines | LifeHacker
Pfizer/BioNTech, mRNA, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Johnson & Johnson. Good summary. -- Beth Skwarecki [LifeHacker | lifehacker.com | 20 nov 2020]
It’s really hard to determine which policies control COVID efficiently | Ars Technica
-- John Timmer [ Ars Technica | arstechnica.com | 17 nov 2020]
Bob Wachter @Bob_Wachter on Twitter
"Chair, UCSF Dept of Medicine. Career: What happens when a poli sci major becomes an academic physician. Latest book: The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype & Harm" In 2020 tweets good info and threads about the Covid-19 -- mostly as relates to US. [Twitter | twitter.com | retr 19 nov 2020]
Current Covid issues: US case increase, vaccines coming, monoclonals, home test | Twitter
"1/ Covid (@UCSF) Chronicles, Day 244 One of the features of this stage of Covid is that we’re seeing more areas in which two or more complex issues influence one another. Today, I’ll cover a few of the most interesting ones – issues for which Venn diagram thinking is useful. ..." Twitter thread. -- Dr Bob Wachter [Twitter | twitter.com | 19 nov 2020
Covid 19 memes, news, and info | Imgur
As tagged by the Imgur poster. [Imgur | imgur.com | retr 18 nov 2020]
Pill for OCD and anxiety may prevent worsening Covid-19, early study says | STAT
Related to inflamnation -- like a lot of mental and physical disease seems to be. -- Elizabeth Cooney and Matthew Herper [ STAT | statnews.com | 12 nov 2020]
Is this COVID-19 mask efficacy chart accurate? | Snopes
The percentage numbers have no evidence, but the general idea is sound. Continues with lots of good info about masks. -- Dan Evon [Snopes | snopes.com | 21 apr 2020]
Our consensus reality has shattered | The Atlantic
"When uncertainty rages, human nature will lead many people to seek a more stable reality by wrapping themselves in an ever-tighter cloak of political, religious, or racial identities," -- J.M. Berger [The Atantic | theatlantic.com | 9 oct 2020]
How we go forward in the pandemic Is up to us | by Andy Slavitt | Medium
"Covid-19 can do one of three things to you, and you won’t know which unless you get it. * You may be fine and hardly notice it or feel like you have the flu. * It may do long-lasting damage to your heart, lungs, brain, immune system, or clotting system. * In some cases, you won’t survive." ==> "... even if you are in the first category, it is likely you are a link in a chain where someone else dies." <== "People who are contagious are likely feeling fine. This is a significant difference with the flu. With the flu, most people stay home when contagious. At least they have a warning. Here there is no warning. ==> "The devilish thing is this causes the disease to require us to do unnatural human things: to stay in or mask up when we feel okay and to treat everybody as if they’re potentially contagious." <== -- Andy Slavitt [Medium | medium.com | 2 nov 2020]
A recent statement by the government’s Covid-19 task force spokesman, Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, ...: “This global situation is cause for concern. We do not expect to permanently maintain zero local infection but hope we can prolong the period of no local infection as long as possible and effectively cope when it does occur.” Thailand might have little choice but to reopen after going without foreign tourism for so many months, but this is far from assured. And how exactly the tourists might be allowed to return raises a whole other slew of questions.' -- David Leukens [Thai Island Times | thaiislandtimes.substack.com | 7 aug 2020]
Covid sufferers living and dying in isolation | Twitter
"Where can I get a pin that says “if you’ve never held an iPad up to a dying patient so their loved ones can have difficult end of life discussions, I don’t care what you think about Covid”? "The lows of inpatient medicine just feel so much lower now and it’s heartbreaking." Thread -- Ari Pence, MD [Twitter | twitter.com | 17 oct 2020]
COVID-19 – Views & Research | The Conversation
News, analysis, and comment about the Coronavirus pandemic. [The Conversation | theconversation.com | retr 22 oct 2020]
Not Thinking About Thinking, by Ajahn Sumedho | Buddhism now
"the latest Q&A with Luang Por Sumedho including some comments on ‘Consciousness beyond consciousness’. "Plus Dhamma reflection was given by Luang Por Sumedho on 21 May 2020, some questions related to the current pandemic, the coronavirus, COVID-19. About 37 minutes." Ajahn Sumedho [buddhism Now | buddhismnow.com | 23 may 2020]
Coronavirus reinfection cases: what we know so far | The Conversation
"To date, there have been six published cases of COVID-19 reinfection, with various other unverified accounts from around the world. Although this is a comparably small fraction of the millions of people known to have been infected, should we be concerned? To unpick this puzzle, we must first consider what we mean by immunity." Detailed explanation. -- Sheena Cruickshank [The Conversation | theconversationlcom | 21 oct 2020]
Covid-19: Stay-at-home orders cut noise exposure by half | US | The Tribune India
"People’s exposure to environmental noise dropped nearly by half during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, say researchers, adding that lockdowns and stay-at-home orders led to a dramatic reduction in noise exposure. "For the study, published in the journal ‘Environmental Research Letters’, the research team looked at noise exposure data from volunteer Apple Watch users in Florida, New York, California and Texas in the US." [Tribune India | tribuneindia.com | 10 oct 2020]
