All posts tagged: coronavirus

Orthodox Rituals in a Changing World: How do believers cope?

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What we do might have to change, for health reasons. Belief is important to any Christian, but many struggle to adapt their practices. Eastern Orthodox Christians have many rituals, practices that are sacred to them, but they also have a health emergency. This new world can bring us all back to the starting place; “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) We might laugh as the priest in a country area, but he is trying to keep his faith in challenging times. On a larger scale, many churches are struggling to adapt to a world-changing crisis.

Different COVID rules for the political elite

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Apparently, the political elite have different rules about COVID-19 than the rest of us. The Mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser, (D), issued an order on July 24, 2020, demanding that anyone travelling to/and or from high-risk COVID states, such as Georgia that was specifically mentioned, must quarantine for 14 days when they return to the US capitol. But apparently, those rules didn’t apply to the political elite, several of whom attended the funeral of John Lewis, in Atlanta, Georgia. Lewis, who recently died of Pancreatic cancer, was a member of the US House of Representatives until his death. The Blaze explains: According to Roll Call, 50 members of Congress attended Lewis funeral, including: * Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)* Maryland House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)* House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.)* Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)* Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Despite having traveled to Georgia, which Bowser’s office has classified as a “high-risk area,” people in power do not have to self-quarantine upon reentry into the nation’s capital, Bowser’s office told JustTheNews. …

Are you ready for the 2020 COVID famine?

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It’s impossible to miss the virus pandemic that has spread around the world. I remember hearing the first rumours about a virus in China, in February of this year. Those rumours quickly became a fact and the disease spread to every place in the world. We all know this. Did you know this is qualifies as a biblical famine? Our reaction is now as dangerous as the disease. People will suffer from a virus infection, and some will die. Also, our social controls to resist the disease have disrupted the world economy. Now, more people will die from the remedy than from the disease. We are really hurting ourselves: READ: Coronavirus-linked malnutrition is killing 10,000 more children a month, UN warns When we think of a famine on a biblical scale, we always imagine a lack of food. That is partly true, but in ancient times, food was the economy. Everyone worked on a farm and lived by the food they produced, except for a few who lived in a village, close to the farm …

Another Study: Lockdowns failed to reduce deaths

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Another study confirms that if the dystopian lockdowns were intended to save lives, they failed miserably. The Heritage Foundation’s recent study of ten countries’ reaction to COVID reveals that though broad ranged lockdowns did not work, there were things that did reduce the virus death toll: Lockdowns that targeted those who were most vulnerable to the Coronavirus including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Quarantining those who were sick, not those who were healthy. LifeSite News reports on the study: In another instructive comparison, “South Korea permitted much of its economy to remain open, choosing instead to engage in aggressive testing and isolating the infected,” yielding “13,979 cases and 298 deaths (0.0272% and 0.000579% of its population, respectively” as of July 22. By contrast, “Italy pursued a strict lockdown policy,” and by the same date “had 245,590 cases and 35,097 deaths (0.406% and 0.058% of its population, respectively).” “Maintaining a strong economy and protecting public health are not mutually exclusive,” the authors conclude. “Focusing on hot spots, protecting the elderly and most vulnerable, …

Study: Lockdowns did not reduce death rates

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According to researchers from the University of Toronto and University of Texas, the lockdowns, that effectively destroyed a country’s economy, had no impact on the death rate from the Coronavirus. In other words, lockdowns did not work. The Daily Mail explains: Lockdowns have not had a big impact on coronavirus death rates around the world, scientists have claimed, and the health of nations beforehand was more important. Dozens of countries have been forced to tell people to stay home and close shops in a bid to stop the Covid-19 pandemic since it broke out in January. But now a study has claimed the drastic measures don’t even work. They found that whether a country was locked down or not was ‘not associated’ with death rate. The study pointed out that there were several factors that did affect death rates that basically revolved on how healthy people in the country were before the virus hit. This included the country’s obesity rates and the average age of its population. The Daily Mail notes: Which factors influenced death …

ICU death rates for Covid are significantly dropping

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According to an article published in the medical journal Anaesthesia, the death rates for people with Covid in hospital Emergency Care Units has significant dropped since the early days of the infection. The Blaze reports: The research, led by Professor Tim Cook of England’s Royal United Hospitals Bath, revealed that the overall mortality rate of coronavirus ICU patients fell from approximately 60 percent since the end of March to 42 percent by the end of May. The researchers attributed this in part to better care, as medical staff learned how to more effectively treat Coronavirus patients. READ: COVID-19 patients’ ICU death rates are quickly dropping: Study There may also be another explanation. In early June, a top Italian doctor, Dr. Matteo Bassetti, reported that, “the strength the virus had two months ago is not the same strength it has today.” READ: Coronavirus becoming much less lethal, virus is losing its ‘potency,’ top doctor reveals

