Monday, July 19, 2021
How to stay safe as covid-19 cases from the delta variant are on the rise
By Kim Bellware
The United States is at an unprecedented juncture of the pandemic, where just under half the population is fully vaccinated, health and safety restrictions are looser than they have been in 18 months, and cases of new coronavirus infections are once again on the rise after months of decline. “The pandemic is not over, and delta changes the calculus,” Joel Wertheim, an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California at San Diego, told The Washington Post. As the delta variant spreads, the messaging from public health experts and officials is unequivocal: Vaccines are the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization. More than 97 percent of new hospitalizations from the delta variant are from people who are unvaccinated, making what Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calls “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” In this summer of covid freedom, disease experts warn: ‘The world needs a reality check’ Health experts said even though the delta variant is more infectious than the original strain that first took hold in the United States last year, precautions can help both vaccinated and unvaccinated people limit their risk.Los Angeles County recently decided to reinstate indoor mask rules — regardless of a person’s vaccination status — on account of rising coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. Some other cities have also begun urging the vaccinated to wear masks inside again. Here’s what to know: If I’m fully vaccinated, do I need to wear a mask indoors? The CDC announced in the spring that people who are fully vaccinated can go without masks in most indoor settings, except when required by certain federal, state and local guidelines. Several health experts who spoke to The Washington Post said the CDC mask guidance is insufficient.Emily Landon, chief infectious-disease epidemiologist at University of Chicago Medicine, said the CDC should have included parameters on the mask rules, such as establishing a threshold allowing unvaccinated people to go without masks only if a certain percent of the population is inoculated. “I think the CDC in May made a mistake,” Landon said. “They made a recommendation based on biological science, but not any social science. Unfortunately, the policy of letting people self-sort into vaccinated and unvaccinated resulted in a sort of behavioral science problem.” Several experts consulted by The Post said it is safe for fully vaccinated people to spend time indoors with others who are fully vaccinated. The shots have proved widely effective, even in crowded indoor settings. But they said it is nonetheless a smart practice to continue wearing masks in environments where there might be people who are not inoculated. Masks can help prevent the wearer from getting covid-19, and also protect those who haven’t gotten the shot and could be at risk of complications if they get sick. Though “breakthrough infections” are rare among the fully vaccinated, some, mostly mild, cases have been reported. Experts say it is smart to try to avoid getting even a mild case of the virus. “If you yourself have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks and if people you are spending time with have been fully vaccinated for a least two weeks, you can feel relatively safe about not having to mask indoors,” said Betty Jean “BJ” Ezell, who serves as a vaccine hesitancy outreach coordinator for Citrus County, Fla. Is attending a big outdoor gathering such as a wedding or a concert high-risk? On the spectrum of risk, an outdoor setting for fully vaccinated, masked and socially distanced people is the safest — but maybe not an ideal party situation. Ezell said it’s a good idea to mask up or socially distance if you’re at a large gathering outdoors and don’t know whether the people around you are vaccinated as “the delta variant has shown that it’s rampant and unforgiving in its ability to spread.” “When you talk about outdoor weddings and parks, I think physical distancing is still a good thing because an infected person may be asymptomatic,” Ezell said. While the outdoors is generally less risky for coronavirus transmission because of ventilation, Yonatan Grad, an associate professor at the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said to stay aware of your exposure to other people, noting that an experimental outdoor music festival in the Netherlands in early July has since been linked to nearly 1,000 new infections. Grad encouraged people to look at risk not just through a binary lens of “safe” or “unsafe.” Other factors such as the rates of infection and vaccination in a given area are key. Going to a party in a community with rising covid-19 cases and lackluster inoculation numbers, for example, could be riskier than attending one in an area with a strong vaccination rate. “'Safe' can