Items

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  2020-07-04

  2020: A lifetime in a year... and we aren't even done yet...

  2020 could have an entire history book unto itself. So much has happened this year... Obviously, the big stories everyone is familiar with; BLM protests, Covid19, Wildfires literally EVERYWHERE, but what about the smaller, but just as important stories that get overshadowed? For example, on Feb 6th, Christina Koch, a NASA astronaut, returned to Earth after 328 days in space, the most days completed by any woman ever, and I bet you don't even remember hearing about it. Thats why I though this time line would be a good addition to the archive. It helps put the events of the year (as of July 4th) in an easy to read format to help us all remember everything that happened this year. Hopefully, the back half of the year is much less eventful, but I doubt it.
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  2020-08-22

  Conspiracy Folk Art

  These photos have been selected from material uploaded to the subreddit /r/InfowarriorRides and depict various bumper stickers, graffiti and 'folk art' applied to vehicles and captured in snapshots by various users of the subreddits. These are highly ephemeral sources that capture a fascinating and important aspect of the public response to COVID-19, demonstrating a wide breadth of artistic expression ranging from urging people to take common sense precautions to expositions of elaborate conspiracy theories.
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  2020-07-21

  If we know Hydroxychloroquine doesn't work, why are scientists still experimenting with it?

  My husband was exposed to COVID-19 by a co-worker from a different branch. She took the COVID-19 test, but instead of quarantining like you’re supposed to, she continued running errands. One of those errands was going to the bank, where my husband works and making a withdrawal. That same day she got her test results and called to let him know. OK, I feel a lot of things about that, annoyed. I’m really annoyed and frustrated that she believed she had COVID, went to the lengths to get tested, but didn’t self-quarantine. My husband is more empathetic. He thinks she had urgent things to do and no one to help her. OK, that’s the first part of this story. The second part, is that suddenly on FB I saw an advertisement for a research trial on COVID. I filled it out for my husband, and a few days later he got an email offering him the chance to participate in a study. I read the fine print, it seemed sketch. First, the trial is for 4,000 people to take Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that we know doesn’t work. Second, the compensation is only $300 total. That seems like a really, really low sum to be a guinea pig. Third, the way that the researchers phrased his options bothered me. On the consent form it lists his choices: “Your other options: There are currently no approved treatments to prevent infection or COVIF-19 symptoms for people who have had contact with an infected person. You do not have to participate in this study. Your other choices may include: • Taking part in another study • Getting no PEP after contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.” This seems far from neutral, and actually to me- sounds like a combination of pressure/fear to get people to participate. This is my first time seeing an informed consent form, and I wonder if they’re all this loaded in terms of trying to manipulate someone into donating their health and body to an experimental process. The study was run by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of Washington.
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  2020-06-04

  Researchers retract study that found big risks in using hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19

  A study outlining the risk of using the drug hydroxychloroquine has been retracted by researchers involved, citing uncertain data. After researchers admitted to being unable to vouch for the data used in their study, the decision was made to retract the study. The retraction highlights the concern that medical researchers are lowering standards of data verification in an effort to rush publications during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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  2020-04-10

  A doctor at a nursing home in Texas is giving an unproven drug to residents

  A doctor in April was conducting an "observational, uncontrolled" trial on residents of a nursing home in Texas for the use of hydroxychloroquine.
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  2020-05-28

  Coronavirus has a higher death rate for cancer patients or survivors

  "New research shows how dangerous the coronavirus is for current and former cancer patients."