Items

• 
  2020-08-10T15:06

  Work Studies Begin Working Remotely for Fall 2020

  When I got the email saying that as a work-study student at St. Mary's University I was going to be able to work from home for the semester I was extremely excited. Before the pandemic, we were only allowed to work in-person while on campus. In March all work-studies were told that they would not be able to work at home, so it was stressful waiting to hear if we were going to be allowed to work. Being able to still work on the projects that we are assigned during this pandemic is a nice escape from reality.
• 
  2020-11-12

  "2019 was a terrible year for measles. 2021 could be much worse." - Vox

  With the rise of COVID-19, it is easy to forget the risks posed by other diseases to the health of the global community. But as Vox's Julia Belluz reminds readers, the risk posed by measles is still existent and increasing as the current COVID-19 pandemic unwinds. Belluz cites data from the World Health Organization (WHO), medical institutions, and epidemiologists that demonstrate that there has been a significant increase (556%) in measles cases worldwide in the lead up to the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in cases, according to medical officials, can be attributed to the rise of vaccine skepticism, an anti-intellectual movement that believes that vaccines cause autism and other medical ailments. In addition to the anti-vaccination movement, childhood immunizations for measles have declined significantly (250,000 dose deficit) in the wake of the pandemic, as medical doctors that would usually oversee vaccination campaigns are overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. This massive deficit in vaccinations is creating the conditions for future outbreaks of measles, which will devastate marginalized communities already impacted by COVID-19. Belluz ends the article by calling for further vaccination campaigns, but she also acknowledges that the current Trump administration is unlikely to carry it out to fruition.
• 
  2020-11-11

  Russian-developed COVID-19 Vaccine Interim Trial Reports 92% Success Rate

  Following initial findings of Pfizer's vaccine being effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in more than 90% of people, Russia says its vaccine has 92% efficacy according to preliminary findings in stage three of the clinical trials. The trial results are based on 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
• 
  2010-11-12

  COVID-19 is so bad in the US we can't even decide who has it the worse

  The US literally cannot determine which state has the worst COVID infections because it's all just bad.
• 
  2020-07-12

  California becomes the second state with more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases

  California became the second state to reach one million known COVID-19 cases on Thursday. On Wednesday, Texas became the first state to reach this milestone. The US in total has surpassed 10 million infections.
• 
  2020-11-09

  UK rollout of Covid vaccine could start before Christmas

  As someone who is patiently waiting for this dismal lockdown to end so I can get on with my life this is good news. Hopefully, things will clear up so I can actually go and visit my fiance. I wonder who all will take the vaccine though, or if visitors will be forced to take it.
• 
  2020-11-10

  産業医の診療もリモートで　生活習慣病など対応(2020年11月10日) - Remote medical care by occupational physicians for lifestyle-related diseases (November 10, 2020)

  テレワークの定着で産業医による診療も遠隔になりました。 　大和証券医務室・多田愼一郎センター長：「体調は悪くないですか？」 　本社勤務・50代男性：「特に問題ないですね」 　大和証券医務室・多田愼一郎センター長：「テレワークしていて運動もできているからいいですね」 　新型コロナウイルスをきっかけにすべての社員を対象に在宅勤務を導入した大和証券では、今月から産業医による診療をリモートで行っています。本社以外で勤務する社員も利用できるようになり、在宅勤務などの新しい働き方についても相談できるのが特長です。ただ、風邪などの症状には対応できないため、生活習慣病やアレルギーなどを中心に診察するということです。 With the normality of remote work, medical treatment by occupational physicians has become remote. Daiwa Securities Medical Office, Director Shinichiro Tada: "Are you feeling okay?" Working at the head office, male in his 50s: "No particular problem." Daiwa Securities Medical Office, Director Shinichiro Tada: "It’s good that you can do remote work and exercises at the same time.” Daiwa Securities, which introduced tele-commuting for all employees due to the new coronavirus provides medical care by occupational physicians remotely from this month. Employees who work outside the head office can also use it, and it is a feature that they can consult about new work styles such as working from home. However, the doctors do cannot take care of symptoms of colds but rather mainly examine lifestyle-related diseases and allergies. Video is translated by Youngbin Noh
• 
  2020-11-08

  "Mind the Gap" T shirt issued by Victoria's Eastern Health.