imply that you’re totally protected,” he said. “The goal for many people is to be at the lowest risk possible.” I’ve had only my first dose of the vaccine. Do I have enough protection from the delta variant? “The data from the U.K. suggest that the protection from a single dose of the vaccine is low for the delta variant,” Grad said. “There’s a big jump in the level of protection with the second dose for the delta variant specifically.” Wertheim agreed. “We have this large swath of America that has only gotten one dose, and if we could only get them to get a second shot, I think that’s a group where we could make a big difference,” he said. “If you’ve been slow about getting a second dose, now is the time.” Wertheim said people should get their second dose even if they’ve had an extended interval since their first shot. “There’s no evidence to suggest that waiting longer [to get the second dose] is worse.” My children aren’t old enough to get a vaccine. How can I protect them? Even though children tend to have milder cases of covid-19, Landon said infections in children are following the trend lines in delta variant hot spots: States with large outbreaks are seeing more children with infections. “I understand that it’s really enticing to think of covid as just another cold, but it’s not,” Landon said of the typically milder infections in children. “It’s always best to avoid getting sick at all.” For children who aren’t old enough to get a vaccine, Landon said adults and older siblings can reduce the risk to these children by avoiding crowded indoor settings and wearing a mask inside. Experts also advise common-sense precautions to prevent all respiratory illnesses. “We still pay attention to hand-washing — sing that ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice — we still pay attention to masking and the fit of the mask,” Ezell said. However, the intensive surface cleaning that people engaged in early in the pandemic is no longer considered necessary. Can I resume working out at the gym if I’m vaccinated? “I wish there were hard numbers we could give for all of these variations to questions about risk,” Grad said. “But it’s a question of what risk you want to tolerate.”Getting as much ventilation as possible in an indoor setting like a gym, where people may be breathing heavily, is one important way to reduce risk.“If we knew the vaccination status of all the people in the gym, we could have a greater level of comfort,” Grad added. “If we don’t, we might want to be masking — think the same kinds of precautions we have in an airport.” Landon of the University of Chicago said since the chance of catching covid-19 increases with the amount of close contact to infected individuals, even healthy people who are vaccinated run a risk — albeit a low one — when they voluntarily increase their exposure. “The amount of breathing you do matters — that’s why gyms are kind of risky,” Landon said. “The amount of distance and ventilation reduces your risks, so better if your gym is ventilated and you can get some space between treadmills.”
How do I talk to loved ones who are still hesitant about the vaccine?Ezell, the vaccine hesitancy outreach coordinator in Florida, said when it comes to meeting vaccine skeptics, she follows the advice of her pastor: You gain people’s confidence not by “beating them over the head” but by planting a seed. Give someone factual information to get them started, Ezell said, and the next person who comes along follows up by “watering,” increasing the number of times trusted voices have shared sound information.“I think it’s especially important when you’re having these conversations to present with what I call an active listening voice,” Ezell said. “Ask people in particular what their objections are, and don’t interrupt them; let them finish. Then give them the facts in a very calm manner.” If cases continue to rise with the delta variant, will restrictions return? No health expert can predict the future, but most who spoke to The Post were skeptical that there would be a return to widespread restrictions such as stay-at-home orders and shuttered businesses like those in 2020.Some restrictions such as indoor mask rules could return, as seen in Los Angeles County, though Landon and other experts said they are likely to be hyperlocal and responsive to infection and hospitalization rates in a specific area. Landon likened state-imposed measures — such as masking rules - to waging a fight with small children. “It’s like being exhausted and telling your kids, ‘Fine, you can have ice cream for dinner,‘ ” she said. “You don’t have the will to say ‘no’ anymore.“The bottom line, we should have mask mandates indoors,” she said. “In public buildings, there’s no reason we’re not mandating masks. But will we go back to that? I doubt it. Now I think it will be really hard to go back to those restrictions.” Ezell agreed. “The horse has left the barn on relaxing restrictions, so it’s going to be really important that there are perhaps more public service announcements, group meetings, more getting trusted voices involved in communicating information from reliable sources,” she said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/17/delta-cases-rising/
