Friday, July 31, 2020

Covid-19 Infects Nuclear Plant Workers - Plan for Disruptions Now to Avoid Darkest Winter


Nuclear power plants at risk:
Hannah Baker (30 JUL 2020). Balfour Beatty confirms more workers test positive at Hinkley Point C supply site. BristoLive. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/balfour-beatty-confirms-more-workers-4380333


CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES must be bolstered and secured.

Worst case scenarios must be imagined and planned for as we potentially face the darkest winter.


Plan for “Darkest Winter” scenario - Dr. Rick Bright in testimony before House Energy and Commerce Committee, reported May 13, 2020.[i]


[i]              Ricardo Alonso Zaldivar Associated Press May 13, 2020Whistleblower: US could face virus rebound 'darkest winter’ Northwestern Georgia News. https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/associated_press/whistleblower-us-could-face-virus-rebound-darkest-winter/article_b3fb5e00-0933-5981-bdb5-8110fac1edcc.html

Covid-19: A Global Threat to the Nervous System



Direct excerpt:
Koralnik, I.J. and Tyler, K.L. (2020), COVID ‐19: A Global Threat to the Nervous System. Ann Neurol, 88: 1-11. doi:10.1002/ana.25807

ABSTRACT: In less than 6 months, the severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus type 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has spread worldwide infecting nearly 6 million people and killing over 350,000. 
Initially thought to be restricted to the respiratory system, we now understand that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) also involves multiple other organs, including the central and peripheral nervous system. 
The number of recognized neurologic manifestations of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is rapidly accumulating. These may result from a variety of mechanisms, including virus‐induced hyperinflammatory and hypercoagulable states, direct virus infection of the central nervous system (CNS), and postinfectious immune mediated processes. 
Example of COVID‐19 CNS disease include encephalopathy, encephalitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, meningitis, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, venous sinus thrombosis, and endothelialitis. In the peripheral nervous system, COVID‐19 is associated with dysfunction of smell and taste, muscle injury, the Guillain‐Barre syndrome, and its variants. 
Due to its worldwide distribution and multifactorial pathogenic mechanisms, COVID‐19 poses a global threat to the entire nervous system. Although our understanding of SARS‐CoV‐2 neuropathogenesis is still incomplete and our knowledge is evolving rapidly, we hope that this review will provide a useful framework and help neurologists in understanding the many neurologic facets....

Covid-19 is the unexpected crisis that is crowning the triple-crown of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the 2010 BP oil spill, and the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Each of these disasters wrecked social, economic and ecological lives and livelihoods.

Now we are vulnerable and exposed to the crowning, novel coronavirus crisis: SARS-CoV-2.

Existing infrastructural vulnerabilities - such as the hurricanes ripping up the southeast US - are going to be amplified as congregated workers get sick.

Seat belt on.


Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Post-Viral Syndrome - Covid-19 Sequela


Direct Excerpt:
Louise Hall (2020, July 28). Women who survived coronavirus angry after persistent symptoms dismissed as ‘anxiety’ by doctors. The Independent https://www.yahoo.com/news/women-survived-coronavirus-angry-persistent-224358983.html

Dr Anthony Fauci, recognised the possibility that the disease could cause “a post-viral syndrome” in a news conference. 

“If you look anecdotally, there is no question that there are a considerable number of individuals who have a post-viral syndrome that in many respects incapacitates them for weeks and weeks following so-called recovery,” Dr Fauci said.
“So this is something we really need to seriously look at because it very well might be a post-viral syndrome associated with Covid-19,” he added.

And more support for this post-viral syndrome:
Perrin, R., Riste, L., Hann, M., Walther, A., Mukherjee, A., & Heald, A. (2020). Into the looking glass: Post-viral syndrome post COVID-19. Medical Hypotheses, 144, 110055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110055 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7320866/pdf/main.pdf

Friday, July 24, 2020

Curtain Drawing Between China and the US



Yesterday I linked an article to an interview with a Hong Kong virologist, who defected to the US and is now working with US intelligence agencies:
Barnini Chakraborty, Alex Diaz (2020, July 10). Chinese virologist accuses Beijing of coronavirus cover-up, flees Hong Kong: 'I know how they treat whistleblowers.’ Fox News.https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinese-virologist-coronavirus-cover-up-flee-hong-kong-whistleblower
She claims that China and WHO health officials suppressed information that would have helped stop spread of virus.

Examples of her scholarship include:
Sia, S.F., Yan, L., Chin, A.W.H. et al. Pathogenesis and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in golden hamsters. Nature (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2342-5
Li-Meng Yan

Yang Liu, Li-Meng Yan, Lagen Wan, Tian-Xin Xiang, Aiping Le, Jia-Ming Liu (2020) Viral dynamics in mild and severe cases of COVID-19Correspondence| Volume 20, ISSUE 6, P656-657, June 01, 2020 et al. :https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30232-2
Although Dr.  Ming-Li Yuan seems very sincere and authentic, I have no way of assessing the validity of her claims made in the interview segment released, which does not yield new understanding, but rather suggests she may have been an early undetected whistleblower sharing information about transmission.

The interview was with Fox, which has taken a more hawk-like approach to China. I am eagerly awaiting release of more segments of this interview.

Meanwhile in China, The South China Morning Post is reporting that there has been a mass resignation of researchers from China's Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST):
Viola Zhou (22 Jul, 2020). Vice-premier demands answers on brain drain from Chinese nuclear institute after over 90 researchers quit. South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3094285/vice-premier-demands-answers-brain-drain-chinese-nuclear

...China’s Vice-Premier Liu He is demanding an investigation into the exodus of scientists at a key state-run nuclear energy research institute.

Liu, a top leader in charge of China’s economic and trade policies, has ordered a special team to be sent to the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science to look into the mass resignation of researchers.

Chinese media have reported that more than 90 researchers, most of them PhD holders, had recently resigned from the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST) in the eastern city of Hefei....
The reason given for mass resignation was control over offices.

Scientists fleeing and resigning, consulates closing, sabres rattling....