  This photo depicts a "Mind the Gap" t-shirt. "Mind the Gap" is a campaign run by the Eastern Health service to promote social distancing among patients and staff within hospitals. The shirt's slogan reads: "Mind the Gap Keeping 1.5 metres apart helps keep us all safe." The back of the shirt also includes the text: "eastern health".
• 
  2020-11-09

  Mental Health with Online Classes

  This email was sent to me to set up an appointment to participate in a mini-workshop about maintaining a good mental health balance while taking online classes. This shows how much more mental health is being pushed during this pandemic and how the University is taking it serious to help students get through this difficult time.
• 
  2020-11-08

  COVID-19 Hotspot Counties: March 2020 - July 2020

  The map shows how serious this pandemic is in the United States and how widespread COVID-19 really is. This is important to me because it will remind me of the time living during this pandemic.
• 
  2020-11-07

  The Year We Were Quarantined

  I've lived in Las Vegas for almost my entire life, and this picture is extremely shocking to me because of how barren it is. Las Vegas is known for the Strip, and both tourists and locals know that this place is always hustling and bustling. There's always flashing lights, traffic, and tons of people everywhere, so seeing this place looking like a ghost town is unbelievable.
• 
  2020-05-22

  Dental Staff during Covid 19

  I work at dental office and this is how a our staff, including our dentist, look during the Covid times.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Pennsylvania COVID-19 Cases Graph

  Graph shows the percent of population in blue, percent of cases in yellow, and percent of hospitalizations in red for cases in Pennsylvania. All the bars from ages 0-24 are quite low in all three categories. However from ages 25-65+ increase in all categories. The percent of hospitalizations rises drastically for ages 50-65+. While their percent of population and percent of cases are low they are the age group more likely to need hospitalization.
• 
  2020-07-27

  Going to College During COVID-19: Tips for College Students and Their Parents

  In this interview with infectious disease specialist Cynthia Snider and clinical psychologist David Gutterman, they outline some tips for navigating college during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair outlines important issues like wearing a mask, social distancing, and proper hygiene. This interview also touches on the anxiety and uneasy feelings both parents and students are feeling going back to a crowded campus. All in all, it’s important to listen to oneself and keep a line of open communication, as well as stay safe and stay healthy. If everyone follows these guidelines, these two experts feel that universities should be able to allow students safely.
• 
  2020-09-01

  Overlooked and Undercounted: The Growing Impact of COVID-19 on Assisted Living Facilities

  While most states report the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing homes, the number of cases and deaths in assisted living facilities are usually either lumped together with nursing homes or ignored. This not only causes gaps in case data but also leads to the needs of assisted living facilities being ignored.
• 
  2020-10-31

  Dorm list upgrade: Masks are the new essential item to bring to college

  My dorm list for my first year of St. Mary’s consisted of the usual: bed sheets, towels, and-masks? The new normal of college is needing as many masks as you can get. The picture attached are 50 masks I had to buy, and I couldn’t even buy them at a store since they were sold out. Masks becoming the new college essential is a complete change and was unheard of a year ago. What's more interesting is masks becoming a new way to express yourself. While some students like myself choose disposable masks we have others who are showing off their school pride with their St. Mary's masks as well as masks that showcase their interests and hobbies.
• 
  2020-10-01

  No New Cases

  A recent photo from the Burnett County Sheriff's Office that shows the county had no new cases. It shows the pandemic is not worsening at the moment in a very rural area in Wisconsin
• 
  2020-10-25

  San Francisco is Leader in Slowing the Spread of COVID-19

  Despite being one of the most populated cities in the United States, San Francisco has the lowest death per capita. People who violated safety protocols were held accountable, and long lines were regulated to ensure social distancing. Masks were also handed out by the police. When I visited San Francisco, I was astounded by how many people there were, and how small everything was. I would have thought that San Francisco would be heavily debilitated by the pandemic.
• 2020-10-28

  Taiwan's 200th day COVID-19 Free

  I was born in Taiwan, so I was happy to see that my home country is doing so well in the pandemic. Despite their close proximity to China, Taiwan cracked down on COVID-19 very quickly and was never heavily struck by the disease. I asked my mother about this, and she said that Taiwan already has experiences with pandemics (the SARS outbreak). I think that coupled with the political tension between Taiwan and China prompted Taiwan to tackle the coronavirus outbreak very aggressively.
• 
  2020-08-08

