Hello,

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ORAL ANTI-COVID DRUGS

(MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES (Given IV)

Monoclonal antibodies blocking surface proteins of the coronavirus can slow the infection of new cells with SARS-CoV-2, but their application has been hamstrung by cost, availability, and the need to infuse or inject them.)

PFIZER’S NEW DRUG: (PR-07321332)

In contrast, Pfizer’s ingestible candidate operates inside an infected cell; it blocks enzymes, called proteases, that normally act early in a virus’ life cycle to help it replicate (see graphic, below). Many protease inhibitors are approved for HIV treatment, and Pfizer’s compound has a nearly 20-year history. Pfizer scientists designed a version of the compound back in 2003 to block a protease in the coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a cousin of SARS-CoV-2….Then SARS abated, and Pfizer shelved the product. Last year, the company dusted it off, discovered it could stop SARS-CoV-2 from replicating in human cells, and began to develop it for COVID-19….Monoclonal antibodies blocking surface proteins of the coronavirus can slow the infection of new cells with SARS-CoV-2, but their application has been hamstrung by cost, availability, and the need to infuse or inject them. In contrast, Pfizer’s ingestible candidate operates inside an infected cell; it blocks enzymes, called proteases, that normally act early in a virus’ life cycle to help it replicate (see graphic, below). Many protease inhibitors are approved for HIV treatment, and Pfizer’s compound has a nearly 20-year history. Pfizer scientists designed a version of the compound back in 2003 to block a protease in the coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a cousin of SARS-CoV-2….Monoclonal antibodies blocking surface proteins of the coronavirus can slow the infection of new cells with SARS-CoV-2, but their application has been hamstrung by cost, availability, and the need to infuse or inject them. In contrast, Pfizer’s ingestible candidate operates inside an infected cell; it blocks enzymes, called proteases, that normally act early in a virus’ life cycle to help it replicate (see graphic, below). Many protease inhibitors are approved for HIV treatment, and Pfizer’s compound has a nearly 20-year history. Pfizer scientists designed a version of the compound back in 2003 to block a protease in the coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a cousin of SARS-CoV-2….There’s broad agreement among doctors and scientists that drugs that cripple SARS-CoV-2 directly and early in an infection are crucial to helping end the COVID-19 pandemic.(They are quick to emphasize that such treatments shouldn’t replace vaccines as the first line of defense.)…The regimen is also being tested in two additional trials. One is enrolling people who have a standard risk of developing severe COVID-19, including those who are vaccinated; the other offers the pills as a preventive therapy to people who’ve had a member of their household test positive for the virus. Those trials continue and Pfizer hasn’t yet reported their results….

MERCK’S NEW DRUG: (MOLNUPIRAVIR)

On 1 October, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced their antiviral, called molnupiravir, cut hospitalization by half in trial volunteers. (That trial was also halted early because of the drug’s effectiveness.) Yesterday, U.K. regulators approved molnupiravir for people with mild or moderate COVID-19 and at least one risk factor, such as obesity. An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider the therapy later this month….Molnupiravir works very differently from a protease inhibitor: It tricks SARS-CoV-2 into incorporating the compound into its genetic information, encoded by RNA, and in doing so mutates the virus to a point where it can longer replicate. But some experts worry that in the long term, widespread use of the drug could spur the evolution of additional harmful viral variants. There also remain theoretical concerns about whether the drug could cause mutations in people. So having another COVID-19 drug option like Pfizer’s protease inhibitor is welcome. …“Protease inhibitors are really powerful antivirals, and that’s been demonstrated with HIV and hepatitis ….Other protease inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 are racing through their own clinical trials. In its press release, Pfizer said there were no notable side effects associated with its drug candidate.

 Ultimately, scientists say, drug combinations may be key to treating early COVID-19; that molnupiravir and protease inhibitors act on the virus in different ways could make stacking them together a potent strategy if resistance to one becomes widespread. HIV and hepatitis C treatments both employ such combinations now,…[and] combining the oral antivirals now hitting the scene might change the pandemic’s trajectory.

Next-gen supercharged COVID-19 vaccines may also target the common cold

Coverage and Estimated Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Among US Veterans

”…Question  What was the COVID-19 vaccination coverage and estimated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) among US veterans in the first 3 months following vaccine rollout?

Findings  In this case-control study including 6 647 733 veterans, 23% of veterans received at least 1 COVID-19 vaccination during the first 3 months of vaccine rollout. VE against infection was estimated to be 95% for full vaccination; estimated VE against COVID-19-related hospitalization was 91%, and there were no COVID-19–related deaths among fully vaccinated veterans… These findings suggest that early vaccination rollout for veterans was efficient, and estimated VE was high for this diverse US population…Conclusions and Relevance  For veterans of all racial and ethnic subgroups living in urban or rural areas, mRNA vaccination was associated with a substantially decreased risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, with no deaths among fully vaccinated veterans.

