Mores +'s...

 

This article is similar to others I've seen lately.  It deals with a notable uptick in HIV cases in New York.  The researchers doubt it's due to an actual increase in cases existing.  They think it's due to an increase in testing.

3 factors are presented.  COVID knocked back access, availability & willingness to get tested.  Next, besides being more accessible, testing has improved.  Finally, some outreach programs in previously hesitant groups are starting to show some results.

This was a decent piece of the matter.  It wasn't necessarily that the cases weren't there before.  They just weren't getting diagnosed & counted.   Education, awareness & testing will always be as important as any other factor in the fight against HIV.

Take care.

Cya...

Most Down, Others Risk...

 

There've been a lot of generalized reports about HIV cases in the US being on the decline for the past decade.  I'm not interested in the specifics here, just the side notes.  They said too many people aren't on PrEP.  Maybe a lot of people can't be on the med.  Maybe they can't afford or tolerate it.  Is it possible they'd rather rely on a much more affordable & less risky condom?  The CDC sounds like an ad agency for PrEP.

The other point was that even though the overall numbers were down some at risk groups were still higher than average.  By at risk groups they referred mostly to Hispanics & Blacks.  For decades people have fought against HIV.  A lot of effort has been aimed at non-White communities.  What more can people reasonably do?  If these 2 groups don't wish to take care of themselves, what can be done about it.  Maybe educate others these groups are less apt to play safe.  Oops, that probably wouldn't go over well, even if it is fairly accurate.

Cya.

More Fallout...

 

US COVID numbers may be going down, but the virus is far from being under control.  There are parts of  the world, where the numbers are as high as they ever were.  Parts of Asia, especially China, are facing incredible levels of COVID due to the latest variant.    

Last March 4th, I got my 1st dose of Moderna's vaccine, a month later I got the 2nd, the booster came in December.  There may be a 4th dose, who knows?  They have numbers of those who were infected, who were hospitalized & those who died from COVID.  Those numbers are inaccurate.

There are people like me, who may have had an early, unidentified case of COVID.   It's known there were cases in my area when I was hospitalized with what they thought was pneumonia.  They never really knew what was wrong with me.

The numbers don't count all the people who died, because they couldn't get into COVID flooded hospitals.  Many died of normal health issues & trauma & they aren't counted in the COVID deaths.  A lot of people withered & died early due to lack of social contact, consider the housebound & rest home residents.   

Then there is the fallout of people not being able to  be tested/treated for HIV, TB, hepatitis, STI's, cancer, etc...  There has been a report of surges in alcohol/drug usage during the pandemic.  Not surprisingly, alcohol/drug related incidents, illnesses & deaths also jumped.  People with mental illness & the disabled have mostly been left to their own devices, which were limited to begin with. 

I didn't cite articles in this post.  Google an aspect of it & you find many pieces of each part.  Those affected by COVID, directly or not, have been severely underreported.  This wasn't out of malice,  but due to being overwhelmed, ill prepared & unaware of those in need outside the imminent presence of COVID.  COVID was a disaster in every way.   The fallout may never be completely understood or known.  It has happened, is happening & will continue long after this virus is contained.  

Sometimes an illness is more than just a diagnosis.  Disasters impact regions, not just the epicenter of  the event.  We have to accept that what affects part of the whole, eventually impacts the entirety of it all.  Until then, we will always wind up right back in the same place we are now.

Cya...

Numbers...

 

The numbers outside are scary. It'd be nice if people would just stop doing things to drive the COVID cases up by the 1,000's daily.  Those numbers are just in my state.   My stupidly, stubborn county is having 25 - 40+ new cases a day.

Erratic school practices, sports gatherings, church going, random public events & even voting have drove these numbers up.  Here comes the holidays.  I'm sure the cases will sky rocket.  It's not like they could be safe for a year so everyone they know would have a next year.  My final opinion on this is; if you're a competent adult & too stupid or belligerent to follow safety protocol then you deserve what comes your way.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Dump The Orange Menace...

I try not to get too political here.  However,  here we go.  Dump that asshat that got elected president.   He needs to go.

During the 1st of the year,  there were environmental protests.  He did nothing.  Then COVID started & has only worsened the matter with every step he's taken.  Then there were the anti-mask/distance people.  Now, we have more protests.  

COVID numbers were down.   Then protests kicked in & for the last several days our average new cases was over 200.  Oklahoma was under 700 active cases, now we have a 1,000 more.  Protesters & idiots spiked our numbers.

Any other president, even W., could've curbed these matters.  But, not this jackass, he fans the flames.   He's said if we stop testing, COVID numbers will go down.  He's certain a vaccine will be available soon.  He praised scientist for a non-existent n HIV vaccine.   Now he's planning a rally in my state that will only increase tensions & increase our COVID cases. This man is a dangerous buffoon.   Treat his presidency like a rabid dog & put it down. 

Summary... Stopping testing will not end COVID.  There might be a vaccine developed someday.  There is currently no vaccine for HIV.   Trump is an idiot, liar & is probably senile.  It's time for him to leave the building.

Cya...

Irritated...

Rant. 

This COVID crap should be mostly over.  We had our numbers way down.   The beginning of May was looking positive.  Then the idiots happened.   The started going out in droves.  The numbers jumped up to over a 100 a day. 