#Pakistan #PPP - Mysterious death of Shahnawaz Bhutto
BY HIRA MIRZA
@MirzaaHira
Shahnwaz Bhutto died mysteriously 31 years ago on July 18, 1985. He was spending holidays with all his family members in the south of France. They were up late night and having a nice family time. Next morning, his wife Rehana informed Begum Nusrat Bhutto that Shahnawaz was dead. The French police detained Rehana on charges of not helping her dying husband, according to French law. After six months of detention, she was released and she moved to California, USA. There were stories that some important authorities played a role in her release. There were also rumours that since she moved to California, she had been living a comfortable life. The sudden death of Shahnawaz was a great shock for the Bhutto family. Mir Murtaza Bhutto immediately divorced his wife Fouzia on suspicion that her sister Rehana had a hand in his brother’s death. Shahnawaz and Murtaza had married two Afghan sisters. Shahnawaz’ death was the greatest shock to Begum Nusrat Bhutto and also to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Begum Nusrat Bhutto loved him so much that it became unbearable for her to cope with this tragedy.Shahnawaz was also very close to his sister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and she was greatly pained by her brother’s death. Sanam Bhutto was also going through the same pain because the two were not only close, they were also good friends. Shahnawaz was an idealist. He dedicated his youth to revolution for the sake of the poor. His life was like a storm. He decided to give up all the good things in life. He even gave up his education and all the comforts of life and devoted himself to a mission. The mission was end of martial law and restoration of democratic rights of the people. He and his brother Mir Murtaza Bhutto worked very hard to save his father’s life by raising the issue on the international level. On April 4, 1979 military dictator General Ziaul Haq assassinated the elected prime minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the darkness of night. This act of brutality changed the course of Shahnawaz Bhutto’s life and he chose to follow the path of revolutionary politics. When the military coup took place against prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on July 5, 1977, Shahnawaz was on holidays in Pakistan. He went back to Switzerland to continue his studies on the instructions of his parents. When Bhutto was sentenced to death by chief justice of Lahore High Court on March 18, 1978, Shahnawaz left Switzerland and joined his brother in London. He helped Mir Murtza Bhutto in his international campaign to save his father’s life very effectively. Shahnawaz had his own ideas and plans and knew how to materialise them. Both brothers loved each other very much. Shahnawaz Bhutto had personal relations with many international leaders. When Imam Khomeini and his followers came to power after the revolution in Iran, Shahnawaz contacted the new Iranian government and managed to secure a meeting with Imam Khomeini in a short time. Both brothers were invited to visit Iran as guests. They met Imam Khomeini in Qum. He assured them that their father’s life will be spared. Iranian leaders had contacted the dictator, Zia, in this regard. This initiative of the Iranian government was prominently reported in the Iranian press. After the judicial murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on April 4, 1979, Shahnawaz found it difficult to accept this horrible reality. He said: “I don’t believe that Papa has left this world; he is alive and is around and will appear before us any time.” Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto called me on July 18, and informed me about the sad news of Shahnawaz’ death. She came to London on July 26 to meet the workers who wanted to condole the untimely death of Shahnawaz.All the top PPP leadership as well as leaders of other parties came and condoled with BB. She was shattered and tears flowed from her eyes all the time. She told the visitors who were coming to condole that, Shahnawaz, his wife and daughter were with them the night before. Her aunt Bijhet and her husband were also there. “We talked till very late that night. Shahnawaz left with a promise that he would take me to walk next morning but who knew that we will never meet again,” Benazir said at the time. Shahnawaz was very happy in our last meeting. When Shahnawaz’ wife phoned and informed about his death in the morning, I felt lifeless. His daughter went to wake her father and found him dead. He always told his daughter Sassi, I will take you to my home in Larkana. He used to tell me: “I want to see the Mazar of my Shaheed father.” But that was not in the stars. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto announced that she would take his brother’s body to Pakistan and bury him in their ancestors’ graveyard. This announcement made the government of the day nervous and the administration did everything so that the body does not arrive in Pakistan. The arrival had been scheduled for August 14, the Independence Day. The military government used delaying tactics to stop BB from coming to Pakistan with her brother’s body fearing that thousands of people will attend his funeral. After a month-long agony, Shahnawaz’ body was at last released. It was decided to take his body to Pakistan a Singapore Airlines flight via Zurich. There was a lot of international press at the airport. When BB spoke to them, she was in tears all the time. Her heart was bleeding that she would never see her brother again. Her face reflected her inner feelings and her broken heart. We arrived at the Karachi Airport on the morning of August 22 at about 8:00 AM. The airport was shrouded with sadness. Armed commandos surrounded the Singapore Airlines flight. In the meantime, Shahnawaz’ body was transferred to a Fokker plane, destined for Larkana, which was covered with PPP flags and roses. Thousands of people gathered at Mohanjodaro Airport despite travel restrictions. A huge number of people could be seen all around. Benazir Bhutto went to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh directly from the airport. She selected a grave for Shahnawaz which was 33 feet away from his father’s Mazar. After returning to Al-Murtaza, Shahnawaz’ body was given final bath and then Namaz-e-Janaza was offered at the Larkana Stadiuam. His body was then taken to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and he was put to rest in a flag of the PPP. After a very hectic day, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto addressed thousands of people who had travelled from all over Pakistan to share the grief and condole with BB. In her address she said, “The pain of the people of Pakistan is my pain. Shahnawaz’ death is not just my personal loss, it has saddened the whole nation. Everyone knows how many difficulties we have faced. We will continue the mission of Shaheed Bhutto. We will continue our war against injustice and poverty which has been inflicted on the people. I am your sister and will be with you at every step. My feelings are the same as yours and our goal will remain the same too.” After her address, a foreign journalist asked BB, “Why do you say Shahnawaz’ death is mysterious?” This question upset her greatly and she asked the journalist, “Do you know what is the cause of Shahnawaz’ death?” No, he replied. BB said, “That is why I say my brother died in mysterious circumstances. Many investigations have been carried out since July 18 up till now but we got no report. Under these circumstances, if we don’t say Shahnawaz’ death is mysterious then you tell what I should call it.” https://archive.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/07/18/mysterious-death-of-shahnawaz-bhutto/
#Pakistan #PPP - Shahnawaz Bhutto’s 36th anniversary observed
PPP activists and leaders observed the 36th death anniversary of Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto on Sunday. They recited verses from the Holy Book and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. MNA Khursheed Junejo, Arshad Shah Rashdi, Khair Muhammad Shaikh, Maulana Abdul Rashid Qureshi, and other women workers also took part in the Quran-Khuwani which was held at Bhutto House. Later, free food (Lungar) was also distributed among the participants.
They paid rich tributes to Shahnawaz Bhutto and said that he fought against dictator Zia for the restoration of democracy in the country and laid down his life for the cause of democracy.
They undertook to follow his path and make Bilawal Bhutto Zardari prime minister of Pakistan. Later, the same participants took out a rally from Bhutto House against the derogatory remarks of PTI Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur against their party’s founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. They were holding party flags, black flags in their hands, and shouted slogans against Gandapur. When they reached Sadar Kalar Chowk, they burnt the effigy of Gandapur.
They said that abusive language used by Gandapur against our leader is intolerable.
They said Bhutto gave a unanimous constitution to the country and strengthened democracy, united 38 Muslim countries and made Pakistan an atomic state. They said people like Gandapur should feel ashamed while using unrivaled language against the leaders who served the country tirelessly. They demanded that Gandapur should tender an apology and resignation for his abusive remarks.
https://nation.com.pk/19-Jul-2021/shahnawaz-bhutto-s-36th-anniversary-observed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)