Evaluating the reliability of mobility metrics from aggregated mobile phone data as proxies for SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the USA: a population-based study

”…In this study we describe changes in the relationship between mobile phone data and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the USA….The effective reproduction number (Rt) represents the expected number of infections caused by a single infectious case, accounting for existing immunity in the population. Rt provides an important measure of epidemic trajectory and indicates whether incidence is growing, shrinking, or holding steady.

(J. Harris: Unless I missed something, this study shows that mobility metrics is not helpful in rural areas.)

AND LAST BUT NOT LEASED;

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A judge says Texas’ ban on mask mandates violates the rights of students with disabilities.

Evaluation of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11 Years of Age

CONCLUSIONS

A Covid-19 vaccination regimen consisting of two 10-μg doses of BNT162b2 administered 21 days apart was found to be safe, immunogenic, and efficacious in children 5 to 11 years of age.

How Easily Can Vaccinated People Spread COVID?

‘‘’…even if vaccinated and unvaccinated people have the same viral load, it may not necessarily mean they are just as likely to spread the virus…. One reason for this may be that vaccinated people carry less infectious virus particles, as (not-yet-peer-reviewed) research from the Netherlands has recently illustrated. Although it’s widely assumed that virus particles carried by the vaccinated and unvaccinated are the same, basic principles of immunology actually predict otherwise… Virus particles expelled by a vaccinated person are thought to be coated in antibodies—some of which are produced in the nose and mouth and are considered part of “mucosal” immunity—so “we can expect less of a downstream transmission,”…. A recent paper …showed that vaccinated people shed less virus, stop shedding virus sooner than the unvaccinated, and shed particles that are less infectious—supporting the notion that they’re less likely to transmit disease. One study from the Netherlands found a 63 percent reduction in household transmission among the vaccinated… (However, another recent study didn’t find a statistically significant difference in household transmission between vaccinated and unvaccinated people.)

”Ultimately… you can certainly say the transmission risk for vaccinated people is lower, “but I don’t really know how you define ‘low.’”…. The new research so far hasn’t swayed the CDC, which remains cautious….[The CDC Says] that the data that have come out since the Provincetown study make it clear that fully vaccinated people with a breakthrough infection can spread the virus to other people, including the vaccinated. Although the science is still emerging, “it seems that at least early after infection, fully vaccinated people with breakthrough infection can be equally as infectious, and [probably] somewhat less infectious to others than unvaccinated people who are infected…

‘’… All the researchers [contacted said] Vaccination is still the best way to protect against infection and transmission. The vaccines may not be perfect, but they are by far the best tool we have in the fight against COVID-19—for protecting both yourself and others. Moreover, vaccinated people can tamp down on spreading the virus by steering clear of situations in which that’s more likely to happen…. The “million-dollar question” now…is how often we’ll need boosters in the months and years ahead…

(J. Harris: Should I find myself in a ” bad crowd” I would also continue to wear my top-of-the-line mask. Maybe people will think I’m sick and stay away from me?)

 Germany debates imposing tighter rules as infections surge.

Nearly 40,000 new cases were registered in the country on Tuesday — the third time a daily record has been set within a week. And 236 people died of the disease in that 24-hour period….Experts say that the recent surge in infections has resulted from the relatively low vaccination rate in some regions of Germany and the slow rollout of booster shots. About 67 percent of the country’s population is fully vaccinated….Another factor is the waning immunity from the vaccines, and Germany’s booster campaign is running behind some wealthy countries. Only about 3.4 percent of the population has received a booster shot, compared with about 7.6 percent in the U.S. (and the weather is colder).

FROM HOPKINS:

1. Novel Suction-based In Vivo Cutaneous DNA Transfection Platform (Science Advances) This work reports a suction-based cutaneous delivery method for in vivo DNA transfection. Following intradermal Mantoux injection of plasmid DNA in a rat model, a moderate negative pressure is applied to the injection site, a technique similar to Chinese báguàn and Middle Eastern hijama cupping therapies.Specific utility was demonstrated with a synthetic SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine, which generated host humoral immune response in rats with notable antibody production. This method enables an easy-to-use, cost-effective, and highly scalable platform for both laboratorial transfection needs and clinical applications for nucleic acid–based therapeutics and vaccines.

(We looked at this last week. I hope it works in humans, and it probably will.)

