https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

This is really great stuff. 1st videos are available immediately upon brief sign up.

Don't let shitstain get you down!

https://crimereads.com/the-best-reviewed-crime-and-mystery-fiction-of-2020/

Enjoy!

It is Maryann. Another exceptional reading!

Merry Christmas, All, or whatever you may celebrate.

https://www.localmemphis.com/mobile/article/news/health/coronavirus/cvs-to-start-its-covid-19-vaccination-program-for-long-term-care-facilities/51-27fdd459-4326-4487-bf7c-51dacecf5540

CVS has launched its COVID-19 vaccination program for long-term care facilities, whose residents have been disproportionality impacted by the pandemic.

CVS Pharmacy teams will administer the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in facilities across 12 states this week, and the company expects to vaccinate up to four million residents and staff at over 40,000 long-term care facilities through the program.

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CVS will administer COVID-19 vaccinations starting this week in: Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Vermont.

Vaccinations will begin in 36 more states, as well as the District of Columbia, on December 28.

More at link. They are entrusting these vaccines to CVS?

https://www.localmemphis.com/mobile/article/news/health/coronavirus/lyft-offering-60-million-free-discounted-rides-to-get-covid-19-vaccine/507-af3c56ae-6f64-4fa0-a90c-c3c2d9835bce

Author: TEGNA
Published: 12:45 PM CST December 22, 2020
Updated: 12:45 PM CST December 22, 2020

WASHINGTON — Lyft said it would offer 60 million free or discounted rides to people who are looking to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The offer is to help get low-income, uninsured, and at-risk communities to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites, who might not have access to transportation.

The ridesharing company said Tuesday it has partnered with JPMorgan Chase, Anthem Inc., Epic, Centene Corporation, Modern Health, One Medical, the National Hispanic Council on Aging, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, the National Urban League, the National Action Network, United Way and others to help with the efforts in the coming weeks.

“Making sure people can get to vaccination sites when they need to is mission critical to beating this virus,” Lyft Co-Founder and President, John Zimmer said in a statement. “This is an opportunity to use our collective strength to mobilize on a massive scale and serve our communities. We cannot let lack of transportation be a factor in determining whether people have access to healthcare.”

A bit more at link, including a statement that Uber has promised 10 million free rides to & from vaccine sites.

https://www.livescience.com/allergies-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine.html

Public health officials are investigating the cause of several severe allergic reactions that were reported among hundreds of thousands of people vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine last week.

As of Friday (Dec. 18), six people who received the jab in the U.S. developed anaphylaxis, or a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening if left untreated, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of those patients had previously developed anaphylaxis after receiving a rabies vaccination, but it's not clear if the other participants also had a prior history of severe allergies.

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But are these events truly allergic reactions to the vaccine and if so, what is causing them? One possibility is a chemical commonly used in laxatives that is in both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But it's also possible that some of the cases are not true allergic reactions at all, one expert told Live Science. And in either case, the reactions are very rare.

It's he leading culprit because the rest of the ingredients in Pfizer's vaccine are "lipids and salts and sugar and things that are unlikely allergens," said Dr. Purvi Parikh, allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health, who was not involved in the vaccine's development. PEG is found in many medications, such as those that treat constipation, but allergy to it is rare, Parikh said.

More at link, including Pfizer vax ingredients for those with allergies.

https://www.fool.com/amp/investing/2020/12/22/if-you-invested-10000-in-modernas-ipo-this-is-how/

You can't turn back the hands of time, but it would be pretty cool if you could.

Anyone who has paid attention to the news this year has no doubt heard quite a bit about Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA). The biotech became the center of attention earlier this year with its experimental COVID-19 vaccine based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Its stock has risen tremendously as a result of all of this attention.

Investors who bought Moderna at its initial public offering (IPO) in late 2018 and held the stock have made a fortune. Imagine that you could somehow go back in time and scoop up shares of the biotech stock two years ago. If you'd invested $10,000 in Moderna's IPO, this is how much money you'd have now.

Counting the cash
Moderna announced an IPO price of $23 per share on Dec. 6, 2018. The next day, the company's shares began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Was Moderna's IPO a success? You bet. In fact, it became the biggest biotech IPO in history.

Much more at link. Someone had posted that Kushner has an interest in this stock, so I thought I'd share. Is this profit tied to withholding Pfizer's vax doses? Guessing so.

https://scitechdaily.com/mini-antibodies-produced-by-a-llama-and-isolated-by-neuroscientists-could-prevent-covid-19-infection/

By NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE DECEMBER 22, 2020

NIH scientists showed that nanobodies isolated from a llama may prevent COVID-19 infections. Infections happen when SARS-CoV-2 virus spike proteins (yellow) latch onto ACE2 receptors (blue) that line the outside of a cell. The NIH nanobodies (grey) may prevent infections by covering spike proteins, which blocks binding to the ACE2 receptor. Credit: Courtesy of Brody lab, NIH/NINDS

Preliminary results suggest anti-COVID19 nanobodies may be effective at preventing and diagnosing infections.

National Institutes of Health researchers have isolated a set of promising, tiny antibodies, or “nanobodies,” against SARS-CoV-2 that were produced by a llama named Cormac. Preliminary results published in Scientific Reports suggest that at least one of these nanobodies, called NIH-CoVnb-112, could prevent infections and detect virus particles by grabbing hold of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. In addition, the nanobody appeared to work equally well in either liquid or aerosol form, suggesting it could remain effective after inhalation. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

Much more at link. Hats off to Mother Nature and these exceptionally brilliant scientists!

https://dailymemphian.com/article/18832/covid-update-dec-20

The Shelby County Health Department reported 510 new cases on Sunday, Dec. 20, for a total of 60,651 cases since early March.

The new data comes from a reported 1,805 tests bringing the daily positivity rate of about 28.3%.

The Health Department reported six new deaths, and 810 people have died in Shelby County from the virus. An estimated 53,669 people have recovered.

More at link. This is ridiculous!

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/suburban-hospital-suspends-covid-19-vaccinations-after-adverse-reactions/2398756/

A suburban hospital temporarily suspended coronavirus vaccinations Friday after four team members experienced adverse reactions.

Since Thursday, Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville said four people who received the COVID-19 vaccine experienced tingling and elevated heartrate shortly after the injection.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily pausing vaccinations at Condell, which will allow us time to better understand what may have caused these reactions," the health center said in a statement.

Advocate Aurora Health reminded that the four people who experienced the adverse reactions account for fewer than 0.15% of the approximately 3,000 individuals who have so far received vaccinations throughout their health system.

A bit more at link. 3 of the 4 are home recuperating & the other person is "receiving treatment."