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Date is exactly
2021-03-09
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2021-03-09
Long Live My Mama
I feel like my mama story needs to be heard. We loss millions of people to it . -
2021-03-09
Meghan Monarchies
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2021-03-09
Volunteer Vaccine
My name is Erica Ruhland and I was a senior online during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I live with my two grandparents. Both are in their late 70’s, and because of them, I have been taking the pandemic extremely seriously. This year has been a constant battle of inner turmoil. My moral compass has been spinning for over a year now. The following has been some of the struggles and sacrifices I have made over the course of the year: Quarantining from my grandparents for 12 days in my room, multiple times Cutting my work hours to limit possible exposure Quarantining from my boyfriend for 4 months. I had several close calls where I had worked with someone who then tested positive for Covid-19. Each time it would send me into an emotional spiral of guilt. Guilt for working in a customer service job. But it was this job that was paying for my school and gave me health insurance. I couldn’t be without health insurance during a pandemic. But I felt a great deal of shame and guilt over my minimum wage job. I had already cut my hours down, but I was stuck between making a living and staying alive. The constant battles with customers, begging with them to put on a mask, or just simply having to nod when they denied Covid’s existence began to take its toll on my soul. This pandemic has turned me bitter. I have seen too many cruel humans refuse to help their fellow neighbors. A simple mask has the potential to destroy or save my grandpa’s life. HandsOn Greater Phoenix is a volunteer program that helps find volunteers for several campaigns across the state. They were in charge of organizing the volunteer program for the “Vaccinate State 48” initiative. This is how I got the vaccine. The rule was, you had to volunteer at the State Farm Arena vaccination site for 8 hours and then you could receive the vaccine shot afterwards. After battling out for a volunteer spot online, I had secured a spot for me to help out on March 9th, 2021. From 6am to 2pm, I stood outside and directed traffic. I was one of the last volunteers people would see. After they received their shot, I would direct their cars out of the massive parking lot. I saw so many older citizens that day. Each time I couldn’t help but think of my own grandparents. As I waited in line, sitting in my car after volunteering, I felt a huge wave of emotion. It was a mixture of exhaustion, relief, fear, and joy. I started talking to the nurse and I told her that I was nervous for the shot but also really happy. This is when I began to tear up and cry. After the shot, I felt a huge weight lifted from me. All the sacrifices I had made to keep myself and my family safe, they were worth it. I had done my part to help not just myself or my loved ones, but my community, strangers that I may never meet again. My moral compass aligned North once more. I felt validated. I used the small power I have to effect a big change in my community. My bitterness began to fade. Even now, a month later, I still think about the other volunteers, they all believed we were helping effect great change and saving people. It was like a religion. I had been baptized with the vaccine. On that day I felt like I belonged to a church, preaching to the community. Our sermons were us showing the elders where to drive, and how to schedule their next dose. Our gospel was Phfizer and we sent missionaries out to spread the good news. My sign of piety was the sunburn on my neck where I had forgotten sunscreen and my vaccine papers. This sense of purpose and passion is I’m sure the driving force behind every religion. This pandemic has shown me the worst of people. I will not forget it. This pandemic has shown me the great lengths I and others will go to, to protect their community. I will never forget that. There is strength in a common goal. Vaccinate Sate 48. -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from ellie.craft
#jotpysilver my silver lining was that i got to get a kitty and spend lots of time with her. -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from purplegenevre
#jotpysilver Jobs that may not have been an option for me a couple years ago (fixed-term positions out-of-state) are now totally options for me because they’ve recognized the need to offer remote employment options. -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from hayden.craft_
#jotpysilver my silver lining during the pandemic was when all 5 of the major American sports were playing at the same time, due to the season delays that year and it was an awesome week of sports. I can speak for me and all my friends in saying it was definitely a bright spot during such a hard time. -
2021-03-09
Birds during the pandemic
This article tells us about wildlife, specifically birds, during the pandemic. As many other animals were, birds were a lot more active when the lockdown began. Some many see this as a good thing but this article goes into detail about the good and bad things that happened to birds during the pandemic. This article is important because it addresses a topic not many people think is important and gives more in depth into this side of nature. -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from Nicole