2. How An Outbreak Became a Pandemic: a Chronological Analysis of Crucial Junctures and International Obligations in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic (The Lancet) Understanding the spread of SARS-CoV-2, how and when evidence emerged, and the timing of local, national, regional, and global responses is essential to establish how an outbreak became a pandemic and to prepare for future health threats. The retrospective analysis of the chronology shows a dedicated initial response by WHO and some national governments, but also aspects of the response that could have been quicker, including outbreak notifications under the International Health Regulations (IHR), presumption and confirmation of human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2, declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and, most importantly, the public health response of many national governments. The chronology also shows that some countries, largely those with previous experience with similar outbreaks, reacted quickly, even ahead of WHO alerts, and were more successful in initially containing the virus. Mapping actions against IHR obligations, the chronology shows where efficiency and accountability could be improved at local, national, and international levels to more quickly alert and contain health threats in the future.

 Association of Self-reported High-Risk Allergy History With Allergy Symptoms After COVID-19 Vaccination

”…Conclusions and Relevance  This cohort study found that self-reported history of high-risk allergy was associated with an increased risk of self-reported allergic reactions within 3 days of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. However, reported allergy symptoms did not impede the completion of the 2-dose vaccine protocol among a cohort of eligible health care employees, supporting the overall safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

(J. Harris: So allergic people had a little bit more trouble with vaccine, but not enough to prevent completion of the vaccine series.)

Evaluation of a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign and SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Mortality Among Adults Aged 60 Years And Older in a Middle-Income Country

Conclusions

The present analysis shows that the pragmatic implementation of a vaccination plan including 3 different vaccine options in older adults in the City of Buenos Aires was associated with a significant reduction in documented COVID-19 infection and death from any cause as well as death presumably associated with COVID-19. These results suggest the need to implement mass vaccination strategies with the vaccines that each country has available in the shortest possible time.

(These were “Brand X” vaccines and they still helped.)

Estimating the early impact of the US COVID-19 vaccination programme on COVID-19 cases, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths among adults aged 65 years and older: an ecological analysis of national surveillance data

(J. Harris: Yeah! The vaccines work. This complicated and complete article proves it, once again. Why don’t our elderly neighbors get vaccinations, locally? What can I do to help? What can you do? 

”…In conclusion, we found that the initial phases of the US COVID-19 vaccination programme were associated with reductions in COVID-19 cases, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions among older adults, a group prioritised for vaccination and at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. Our findings, which are consistent with the established high effectiveness of available vaccines,… reinforce the importance of increasing vaccination coverage among all eligible people and support continued investment in COVID-19 vaccination. Nationally, as of June 8, 2021, more than 86% of people aged 65 years and older had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but this figure varied widely by state. Among all US people aged 12 years and older, 61% had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 50% were fully vaccinated. Continued monitoring will be important to further evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme on outcomes in younger adults and children, in addition to the impact of booster doses. The present methodology, with some modifications, might provide important insight into these new situations as they unfold.

AND LASTLY:

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FROM THE MNM:

HIGH TEXAS DEATH RATES DUE TO UNVACCINATED PEOPLE

(J. Harris: Several sources for this story. See the chart below as well from the TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES: SEE ATTACHMENT FOR COMPLETE REPORT)

HOPKINS SELECTIONS: 

CHILDHOOD VACCINATION Now that a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is authorized for children ages 5 to 11 years in the US, state regulators—along with parents, pediatricians, and public health officials—are contemplating when and if the shots should become mandatory for children. All 50 US states have requirements for school-age children to be immunized against other diseases such as polio, chickenpox, and measles. The nation’s second-largest school district, Los Angeles Unified School District in California, already has said children aged 12 and older must be vaccinated by mid-December to continue in-person learning, and several other jurisdictions and states have plans to make SARS-CoV-2 vaccination mandatory for children and adolescents to attend school as soon as the US FDA grants a vaccine full approval for those age groups.

Breaking News: Pfizer is expected to ask the F.D.A. to expand authorization of its Covid booster to all adults, a request the agency is likely to grant.

Pfizer and BioNTech are expected on Tuesday to ask federal regulators to expand authorization of their coronavirus booster shot to include all adults, according to two people familiar with the situation….An advisory board of outside experts to the Food and Drug Administration voted against a similar request from Pfizer in mid-September. Instead, the committee recommended booster shots on an emergency basis for those 65 and older or at high risk of Covid-19 because of their medical conditions or jobs.

