Top Ten Historic Ways to Beat Plagues

From the April 18, 2020, ListVerse  by Ben Gazur.

Photos and information accompany this.  I'm just listing them.

10.  Smells

9.  Masks

8.  Fires

7.  Kill cats

6.  Bloodletting

5.  Quarantine

4.  Cordon Sanitaire

3.  Whipping yourself

2.  Mercury, unicorns and goat stones

Well worth a read.  A lot of these "cures" are extremely interesting.

1.  Live chickens

Read 'Em and Weep.  --RoadDog

Is a Flu Pandemic Imminent?-- Part 5: Get Those Flu Shots

This is taken from a newspaper article written two years ago.

The history of the 1918 pandemic shows that humans do have one very big advantage in responding to a dangerous new flu strain, Dr. Greg Poland said.  And, that is the modern rite of annual flu vaccination.

In 1918, the flu was particularly deadly to people in their 20s and 30s, and epidemiologists theorize that's because they hadn't previously come into contact with similar influenza viruses.

"Those who have received immunizations in the past do, on average, better than those who haven't," Poland said.  "They build up some immunologic imprinting and memory that serves to help insure they survive."

In other words, the flu shots you've gotten in the past will increase your chances of survival, even if you come down with a nastier strain of flu.

--RoadDog

Is a Flu Epidemic Imminent?-- Part 2: (This Was From 2018)

Greg Poland of the Mayo Clinic is concerned with a new and deadly strain of flu that could emerge that would sweep across the planet, erasing every advantage that modern medicine has given doctors in treating the flu.

"(What) I've learned after thirty years of studying this virus is there's next to nothing predictable about it, and when you begin to feel comfortable, you're well on the road to bad things happening."

The 1918 influenza pandemic killed more people than any other disease outbreak in human history, according to "The Great Influenza" book by John Barry.

"Influenza killed more people in a year than the Black Death of the Middle Ages killed in a century.  It killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24 years," according to John Barry.

Reckon It Was Imminent Two Years Ago.

Good Things Coming Out of the "V"-- Part 2: Throwing Stuff Out, Movies and John Prine

Continued from March 30.

**  I will be able to find the top of the bar as I clear everything off it.

**  We are eating stuff in the freezer.  Sadly some has to be thrown out with 2015 and before dates on the items.  A lot of stuff is nothing more than a block of ice.

**  We are cleaning out the refrigerator.  There are things in there that I don't remember having.  Plus, some real icky items which have been thrown out.  I swear, one thing made a bolt for it.

**  Plus, all the pantries are being cleared out with some way old stuff, as old as 2003, being thrown out.

**  I've been listening to a lot of John Prine tunes on You Tube.  I liked him before, but not as much as now.  He was a great entertainer.  What a way with words.

**  Plus, lots and lots of movies and even marathons.  Just this past week, I watched the Harry Potter marathon on USA.

**  Liz and I have been making a date to watch MeTV's "MASH" from 6-7 p.m.  You forget how good that show was.

**  This has been a really crummy spring so far.  Since the middle of March, we've only had about six decent days.  The last three days, we've had snow flurries and a little accumulation.  Looking forward to getting some 60+ days.

**  Fortunately, we have a big house, so we don't get on each other's way.  She stays upstairs and I stay downstairs for a lot of the day.

--RoadDog

LAUGHTER TO DEAL WITH THE "V":  To the tune of "Fifty Ways to leave Your Lover."

"Just use some Purell, Mel
Keep wipes near at hand, man
Don't Listen to John, Don
You don't need more TP."

How 'Bout Them "V" Figures? Something's Not Right

These are the coronavirus figures for April 5, 2020, for select countries with both cases and deaths.

UNITED STATES:  311,658 (the most in the world),  8,492 deaths

SPAIN:   130,759, 12,418 deaths

ITALY:  124,632,  15,362

CHINA:    81,669,  3,329 deaths

RUSSIA:   5,389,  45 deaths

INDIA:   3,374,  77 deaths

I'm telling you, something isn't right.