Coronavirus: Cats able to develop stronger immune response to Covid-19 than dogs | The Independent
"There is still no evidence to suggest that pets have passed the virus to humans, although cats do shed the virus and infect other cats. "Infected dogs in the new study didn’t produce the virus in their upper respiratory tracts and didn’t shed it at all, although some other studies have found different results. Neither the cats nor the dogs in the study showed any illness." -- James Gorman [Independent | independent.co.uk | 30 sep 2020]
Method of using Yashtimadhu (Glycerrhiza glabra) for respiratory infections | Twitter
"About a teaspoonful of powder or crushed root to be boiled in two glass of water at least till it is reduced to one glass and drink it.According to availability add long pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, Tulasi etc" -- @sammodacharya [Twitter | twitter.com | 3 may 2020]
Living through difficult times, by John Aske | Buddhism now
"The ego decides how it wants the future to be and when things turn out differently, it is unprepared for the new reality, and instead of accepting things as they are, generates fear and anger like a spoilt child. The ego wants everything to be static and under its control, but almost nothing is really under its control. Everything is changing. That is what life does and what we do too because we are part of it." -- John Aske [Buddhism now | buddhismnow.com | 30 jun 2020]
K: The overlooked variable that's driving the pandemic | The Atlantic
A small percent is responsible for almost all infections -- this may be key to controlling the pandemic. Calling it the 'K factor'. -- Zeynep Tufekci [The Atlantic | theatlantic.com | 30 sep 2020]
"Did you know that *study after study* finds most people don't seem to transmit COVID at all? That a small percent is responsible for almost all infections? That R is not that informative? My new piece on why this may be key to controlling the pandemic." thread -- Zeynep Tufekci [Twitter | twitter.com | 30 sep 2020]
Rewa and Corona in McLeod Ganj | WebWalker
Local information, info about the Covid-19 disease, many links. [WebWalker | webwalker.to | retr 28 sep 2020]
Tech Tips for Navigating a Pandemic - Tibet Action Institute
"how to practice good security and best practices around privacy at home. At Tibet Action, our team works remotely, so we’ve learned a thing or two about building a foundation of security that relies on individuals rather than an office-wide security network." [Tibet Action Institute | tibetaction.net | 7 apr 2020]
covid19 info for Tibetans | TibCERT
"The aim of this website is to collate and provide useful information related to COVID-19 for Tibetans around the world." Helplines | Health info | Connect | Newsfeed | Covid-19 Tracker Part of Tibet Action Institute, McLeod Ganj, India [TibCERT | tibcert.org | retr 28 sep 2020]
Can COVID 19 damage heart? Cardiologist answers | News18
"COVID 19 remains to be a global health crisis, and cases are still increasing exponentially in India. Cardiologist explains how Covid can damage the heart in multiple ways." [News18 | news18.com | 27 sep 2020]
Erid Topol @EricTopol | Twitter
@EricTopol physician-scientist, author, editor http://drerictopol.com La Jolla, https://CAscripps.edu/translational Joined November 2009 [Twitter | twitter.com | retr 28 sep 2020]
Florian Krammer @florian_krammer | Twitter
"Viruses, viruses, viruses and vaccines Professor at the Department of Microbiology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NYlabs. https://icahn.mssm.edu/krammerlab Joined February 2016" [Twitter | twitter.com | retr 28 sep 2020]
Tweetorial on SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines
"This is going to be long and nerdy. But I'll make sure it is easy to understand." -- Florian Krammer [Twitter | twitter.com | 28 sep 2020]
Reflections on a Pandemic: Don’t Panic, Practice!
"We need the dharma in all its ethical manifestations more than ever right now. Monitor your speech. Keep kindness as your guiding principle. Be tolerant and compassionate toward those who have reached their limit stress-wise." -- Delia Kostner [ Souhegan Insight Meditation | nhmeditation.org | 11 may 2020]
Pandemic Resources - Jack Kornfield
Articles, videos, and audio by Jack Kornfield and other teachers, with thoughts and meditations for spiritual growth in the pandemic. -- Jack Kornfield [Jack Kornfield | jackkornfield.com | retr 26 sep 2020]
Frequently asked questions on Coronavirus | World Animal Protection
There is no evidence that dogs or cats can transmit COVID-19 to people or get sick from it. There has been no case in the world of COVID-19 transmitting from a stray dog or cat to humans. [World Animal Protection | worldanimalprotection.org.in | 24 mar 2020]
When Can I Travel to India? Flights and Border Restrictions Explained
" the main Indian tourism and hospitality body says that it expects international tourist numbers to be near zero for the rest of the financial year, until April 2021." [TimeOut | timeout.com | 8 sep 2020]
Himachal Pradesh Travel Articles | Times of India
[Times Travel | indiatimes.com | retr 21 sep 2020]
When can we really expect coronavirus to end?