Those categories were still broad enough to cover at least 60 percent of the population….All Johnson & Johnson recipients are eligible for a second shot as a booster. And adult recipients of all three brands for their initial shots are allowed to pick which brand they would prefer as a booster shot. Nearly 25 million people have received additional shots so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including those who are eligible because of immune deficiencies. 

In Romania, Hard-Hit by Covid, Doctors Fight Vaccine Refusal

COPACENI, Romania — As a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic crashed over Eastern Europe last month, devastating unvaccinated populations, an Orthodox Church bishop in southern Romania offered solace to his flock: “Don’t be fooled by what you see on TV — don’t be scared of Covid.”

Most important, Bishop Ambrose of Giurgiu told worshipers in this small Romanian town on Oct. 14, “don’t rush to get vaccinated.”

The bishop is now under criminal investigation by the police for spreading dangerous disinformation, but his anti-vaccine clarion call, echoed by prominent politicians, influential voices on the internet and many others, helps explain why Romania has in recent weeks reported the world’s highest per capita death rate from Covid-19…

”….Vaccine hesitancy, stoked by powerful forces online and in the real world, has left Romania with Europe’s second-lowest vaccination rate; around 44 percent of adults have had at least one dose, ahead of only Bulgaria, at 29 percent. Overall, the European Union stands at 81 percent, with several countries above 90 percent….

”…Bulgaria, too, has a very high Covid mortality rate, with already overwhelmed hospitals flooded by new patients. This past week, one of the big hospitals in the capital city, Sofia, issued a plea for medical students and volunteers to help…“Fake news has a huge influence on our population, and in Eastern Europe in general,” said Valeriu Ghorghita, an army colonel leading Romania’s vaccination effort. ‘Something we all have in common in this part of Europe is our political history of communism.’…..”

WHY DOES HARRISON COUNTY HAVE A LOWER OVERALL VACCINATION RATE THAN ROMANIA? 

WOW, WE AT LEAST BEAT BULGARIA WHO HAS ONLY 29% ALL AGE VACCINATIONS COMPARED TO OUR 36%. …WE ACTUALLY HAVE READERS FROM BULGARIA, AND I WISH THEM LUCK. HOWEVER, THEY SHOULD BE CAREFUL LEST SOME OF OUR VACCINE-HESITANT POPULATION WANT TO VACATION IN BULGARIA. 

AND LASTLY:

I WENT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ABOUT MY SHORT-TERM MEMORY PROBLEMS. THE FIRST THING HE DID WAS MAKE ME PAY IN ADVANCE.

TONIGHTS’S FORECAST FROM GEORGE CARLIN: 

DARK TONIGHT, TURNING TO PARTLY LIGHT IN THE MORNING. 

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NYT’S KEN BELSON ON ARROGANT AARON RODGERS, PACKER QB,  AND COVID

(J. Harris: Ken Belson has written several stories about Marshall and maintains ties to our community. He knows a lot about football — and Covid. Why or why couldn’t Bart Starr been as stupid and careless as is Rodgers?!!!)

We’re close to the end of the pandemic phase’

”…”I think that we’re close to the end of the pandemic phase of this virus, and we’re going to enter a more endemic phase,” said Dr. Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner and current Pfizer board member…..This delta virus is going to play out through the country,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “There’s not much we’re going to be able to do at this point to interrupt it. We’ve seen the South be engulfed with the infection and it’s recovered. The reality is this delta infection is going to capture most people who remain unvaccinated at this point.”…He highlighted the recent approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for young children and the development of two potential COVID-19 antivirals as the beginning of the end of the virus’s pandemic status….

“We’ve always said that two [ONE]of the events that would demarcate the end of this pandemic was being able to vaccinate our children,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “We’re now able to do that down to age 5, and [?2} also having a widely available or orally accessible drug that could treat coronavirus at home to prevent people from being hospitalized or dying,” he said, referring to Merck and Pfizer’s experimental antiviral pills.

COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy—number needed to vaccinate to avoid harm

(J. Harris: Study discusses pregnance and Covid vaccination.)

”…The balance of risk favours COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, particularly to avoid severe maternal infection or preterm or caesarean birth. These data should be used to address and avoid vaccine hesitancy driven by knowledge gaps…’

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 After COVID-19 Screening and Mitigation Measures for Primary School Children Attending School in Liège, BelgiumDespite the implementation of several mitigation measures, the incidence of COVID-19 among children attending primary school in this study was comparable to that observed among teachers and parents. Transmission tree reconstruction suggests that most transmission events originated from within the school. Additional measures should be considered to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at school, including intensified testing.

The partisan [political] gap in Covid deaths has grown larger.

An Unsolved Mystery: Why Do More Men Die of Covid-19?