Study: Isolation makes us more vulnerable to Covid

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A new study by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University says that the lockdown and isolation prescribed as the cure for the Coronavirus may instead be making us more vulnerable to the virus. The researchers state that studies have shown that stress make people more susceptible to the flu and other respiratory problem. Similarly, the stress associated with avoiding family and friends may be making us more vulnerable to Covid. Study Finds writes: In other words, the stress one battles from avoiding friends and family and staying home all the time is making them more susceptible to respiratory viruses. This phenomenon hasn’t been proved regarding COVID-19 specifically, but such a relationship has been seen with cold and flu viruses. “We know little about why some of the people exposed to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are more likely to develop the disease than others. However, our research on psychological factors that predict susceptibility to other respiratory viruses may provide clues to help identify factors that matter for COVID-19,” comments Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology at …

Three states account for 42% of Covid deaths in the U.S.

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According to an analysis by the Foundation for Economic Research, three US states, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey, account for 42% of the Coronavirus deaths in the United States. WND notes: The three account for nearly 56,000 of the nearly 133,000 deaths in the country, even though they represent just 10% of the population. And excluding the three states would put the U.S. on the low end of the per capita fatality rate among European nations. So, how did New York, Massachusetts and New York compare with other states? WND provides some statistics: As of July 7, deaths per million in New Jersey was 1,728.7, in New York 1,660 and in Massachusetts 1,189. However, Arizona’s count is 265, Florida’s 179 and Texas’ 94. READ: 3 states account for 42% of COVID-19 deaths Of course, we all remember New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s disastrous policy of sending people with COVID back to nursing homes. The elderly are the ones most vulnerable to the virus. The Associated Press initially reported that Cuomo had ordered nursing home …

Covid is 100s of times less deadly to those under 80

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A large study of those infected with Covid-19 in Britain reveals that people under the age of 80 are hundreds of times less likely to die of COVID-19 than those in the older (80+) age group. The study was published in the science magazine, Nature. The Daily Wire writes (note the last line): The study revealed a “jaw-dropping” connection between one’s chances of dying from the disease and their age, Goldacre said. People over age 80 are at least 20 times more likely to die from the disease than someone aged 50-59. The risk of dying from the coronavirus for adults under the age of 40 is close to zero. READ: Study: Coronavirus Hundreds of Times Less Deadly To Younger People Than Those Aged 80+ On related news, the UK is reporting that new cases of Covid-19 are dropping by up to 5% a day. And the death rate from COVID in the UK, with a population of 63 million, has been in a free fall since mid April: READ: Coronavirus R rate may be ABOVE …

Study: Hydroxychloroquine effective in fighting COVID

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A new study reveals that a common malaria and arthritis drug, hydroxychloroquine, is an effective tool in combating Covid-19. The study was undertaken by the Henry Ford Health System between March and May involving 2,541 patients. WND reports: While 26.4% of those who did not receive hydroxychloroquine died, only 13% of those who did get the drug died. The study was headlined, “Treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut death rate significantly in COVID-19 patients, Henry Ford Health System study shows.” The study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases said, “all patients in the study were 18 or over with a median age of 64 years; 51% were men and 56% African American.” The hospital attributed its high success rate to giving people the drug within 48 hours of admittance to their hospitals. Speaking on behalf of the hospital, Dr. Marcus Zervos said: “The findings have been highly analyzed and peer-reviewed.” “We attribute our findings that differ from other studies to early treatment, and part of a combination of interventions that were done in supportive care of patients, …

Study: 80 times more people had COVID than believed

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It is starting to get redundant. I recently reported on a study by CDC indicating that 10 times more people may have caught COVID-19 than previously thought. If this true, then according to the authors this means the death rate for the Coronavirus is significantly below 1% putting it into a ‘severe seasonal flu’ category. But now researchers at Penn State believe that it could be significantly higher, maybe closer to 80 times more. Study Finds reports: It’s already widely speculated by medical professionals and pundits alike that the initial U.S. coronavirus infection rate was grossly undercounted. Now, a new study concludes that the country’s infection rate early on may have been over 80 times greater than originally reported. Moreover, infections across the U.S. likely doubled almost twice as fast as initially estimated. How did this happen? In all likelihood there isn’t one main culprit, researchers believe. Instead, a combination of a lack of tests, asymptomatic carriers, and people not recognizing their own symptoms may be to blame. Now to be fair this is based on …

It is one spooky virus

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Some people who know a lot about viruses, in other words not WHO, had this to say about COVID: Most of us have already absorbed the idea that the coronavirus does some weird and sinister things to the human body that are unlike most other respiratory viruses known to man. But now a new study finds yet another unsettling thing that the virus appears to do to help spread from cell to cell. A new study by an international team led by UC San Francisco finds that cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 quickly begin to grow new arms or dendrites — referred to clinically as filopodia — which are themselves studded with fresh virus particles. These filopodia then seek to reach into and through the walls of neighboring cells, thereby infecting them. And this appears to be a second mode that the virus has for replicating and spreading itself in the body. […] Krogan says that while other viruses — including HIV and the family of viruses that cause smallpox — also use filopedia as mechanisms …

Is there an African cure for COVID 19?

