Monthly Archives: July 2020

COVID-19 Study Suggests Lasting Heart Damage Likely for Many

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Karen Veazey

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The Mighty•
Illustration of a neon purple coronavirus cell in the center of a heart outline
Illustration of a neon purple coronavirus cell in the center of a heart outline

A previously unknown threat from the coronavirus has come to light according to a study published Monday in the journal Cardiology. The virus can damage the heart muscle, researchers found, even when the case of COVID-19 was mild.

The study examined 100 patients who had recently recovered from COVID-19, 28 of whom required oxygen supplementation and two of whom were put on ventilators. There were preexisting conditions including high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes mixed into the group, but no previously known heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Of the group, 78 showed damage to the heart.

Given the pressing burden of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, as well as the initiation of longitudinal care models for those recovering from COVID-19, the concerns we are raising are not theoretical but instead practical and…

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Seattle PD search warrant recovers explosives, baseball bats reportedly handed out at protests

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 10 hours ago

One explosion blew a hole in the wall of a precinct, police said

By Stephanie Pagones | Fox News

https://static.foxnews.com/static/orion/html/video/iframe/vod.html?v=20200727220720#uid=fnc-embed-1

Elected officials pushing Seattle towards ‘lawless wasteland’: Solan

Mike Solan, Seattle Police Officers Guild, reacts to Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan claiming Trump sending in federal agents is a ‘dry run’ for martial law

Seattle police who executed a search warrant of a van abandoned near a series of weekend fires recovered pyrotechnics, weaponry and riot gear believed to have been used during demonstrations in the area, officials announced.https://3d58991a51101f01c4c3d89407f6fc83.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

During Saturday’s “large demonstration” in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood,  a crowd set construction trailers on fire, and damaged cars and businesses before making its way toward Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct, police said Wednesday evening.https://www.youtube.com/embed/undefined

But as the crowd headed toward the precinct shortly before 4:30 p.m., a van followed and parked in front of the police building. It was facing the wrong direction in a traffic lane, and later abandoned, officials said.

FEDERAL FORCES SENT TO SEATTLE HAVE ‘DEMOBILIZED’ AND ‘LEFT,’ MAYOR ANNOUNCES

“At about the same time explosions occurred outside the precinct,” the press release states. “Individuals in the crowd threw explosives at officers. One explosion occurred along the north wall of the precinct (on Pine Street), which blew a hole in the wall of the building.”https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1288626090823397376&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fus%2Fseattle-explosives-baseball-bats-reportedly-handed-out-at-protests&siteScreenName=foxnews&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

A witness told police people had surrounded the van earlier in the day, while its back doors were open, to show “improvised shields, gas masks, baseball bats and a large assortment of pyrotechnic explosives inside the van,” officials said.

SEATTLE RESIDENTS SLAM ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ AS ‘RADICAL EXPERIMENT’ DURING CITY BUDGET MEETING

After searching the vehicle, police said they found the following items inside, among others:https://3d58991a51101f01c4c3d89407f6fc83.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

  • firework pyrotechnics
  • improvised spike strips and nails
  • bear mace
  • gas masks
  • homemade shields
  • helmets, shin guards and additional types of body armor
  • nextImage 1 of 7Photo shows evidence recovered during Seattle Police Department search of van abandoned at demonstration on June 25, 2020 (Seattle Police Department).

On Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan told reporters police have “an obligation to disperse a crowd when dangers to public safety like explosives, fires, individuals intent on causing harm” are present, according to local affiliate Q13 Fox Seattle.

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“I think what we saw in our city last week in three separate protests, that there were individuals who were intent on causing harm. And the items seized from this van show exactly what they were planning, saw the results on our street,” Durkan reportedly said.

Police arrested at least 45 people as a result of Saturday’s demonstrations and 59 officers were hurt, KOMO News reported.

Seattle PD also released photographs and videos of the contraband, as well as the damage apparently caused by the explosive.

The department is still investigating its findings.

Brazil’s first lady tests positive for COVID-19

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BY MARINA PITOFSKY – 07/30/20 05:09 PM EDT 102
Brazil's first lady tests positive for COVID-19
© Getty Images

Brazilian first lady Michelle Bolsonaro has tested positive for COVID-19 weeks after her husband, President Jair Bolsonaro, announced he had done the same.