(J. Harris: Interesting article that is worth the time to read.)

”…Yale University researchers noted that there are well-established differences in immune responses to infections between men and women. Diseases like tuberculosis are more common among men, for example, and men tend to have higher viral loads of hepatitis C virus and H.I.V. The same researchers found differences in men’s and women’s immune responses to Covid-19. Men with Covid-19 had higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins that regulate immune responses, for example. This could lead to an overexuberant immune response to the coronavirus….Other researchers argue that hormonal factors might be at play. Testosterone may tamp down men’s immune response, while estrogen may play a role in women’s tendency to have more immune B cells, which produce antibodies. Estrogen may inhibit the kind of immune cells that are thought to play a role in myocarditis…”

Assessment of Cognitive Function in Patients After COVID-19 Infection

”…In this study, we found a relatively high frequency of cognitive impairment several months after patients contracted COVID-19. Impairments in executive functioning, processing speed, category fluency, memory encoding, and recall were predominant among hospitalized patients. The relative sparing of memory recognition in the context of impaired encoding and recall suggests an executive pattern. This pattern is consistent with early reports describing a dysexecutive syndrome after COVID-194 and has considerable implications for occupational, psychological, and functional outcomes. It is well known that certain populations (eg, older adults) may be particularly susceptible to cognitive impairment after critical illness5; however, in the relatively young cohort in the present study, a substantial proportion exhibited cognitive dysfunction several months after recovering from COVID-19. The findings of this study are generally consistent with those of research on other viruses (eg, influenza)…”

Regeneron COVID-19 antibody drug reduces infection risk 82% in clinical trial

REGEN-COV is a combination of the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab. In November 2020, it received FDA emergency use authorization. The FDA revised its emergency use authorization July 30, allowing the treatment to be used as a postexposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 in individuals who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.

(J. Harris: This is an IV antibody cocktail that works. We also now have two new oral theuraputic drugs (Merck and Pfizer) that just came out. 

AND LASTLY:

THE DOCTOR GAVE ME SOME CREAM FOR MY SKIN RASH. HE SAID I WAS A SIGHT FOR PSORIASIS.

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By George Smith  — October 15, 2021

Shaun Bobbi Kelehan of Marshall has not had a good couple of years.

The former Marshall doctor and former owner of Marshall’s Access Family Health clinic on Alamo Boulevard surrendered his medical license earlier this year rather than having the state Medical Board revoke it foe cause. He was also an owner and a physician at a clinic in Longview; additionally, he is a partner in clinics in Tyler and the Austin area. Access Family Health was an expanding network of boutique health clinics throughout Texas before being sold earlier this year.

In rapid-fire order in the last four years, Kelehan:

*  Was hit with a 2017 criminal investigation by the Marshall Police Department that found evidence of sexual assault and improper use of medication on a patient. Despite video and audio evidence in which he admitted the acts, Kelehan was no-billed on any charges by a Gregg County grand jury (with  special prosecutor after Harrison County Prosecutor Coke Solomon recused himself, citing he was a patient of Kelehan. The audio and video confessions were not played for the grand jury; special prosecutor ——– of Longview said he “jury did not request they be played.”

*  Had his practice of medicine drastically curtailed by the medical board, including an order that stated he could no longer administer medical treatment to male patients; could not prescribe prescription drugs to male patients; doctor’s Physician Assistants (PA) at his clinics could not see male patients; female patients can only be seen at his clinics; and he could not provide telemedicine sessions.

*  Was the main subject of a front-page investigative story in the Austin American-Statesman about patient abuse by Texas doctors.

*  Was informed with the revelation that a second alleged victim to sexual assault had complained, which prompted the medical board to schedule a second disciplinary hearing.

*  Abruptly volunteered to surrender his medical license; the board accepted his resignation without comment.

And,

*  Announced his retirement and that his entire business interests had been sold.

 His troubles did not end there.

 On October 1, Dallas attorney Mark Perrin with The Perrin Law Firm in Dallas filed a civil suit in Harrison County (District 7 Court) alleging Kelehan deliberately over-medicated and sexually abused former Marshall resident Steven Trey Wood.

Wood is seeking monetary damages in “excess of $1 million.” Additionally, the suit requests Wood receive “exemplary damages, costs of suit, prejudgment interest at the maximum rate allowed by law”, plus “other and further relief…to which Plaintiff shows himself entitled.”

A request for comment from Kelehan was emailed but no response was received by deadline.

Wood, a former outstanding Marshall High School athlete, is an admitted alcoholic and drug abuser, spent two years in the Texas penal system for robbing a drug dealer, and has been in detox and rehab facilities numerous times.