  HMH Nurses Working 12-hour Shifts during COVID

  This is a news article telling how nurses since March 20, 2020 nurses have had had their hands full with covid patients. On a typical day, they have between five to eight patients. Interviewed was Kristie Polly, an ICU nurse. She says she tries to provide them with the best of care especially since the patient is not able to be with family during their stay. She wants the community to know that during their time in the hospital goes above and beyond for the patient in the absence of family and does their best to keep the family informed of the patient's progress or connect the patient and family virtually with iPads. The hospital and staff do not want the patient to feel alone. Having seen firsthand the effects of the virus she stresses the importance to the community of wearing face masks, hand washing, and social distancing. The staff has adapted to the pandemic in their guidelines and PPE, testing, and treatment. In addition to caring for their patients, the staff is mindful to take care of themselves so that they may take care of their patients. Nathan Ernst, the Intensive Care manager said that they are honored to provide care to the community and will continue to do everything possible to give the best care.
• 
  2020-10-07

  Young Doctor Dies of Covid

  This doctor worked in the emergency department at a hospital and refused PPE repeatedly because there was such a shortage of it. The article addresses the fact that so many medical professionals have died because of inadequate PPE.
• 
  2020-07-17

  Travel Nurses Share Their Story

  This article shows what things are like on the front lines during a pandemic. In the article a nurse states that they literally had to choose who was going to live, and who was going to die. They had to wear the same PPE for days at a time; even when there were feces and blood on them. There is a lot of information about what life has been like for nurses on the frontline and I think that needs to be heard.
• 
  2020-09-06

  The Faces of ICU Nurses Under Pressure

  An ICU nurse started photographing her coworkers during her breaks. Her photographs show the pressure and stress that health care professionals are under during this pandemic.
• 
  2020-06-11

  Chaplain Reassures Long-Term Care Workers in Minnesota

  I found this image attached to an AARP article titled “How to Track COVID-19 Nursing Home Cases and Deaths in Your State.” The chaplain is holding a sign that reads, “You are not alone. You are loved.” The chaplain is expressing his faith through an act of service and love: supporting the frontline workers. It is a generous gesture, and one that I am sure resonates with the senior citizens at the care facility as well as their caretakers.
• 
  2020-09-08

  Sweden Criticized for Poor Response to Elderly COVID-19 Patients

  Malcolm Brabant reports that, “Over ninety percent of Sweden’s [Covid-19] fatalities were over the age of 70. Half were in nursing homes. Oxygen wasn’t provided.” Sweden has seen an improvement in infection rates lately, but the country’s treatment of the elderly in the early days of the pandemic has been widely criticized. Many feel that Sweden’s elderly were shunted aside.
• 
  2020-08-27

  Covid-19 Disproportionately Affects Minorities

  This article supports research findings indicating that Black and Hispanic communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The research also demonstrates a link between cases in nursing homes and communities. There are some challenges to addressing the severity of Covid’s impact on communities of color. As stated in the Discussion section, “Nursing homes are now required...to report cases and deaths on a regular basis, but they are not required to report the data by race and ethnicity, and few states include such information in their own public reporting….” I think this data should be included, since it will help future historians categorize the effects of Covid-19 by communities.
• 
  2020-06-04

  Health Officials Agree With Protests.

  This article is about public health officials urging people to join the fight for social justice. While the health officials state that everyone involved needs to be aware of the risks and take precautions, now is the time to demand change and join in solidarity with those affected by racial injustice. This post demonstrates that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials were agreeing with protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. This article is important because it demonstrates that social justice is needed yesterday, today, and tomorrow no matter what is happening.
• 
  2020-09-21