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Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, and a large island near the east coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean. It is the home of exotic plants and animals, and most of the world has missed the news that it is the source of a drug to fight the COVID 19 coronavirus. The Artemisia plant, from Madagascar, is the source of medication to treat Malaria. SOURCE: Aremisia (genus) The President of the nation is now promoting Artemisia extract as a treatment for the COVID 19 virus, and it is being exported to Africa, where it is emerging as a preferred treatment. There are many personal testimonials, and researchers are investigating. I believe something out there will stop this virus pandemic, and the end may come quickly. God knows if a plant from Madagascar will make a difference. “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)

A song about the Coronavirus: Let’s hear every voice

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In the politics of this year, 2020, there seems to be a fierce fight for the real estate in front of the cameras. Radicals are burning things, and raging in the streets, and they get all the attention. Everyone has an opinion, but most voices will never be heard. That is strange because the radicals in the streets want some lives to matter; except for those lives that don’t matter to them. I am a Christian, but not a Roman Catholic, and my church does not have a statue of Jesus. Also, I confess that I listen to country music and nuns singing in a flower garden is just not my style. Their song is catchy, it will stay in your brain, and I agree with their message; we need to trust God. Also, if they sincerely believe in Jesus, they are my sisters. So, I recommend to you, some voices that you will not hear in the news. They are just not radical and violent enough. God bless them.

When Our ‘gods’ Fail

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I don’t like bad news, and I don’t like spreading it, but here is a problem. When the world locked down to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus spread, other things were ignored. The solution became a problem. In British Columbia, in Canada, overdoses from drugs rapidly increased, and many people died. Many more people died from drugs than from the virus. Illegal drugs are an old problem, but during the lock down attention went to a virus from China, and other things were ignored. When those dangerous things were ignored, they did not go away. READ: B.C. records highest ever number of opioid deaths in May The most dangerous drug is probably Fentanyl. This is a medication that can be made in a lab, without harvesting plants like cocaine or opium poppies. The labs can be close to us, so there is no need for smuggling routes around the world. We have probably all seen an episode of “Breaking Bad” where the lab was in a motor home. The problem with problems is that …

Italian government has recruited 60,000 snitches

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With several studies suggesting lock downs were ineffective or could have even made things worse, news the Italian government recruited 60,000 snitches to help enforce its lock down rules is interesting. Breitbart reports: The government is recruiting unemployed citizens, especially those who receive social security or unemployment income, as an extension of its uniformed security services during the second phase of the coronavirus lockdown, Italian media reported. The plainclothes informants have received instructions to watch for abuses of state-mandated safety norms and to report on violators. The new measure is meant to prevent citizens from being tempted to slack off in compliance with government norms just because no uniformed police are present, since anyone could be an informant. Most people don’t have to be told to call the police if they see someone seriously breaking the law or if they witness a car accident. They don’t need a snitch line. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to become an “official” snitch because that is clearly a step beyond. READ: Italian Government Recruits 60,000 Informants …

COVID isolation camps coming to Washington State?

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In an interview with New American magazine, Matt Shea, a Republican politician in Washington State, warned that Gov. Jay Inslee (D) is looking at setting up “isolation camps” for people who have the Coronavirus. He said though the government initially stated that the camps were voluntarily, but they are only voluntary in the sense that you agree to go when asked. If a person refuses, the state has the option of forcing a person to move to the camps. The World Net Daily reports: He [Matt Shea] explained that the tracers visit people who may have been infected and advise them they can isolate at a center to protect other members of their household. While the infected person may be asked to volunteer, the government makes it clear that people can be forcibly quarantined, Shea pointed out. He read a line from a form that local health officers are to present to someone who is infected. It says: “If you do not comply with this request for voluntary quarantine I may/will sign a detention order, enforced …

600 doctors say lockdown worse than the virus?

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According to a report on Fox News, over 600 doctors have sent a letter to US President Donald Trump encouraging him to end the lock down because of the damaging medical, social, mental and economic consequences that will potentially be far worse than the disease. In the letter, the group cited: The social fallout: “The millions of casualties of a continued shutdown will be hiding in plain sight, but they will be called alcoholism, homelessness, suicide, heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. In youths it will be called financial instability, unemployment, despair, drug addiction, unplanned pregnancies, poverty, and abuse. The medical fallout: “There are all these patients out there not showing up to emergency departments. The volume in the emergency department is incredibly low. Maybe 60 percent of what it usually is. And this is across the nation. Everybody’s had the same experience, excluding the New York metropolitan area. Actually, it’s quite empty. I got a letter just this last week that we are firing 50 percent of our technicians.”    “These include 150,000 Americans per month who would …