The allegations in the lawsuit include:

*  On at least two occasions, according to statements from the alleged victim, and from videotapes of Kelehan, the former doctor “rendered Wood unconscious with the express intent or having sexual relations”.  In one of the alleged attacks, according to the prior testimony, Woods “woke up” to find Kelehan’s penis in his mouth.  (Note: The attacks allegedly occurred at Dr. Kelehan’s residence at 303 Henley Perry Drive and at his guest house, the historic Trammel’s Trace log cabin, which is adjacent to the residence. The cabin, the oldest house in Harrison County, received the first Texas historical building medallion in the county in 1962, and in 1965 received a Texas Historical Marker.)

*  That Kelehan, despite having a personal and professional relationship with Wood, and knowing his dependence on drugs, provided him with narcotics, opiates and benezodiaszepines (anti-anxiety). The lawsuit charges that Kelehan “enabled” and ‘exacerbated” Wood’s addiction.

*  Wood was provided drugs through prescriptions and sometimes “without a prescription”, with some coming from a “container in (Kelehan’s) home that contained medications that had been returned by patients.

*  Kelehan’s providing drugs to Wood “took an even more nefarious turn”, including two occasions the former doctor drugged Wood with Seroquel (sleeping agent), Librium (anti-anxiety and acute alcohol withdrawal) and/or Klonopin” (sleeping agent). The suit emphatically asserts Kelehan administered the  prescription medication without a prescription and  “with full knowledge” of Wood’s drug addiction and what affect the drugs would have on him, (and) that he gave Wood “the drugs for the purpose of incapacitating him.”

*  After giving the drugs to Wood, Kelehan sexually assaulted him in his guest house. In the audio and video recordings Wood obtained following a request by the Marshall police investigator, Kellehan admitted to the sexual encounter, plus another nonconsensual earlier sexual encounter to which  Wood has testified he did not remember.

*  Kelehan “took steps to fraudulently conceal wrongful actions” from Wood.

*  The lawsuit also alleges Kelehan’s former company Access Family Health is also responsible for the abuse charged by Wood as the company “failed to properly supervise or train” Kelehan.

And, there is still more to the story.

A reporter, attempting to get a copy of the filed lawsuit made six calls to the Harrison County Courthouse, including to the office of District Judge Brad Morin, District Clerk Sherry Griffis and District Attorney Reid McCain.

 In succession, the reporter was told: 1. The case was sealed; 2. contact the district attorney; 3. the case could not be located; 4. a deputy clerk would check with the clerk and call back; 5. the deputy called and said the “case being sealed was a mistake” and it was unsealed and ready for viewing. (The reporter had already received an email copy from the Perrin Law Firm.)

The reporter, having covered court cases for more than 40 years asked or stated at each juncture of the find-the-case hunt:

“Who sealed the case?”

“Why was it sealed?”

“The plaintiff’s attorney did not know it was sealed. How could that be?”

“What does the district attorney have to do with a civil case?”

“How can a case be accidentally sealed? Doesn’t a judge have to perform that function?”

No answers to any of the questions were obtained.

The case was filed in the district clerk’s office at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, and acknowledged as received by Giffis.

 And, the criminal part of the story may not be over.

 An investigation of Woods’ complaint against Kelehan, based on the series of unusual legal twists and turns of the case, is continuing, according to a state law enforcement official. The official, who requested anonymity due to an “ongoing investigation”, said criminal charges could still be filed in the case, or, based on the events that transpired in this case, it could be taken to a grand jury.”

 The official said, “You have a police investigation, which ended up in charges being filed; you have confessions, on both audio and video; you have a grand jury no-billing a case in which the jurors did not get all the pertinent information, via a decision by the special prosecutor.

“Then,” the official said, “you have a sealed civil suit that no one seems to know about, including the plaintiff’s attorney, and after a question pops up about the case, it’s magically no longer sealed.

“These events could lead to a reopening and expansion of the original case.”

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By George Smith — September 29, 2021

Take this snippet and slip it into your mental maw and chew on it.

The country’s deficit and debt BELONG to the Republican Party and its presidents and GOP-held congresses.

Let’s go back to Bill Clinton: He left a huge surplus. (Trumpuppets, did you know that? Cat got your tongue?)

Clinton had budget surpluses for fiscal years 1998–2001, the only such years from 1970 to 2018. Clinton’s final four budgets were balanced budgets with surpluses, beginning with the 1997 budget.