  Loss in a COVID World

  I believe this is a point of interest to talk about, since it’s likely that many will wonder, out of innocent curiosity, what it’s like to lose someone in a time of crisis. I should describe it as transcendental. May your soul be touched. My beloved mother didn’t die from COVID-19. She had been unknowingly battling cancer for several years, and had it diagnosed at its most lethal stage. I still shake my hands at the doctors who had ignored her concerns for all this time, because maybe she would still have been here if it weren’t for them. But how would that affect me? Would things remain the same at home? I have to say, I shudder at this thought, too. Colon cancer, which metastasized in the liver. She passed from liver failure in the later part of this year, 2020. I, the foolish child, was so preoccupied that I couldn’t understand why my uncle woke me at 4 am in the morning that day. With a classic sleepy rub of the eye, I told him, “I have a math test today.” And if it hadn’t been for the pain in his eyes, I wouldn’t have gotten up at all. There she was, lying eerily still in her bed, but she was also gone. As the people around me sobbed and turned away, all I could do was stand and stare. It felt like something was out of place. I felt out of place. If you could try to imagine it, remain perfectly still as you are and think of yourself exiting your body. Look around you without looking. That’s how it felt, everything slightly blurry by the darkness, lightness in my feet as if I were floating, a static, metal taste in my mouth, the sounds of sobbing flooding my ears, I couldn't handle it. I started to cry, and buried myself in the crook of my brother’s chest for support. To be in the unknown, and lose what you have, is the most frightening experience I wish for nobody else to have gone through. The pain is truly insufferable… but the healing process counts for so much of who I define myself as now, that I couldn’t imagine the year going any other way. The funeral was held the following sunday. It too was such a different experience. We took many long, empty roads to reach the cemetery. Seeing few cars on the road is commonplace for such a road, but to see none at all was creepy. I relinquished my thoughts to sleep. Upon our arrival, I put my mask on and stood before 50 some odd people who had come to see my mother off. That’s right, I thought comfortably, Mom was very well loved. The notion was reassuring. We exchanged hugs and hellos and sorrys, all the usual pleasantries you would expect at an event not so pleasant, and made our way to the casket for the gathering to take place. I’ll leave the eulogy I wrote here, in case you were curious and thought, I wonder what this stranger said at their mother’s funeral, because this is expected when you are here to read about losing a loved one. Finally, when all was said and done, condolences were given again. This time, though, I hardly recognized anyone. It must’ve been the masks that obstructed our faces, because I saw the attendees, and they saw me, but it was still so unfamiliar. The later part of that day I spent confused. I suppose that’s how we start when we learn to adjust, which I did. Presently I am still healing, but it’s not so bittersweet when I think of her, moreso sweet than bitter. The metal taste in my mouth begins to wear off, and I am feeling free. I hope she also feels free. And I hope this provided the insight you were looking for when you came across this page. We all love and lose in the end. Focus your energy towards healing, and you will learn to grow with the changes.
• 2020-10-27T12:06

  An Unexpected Return

  After being out sick for a week filled with chills, doctors appointments, the smell of soup, and the feeling of my warm blanket, I finally returned to school on Friday. I could see the empty classrooms, hear the quiet rooms, smell the hand sanitizer, touch the desks and door handles with precaution, and taste the uneasiness in the room. I heard whispers of people talking about “the coronavirus”. I saw people wiping down their desks and chairs. I smelt of constant cleaning supplies. I felt my heart beating faster than normal. This were all new senses that were coming to me in one day. I was confused and scared of the uncertainty of it all. I was barely comprehending and my mind was filled with thoughts and heat full of emotion. Little did I know, that was my last day of school.
• 2020-10-27

  Senses Throughout the Covid Experience

  I remember the intercom on March 13th telling the students “School will be out for two weeks due to the Coronavirus.” At first, this was awesome, we got time off school with no homework!! But then the break never stopped and school never resumed to what it used to be. Being quarantined went from days, to weeks, to months, and hasn’t stopped yet. We barely finished the school year online and thought we would go back at the start of next year. Oh were we wrong! All we see is the computer screen! We were quarantined for another 3 months and proceeded to do the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year online. Hopefully we get to go back to school next semester. We will be able to talk to one another and get out of the boring home. This virus has blocked us from our homecoming, football season, sports, hanging out with friends, celebrating holidays, socializing at school, and seeing family. Instead, we are on the computer for 5-6 hours a day either in zoom meetings or doing homework. We now can’t touch everything, talk to who we used to, and taste all of the diverse foods we would go out and have. It isn’t healthy! We need to go back to school next semester even if it is hybrid. This pandemic has taken a toll on everyone and we need to get through this together.
• 
  2020-07-28