“It is impossible to put a date on it,” ... “If anyone tells you a date they are staring into a crystal ball. The reality is that it will be with us forever because it has spread now." -- Dr Simon Clarke “It depends on all of us – the entire country – to follow the advice, to observe social distancing, and to keep that R down,” -- Dr Simon Clarke "Dr Clarke says it is particularly challenging because it can reside in people without showing any symptoms and then go on to be spread by that person." -- Sophie Gallagher The Independent | independent.co.uk | 21 sep 2020]
Coronavirus update: Will we have a second wave and lockdown at Christmas?
“There is an assumption that Covid will behave like influenza but no evidence to show that. At the moment there doesn’t seem to be a seasonal impact – Australia has had Covid-19 in both summer months and winter months now.” -- Dr Robert Dingwall “There are weird dynamics between respiratory viruses – they seem to kind of crowd each other out. So if one is prevalent at high levels, others tend not to get a look in. Nobody quite understands this phenomenon but it has been noticed in competition between influenza and others in the past.” -- Dr Robert Dingwall “Infection control measures will be in place for many months and potentially years to come, and a complete return to the normality of 2019 will not be here any point soon.” -- Dr Mischael Head -- Sophie Gallagher [The Independent | independent.co.uk | 21 sep 2020]
How effective are face masks[against disease]?
"[There] is a movement in medicine which try to evaluate the effectiveness of wearing face masks in the theatre. ... At the same time, a lot of people are spreading the idea that masks can actually be detrimental ..." [Skeptics Stack Exchange | skeptics.stackexchange.com | jul 2020]
Will Coronavirus be present "forever in some form or another"?
"What is the scientific basis that coronavirus will be present in one form or another for a significant amount of time in the future?" [Skeptics Stack Exchange | skeptics.stackexchange.com | aug 2020]
"The COVID‑19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2).[1] The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China." [Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org | retr 21 sep 2020]
Recently Active 'covid-19' Questions
"For questions regarding the coronavirus disease and its causes called COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO say the disease is caused by a virus that is itself called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) but also known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCov, the Wuhan Coronavirus and 'the Corona virus'." Questions about Covid-19 discussed with references and verified information. [Skeptics Stack Exchange | skeptics.stackexchange.com | retr 20 sep 2020]
America is trapped in a pandemic spiral | Ed Yong | The Atlantic
death spiral -- "I can think of no better metaphor for the United States of America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic." "Here, then, are nine errors of intuition that still hamstring the U.S. pandemic response, and a glimpse at the future if they continue unchecked. The time to break free is now. Our pandemic summer is nearly over. Now come fall, the season of preparation, and winter, the season of survival. The U.S. must reset its mindset to accomplish both." -- Ed Yong [The Atlantic | theatlantic.com | 9 sep 2020]
"Domestic cats do seem to be susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, although not highly susceptible." "available data suggests that the cat in Belgium was infected by its owner, and the study in which cats were experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2 suggested that cat-to-cat transmission is possible. Based upon these findings, transmission from people to cats and from cat-to-cat appears to be possible." However these cases are very rare. " there is currently NO EVIDENCE that SARS-CoV-2 can be passed from cats to people, so there is no need for owners to do anything that would endanger the welfare of their cats (i.e. relinquish to a shelter or abandon them) even if a cat is diagnosed with COVID-19." Lots of good info in this article. [Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine | vet.cornell.edu | retr 18 sep 2020]
Steroids cut deaths of hospitalized Covid-19 patients by one-third | Statnews
"Use of inexpensive, readily available steroid drugs to treat people hospitalized with Covid-19 reduced the risk of death by one-third, according to an analysis encompassing seven different clinical trials conducted by the World Health Organization and published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association." "Corticosteroids are the first, and so far only, therapy shown to improve the odds of survival for critically ill patients with Covid-19." -- Arman Soldin [STAT | statnews.com | 2 sep 2020]
Comparing Covid-19 deaths/per million among modern, developed nations | Twitter
"the chart I showed on the @newshour last night, comparing Covid-19 deaths/per million amongst modern, developed nations. Here it is:" Chart: Daily coronavirus deaths per million in developed nations. - US very high; EU, Canada, Aus, So Korea, Taiwan, dropped quickly and are very low. "these nations don't have smarter doctors or better medicines than we do, they just launched smarter, more consistent public-health responses." "There *are* meaningful differences in these countries: they have distinct health-care systems... their people have different views of their government.. and they will (and are) still going to have outbreaks, but the point is: they took this pandemic seriously." thread -- William Brangham Twitter | twitter.com | 29 aug 2020