Did Somebody Start This?  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V".  Who'd a thought:  A Chinese disease with a Mexican name stopping an Irish holiday.

Still Wondering About the Russia "V" Stats

As of yesterday, March 29, these are the total number of cases and deaths in select countries.The worst hit so far:

United States:  124,697 cases and 2,227 deaths
Italy:  92,472 cases and 10,023 deaths
China:  81,439 cases and 3,300 deaths
Spain:  78,797 cases and 6,528 deaths

Then, there are these countries:

India:  979 cases and 25 deaths
Russia:  1,534 cases and 8 deaths
Mexico:  993 cases and 20 deaths

Looking at the rest of the countries, it appears that the smaller a country is and the poorer a country is, the fewer the cases.  Or, perhaps they just aren't or can't report the cases and deaths.  We know that Russia is extremely secretive.

I sure would like to know the story with Russia and why Mexico and India are so low.

Very Suspicious.

Still Got Our CB&C for St. Patrick's-- Part 4: Corned Beef & Beer

MONDAY, MARCH 16

This is the last day for Illinois restaurants and bars to be open.  Restaurants, however, can have take out or delivery (just no one other than workers inside).

We figured to take one last fling and in the afternoon went to Stucky's in Johnsburg to enjoy their $1.50 draft pints and we both ordered corned beef and cabbage (CB&C) meals ($11.99 each).  So, we finally got our Irish food.

The closings were  the big topic of conversation at the bar.  Stucky's will be offering take out as well as delivery the next two weeks.

We then went to Sunnyside where we also enjoyed the Monday $1.50 pint drafts.  Most of the regulars were in and out during the time we were there.  That something like this could be happening to us just is amazing and unexpected.

Sunnyside serves no food other than a few frozen items, so it will be completely closed for the next two weeks or longer.

We generally always say goodbye when people leave, but even more so and more emphatically today, as it will be awhile before we see each other again.

--RoadBye

TOP TEN COUNTRY SONGS:  "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly"  Real song by Loretta Lynn.

Why Don't We Hear More About Russia and the Virus?

I just got some figures from the CDC on some Russia-United States Virus stats.

RUSSIA:   658 cases   2 deaths

UNITED STATES:    61,062 cases   838 deaths



REALLY??????

Beware, there just might be a Japanese fleet out there somewhere.

Things that make you go HHhhMMMmmmNNnnn.  Either that, or they're doing one of their secretive things again.

--RoadWonderin'

Still Got Our CB&C for St. Patrick's-- Part 3: St. Patrick's Then the News

Corned Beef & Cabbage

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

First, we went to the McHenry American Legion where Mark made up one of his famous Bloody Marys, and they are only $2.75 on Sundays.  He does a great job and, of course, at that price I'm a fan.

The Legion had Shepherd's Pie for free so we had some of that.  I liked it and Liz surprisingly liked it.  So, we had seconds.

There was a good crowd coming in.  We heard that downtown McHenry had a whole lot of people ambling up and down the streets to all the bars yesterday. Cancel our parade, well, we'll go ahead and have a good time.  It might not be long before we're essentially quarantined at home.  The Virus seems not to have really hit Illinois yet.

While there, we heard that all bars and restaurants in Illinois were to be shut down at the end of business tomorrow and for at least two weeks, maybe more.  Sure was a lot of grumbling and Gov. Toilets would sure not have liked to hear the names applied to him since he was the one who ordered it.

I am figuring Illinois will be hit hard in the next week, so this is a good idea.  One that we will have to accept for public safety.  Believe me, had we had hundreds of cases and a bunch of deaths already in Illinois, we wouldn't have been out the last several days.

Last stop was at Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg where the shutdown was also the main topic of conversation.  We now understand that restaurants can still do delivery or pickup outside, but no customers are allowed inside.

The sad thing is that a lot of restaurant people and bartenders will be laid off and many are living paycheck to paycheck.  As people were leaving, everyone was saying goodbye as if it might be a while before we're together again.

