COVID 19 Technical Discussion by a Lung Doctor - Dr Mike Hansen

I don't own the copyright to this video. I am just sharing it for information purposes in the light of this global pandemic where there is no short term solution. 

The short summary is this ; the virus respects no one. However, there are some advantages 

a) Esterogen plays a part in inhibiting some of the effects of the disease. Women seem less likely to fall seriously ill or even ill at all. Males are worse hit.

b) Age and underlying symptoms do affect the severity of the disease 

c) Coronary Heart disease whereby there are calcification of the arteries can accentuate the disease especially when it causes a cytokine storm.

d) Cytokine storm is when the body's immune system goes into overdrive, and the white blood cells create so much more bad than good. No one at this juncture knows why this is so and who has overreacting immune systems.

e) There are many 'tools' to combat this, and tweaking the ventilators as well as the right dosages of medicines at critical times can and do mitigate the disease.

  

The Good Aspect of COVID - 19 Pandemic

Yes, I am not crazy. Yes, like billions of others I am also at home, trying my hardest to make sense and social distance during this semi-lockdown period.

The damage done by the COVID-19 is far from over, USA has over 20,000 deaths, with Italy and Spain not far off.  People are losing loved ones, young and especially old to this horrible pandemic, families are heatbroken,hospital systems are overworked, nurses, healthcare providers and doctors are overwhelmed by the sheer scale and rapidity of its impact.

I am truly saddened and horrified at its force in bringing so many countries, especially in Western and Eastern Europe to their knees economically. S.E.Asia is also badly hit too.

In time, if not now, there is also the social, psychological, economic and political impact to each and every country which will take years to repair. 

Indeed we will rise above this. The collective human will is much stronger than this. I am sure of it. 

This virus is a bitch. 

The best case scenario for an effective vaccine is September, and I estimate only before end of this year, we will get the vaccine. I fear for the lesser off countries and the world is bracing for further mutations and what we need to do COLLECTIVELY to mitigate it and stamp it out TOGETHER. 

If we remain diivided and continue to finger point, I think, this will be with us for a LONG TIME.

Having given a short preamble of this horrible pandemic, what are the good aspects or signs 'green shoots' which can be made out from all this chaos ?

1. Nature is fighting back against human economic development. Industrialising countries in lockdown and staying at home have led to clear blue skies, fresh air never seen before in decades.

2. Birds, and animals are reclaiming their lost territories. I wake up and for the first time hear the birds merrily chirping in the bamboo or frangipani tress in my small garden.

3. Families are eating together, making small talk, re-establishing lost ties through the simplest of things. I am making plans with my elder son to play chess together, something which we never in our wildest dreams thought this would happen in our daily busy lives.

4. People have plenty of time for self reflection. This is the best time to sit back and think where I am in life. What can be improved, whose friendships I really treasure and those who don't matter. 

5. The humane spirit is alive and strong. I have personally sent masks to 5 different groups of people affected by this and contribute financially (cash gifts) to the less well off through charities.

6.I'm having lots of sleep, I eat a lot more fruits, dine at home 3 times a day, and reduced my snacking (chips et al) down to a minimum. I exercise everyday at home in my small attic room, with phone apps like losing belly fat in 30 days (using High Impact Intensity Training), doing the various karate katas. I am hopeless at getting a 6 pack, so a more gentle goal like losing belly fat seems more achievable to me. 

The body has never felt better. 

Keep healthy and well. 

Wear a Mask when going out. Wash our Hands ever so often.

Don't touch our faces when outside, or before washing.

Stay 2 meters apart. 

Stay Alive. 

Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan

Adele Surprises the Other Adeles - Graham Norton

Lovely surprise  from the real Adele and how she surprised the other ladies who were casting to be like her on the Graham Norton Show 

Antibes ; Fishing Village Southwest of Nice en route to Canne

Antibes Juan le Pins

This was the short day trip we took from Nice, to Antibes, Eze, Cannes and back. 3rd December 2018.

Antibes is a beautiful fishing village located roughly 20 minutes by car South West from Nice. There is Picasso museum located there, unfortunately it was closed on the Monday we were there.

Antibes Harbour 

Its picturesque settings and white sea walls make for plenty of pretty pictures. I would highly recommend a stop over when you are ever in Cannes or Nice. There should be some very nice seafood restaurants in the village however we were on a day tour hence did not bother to search for any. 

Rolling Stones - Too Cool for School

This song is so cool, a classic from the Tattoo You album which was one of my favourites in the early 80's. 

There's Jagger, hamming it up for the cameras, a bottle of Jack Daniel's whisky on the piano, followed by his horrible dancing with Keith Richards. Charlie Watts the drummer looks like he is high on LSD or weed, Only Ronnie Wood is actually playing his bass guitar.

The whole video looks like a skit from Monthy Python, but that is the Stones 'devil may care, we don't give a sxxt' attitude which made them multi-millionaires and epitomised their sex, drugs and rock and roll subculture so prevalent in the 60s till the late 70s. 

The 80s was the years of Michael Jackson and his Thriller album. Really, if it comes to choosing, Stones and David Bowie will always be my top 2 acts of my younger days. Queen would probably be in third place.  

Heroes - David Bowie Live

I absolutely love this song by David Bowie. He sadly had passed on in 2017 at the still very young age of 69. All the cool dudes, George Best, John Lennon, Bruce Lee, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Goo Hara, Jimi Hendrix, River Phoenix, Leslie Cheung, Brandon Lee amongst others died before their time.

The heroes of today are the extra- ordinary workers in the new 'front lines' of the COVID - 19 pandemic, the bus drivers, the delivery people, the medical nurses, receptionists, doctors, the contact tracers, the SAF personnel checking on the sick and those in quarantine. The scientists racing against time for a vaccine and even an antibody test. 

Time is of the essence. 

A big Salute to them now. For they make our world safer. Every day counts. There is no time to waste.