"Volunteer driven, crowdsourced tracker for Covid19 cases in India." -- @covid19indiaorg Twitter | twitter.com | retr 10 sep 2020
"Ex-Obama health care head. Helper. Host podcast IntheBubble. Listen: http://smarturl.it/inthebubble. Founded @usofcare and @townhallvntrs Insta: @andyslavitt" Frequent 'Update' threads, and daily tweets and retweets, full of good information. Intelligent, informed, nuanced discussion of Covid-19 pandemic, usually as long threads; good additions from other people. [Twitter | twitter.com | retr 10 sep 2020]
"Former Medicare, Medicaid & ACA head for Pres. Barack Obama." List of Slavitt's articles on Medium.com Informed, intelligent, nuanced discussions of medical and social aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic. -- Andy Slavitt [Medium | medium.com | retr 10 sep 2020]
The Covid-19 Tracker - at STAT
"a snapshot of the crisis right now. Click on a country name to get a more detailed geographic breakdown at the state, province, or county level." STAT | statnews.com | retr 10 sep 2020
Covid-19 Drugs and Vaccines Tracker | STAT
"a guide to some of the most talked-about efforts to treat or prevent coronavirus infection, with details on the science, history, and timeline for each" -- STAT [STAT | statnews.com | retr 10 sep 2020]
Path2USA - Information on all USA Visas, Green Card and Immigration Processes
Travel and visa information for Indians going to US. Includes lots of Covid information. Very comprehensive and seems trustworthy. Path2USA | path2usa.com | retr 9 sep 2020
Clinical Trial Phases: What Happens in Phase 0, I, II, III, and IV | Healthline
"Clinical trials are a way to test new methods of diagnosing, treating, or preventing health conditions. The goal is to determine whether something is both safe and effective. "A variety of things are evaluated through clinical trials, including: medications, medication combinations, new uses for existing medications, medical devices." ... "Clinical trials happen in several phases during which different questions are asked. Each phase builds on the results of previous phases. "Keep reading to learn more about what happens during each phase." ... -- Healthline [Healthline | healthline.com | "Last medically reviewed on February 22, 2018" / retr 9 sep 2020]
tometaxu's 'Corona' folder on Imgur
Images, memes, twitter screenshots, history, social commentary, information, funny stuff, serious stuff, all around our Covid situation in 2020 and beyond. No login needed. -- tometaxu Imgur | imgur.com | retr 9 sep 2020
Several have been reinfected with Covid-19. Here’s what that means | StatNews
"Following the news this week of what appears to have been the first confirmed case of a Covid-19 reinfection, other researchers have been coming forward with their own reports. One in Belgium, another in the Netherlands. And now, one in Nevada. "What caught experts’ attention about the case of the 25-year-old Reno man was not that he appears to have contracted SARS-CoV-2 (the name of the virus that causes Covid-19) a second time. Rather, it’s that his second bout was more serious than his first." ... "It’s possible that these early cases of reinfection are outliers and have features that won’t apply to the tens of millions of other people who have already shaken off Covid-19." ... "researchers can’t tell how long immunity will last with a new pathogen (like SARS-CoV-2) until people start getting reinfected. They also don’t know exactly what mechanisms provide protection against Covid-19, nor do they know what levels of antibodies or T cells are required to signal that someone is protected through a blood test." ... “The most important question for reinfection, with the most serious implications for controlling the pandemic, is whether reinfected people can transmit the virus to others,” ... -- Andrew Joseph [STAT | statnews.com | 28 aug 2020]
Coronavirus News: Latest updates about Covid-19 | Medium
Developing stories, news archive, and information about the Covid-19 pandemic, in the US and around the world. [Medium | medium.com | retr 9 sep 2020]
Proactive approach shapes HP’s Covid battle
"One state which has done quite well to contain Covid-19 but is not much talked about is Himachal Pradesh. While this is reassuring, experience shows that the situation could change quickly unless strict vigilance is maintained." "The largest number of cases is from the district of Solan, followed by Sirmaur, Kangra, Hamirpur and Una; ... two-third of all cases." Almost all cases in the state came from other states with a known high incidence. The remaining were primary contacts who had attended a social gathering attended also by a positive case and did not adhere social distancing and use of masks. The reasons for the low infection in HP: early detection, contact tracing, quarantine, treatment, curfew, restricted movement from within and from outside the state; mandated mask wearing and social distancing. -- Jai Prakash Narain ex-Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia The Tribune India | tribuneindia.com | 4 sep 2020
COVID-19 might just be the first big pandemic of this century | BuzzFeed
COVID-19 might mean humanity has entered an age of pandemics, Tony Fauci warned. -- Dan Vergano [BuzzFeed | buzzfeednews.com | 1 sep 2020]
Fit tests don’t matter - study | Thomas Talhelm | Quora
"Yes, workplace safety rules require people to fit-test N95 masks. But when researchers actually tested it, they found fit tests don’t matter." ... However: "I would sure as hell want a fit-test before my employer sends me to work with dangerous chemicals. And ... Anyone with a beard will simply not pass a fit test." -- Thomas Talhelm [Quora | quora.com | 28 jul 2020] Talhelm is Asst. Prof Behavioral Science, U Chicago Booth; and founder of Smart Air, has done a lot of studies on air quality, air filters, and masks.