She is in “good health” and following established health protocols, according to a Wednesday statement. Michelle Bolsonaro is being monitored by a presidential medical team.

The president and first lady on Wednesday attended a public event in Brasilia, where she wore a face mask while delivering remarks about an initiative for women in rural areas and indigenous communities, NPR reported.

The news of Michelle Bolsonaro’s infection came on the same day that the country’s science and technology minister Marcos Pontes shared on Twitter that has also tested positive for coronavirus. Pontes is the fifth member of Bolsonaro’s Cabinet to contract the disease. 

Jair Bolsonaro said last week that he tested negative for coronavirus after…

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IF THE ICE CAPS MELTED, WOULD OUR WORLD REALLY LOOK LIKE WATERWORLD?

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Waterworld
Credit: Universal
Contributed by

Cassidy Ward

Jul 29, 2020

Years before Bear Grylls got meme’d for drinking his own urine, Kevin Costner did it aboard a trimaran as the nameless Mariner in 1995’s Waterworld. The film received mixed reviews and almost failed to recover its nearly $200 million budget (the largest of any movie ever made, at the time) at the box office.

Despite lackluster ticket sales, however, it found its place in the memories of moviegoers and is still remembered (and occasionally celebrated) 25 years later.

Perhaps that’s because it so perfectly encapsulates, like so much dirt in a jar, the time in which it was made. The ’90s were the peak of pop environmentalism, and Waterworld offered a possible vision of what might await us at the far end of climate change, when the ice caps have melted and the seas have claimed the Earth.

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Increasing Arctic freshwater is driven by climate change

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JULY 30, 2020

by Kelsey Simpkins, University of Colorado at Boulder

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-arctic-freshwater-driven-climate.html

Increasing Arctic freshwater is driven by climate change
Sea ice in the ocean in northern Baffin Bay in September 2008. Credit: Alex Jahn

New, first-of-its-kind research from CU Boulder shows that climate change is driving increasing amounts of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean. Within the next few decades, this will lead to increased freshwater moving into the North Atlantic Ocean, which could disrupt ocean currents and affect temperatures in northern Europe.

The paper, published July 27, 2020 in Geophysical Research Letters, examined the unexplained increase in Arctic freshwater over the past two decades and what these trends could mean for the future. 

“We hear a lot about changes in the Arctic with respect to temperature, how ecosystems and animals are going to be affected,” said Rory Laiho, co-author and PhD student in atmospheric and oceanic sciences. “But this particular study gives an added perspective on…

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World population in 2100 could be 2 billion below UN forecasts, study suggests

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Changes in population structure due to improving equality and ageing societies will pose policy dilemmas

Fiona Harvey

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An aerial view of Lagos Island, Nigeria
 In Nigeria, the working age population is forecast to increase from 86 million in 2017 to 460 million in 2100. Photograph: Oluwadamilola Ogunsina/Alamy

Global population growth may peak sooner than expected if the lot of women continues to improve, according to a study that says the world’s population could be 2 billion below UN forecasts by the end of the century.

Such a fall would remove some of the projected strain on natural resources but would present governments with stark policy choices over migration and the economy.

The world’s population will peak at 9.7 billion in 2064 and decline to 8.8 billion by the end of the century, according to research led by the University of Washington in the US and published in the Lancet.

It says some…

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Herman Cain Dies of COVID-19

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Herman Cain addresses the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., October 7, 2011.
Herman Cain addresses the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., October 7, 2011.
BROOKS KRAFT LLC / CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES
BY
Chris Walker,
Truthout
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https://truthout.org/articles/herman-cain-dies-of-covid-19/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=d90872dd-17f4-4098-9e5e-dd3fadeec862

Herman Cain, a pizza business magnate who unsuccessfully ran for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president, has died Thursday due to complications from coronavirus.

Cain had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 29. Just two days later, he was hospitalized after developing “serious” symptoms of the disease, according to a message that appeared on his Twitter account in early July.

“There is no way of knowing for sure how or where Mr. Cain contracted the coronavirus,” a statement on Cain’s website said about his hospitalization.