  3D Printed, P100 Mask for COVID Nurses

  This is a video my sister sent me of her first day with the P100 mask. It is a 3D printed mask that a department at her hospital have been making themselves because of the shortage of PPE. Every nurse gets one of these and the filters on them are replaceable (roughly 3 months before replacement filters are needed). They are very tight so nurses apply gel stickers around the seal to prevent bruising. They are so new to the unit that some nurses and techs have been getting bad dermatitis on their skin, so their is still some improvements to be made but because of the severity of the situation comfort is overlooked.
• 
  2020-10-25

  Pockets Full of PPE

  This is a photograph I took when I was clearing out my pockets to wash my uniforms. I work in Law Enforcement, and due to the nature of our work, we are always needing to refresh our PPE and have it ready to go at a moments notice. I hadn't realized how much more often I find myself needing gloves until I noticed the 'Glove Mountain' that has formed on my dryer... Almost all my pockets had gloves or extra mask in them.. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... #GloveUp #MaskUp
• 2020-10-23

  Iowa Hotspot

  Iowa has reached an all time high for the virus with Des Moines at the center.
• 
  2020-10-23

  Travel During Covid

  Travel during Covid what mostly like any other travel, just with a mask, and people didn't actually want to sit right next to you waiting to board the flights. The actual flights were different, though. The seats were not filled unless you were a member of a party travelling together. That being said, my first class ticket as a single travelling passenger with no other members of my party allowed me to have a full row to myself unlike most flights where everyone is seated in close proximity whether you know the passengers seated next to you or not. It was actually nice in terms of people respecting personal space.
• 
  2020-10-08

  COVID-19 in Lebanon

  An article outlining the COVID-19 situation in Lebanon and how it is straining the already fragile healthcare system.
• 
  2020-10-22

  Education and the Coronavirus: Updates for opening in California.

  Text story. I found it while surfing the internet and reading about how they were going to determine to let schools open back up in the state of California.
• 
  2020-10-20

  Health officials warn Canadians against believing COVID-19 'internment camps' disinformation

  Conspiracy theorists in Canada believe that the Federal government is planning on creating internment camps and forcing people into them. This is likely due to the government push for funding of federal quarantine sites offered to homeless and other individuals on a voluntary basis.
• 
  2020-10-21

  CDC Expands Definition of "Close Contact"

  The CDC expanded its definition of "close contact." The article states, "The CDC had previously defined a “close contact” as someone who spent at least 15 consecutive minutes within six feet of a confirmed coronavirus case. The updated guidance, which health departments rely on to conduct contact tracing, now defines a close contact as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, according to a CDC statement Wednesday."
• 
  2020-10-21

  Arizona COVID-19 Cases Surging Again

  Arizona is seeing a surge in its cases again as winter approaches. The state is nearing 1,000 new cases a day with hospitalizations and ventilator usage is increasing.
• 
  2020-10-20

  A Day In The Life Of COVID-19

  The main reason why I chose this piece of media is that I wanted to learn more about the daily life of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers. With both of my parents working in a healthcare setting, with my father as a nurse and my mother as a receptionist, it is important for me to understand what my parents deal with. I find this video to be extremely useful in becoming more aware of how government facilities are adapting to the virus, the daily life of healthcare workers and it gives me an overview of what I can possibly be doing in the future as a career. One precautionary action that the government has taken is an increase in virtual contact in order to prevent physical contact. In the vlog, Doctor Mike explains his hospital’s new “virtual patient visits”. This exhibits the government’s underlying guidelines (The CDC) about preventing the spread of the virus by limiting person to person contact.
• 
  2020-04-11