Experts see chance for Covid-19 vaccine approval this fall | STAT
"There is growing concern that the Food and Drug Administration, under political pressure, could approve a Covid-19 vaccine before it has robust safety and efficacy data." ... "Here is how a fast approval might play out, if all goes well — and some warning signs that a science-based process is not being followed." -- Matthew Herper [STAT | statnews.com | 2 sep 2020]
statement | opinion | tribute | chronology | hardtalk | dalai lama message | resources | documentary -- Sethu Das [Who Is Responsible | whoisreponsible.info | retr 6 sep 2020]
Step-by-step “how to” document to make clear masks, with pictures. -- DHH Mask Project Google | drive.google.com | 6 apr 2020
Why haven't clear face masks caught on yet?
"Even though protective masks have become more common, transparent versions that make lip-reading possible aren't in widespread use in hospitals, schools, or big-box stores." + Aid in communication, especially for hard-of-hearing or more visual people. - Expensive, fog up, get scratched easily, harder to breathe, moisture buildup. -- Anna Pully Vice | vice.com | 1 sep 2020
Snopes checks the facts, and tells you. -- Snopes [Snopes | snopes.com | retr 4 sep 2020]
COVID-19 can wreck your heart, even if you haven’t had any symptoms
"A growing body of research is raising concerns about the cardiac consequences of the coronavirus" -- Carolyn Barber [Scientific American | scientificamerican.com | 31 aug 2020]
COVID-19 can wreck your heart, even if you haven't had any symptoms
"The volume of data grows on the number of people who are 'long haulers' with side effects from having the coronavirus." thread -- Scientific American - @sciam [Twitter | twitter.com | 1 sep 2020]
How viruses can cause cardiac damage
"As someone who did his whole PhD studying how viruses can cause cardiac damage, I feel like it is time to discuss this topic. So, let’s talk about viruses, our immune system, and the vulnerability of the mammalian heart" thread -- Efra Rivera-Serrano, PhD - @NakedCapsid [Twitter | twitter.com | 2 sep 2020]
"These are three aspects that all life has: impermanence (not fixed, transient), suffering or discontent, and no self. As these three are a part of all life, how you handle them is what is important." The corona virus brings these into focus. -- Reggie Pawle [LittleBang | littlebang.org | sep? 2020]
Unlock 4: Religious places in HP to open; inter-state public transport buses will not be allowed
Unlock 4 will come into effect from September 1 and will continue till September 30. Religious places will be opened only as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be issued by the Department of Language, Art and Culture. Inter-state public transport buses will not be allowed. People entering the state will have to register online on covid19epass.hp.gov.in All persons coming from high load COVID-19 cities will be institutionally quarantined. Tourists with a valid booking for at least two nights and having been tested negative for COVID-19 not earlier than 96 hours may be exempted from quarantine. The Tribune | tribuneindia.com | 31 aug 2020
Coronavirus Crisis | Scroll.in
Up-to-date news and info about Covid-19, mostly for India. -- Scroll.in [Scroll.in | scroll.in | retr aug 2020]
Two metres or one: what is the evidence for physical distancing in covid-19?
