damont

(Originally posted to my GoFundMe, and backdated to the date of that original post. This is basically copied verbatim (modulo formatting), including the fundraising stuff at the end; I *was* posting to GoFundMe after all. Feel free to ignore those bits if you want. Link to the fundraiser will be provided in the comments and upon request.)

It's been a week since my last installment of "SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 related PSA / traditional weblogging combined with the usual begging post" so let's check in with Derek Lowe's posts in his blog for Science Transitional Medicine. Of the four posts this week, three are pandemic-related. The first of these discusses in what ways clinical trials of vaccines and treatments might not work out the way we hope.

What Might Go Wrong

Next, an update on one of the possible treatments:

Dexamethasone for Coronavirus Infection

And finally, a more general look at how the virus might change over time.

A Wide Look at Coronavirus Mutants

And now on to the usual begging stuff. Anyone who's been reading any of these non-photo posts in the past several weeks can guess what comes next: before and in addition to the usual plea for help for ourselves, I'm going to ask those of you who are able to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. Most states are now in various stages of reopening after the spring lockdowns, even if that might actually be premature from a public health standpoint. Nevertheless, as things start to open up again, help keep your local economy a little bit more afloat. Locally owned businesses are, and will continue to be, struggling to get back on their feet, so please patronize them as much as you can. BUY LOCAL. Please however, do so in a safe manner. Keep on wearing masks and other protective equipment when going shopping, continue social distancing. Act intelligently, because I know you can.

And now, for ourselves. It looks like I need to raise about $1200 in the coming week to deal with unavoidable bills while my paperwork is still stuck in bureaucrazy. And thus, because after so long we STILL can't afford shame, here's my shameless and desperate plea for help. Please PLEASE spread the word as much as you feel able; share this fundraiser on lots of social media, by email, even by writing the link on pieces of paper and passing them around. Encourage folks you know to donate and to spread the word themselves. I've long since estimated that I'll need about 1,000 different contributors to make the goal, so getting the word out is important. And IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, please donate! We know that some of you have done so in the past two months (for which A GREAT BIG THANK YOU) and lots of you just can't. But even a spare fin or sawbuck, if that's all you can afford, is appreciated. Every little bit helps. (Remember, NO FEELING GUILTY if you don't have the means to contribute, or enough spoons to spread the word as far as you'd like.) And as I also keep saying: unlikely as it may be in these times of pandemic-fueled recession, if you have any job leads for either of us, PLEASE contact us! Relocation is TOTALLY an option.

Again, if anyone here actually is in a position to help out, right now would be a truly awesome time to do so. If you can't, you can't; I understand that better than most... thanks in advance for whatever you are able to do. And remember to take care of yourselves, folks. As restrictions get relaxed, please practice the UTMOST caution: stay home as much as you can, go out to do what you must, and as I've been saying, keep tabs on the infection rate for your vicinity, not just your state/province/country. STAY SAFE. Wash your hands, keep hydrated, boost your immune system by whatever means works for you. Practice social distancing as much you realistically can. Keep in touch with your friends and loved ones from a safe distance. Tell them you care and that you're thinking of them. And as always, thank you for your continued support.