Alice's Restaurant, by Arlo Guthrie 1969

Alice's Restaurant. 1969

Why people with mental illness are at higher risk of COVID

"If an individual had a history of a mental disorder, they were more likely to get infected," says study author Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "And if they got infected, then they were more likely to have negative outcomes, such as hospitalization and death."

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/22/1057258797/why-people-with-mental-illness-are-at-higher-risk-of-covid

"Last year, researchers analyzed data from five hospitals in the Yale New Haven Health System to see how people with a mental health diagnosis who were hospitalized with COVID-19 fared compared to others.

"The risk of death from COVID-19 went up by 50% for those with a history of mental illness compared to those with no such history, says Li, who is now the Chief Medical Officer at the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD in Texas.

Despite high vax rates, Europe sees new highs in Covid cases

"Vaccinated, Recovered or Dead’: Europe Fights Covid Wave — and Itself"

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/world/europe/covid-europe-surge-protests.html

"Europe is again at the center of the pandemic, and amid vaccine resistance and protests, nations are imposing new rules and pressuring people to get inoculated."

"About 68 percent of Germans and 66 percent of Austrians have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and hospitals are mostly filled with those who have not been vaccinated at all. Early in the pandemic, scientists thought 70 to 80 percent vaccination might be enough for a population to reach “herd immunity.” But the virus is now so widespread, with new variants arising and some vaccinated people suffering “breakthrough” infections, that many experts say herd immunity is unattainable."

"Belgium is highly vaccinated, at 75 percent, but a rise in cases has caused the government to impose tighter restrictions, including more working from home and wider mandatory mask wearing. That prompted a protest in Brussels on Sunday of an estimated 35,000 people near the European Union headquarters. Some protesters threw stones and set fires, the police made more than 40 arrests, and three officers were hurt."

“Immunity will be reached,” Mr. Spahn said at a Berlin news conference. “The question is whether it’s via vaccination or infection, and we explicitly recommend the path via vaccination.”

The definition of 'fully vaccinated' is changing to three Covid-19 doses

The definition of 'fully vaccinated' is changing to three Covid-19 doses

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/17/world/coronavirus-newsletter-intl-17-11-21/index.html

"Waning vaccine immunity and rising infections due to the Delta variant has prompted wealthy nations to reconsider the definition of "fully vaccinated" -- which usually means two Covid-19 jabs.

"Other European nations are moving towards mandates on booster jabs. By December 15, anyone over the age of 65 will need a third dose to revalidate their vaccination pass in France, President Emmanuel Macron announced last week. In Austria, full vaccination status expires after nine months of the second dose, which in effect enforces booster doses. In Israel, unless you received your second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine within the last six months, you now need a third dose to become eligible for a green pass, which allows entry to gyms, restaurants and other venues.

"Global health experts fear reliance on boosters is affecting the supply of initial doses in low-income nations, where just 4.6% have received an injection. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was "a scandal" that six times more booster shots are being administered around the world daily than primary doses in low-income countries."

Qanon Shaman sentenced to 41 months

"Jan. 6 Defendant Known as QAnon Shaman Sentenced to 41 Months
Jacob Chansley, who wore a horned helmet and a fur pelt as he stormed onto the Senate floor during the Capitol riot, had earlier pleaded guilty to a single felony count.

"This circuslike atmosphere continued on Wednesday as scores of people attended a court hearing where Mr. Watkins asked Judge Lamberth to heal the country’s divisions by issuing a fair sentence. Mr. Watkins told the judge that he could “mete out justice and emphasize common ground upon which all of us can somehow bridge this great divide.”

"When Mr. Chansley addressed the court, he quoted Jesus, Gandhi and Justice Clarence Thomas. He went on to discuss his tattoos, his late grandfather’s role in his life and the prison movie “The Shawshank Redemption.”

"He also apologized for his role in attacking the Capitol, saying that in the days since, he has often looked into the mirror and told himself, “You really messed up, royally.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/us/politics/qanon-shaman-jan-6-sentenced.html