"Current rules on safe physical distancing are based on outdated science Distribution of viral particles is affected by numerous factors, including air flow Evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 may travel more than 2 m through activities such as coughing and shouting Rules on distancing should reflect the multiple factors that affect risk, including ventilation, occupancy, and exposure time" BMJ 2020;370:m3223 thebmj | bmj.com | 25 aug 2020
Four scenarios on how we might develop immunity to Covid-19 | STAT
"Will it always have the capacity to make us so sick? Will our immune systems learn — and remember — how to cope with the new threat? Will vaccines be protective and long-lasting?" "the possibilities for the future when it comes to Covid-19 and human immunity break down as follows: sterilizing immunity, functional immunity, waning immunity, and lost immunity." "Sterilizing immunity would be a best-case scenario. It describes an immune system that is armed against a foe, able to fend it off before infection can take hold." "The bad news is that viruses that infect via the mucus membranes of the nose and throat, like SARS-2, typically don’t induce sterilizing immunity." Functional immunity seems most likely. "People infected might not develop symptoms or might have a mild, cold-like infection." -- Helen Branswell [STAT | statnews.com | 26 aug 2020]
Mastodon.social - #CoronavirusPandemic
"public toots tagged with #CoronavirusPandemic" [Mastodon | mastodon.social | retr aug 2020]
The Conversation - US - Topic Covid-19
Articles about Covid-19 in the US [The Conversation | theconversation.com | retr aug 2020]
"A selection of news and news aggregators following the Coronavirus outbreak." [Indieseek | indieseek.xyz | retr aug 2020]
"Evidence-based explanations of the coronavirus crisis, from how it started to how it might end to how to protect yourself and others." [Vox | vox.com | retr aug 2020]
You can get reinfected with Covid-19 but still have immunity. | Vox
"A 33-year-old man was confirmed to be reinfected with Covid-19. This likely isn’t as bad as it sounds." "The immune system is profoundly complicated, and 'immunity' can mean many different things. A lot of this nuance gets lost in headlines about immunity." -- Brian Resnick [Vox | vox.com | 24 aug 2020]
Up-to-date news and info, mostly for India. Good summary at beginning of Covid in India. [Indian Express | indiandexpress.com | retr aug 2020]
Trillions upon trillions of viruses fall from the sky each day | NY Times
Scientists have surmised there is a stream of viruses circling the planet, above the planet’s weather systems but below the level of airline travel. ... Each day, they calculated, some 800 million viruses cascade onto every square meter of the planet. ... Mostly thought of as infectious agents, viruses are much more than that. It’s hard to overstate the central role that viruses play in the world: They’re essential to everything from our immune system to our gut microbiome, to the ecosystems on land and sea, to climate regulation and the evolution of all species. Viruses contain a vast diverse array of unknown genes — and spread them to other species. ... “Viruses modulate the function and evolution of all living things, But to what extent remains a mystery. [New York Times | nytimes.com | 13 apr 2018]
Past updates
monday 13 April 2020 – lockdown day 20 of 21 – 8:15 am IST
- town report – scope: temple and jogiwara roads Coming up — source: ww
- curfew and shopping:
Go out for shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: horn at 7:45 am
- road: quiet.
- power: fine all day.
- internet:
good
airjaldi:
jio: fine. - weather: Sunny and warm, hazy. .
- updates on this site:
none so far — ww
You can help! Send info to us here
sunday 12 April 2020 – lockdown day 19 of 21 – 11:30 am IST
- town report – scope: rewa on jogiwara road Sorry, no report so far — source: ww
- curfew and shopping:
Go out for shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: none today?
- road: quiet.
- power: fine all day.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: a hiccup about 10am.
jio: fine. - weather: Sunny and warm, getting overcast. .
- updates on this site:
none so far — ww
wednesday 8 April 2020 – lockdown day 15 of 21 – 7 am IST
- town report – scope: rewa on jogiwara road Sorry, no report so far — source: ww
- curfew and shopping:
Go out for shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: heard the horn at 8 am
- road: quiet.
- power: fine all day.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine all day.
jio: fine. - weather: overcast in morning; lightning and thunder around 6:30 am. Storming. Sunny from about 11 am and also windy. .
- updates on this site:
none so far — ww
Tuesday 7 April 2020 – lockdown day 14 of 21 – 1 week to go! 7 pm IST
- town report – scope: rewa on jogiwara road Sorry, no report so far — source: ww
- curfew and shopping:
Go out for shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: didn’t hear it today.
- road: quiet.
- power: fine all day.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine all day.
jio: fine. - weather: overcast; a bit of sun in late morning. .
- updates on this site:
none today — ww
Monday 6 April 2020 – lockdown day 13 of 21 – 2.30 pm IST
- town report – scope: rewa on jogiwara road Sorry, no report so far — source: ww
- curfew and shopping:
Go out for shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: heard the horn today at 7:30 am.
- road: quiet.
- power: power was out all night, came back on about 8 this morning. went off for a few minutes, and now on fine all day.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine all day.
jio: fine. - weather: Sunny, nice; a bit hazy. .
- updates on this site:
Updated the Info for Foreigners, added Stay home Save lives page.
— ww
Sunday 5 April 2020 – lockdown day 12 of 21 – 6 pm IST
- Tonight at 9 pm:
Switch off all lights and light candles/shine torch to show solidarity in the fight against Covid-19!
story at TribuneIndia.com
Well not only were there candles and torches, there were also firecrackers and shouting! And then later on we got some thunder and lightning too. 🙂 - town report – scope: rewa on jogiwara road Sorry, no report today — ww didn’t go out, and didn’t hear from others. — source: ww
- curfew and shopping:
Duration, shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: didn’t hear it today.
- road: so nice and quiet.
- power: went out here about 1:30 pm today; back on about 2:30 pm. down again about 5:15 pm, back 5:30 pm; down 5:55 pm, up 5:57 pm; down 10:20 pm. I didn’t see anybody working on it at the Jogiwara transformer, so guess the work was somewhere else!
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine all day.
jio: fine.
Then both got very slow about 8:40 pm. came back about 9:15 pm. - weather: Sunny today, nice; a bit hazy. Small rain starts about 10:30 pm.