itsnicolegaston My silver lining is that more time at home allowed me to be able to spend time studying for my classes and the LSAT. I graduated from ASU in December, summa cum laude, and aced the LSAT. Over the past weekend I received my first law school acceptance with a scholarship offer. I probably would not be attending law school in the fall if the pandemic didn’t happen. -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from Mark and Michelle Wilson
wanderlust_wilsons #jotpysilver fun budget has been $$$. Saved so much money this year, looking forward to taking more trips in the last half of 2021. Also, love supporting and discovering local business with takeout/curbside pickup -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from Michelle Wilson
chellenguyenwilson #jotpysilver my silver linings...helping the environment by commuting less since we both work from home! Speaking quality time with hubby and making no excuses for our house projects! 🌿 -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from Keri Bishop
keri_on #JOTPYsilver I got engaged and purchased my first home. And then adopted two kittens who now are my coworkers as I continue to WFH -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from Christine
christinejwong #jotpysilver I’m grateful I got to spend more time with my kids that wouldn’t haven been possible if I was going into the office 5 days a week. -
2021-03-09
Navajo Nation outpacing states in rate of vaccinations
By Rima Krisst | Mar 9, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS, News | WINDOW ROCK President Jonathan Nez proudly said last week that the Navajo Nation had exceeded its goal of administering 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots by end of February, crediting tireless health care workers who have been serving seven days a week to plan vaccinations and administer the vaccines. On Tuesday, the president’s office reported that 135,161 COVID-19 vaccine shots have gone into arms on the Navajo Nation, which represents 92% of the total 146,980 doses received and includes 48,800 persons who have had their second shots. This means that over 26% of the approximately 327,000 enrolled Navajos have gotten a shot through the Navajo Area Indian Health Service and tribal health care system, which is an amazing feat. By comparison, in New Mexico 22.4% of the population (738,705) has been given at least one shot. Arizona has administered at least one shot to 17.1% of the population (1,847,750), with Utah trailing behind at 12.2% receiving at least one shot (687,925), according to the CDC data vaccine tracker. And as of March 2, 15.3% of the U.S. population had received at least one shot, with 76.9 million shots administered, including 25.4 million receiving the second dose. Approximately 1.8 million vaccines per day are being administered daily in the U.S. So, percentage-wise, Navajo is outpacing both neighboring states and the general U.S. population. ‘Amazing partnership’ On a Feb. 25 IHS media call, IHS Chief Medical Officer Rear Adm. Michael Toedt reported that as of Feb. 18 the IHS had also achieved its goal of administering 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine “across IHS, tribal, and urban Indian Health programs,” representing 16% of the “target population,” with 6.3% receiving two doses. “This milestone was reached ahead of schedule despite severe weather, making travel to health facilities difficult across much of Indian Country and leading to shipping delays,” said Toedt. Toedt said most IHS facilities have now vaccinated the majority of their priority populations and are moving into Phase 2, which includes those who work in higher risk settings such as schools and prisons. “Very shortly we expect that everyone who needs a vaccine will be able to receive it,” he said. Toedt credited IHS and tribal health care employees across the country who are committed to ensuring the protection of tribal communities in 11 geographic areas covering 26 states and 349 health facilities, many in rural and remote locations. “We have had an amazing partnership with our tribes to use all available resources to help with delivery of vaccine,” said Toedt. This included distribution and redistribution of vaccines by ground and air transportation as needed. Toedt said the IHS has also conducted over 2 million COVID-19 tests at a higher per capita than most states and is reporting a seven-day average test positivity rate of 4.5%, below the 5.6% all-races rate in the U.S., despite the fact that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on American Indians/Alaska Natives. The Navajo Nation has conducted 245,085 COVID-19 tests resulting in 29,774 positive cases. ‘Developing trust’ Coordinated public relations campaigns in partnership with tribes have been key to the success of the vaccine rollout, said Toedt. Navajo Area IHS Chief Medical Officer Loretta Christensen agreed, saying public messaging has been critical. “This collaboration is one of the reasons we’ve been extremely successful,” said Christensen. “Honesty and transparency, developing that trust with the people you are serving is vital. We have spent a great deal of time on that relationship with our Navajo people to encourage them to be vaccinated.” She said the communication process has been very unified across