  Thunderbirds over Vegas to Thank COVID-19 Workers

  On April 11, 2020, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds flew over each hospital in the Las Vegas Valley from the north to the west to the south and then back to Nellis Air Force Base over the Las Vegas Strip to thank the Covid-19 healthcare workers. This picture was taken by my father as the Thunderbirds flew over the hospital nearest to me. Some might argue this this flyover and subsequent flyovers in other American cities was a waste of taxpayers’ money. I strongly disagree because it was a way for the heroic men and women of the Thunderbirds to thank the healthcare workers who themselves have been heroes in the battle against Covid-19. This view was best expressed by the commander and leader of the Thunderbirds, Lt. Col. John Caldwell. It is an honor to fly for the Americans at the forefront of our nation’s fight against the coronavirus. They are true heroes and we look forward to demonstrating the support of the 685,000 total force Airmen of the U.S. Air Force for healthcare workers, first responders and COVID-19 essential personnel in Las Vegas and across the nation.
• 
  2020-07-18

  Notes for Nurses

  This is a photo from inside the COVID unit at St. Joseph's Hospital. Children all over the Phoenix area have been sending drawings and letters to the frontline workers, thanking and encouraging them to keep saving lives. The nurses on the unit have put them all over the windows and walls for everyone to see.
• 
  2020-10-15

  The Consequences of Skipping Doctor Appointments

  There are two hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota. Both are being overwhelmed with patients, but not covid patients. People who were ill, have avoided going to the doctor because they fear they will contract Covid-19. As a result, their conditions have worsened and they must now be hospitalized. One hospital is full to capacity, and the other is not far behind.
• 
  2020-10-16

  N95 Masks

  During the 2020 Pandemic my job shutdown like many others, but since it is part of the larger UNC hospital systems it was able to start a labor pool and my coworkers and I began working at the UNC Medical Center. The first day I was told that I would be working in environmental services, which means cleaning patient rooms. During my second day the manager told me that I needed to follow him after lunch and we started what would become a 6 month long journey. Day after day I slowly learned to navigate the large medical center, through multiple buildings all floors, all departments were going through masks. Every day I would travel to floors where Covid-19 patients would be in isolation rooms and slowly the floors were restricted to essential personnel. But my two coworkers and I, all seemed out of place. We would travel to each floor to collect the N95 masks that were discarded for sterilization. We would also receive boxes of use masks from other UNC Hospitals around the state. The process was for the three of us to go to each floor and collect the masks, bring them to a "dirty room" and sort out trash and masks that were either dirty due to makeup or that were broken or were not N95 masks. From there we would count the masks that we thought that could be cleaned and put them in boxes waiting for sterilization. We went through four sterilization processes, and the first three did not meet standards so the final process did work and was approved. The final process used an aerosolized hydrogen peroxide that would be in a converted shipping container that would circulate air and the hydrogen peroxide over and around the masks. After this process was complete we would take the masks out of the container and take them to a "clean room" and sort them once again for masks that had made it through our first screening and then we would package them for future use if necessary. Hopefully those masks will never be used. By the time I left that job there was talk that UNC was close to getting a provider for new masks!
• 
  2020-10-16

  Growing Cases as Winter Approaches

  Many scientists and leading health professionals worried this day would come. As winter approaches each day, the number of infections begins to rise again. Projected death toll is estimated at around 400,00 by February 1st depending on social distancing requirements and mask mandates.
• 
  2020-10-13

  Testing Vaccine On Children

  American pharmaceutical company Pifizer will start to include participants as young as twelve. The US Food and Drug administration granted permission to the drug-maker and it’s German partner BioNTech SE for the same.
• 
  2020-10-16

  Connecting Spanish Flu Historical Texts with Current Pandemic

  My essay shows just how similar the Spanish flu outbreak is with the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the fact that we should've been so much more prepared today, with all of our modern technology and science, than we were in 1918. The newspaper article I look at also shows the shocking differences between the two, like the zero urgency for quarantining and the different kinds of masks and methods that were used to try and treat these illnesses.
• 
  2020-10-15

  Sounds of Chronic Lung Disease

  In January 2015, my mom got very sick and was in the hospital for 2 weeks, 3 days of which were in the ICU with a breathing tube. She was diagnosed with severe COPD and has required at-home oxygen ever since. Her disease has now progressed to end-stage. Last year, she received a non-invasive ventilator to use at night. A lot of people with COVID-19 have breathing problems even after recovering from the disease. Some of these people might have permanent lung damage and require at-home oxygen therapy and possibly non-invasive ventilators. The first recording is the sound of an oxygen machine. The second is the sound of the ventilator. At the end of the ventilator recording is the alarm that sounds when it does not detect any breathing. These sounds demonstrate the impact of COVID-19 has on its victims and the legacy it will leave behind long after the disease itself has gone away.
• 2020-04-10