This is going to be a rough going.

--RoadAlarmed

TOP TEN COUNTRY SONGS:  "You  Done Tore Out My heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat"

Just the Facts about the Big "V" and the Past Ten Years

2009 Pandemic in the United States--  Wikipedia.

The CDC says that between April 12, 2009, and April 10, 2010, there were 60.8 million cases of A/H1N1, commonly known as the Swine Flu, in the U.S.

Of that, there were 274,000 hospitalizations and 12,459 deaths.

***************************************

The CDC says that between 2018-1019 in the U.S., the flu causes 35.5 million sicknesses requiring 490,000 hospitalizations and 34,000 deaths.

***************************************

The CDC also says that from October 1, 2019, to March 7, 2020, there have been between 36 and 51 million illnesses, 370,000 to 679,000 hospitalizations and between 22,000 and 55,000 deaths in the United States.

***************************************

According to Worldometer, as of March 21 at 19:05 GMT, in the U.S., there have been 24,116 cases of the coronavirus and 288  deaths.

I have to wonder why we haven't taken the draconian steps over the past ten years that we are now taking?  Now I am sure, this new virus is just now picking up steam, but the last three were much worse.  I mean, much worse.

What does the government know that they are not telling us?

Does not compute.  I repeat, dos not compute.

Coronavirus and the Spanish Flu (Which Hit 102 Years Ago This Week)

Sure has made the headlines with all the St. Patrick's and sporting events cancelled the last few days.

I can't help but believe this is partially fueled by the media where disaster equals big bucks for advertising.  Just look at the weather channel come a good-sized hurricane.

But, diseases are nothing to ignore and it is better to be careful than not.  However, I didn't go out and stock up on toilet paper or food. When we have several deaths and a hundred cases here in McHenry County, Illinois, I will then be taking really serious steps to deal with it.

Yesterday, we were at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes,Wisconsin, and playing our usual This Happened on Today's Date trivia game.  And, one of the items on it was March 11, 1918, when the first known case of what became known as the Spanish Flu broke out in Fort Riley, Kansas. By the end of the day, over 100 soldiers were sick with it.

And, with all the Coronavirus going on right now, 102 years later.

Now, that Spanish Flu was a really, really bad pandemic.  It is estimated that anywhere between 17 million and 50 million people died of it across the world and the United States was particularly hard hit.

So.

Deaths of 9-11 First Responders Continue

Continued from today's Tattooed On Your Soul, Not So Forgotten and Cooter's History Thing blogs.

Pulmonary fibrosis is among the diseases that can take decades to manifest themselves.  "We're not even two decades past the event,: Dr. Cosgrove says, "and  people with asbestos exposure for instance, for instance, don't begin to present until the third decade."

Doctors still don't fully understand how pulmonary fibrosis works.  It is relatively rare and causes are tough to track.  In addition, the lung injuries that cause some cases can stem from a wide range of factors.

The Ground Zero site contained dust that held heavy metals and asbestos among other hazards.  Over time, those irritants can produce scarring, or fibrosis in the lungs.  Some people will not develop it, but others develop progressive scarring over time.

Cases of Teen "Idge-Itis" (Text Neck) on the Rise

It seems that those folks who make the comic strips have already figured out there is something mighty wrong with "Idge" phones.  Others call them "Smart" phones, but perhaps they are more likely "Idiot" phones (or "Idge" for short) for the people using them becoming so addicted to them you rarely see them off it.

Quick, tell me the last time you did not see a teen girl walking around without one in their hand.  They can't even put them away in a pocket or purse as they need to see what their BFF just texted.

Now, I see an article in the August 3, 2016, Chicago Tribune" "Therapists says teens hunched over cellphones get 'text neck' by Vikki Ortiz Healy.  They say teens are experiencing the same neck and back pain usually attributed to people 30 years older.

They are spending too much time staring down at their "Idge" phones.

Is There Something Wrong Here?  --RoadDog

MORE SUTHEN-ISMS:  If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin'!