Navajo and with the president’s office, using social media, radio, and a bilingual approach. “This is constant public education,” she said. “We encourage people in a very personal way that we would like them to be safe, keep their families, their communities safe. We feel very fortunate and grateful that our population has really stepped up.” Toedt acknowledged there has been some vaccine hesitancy relating to how quickly the vaccines were developed and whether or not they are completely safe, which has made some people distrustful. According to IHS Public Affairs Specialist Joshua Barnett, a recent IHS-funded survey by the Urban Indian Health Institute reported that 75% of Native Americans were willing to get a vaccine and 74% believe that doing so is their responsibility to help protect their community. “I’m confident that the process for vaccine development has the full integrity and completeness of time necessary to make sure these vaccines are safe, but it’s our job as healthcare providers to communicate that in a way that’s acceptable and trusted by our population,’ said Toedt. “We know our efforts are working and we’re seeing good delivery and acceptance of these vaccines in our communities.” Reaching the homebound Christensen said one of the strongest assets in the Navajo vaccination campaign has been the collaboration between public health nurses and community health representatives in reaching out to community members at the local level, including homebound elders and persons with disabilities. “These are the people out in the rural areas that know the families, that know the homes,” said Christensen. “We rely on them for that person-to-person contact out in the communities.” She said between 4,000 to 5,000 homebound individuals have actually been vaccinated at home or close to home. Moving forward with the goal of getting the Navajo population vaccinated and achieving “community immunity,” Navajo Area IHS wants to make sure that all 27,000 square miles of the Nation have been penetrated, said Christensen. “We want to be able to target any communities, populations or subgroups that have perhaps maybe not been able to get vaccinations,” she said. “So, our first step is to heat-map our whole area and then focus on those populations that are perhaps more rural or don’t have easy access to healthcare facilities.” “Our goal is to get every single person vaccinated and to keep our populations in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah safe,” she said. Christensen said her team will be working with chapters to identify anyone who might have been missed. They have also reached out to Navajos living off reservation and have established an online registry to help people find a place to get their vaccination. “We highly encourage them to come back if they need to and we will certainly take care of them and their families,” she said. Tracking variants In regard to surveillance for COVID-19 variants, Toedt said IHS does contribute its tests to state public health labs as well as different large lab corporations such as TriCore, LabCorp. and additional processes for genomic testing are in development. “The samples that are included through those mechanisms are sampled through the CDC’s processes to test for genomics,” said Toedt. Christensen said similarly the Navajo Area and the Health Command Center are working to establish more specific genomic surveillance within Navajo Nation. “In the meantime, we are participating in testing both in New Mexico and Arizona,” said Christensen. Christensen said the Navajo Epidemiology Center has also reached out to bordering states requesting any relevant information on variants be shared. “We all stand by ready to support this process and we are hopeful that we will have more specific information for Navajo Nation very soon,” she said. Christensen confirmed that she was not aware of any variants having been identified on the Navajo Nation from random sampling. “We have requested that information but we have not received it as of yet,” she said. Adverse events Any adverse events, or serious side effects, related to vaccinations within IHS are collected and reported to the same CDC system that collects the data nationally, said Toedt, but the data broken down by individual tribes is not publicly available. “We are part of that Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System through the CDC,” said Toedt. “All adverse drug reactions are investigated by the CDC to determine what category it goes in and how they analyze data.” Navajo Area is gathering information on any adverse events on the Navajo Nation, but there are patient privacy issues when it comes to sharing that publicly, said Christensen. “We do, as (health care) institutions across Navajo Nation, share basic data with each other when we’re doing best practices,” she said. Christensen would not answer whether or not there had been any adverse events on the Nation. “I will say we have done very well with these vaccines,” she said. “There are certainly side effects which have been well defined, but we’ve had minimal significant adverse events. I cannot quantify that for you, but we are tracking those events across Navajo Nation.” Preventing transmission As far as keeping everyone safe after being vaccinated, Toedt said it’s still important to continue to wash your hands, stay six feet apart and to wear a mask. This is because vaccinated persons can theoretically still contract COVID-19 and spread it after being vaccinated, although they may not have any symptoms due to protection from the vaccine. There are also still many unknowns related to COVID-19 variants and to what extent they may evade vaccine protection, be more transmissible, or cause more serious disease. “We have been trying to report on possible variants most recently, explaining that we don’t have all the information yet on what the long term effects of those variants are,” said Christensen. “So we highly suggest that you still watch your distance, wash your hands and wear your mask.” Christensen said public messaging encouraging everyone to abide by the public health protocols in place, regardless of vaccination status, will continue until there is community immunity. -