  Getting Health Care through the Covid Madness

  At the beginning of 2020, I started to experience a dull, nagging pain in my lower right abdomen. Didn't think too much about it at first, but it kept showing up and then it didn't go away. I made an appointment to get it checked out and was told, "Well, I don't know what it is, so we'll get an ultrasound". Got an ultrasound and nothing was found. Next, I went to the OBGYN and received a full pelvic exam. Was told, "Well, everything looks good, just walk more and drink fluids". This took about a month to see two separate doctors and receive the ultrasounds. The pain persisted and the symptoms got worse. It wasn't just a dull ache, but now cramping, exhaustion, trouble with bowel movements, and the pain moved north to my upper right side, under my ribs and into my back. I was worried and scared. I was referred to a Gastroenterologist and had to wait two months. Two months with terrible symptoms. When I finally got in to see my GI, she seemed positive and wanted to get things moving along. I got blood tests done and when they came back, it showed that I had high TG levels for gluten. In other words, signs for Celiac Disease. To diagnose it, an upper endoscopy with biopsy of my intestines was needed. Another month of waiting. A week before my scheduled endoscopy, the hospital called and cancelled my appointment because of Covid-19. I was furious. They were not accepting patients and most all procedures were stopped. Don't get me wrong, I take Covid seriously and I do my best to social distance, I wear my mask everywhere, and I'm crazy about sanitizing, but I was so angry that my extremely important procedure was cancelled. At this point, the symptoms were agonizing and I was forced to wait. After a couple weeks I emailed my doctor and explained to her that things were getting worse and I didn't know what to do at this point or how to take care of my body. I got a call within a week and was told that my case was reviewed and that an endoscopy would be scheduled for me. Huzzah! About two weeks after that I finally got my diagnosis, and yep, I have Celiac Disease. Trying to figure out what was wrong with my body during Covid was a nightmare. I only shared the basics of what happened, but there was a lot of pain, tears, and fear. If it was something more serious that needed more immediate help I would have been screwed. I am still dealing with my disease and I still have my bad days. I unfortunately am still unable to go see my doctor as it is all online which makes it feel so impersonal. For all those having to schedule appointments and see doctors, good luck!
• 
  2020-10-14

  新型コロナ“口から飲む”ワクチンの治験開始　米(2020年10月14日) - Clinical trial for the new corona "drinking from the mouth" vaccine has started in the US (October 14, 2020)

  This is a news about another form of vaccine. Honestly, I am skeptical about this vaccine because recently, there were news regarding the suspension of clinical trials of the vaccines due to the side effects. This news video does not talk about any side effects and negative parts about the vaccine. I do not have any hopes for this vaccine either because clinical trials are conducted too fast, despite the potential of side effects. 新型コロナウイルスのワクチン開発を巡り、アメリカの製薬会社「バクサート」は口から飲む経口ワクチンの治験を開始しました。 　バクサートは13日、開発中の新型コロナウイルスの経口ワクチンについて、初期の治験を開始したと発表しました。対象は18歳から54歳の最大48人で、それぞれ2回投与して効果を確認するとしています。バクサートによりますと、新型コロナの経口ワクチンとしてはアメリカで初の臨床試験となります。注射するタイプのワクチンは通常、低温で保存する必要がありますが、経口ワクチンは常温でも安定して保存でき、運搬が容易だということです。バクサートの初期の治験結果は今後、数週間で明らかになる見通しです。 Regarding the development of a vaccine for the new coronavirus, the American pharmaceutical company "Vaxart" has begun its clinical trials of an oral vaccine that can be taken in from mouth. Vaxart announced on the 13th that they have started the initial clinical trial of an oral vaccine for the new coronavirus that is under development. The subjects are up to 48 people aged from 18 to 54 years old, and it is said that the effect will be confirmed by administering twice for each subject. According to Vaxart, it will be the first clinical trial in the United States for an oral vaccine for the new coronavirus. Injectable vaccines usually need to be stored at low temperatures, but oral vaccines are stable at room temperature and easy to transport. The results of early Vaxart trials are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.