- updates on this site:
Added “Information” page, to start putting the great info and links i’ve been saving since this all started! — ww
Saturday 4 April 2020 – lockdown day 11 – 3 pm IST
- town report – scope: temple road, kora entrance to main square; jogiwara road, hunted hill to main square — source: ww and call-ins
- curfew and shopping:
Duration, shopping essentials only: 8am to 11 am.
Protect yourself and others: Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - shops:
all regular grocery shops are open; The nice big shop across from old Reception Center is well-stocked and pleasant to shop in, and now has some basic produce as well.
higher-end groceries: UK shop closed, Terra Nature and Suvidke open (all on Temple road)
produce: two good veg shops on Temple road; the one closer to Dolma Chowk looks like best quality
two good veb shops on upper Jogiwara.
the usual veg shops along Jogwara between Dolma Chowk and Post Office have been closed, but saw a small produce stand now open there today.
pharmacies: all open; went to the good big one near SBI — is well supplied or can get next day. - health and clinics:
The small Health Center on upper Jogiwara has a
“Corona Virus Information and Counseling Center”
The Tibetan Settlement Office announcer said that “2 doctors from Zonal Goverment Hospital will be coming to every door to do healthy check up in every household” today. One person who met with them said that they asked about temperature and cough. - temples:
Dalai Lama Temple (Tsug la Khang) is closed.
Gaden Jhangtse (big stupa in center of town) is closed. - money:
Money changers are closed; Paul Merchants on main square said they will be open on Monday.
ATMs: saw Punjab and SBI ATMs both open (upper Temple road) - trash:
truck: First stop in McLeod Ganj is near Rewa Cafe on Jogiwara about 7:30 am.
didn’t hear it today, but people say it comes daily.
bin: 1 bin, near Kora entrance, overflowing. Maybe another one up Tushita Road? - road: so nice and quiet.
- power:
went out last last night. as of 3:30 today is still out; they are working on it.
12 guys hanging out on the road for a long time; around 7pm, pretty dark out, and a big truck with a biiig replacement part, along with another truck/crane, showed up. And those heroes got the old part out, the new part swung in, and everything working, on a narrow road, in the dark, with the light of the crane truck. - internet:
good
airjaldi: fine. Gets a bit slow in late afternoon.
jio: fine. - weather: Sunny today, nice. only a bit hazy in afternoon.
- updates on this site:
Added collapse/expand for long information; some improvements in the back end. — ww
Wednesday 1 April 2020 – lockdown day 8 – 4 pm IST
- town report – none today
- curfew and shops:
Duration of shopping essentials:
8am to 11 am.
Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times to protect yourself and others. Wear mask, at least scarf. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home.
Official Kangra updates at https://www.facebook.com/PoliceKangra and https://www.facebook.com/DCKangra - trash truck: didn’t hear it.
- road: quiet.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine. Gets a bit slow in late afternoon.
jio: fine. - weather: Sunny today, nice. a bit hazy in afternoon.
- updates on this site:
Added copy of India lockdown order 25 March 2020 — ww
Tuesday 31 March 2020 – lockdown day 7 of 21 – 2 weeks to go! 8:45 am IST
- today’s town report:
Our intrepid Roving Reporter is making the rounds — update soon.
— source: rrrt
- curfew and shops:
Duration of shopping essentials:
8am to 11 am.
Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times to protect yourself and others. Wear mask if possible. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home. - trash truck: didn’t hear it.
- road: quiet.
- internet:
mostly good
airjaldi: fine.
jio: fine. - weather: bit of sun over the mountains in early morning, then hazy and overcast.
- updates on this site:
NEW: Kangra produce price lists as of 31 March 2020 — ww
Monday 30 March 2020 – lockdown day 6 – 12 n IST
- today’s town report:
Long lines at TIPA Rd groc and veg shop.
UK shop Temple Road, Supermarket Bhagsu Road, other high-end grocery shops are still closed.
Produce not looking great, but is edible.
No price-gouging seen. — source: rrrb
Most everyone has been really good about social distancing in the queues outside the shops. Most of the shops had an employee monitoring the entrance to make sure that there were only a few people at a time inside.
With the usual few exceptions, everyone was being really good about wearing mask. Some of the shopkeepers also were wearing masks, but not all. A very few were wearing gloves, but there were no other procedures used to minimize contact. — source: rrrt
- curfew and shops:
Duration of shopping essentials:
8am to 11 am.
Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times to protect yourself and others. Wear mask if possible. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home.
Official updates at https://www.facebook.com/PoliceKangra and https://www.facebook.com/DCKangra - trash truck: didn’t hear it.
- road: quiet.
- internet:
mostly good
airjaldi: fine.
jio: fine. - weather: bit of sun in early morning, then hazy; overcast by noon.
- updates on this site: Added more info to the About page. — ww
Sunday 29 March 2020 – lockdown day 5 – 3 pm IST
- today’s town report:
“Went out this AM no changes from yesterday.