2021-03-09
#JOTPYSilver from Tina
#jotpysilver my silver lining during the pandemic was that I was able to get closer with a lot more people. I have become great friends with those who have stayed in touch, and I am so grateful for them. Having a community during the pandemic really helped me feel less scared and alone overall. Otherwise, the pandemic would have been too lonely and isolating.🤍💗 -
2021-03-09
Oral History with a Rural Church Pastor
Abstract: Josh Colson grew up in Southern Illinois. He attended Welch College, earning a BS in Christian Ministry and an MA in Theology. Additionally, he is currently a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, pursuing an MTS. Mr. Colson is currently the pastor of Brandon’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Bumpus Mills, TN. The church is part of a small rural community, being in one of the smallest counties in middle Tennessee. In addition, Mr. Colson is the Faith Representative for the community health board. In this interview, Mr. Colson recounts the effects COVID-19 has had on his duty as a member of the clergy, his congregation, and his community. -
2021-03-09
Justice for George Floyd
From Drew Arrieta: As court proceedings for the trial of Derek Chauvin were underway, hundreds of community members, activists, and students demanded justice for George Floyd outside the courthouse. Judge Cahill, who is overseeing the trial, yesterday said he would proceed with the jury selection despite a dispute on the potential reinstatement of a third-degree murder charge that could potentially delay the case. The prosecution criticized the judge's decision, arguing the lack of clarity on charges when selecting a jury risks the case being thrown out on appeal. -
2021-03-09
Lady Pink's solo show at the Museum of Graffiti
This story talks about famous graffiti artist, Lady Pink, and her upcoming solo show at the Museum of Graffiti in Miami, Florida. Lady Pink mentions getting the vaccine as part of travel plans and virtually attending her show opening, and the transition of graffiti art to gallery space and the corresponding taboo. -
2021-03-09
Police1 Promotes Law Enforcement Submissions to the JOTPY COVID-19 Archive
I wrote this article for Police1 to promote law enforcement submissions to the JOTPY COVID-19 archive. At the time of this publication, Police1 enjoys approximately three million unique visits per month to its website. The site published my article on 03/09/2021, and I intend to use this article to encourage further promotion of the archive's Law Enforcement collection. -
2021-03-09
Covid Saved My Marriage
Before covid hit my marriage was in big trouble, after years of sitting on "little" problems and ignoring relatively big issues I got tired of living complacently. My husband and I were essentially living a lie, we lived and acted like we were the picture-perfect couple living a perfectly happy life. In the summer of 2019, a tiny issue finally broke the camel's back and we separated. A few months into our separation divorce papers were drawn out and signed by me, he was in Arizona and I had moved in with my parents and children in California. By January 2020 we had already begun hearing about covid but we still didn't think much of it since it was an issue halfway across the globe. All signed and ready to file for divorce we got hit with a quarantine order in California. My husband asked me to move back home so he can be with our kids since we didn't know how long quarantine would last. I agreed and he drove to pick us up. Living together was odd, especially because we had both gotten used to being without one another. After thirteen years of being together, the separation made us realize we hardly knew each other. We had to try extra hard to get along in front of the kids and at least be cordial with one another. Our state of amicability turned into an odd level of friendship. Six months later he asked if I would consider therapy. I agreed and we started therapy virtually. Things got worse in therapy before they got better (as expected) but the divorce papers were eventually torn up. A year later, I can't say were picture-perfect but I can say that we're happy in this phase were in. Since there was a palpable sense of fear last March, we were forced to think about the reality of life without one another, how would we cope with life/death issues alone, and whether we truly wanted that? Quarantine forced us to face years of issues that had seeped into the foundation of our relationship. Divorce would have been much easier, but this outcome we are living in today is so worth it. In short, I'd say covid saved my marriage.