damont

(Originally posted to my GoFundMe earlier today, so I didn't bother to change the timestamp. 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.)

For the last September episode of "SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 related PSA / traditional weblogging combined with the usual begging post" I have links from all over. For those of you who follow me on GoFundMe or FB, you may have already seen this, but I'll repeat here that I'm taking a short break, which usually happens in late July and early August, but this year is unlike any other, so I'm taking the break now, and will be back the week of October 12-18. Let's close out September with a panoply of related topics.

From the WEAR YOUR %$#@! MASK ALREADY And Other Measures To Limit The Spread Of This Damn Virus Dept.:

The Most Likely Way You’ll Get Infected With Covid-19

How We Survive the Winter

From the Statistics Dept.:

What We Know About Coronavirus Cases in K-12 Schools So Far

The coronavirus is surging again

COVID Cases Rising 3.3 Times Faster In Hot Spot Areas Than Rest Of NYC

That last article (despite its poor wording in spots) points up two things. One, as I've been saying all along, the most relevant statistics are really more granular than the most common stories would have you think. State by state stats don't really tell nearly the whole story. Even county by county stats can only tell you so much, so DIG for more localized stats where you can. Two, the most effective cause of the virus spreading is PEOPLE ACTING STUPIDLY. Don't be one of them!

From the Science Dept.:

Hidden immune weakness found in 14% of gravely ill COVID-19 patients

Also from the Science Dept., here's a handful of links on the "Bradykinin hypothesis":

'Bradykinin hypothesis' may explain how COVID-19 attacks the human body

Is a Bradykinin Storm Brewing in COVID-19?

The 'Bradykinin Hypothesis' – How COVID-19 Enters The Body & Destroys It

Bradykinin Hypothesis of COVID-19 Offers Hope for Already-Approved Drugs

Researchers think they finally found the key to stopping the coronavirus

(Yeah, that last headline sounds pretty clickbait-y to me.)

From the Testing Dept. -- Millions of coronavirus tests may be happening without their results being made public:

The Fog of the Pandemic Is Returning

Totally UNsurprising news from the Testing Results Dept.:

Fewer than 10% in the US have antibodies to the novel coronavirus

And lastly, from the What Do We Do With A Vaccine Once We Have It Dept.:

Distributing the COVID Vaccine: The Greatest Logistics Challenge Ever

Okay, that was a veritable WALL OF LINKS there... it should provide enough reading to get you through my upcoming little break. That being said, it's time for the usual begging part of this post. You who have been reading these posts can predict 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. Some businesses were essential and never closed during the lockdowns. Others, after having opened back up, are now trying to stay open to what extent they can as we struggle through various phases of "reopening" including going back to more restrictions as needed. So please do what you can to help keep your local economy a little bit more afloat. Locally owned businesses are, and will continue to be, struggling to survive and 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 in person, continue social distancing. Act intelligently, because I know you can.

And now, for ourselves. Rent on the storage units is PAST due -- we got letters about that -- the medical bills aren't going away, and neither are any of the others. 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 over the last six months (for which A GREAT BIG THANK YOU) and lots of you just can't. For those of you who can, even a spare fin or saawbuck, 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. Whatever the local restrictions may be now where you are, 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. WEAR MASKS THAT COVER THE NOSE AND MOUTH and make sure you're actually COVERING both your nose and mouth with them. 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.