Then the protests came.   In 2 days, there have been 450 new cases in my state, not counting Arkansas,  20 miles away.   These people couldn't be safe or smart.  They drove the cases higher.  I wouldn't care if every protestor & idiot got COVID.  I care about who they're spreading it to that had nothing to do with their actions.   Protesting during a health crisis was STUPID!

I don't know when this will end.  I wish nothing good for those that started & ramped up this protest.  They stomped out there with no masks or safe distancing.  Let the chips fall.

Rant over.

Cya..

Testing Tells...

Since Wednesday, Oklahoma has seen a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases.  Some might say it's because the state loosened stay at home orders.  However, Wednesday was the 1st day the state opened coronavirus testing for anyone, not just those showing symptoms.    It's not surprising the numbers have jumped.

Just like with HIV, testing is everything.   There needs to be sound information for people to understand the risks.  There needs to be open, easily available testing & then treatment.   This is the only way this virus will be controlled.   

Inform, test, treat..., where have we heard that before?  Take care.

Cya...

OK, Back To Yuck...

For years some in the fight against HIV had, what I considered, unrealistic dreams.   They thought they could stop transmissions by 2020.   They thought they could get medications & medical services to everyone.   They really had their pie in the sky.    

They had a plan, it was bold.  What they didn't have was capital.  They thought people like USA would fork it over.   The US did quite a bit for a while, so did a host of other countries.   But that was all dependant on politics.  As those shifted to a more radically, conservative nature, those funds began to dry up.   Now, the US is cutting nearly everything it can concerning the fight against  HIV.

We could be at the beginning of a resurgence of HIV.   All due to bad economic choices, hateful conservatism, blame & bias.   The fight against HIV is returning to it's classist, stigmatized roots.  So much for those plans for 2020.  We'll  be lucky not to see numbers soar as the funds dwindle.

Cya..

PS - Whatever good sleep weather we had went back to whence it came last night.  Last night was rough & this morning is gloomy.  Yuck.

Labs, Calendars & Flighty People...

My labs are slowly showing up on the hospital portal.  The TB test hasn't come back yet.  I'll probably have to get a chest X-Ray.   The numbers looks good, but I'm still dealing with a lot of exhaustion & fatigue.  It may just be part of dealing with HIV & some meds.   For now, I'm alright with where I'm at.  My telemedicine appointment is next Wednesday the 21st.   It's on the calendar.

Speaking of calendars, they're awesome things.  They can keep track  of all sorts of things in you life, like appointments, anniversaries, events, etc.... But they only work if you actually use them.  You have to keep them updated & actually look at them quite frequently.   If not, a calendar will be of no use to you.   That will be on you, not the calendar.  It's just a handy tool, it can't do the job for you,

The mini-speech on calendars was due to a lot of people's inability to use them well.   My household's schedule is often being thrown into a bit of disarray by some outside person's inability to organize their life.   Let's get this straight, you're inability or refusal to get your life together, doesn't make your issue an emergency for me/us.  Learn the 5 P's, "Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance."  There are variations of that, but they get to the same point.  Get you sh*t together & stop making others clean up your mess.

Cya..

Shining A Light...

In the last few years there's been a hard push for more & more people to get tested for HIV.  Especially with the development of new, faster & less cost prohibitive testing methods.  Suddenly there seems to be this huge surge in the numbers of people living with HIV.  

For the most part, the number of + people hasn't altered, just those people's awareness of their status.   Some people are acting amazed & stunned.  This is ridiculous.  We've know for some time a large population of HIV + people had no idea they were infected.   

This isn't like being bitten by a zombie & having a sudden craving for brains. Until a person shows symptoms, without testing, no would no they were +.   Many times even when symptoms are present, the patient is diagnosed & treated for something else, like the flu.  The only way to know, is to be tested.

Yes, over the past decade & for years to come, a lot more cases of HIV are going to present themselves.  Some from new infections, but many from the newly diagnosed.  This is what's coming.  At least we have the testing & treatment methods we do.  If not, things could be a lot worse than they are now.

Cya...

Goodbye November...

That's it, it's a wrap & we're done with this month.  This month went by quickly.  It was rather pleasant.  Nothing, too terribly annoying happened.  That's eleven months down.  2013, all you have left is December & the holiday season.  I hope it goes as smoothly as November did. 

I do weird things with numbers sometimes.  It's a little numerological.  2013 translates as 2 + 0 + 1 +3 = 6.  6 is a double 3.  To me, 3's are trixie little numbers.  They look very sturdy & secure, but they're not.  They don't have the stability of a 4.  They're tripods & shaky. A 6 is just 2 shaky tripods.  You'd need a 9 to make 3's more stable.    3's are change numbers.  Put them with a 4 & you have 7, which is a good change number because it has some stability.  A 6 is just a double dose of change & we've had that this year.

Most the change we've undergone has been for the good. A lot of it has been by choice, which is even better. Sure, some of it wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't like some recent times when all the change was scary & nerve wracking.  

December is coming & it rounds out to another 3, even more change.  Maybe it'll count as the 3rd tripod & stabilize the whole thing out as the year winds down.  Now we head towards 2014, a year of 7's.  Enough with my number philosophy.

So long November, you were a good month,  until next year.  

Cya...