Debt held by the public reached a high of 49.5% of GDP at the beginning of President Clinton’s first term. However, it fell to 34.5% of GDP by the end of Clinton’s presidency due in part to decreased military spending, increased taxes (in 1990, 1993 and 1997), and increased tax revenue resulting from the 1990s boom.

The debt held by the public relative to GDP rose again due in part to the Bush tax cuts and increased military spending caused by the wars in the Middle East and a new entitlement Medicare D program. During the presidency of George W. Bush, debt held by the public increased from $3.339 trillion in September 2001 to $6.369 trillion by the end of 2008. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2007–08 and related significant revenue declines and spending increases, debt held by the public increased to $11.917 trillion by the end of July 2013, under the presidency of Barack Obama.

The Obama Administration increased the deficit but for six of his eight years, the GOP controlled both houses of Congress…you know…passing bills and raising the debt and deficit. And there was pesky 2008 worldwide economic downturn that bombed tax revenues exponentially.

WHAT ABOUT THE BUDGET DEFICIT?In Trump’s first three years the national budget deficit increased from $585 billion in fiscal 2016 to $984 billion in fiscal 2019, up 68%, for a total of $2.4 trillion. If the coronavirus had not hit this years deficit was on-track to be $1.1 trillion, per the Congressional Budget Office or CBO, which would then make Trump’s first four years deficits total $3.5 trillion. At $1 trillion or more this would have been the largest budget deficit in history with a growing economy and the largest as a percentage of GDP outside of recessions or World War II.

That deficit ballooned in Trump’s last year and that is understandable. Just like debt increases dramatically during wartime, national emergencies serve the same anti-budget purpose.

Cutting to the heart of the matter:
Government SHOULD operate as a non-profit business…it’s appropriate to run a surplus and “slush” the funds for emergencies.

The country now operates as a golden-egg-laying goose and assuming the goose will never die!

The only reason Trump and his GOP puppets cut taxes was to make sure rich folks and corporations were happy.

In case you have forgotten, trickle-down economics does not work; the 1-percenters and Big Business DO NOT, for the most part, pass along tax savings in any meaningful way…except in stock payments and executive bonuses.

The GOP is not fiscally conservative as a  party. Research it…debt and deficit.

Scary, scary read… if you are a Republican.

Biden mandates vaccines for workers, saying, ‘Our patience is wearing thin.’

(J. Harris: Public Health mandates are occasionally necessary and usually have been effective; Polio and Small Pox are examples of diseases virtually eleminated by judicious and persistent vaccination programs — world wide. Mandated Covid vaccination is now imperative for public health protection against Covid-19. Covid vaccines are available, effective, and are SAFE — and they are necessary to control the Delta variant. As new variants come along, and likely they will, additional vaccinations will be scientifically crafted and utilized.)

FROM HOPKINS CITED ARTICLES:

1. Kids and COVID: Why Young Immune Systems Are Still on Top (Nature) For most other viruses, from influenza to respiratory syncytial virus, young children and older adults are typically the most vulnerable; the risk of bad outcomes by age can be represented by a U-shaped curve. But with COVID-19, the younger end of that curve is largely chopped off. The novelty of SARS-CoV-2 levelled the playing field, and showed that children are naturally better at controlling viral infections.

2. Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2021–2022 (American Academy of Pediatrics) This statement updates recommendations for the routine use of influenza vaccine and antiviral medications in the prevention and treatment of influenza in children during the 2021–2022 influenza season. We recommend annual influenza immunization of all children without medical contraindications, starting at 6 months of age. Influenza vaccination is an important intervention to protect vulnerable populations and reduce the burden of respiratory illnesses during circulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which is expected to continue during the 2021–2022 influenza season.

(J. Harris: Remember, we all need to get our flu shots this fall.)

FROM NEJM 8 SEPT:

1. Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines in Ambulatory and Inpatient Care Settings

CONCLUSIONS

Covid-19 vaccines in the United States were highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring hospitalization, ICU admission, or an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. This vaccine effectiveness extended to populations that are disproportionately affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

2. Effect of Vaccination on Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

”…We provide empirical evidence suggesting that vaccination may reduce transmission by showing that vaccination of health care workers is associated with a decrease in documented cases of Covid-19 among members of their households. This finding is reassuring for health care workers and their families…”

(J. Harris: The correspondence related to the early immunization of Scottish health care workers is very reassuring to all vaccinated folks)

THE LAST TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL DATA IS DATED AUG. 29, 2021. NOTE STUDENT CASES ON THE LEFT, STAFF ON THE RIGHT

AND LAST BUT NOT LEASED:

(thank you G. C.)

For all of you with any money left or that do not know what to do with all of your government funds…. be READY for the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks.