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Risk of coronavirus among pets remains low, health officials say

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A Humane WorldKitty Block’s Blog
July 30, 2020The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that so far fewer than two dozen companion animals have tested positive, with no infections reported among birds, reptiles and fish. Photo by iStock.comWe received the sad news today that Buddy, the first dog in the United States known to have contracted the novel coronavirus, passed away on July 11. We share in the grief Buddy’s family is no doubt feeling over the loss of their beloved companion during what already is an extremely stressful time. A human family member had also tested positive for the virus and is believed to have passed it on to Buddy.We are also mindful of the concerns of millions of pet owners who must be understandably worried, upon hearing this news, about keeping their pets and themselves safe during the pandemic. While there is still much to learn about the coronavirus, and its transmissibility between pets and people, experts believe that the risks are low.It’s important to note that the National Geographic article that broke the news revealed that Buddy’s bloodwork showed he had lymphoma, a type of cancer. “It’s unclear whether cancer made him more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus, or if the virus made him ill, or if it was just a case of coincidental timing,” the article reported.It is also important to remember that while there are now 17 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in humans worldwide, including more than 4.5 million people in the United States, there are just a handful of documented instances of companion animals contracting the disease. The U.S. Department of Agriculture keeps track of those numbers and so far fewer than two dozen companionanimals have tested positive, with no infections reported among birds, reptiles and fish.In late April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA announced the first confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in two pet cats in New York state. The cats had mild respiratory illness and were the first pets in the United States to test positive for the virus.The first case of the virus in a companion animal worldwide was recorded in February, when a dog in Hong Kong tested positive, most likely after contracting the virus from his owner. The 17-year-old dog later tested negative for the virus but died in July from other existing health issues, authorities believe.The CDC, USDA and the World Organization for Animal Health have issued advisories saying that at this time there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. It also appears to be the case that the virus cannot sustain itself in pet fur for very long, so the CDC and the veterinary community have taken the position that there is no evidence that a person could contract the coronavirus by touching a pet.  That said, we are closely monitoring the evidence with both animal welfare and the human-animal bond in mind. With Buddy and his family in our thoughts, I’d like to share some tips developed by the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) for keeping yourself and your pets safe during the pandemic:If you are confirmed to have COVID-19 (or if you are symptomatic or believe you may have been exposed) you should avoid contact with other people as well as with pets, and you should also avoid sharing any food.Have a plan in place for someone to help care for your pet(s) in the event you get sick or are hospitalized.If you must provide care for your pet or be around other animals while you are sick, wear a cloth face covering and wash your hands before and after you interact with them.    Do not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household. Keep cats indoors whenever possible to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people. Walk dogs on a leash, maintaining at least six feet (two meters) from other people and animals. Avoid dog parks or public places in which large number of people and dogs gather. Talk to your veterinarian if your pet gets sick or if you have any concerns about your pet’s health. Dr. Gail Hansen of HSVMA says it is critically important that pet owners keep matters in perspective and not make rash decisions concerning their pets. “All of the known cases in pets were in households with a person infected with COVID-19. The key point is that pets should be treated the same as any other family member,” she adds.That’s our view too. The welfare of companion animals in the midst of this pandemic is inextricably connected to our own. We’ll continue to deliver the message that people should exercise the greatest caution with their pets, and avoid unnecessary risks, while also reinforcing the widely shared sentiment that they depend upon our mercy and care, now more than ever.The post Risk of coronavirus among pets remains low, health officials say appeared first on A Humane World.Related StoriesMore than 100 dogs rescued from Korean dog meat farms arrive in the U.S. for adoptionMore than 100 dogs rescued from Korean dog meat farms arrive in the U.S. for adoption – EnclosurePup paralyzed after brutal beating demonstrates urgency for Iowa to make animal torture a felony

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Federal Agents in Portland to Leave the City, Oregon Governor Says

Federal police face off with protesters in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland on July 27, 2020, in Portland, Oregon.
Federal police face off with protesters in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland on July 27, 2020, in Portland, Oregon.
SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES
BY
Chris Walker,
Truthout
PUBLISHED

The federal agents who have wielded tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang devices against protesters nightly for the past two months in Portland, Oregon, will soon be leaving the city, according to an announcement from Gov. Kate Brown.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Donald Trump, responding to reports that negotiations on removing the federal officers had begun, insisted that those officers would remain in the city until the nightly demonstrations came to an end.

“You hear all sorts of reports about us leaving. We’re not leaving until they’ve secured their city,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

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