'Western Monarch Day'

Western Monarch Day on February 5 is transporting us — via the flutter of brightly colored wings — into another, more beautiful plane. This day was established to celebrate the Monarch butterfly’s epic, almost-3000-mile-long return back to California from all over the western U.S., as a part of their seasonal migration.

A huge tourist draw, butterfly migration season sees countless visitors make their way to parks and areas where these winged insects collect.

The creature is never limited to one place, but this day is specifically about their return to the California coast. It is crucial that they return, as the monarch butterfly is terrifyingly decreasing in number.

Read more here. . . .

TOP PODCAST DONE WEEKLY

BY DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM

(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)  

He is a world-renowned epidemiologist who was credited with first elucidating TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME in the 1980’s.

He provides comprehensive and understandable/actionable ideas related to COVID.

Dr. Osterholm Update: COVID-19

January 26, 2023

(Same podcast is last week's.... New Episode coming soon!)

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/episode-123-nowhere-land

(Same Podcast as last week's......New one next week!)



"Nowhere Land"

In "Nowhere Land," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the state of the pandemic in the U.S. and around the world, the latest data on the XBB.1.5 subvariant, and a measles outbreak in Ohio. Dr. Osterholm also answers a COVID query about COVID deaths, provides an update on influenza and RSV, and comments on the new strain of antibiotic resistant gonorrhea that was recently detected in Massachusetts.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

• CHINA IS BEING DEVASTATED BY COVID RIGHT NOW. NEW VARIANTS WILL LIKELY ARISE AND CIRCLE BACK TO THE USA. BOOSTING REMAINS THE BEST APPROACH + MASKING.
• GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION
• VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION.  ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT THE J&J VACCINE IS PICKING UP STEAM AND GIVES SOLID LONG-TERM PROTECTION.
• BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.
• ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON THIS TEST IF YOU HAVE CLASSIC COVID SYMPTOMS.
• MASKS OF THE KN95 AND N95 VARIETY CAN BE HELPFUL. CLOTH MASKS AND SURGICAL MASKS ARE CURRENTLY NOT AS EFFECTIVE WITH DELTA VARIANT 
• THE THREE/FOUR/FIVE VACCINE REGIMEN IS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST SERIOUS ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION. DEATHS AMONG THE VACCINATED ARE MASSIVELY REDUCED.
• GET YOUR BOOSTERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection.  Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

After you received your COVID vaccinations, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



BUT FIRST.......

PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION ON THE CARD BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO US!

What we need:

1. Your name
2. Date vaccination received
3. Brand name
4. Lot number if available
5. Which dose you have received

**Email your COVID vaccine completed info HERE

President Joe Biden intends to end the Covid-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, the White House said Monday. That means that many Americans could have to start paying for Covid-19 testing and treatment after the declarations cease.

The White House, in a statement of administration policy announcing opposition to two House Republican measures to end the emergencies, said the national emergency and public health emergency authorities declared in response to the pandemic would each be extended one final time to May 11.

“This wind down would align with the Administration’s previous commitments to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to termination of the (public health emergency),” the statement said.

Read more here. . . .

At our office, we are continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will strive for ways to keep our patients and staff safe.



We recommend that all unvaccinated and vaccinated patients and visitors entering our office cover their nose and mouth at all times.

To prevent further spread of the Delta & Omicron variants, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on March 21, 2022, to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of Covid-19.

We have a limited supply of paper masks and will make these available to patients while they last, however, we encourage you to bring your own facial covering.

The Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn emergency use authorization for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 antibody cocktail Evusheld as the treatment is not expected to neutralize the currently dominant XBB.1.5 subvariant of omicron.

The FDA had limited Evusheld’s use earlier this month for the same reason and the agency’s Thursday announcement sent U.S. shares of London-based AstraZeneca down 1.31% to $65.75.

Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 has been spreading rapidly in the country since December and it made up nearly half of all U.S. Covid cases last week, according to government data.

The FDA’s decision resonates with concerns raised by the European health regulator about the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies such as Evusheld against newer variants.

AstraZeneca said it was informed that the agency will decide about reinstating authorization of Evusheld if the prevalence of resistant variants in the United States decreases to 90% or less on a sustained basis.

Read more here. . . .

The Butterfly Movie/Flutter Serenade

Complete Video. . . . . Enjoy!

Stay Safe!