Third pharmacy at Main Square didn’t open.
Shelves in small shops looking more bare than yesterday. But, on the bright side, boxes of different items were being delivered to the small shops and employees were restocking the shelves………
Oh yes, the grocery store and produce shop next to it on the road going up to Tushita were open with long lines outside. I didn’t go up to investigate to see if it was worth the wait.
Will survey village again tomorrow” — source: rrrt - curfew and shops:
Duration of shopping essentials:
8am to 11 am.
Please keep social distance of 2 meters at all times to protect yourself and others. Wear mask if possible. Wash your purchases and your hands when you get home.
“as per the HP State Government decision the curfew will be relaxed for three (3) hours from 8 AM to 11 AM everyday to buy essential commodities from 28.3.2020 onwards. Only single member of the family should go out. No vehicles permitted for the same”
source: DC Kangra at https://www.facebook.com/dckangra
Latest updates at https://www.facebook.com/PoliceKangra
https://www.facebook.com/DCKangra - trash truck: didn’t hear it.
- road: quiet.
- internet:
mostly good
airjaldi: fine.
jio: fine.
both went down completely around 10am for about 5 minutes. - weather: sun! hazy in afternoon, then clearer with puffy clouds over the mountains. More migrating white butterflies today!
- updates on this site: Added more info to the About, Contact, and Resources pages. — ww
McLeod Ganj 28 March 2020 – lockdown day 4 – 8:50 pm IST
- shops:
Duration of shopping essentials has been shortened to three hours:
8am to 11 am.
Please enforce the social distance at all times (keep 2 meter apart from others)
There are reports of raises in prices of groceries.
source: DC Kangra at https://www.facebook.com/dckangra - today’s town report:
Found 2 pharmacies open. The one near Dolma Chowk and the one next to SBI on Temple Road. Also a third one on Main Square hopes to be open tomorrow.
Big grocery stores still closed, small shops open. Found one produce stall open close to Temple on Temple Road. At about 10am it became easier to find eggs and more produce. Guess a couple trucks came thru…
Shoppers were patient and courteous and shop keepers were friendly and helpful.
— source: rrr - curfew:
“as per the HP State Government decision the curfew will be relaxed for three (3) hours from 8 AM to 11 AM everyday to buy essential commodities from 28.3.2020 onwards. Only single member of the family should go out. No vehicles permitted for the same”
source: DC Kangra at https://www.facebook.com/dckangra
is also updated at https://www.facebook.com/PoliceKangra - trash truck: didn’t hear it.
- road: quiet. I saw a couple of delivery trucks going up around 9 am.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine.
jio: fine. - weather: 9 am – Rain finally stopped; looks like clouds are clearing a bit.
- working on: Made an email address for people to send information; added more info and refinements to site. — ww
McLeod Ganj 27 March 2020 – lockdown day 3 – 11 am IST
- “essential items shops will now remain open from 7 am to 1 pm.”
Haven’t heard more since then. Don’t know if this is true, or how it’s going out there on the streets! - trash truck: dunno. was asleep 🙂
- road: quiet.
- internet:
good
airjaldi: fine.
jio: fine. - weather: 11 am – very windy and rain since about 2am. 2:30 pm – still rainy and cold.
- working on: Updating information; adding more refinements to site
McLeod Ganj 26 March 2020 – lockdown day 2 – 9:35 pm IST
- 9:15pm – i was sent a screenshot of a Facebook post from ‘DC Kangra’ that “essential items shops will now remain open from 7 am to 1 pm.” I will try to get verification on this tomorrow. For now – sleep!
- Trash truck! 7.30am.
First day since Sunday 22nd curfew as far as i know. - roads are quiet.
- internet:
airjaldi: fast and smooth this morning.
dang! Around 9.50 got hiccups. ok so far since.
jio: been stable, and usual good speed. - weather: Sunny this morning hazy; hazier and overcast as day goes on
- working on: Expanding this site; doing the contact form. Plugin update broke the form. So i will have to do later. — ww
McLeod Ganj 25 March 2020 – lockdown day 1
- All india is in lockdown as of Wednesday 25 March 2020, for 21 days
- Shopping hours: We heard (source unknown) that shopping hours are 7am to 10am, and 6pm to 8pm. A foray to the outside world at 9am determined that only a few food shops were open, and pharmacies not yet open.
- What Is Open, What Is Not: details at NDTV.com
- Internet connection
AirJaldi has been a bit slow off and on since first lockdown (Sunday 22 March). (Not bashing AirJaldi, who has always been excellent to us! It could be their upstream provider. It kinda acts like a dns issue somewhere. Problem is consistent on both laptop and phone.)
Jio internet doesn’t seem to be affected.
— ww
Status as of 24 March 2020
Status as of 23 March 2020
- All Himachal Pradesh is in lockdown as of 23 March 2020: details at Tibet.net
Written 24 March 2020; revised 8 September 2020.