Watch for these consolidations in 2021:

1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.

2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker.

3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMMGood.

4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Darco Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.

5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become: FedUP.

6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.

7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants.

8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!

And finally….

9. Victoria ‘s Secret and Smith & Wesson will merge under the new name: TittyTittyBangBang

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GOOD NEWS:

EXCELLENT CALIFORNIA COVID SUMMARY: READABLE AND SURPRISING

(J. Harris: Interesting comparisons of the Covid situation in the various geographic areas of CA including the northernmost portions which are “the East Texas of California.”)

Scientists Find Genetic Link to Loss of Smell Among COVID-19 Patients

FROM HOPKINS SELECTIONS:

1. Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Israeli Children During the Circulation of Different SARS-CoV-2 Variants (JAMA Network Open) Since December 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant has been spreading in Israel, and by January or February 2021 it quickly became the predominant circulating strain; concomitantly, a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign was launched. We compared the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 spread in children in 2 periods when different variants were circulating. 

‘…These results demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 spread more effectively and more rapidly among young children during the time of B.1.1.7 [DELTA] variant circulation in Israel. Transmission rates from children aged 0 to 9 years to other contacts were doubled during the time of B.1.1.7 circulation in Israel. However, hospitalization rates among children decreased. The latter finding is supported by studies in adults reporting increased contagiousness of the B.1.1.7 strain but not necessarily with increased severity.”

2. Pediatric Cases Surge in U.S. as Students Head Back to School (Washington Post) It’s back-to-school week for many families in the United States — just as coronavirus cases surge among children and teens. Weekly pediatric coronavirus cases surpassed 250,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic, according to the most recent data published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Its data shows that more than a quarter of weekly reported coronavirus cases in the United States were among children for the week ending Sept. 2. And while most pediatric cases are not severe, nearly 2,400 children were hospitalized nationwide with covid-19 in the seven days ending Tuesday — more than ever before, according to data tracked by The Washington Post.

 The pandemic’s toll on educators has made Texas’ teacher shortage worse

AND LAST BUT NOT LEASED:

CAN’T GET UP TO VOTE?
YOU MAY HAVE ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION

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CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 09/1/2021

HOW DO WE COMPARE TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEW ACTIVE CASES PER 100,000 POPULATION:

NEED A VACCINATION? CALL 903 938 8338. LISTEN TO A RECORDING FROM THE MARSHALL HARRISON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHICH TELLS YOU WHERE AND  WHEN TO COME. Vaccinations are FREE. You need an ID card with your name on it. Any kind of card will do. No hassle. No charge. Spanish spoken. Not crowded. Professionally done under ideal conditions. Do you need your company employees vaccinated? Your church? Your poker club? The Health Department will help you set up injections at your business. You need to take your vaccination card, but, as one careless old doctor found out, lost cards can be replaced. There is virtually no valid reason or excuse not to be vaccinated. You might still get a mild case of Covid, especially when the Variants like Delta are plaguing the area — but you are unlikely to wind up on a respirator or stacked in a refrigerated truck with the bodies of your careless friends. Am I wrong or do the pictures in the obits in the papers seem to feature a plethora of rugged, outdoor, self-sufficient folks who “don’t need to take no damn shots?”

 CHRISTUS HOSPITALS VACCINATION SCHEDULER

https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/4

 MOST DRUG STORES: CALL OR GO TO THEIR WEBSITES

FROM NYT TODAY:

1. 180 cases are traced to a church camp and conference that didn’t require vaccinations or testing, the C.D.C. says.

(29/180 had been vaccinated. No deaths. 5 hospitalized. It’s too soon to tell if there will be any permanent harm or Long Covid. It’s lucky they didn’t kill Grandma — but, well, she’s old and all that.)

2. Pennsylvania’s governor announces a mask requirement for schools.

FROM CDC: MMWR: 

1. New COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Among Adults, by Vaccination Status — New York, May 3–July 25, 2021

”…This study’s findings suggest currently available vaccines have high effectiveness for preventing laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 hospitalization. However, VE against infection appears to have declined in recent months in New York, coinciding with a period of easing societal public health restrictions††† and increasing Delta variant circulation (8). These findings support a multipronged approach to reducing new COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases, centered on vaccination, and including other approaches such as masking and physical distancing.

2. SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Hospitalizations Among Persons Aged ≥16 Years, by Vaccination Status — Los Angeles County, California, May 1–July 25, 2021 During May 1–July 25, 2021, among 43,127 SARS-CoV-2 infections in residents of Los Angeles County, California, 10,895 (25.3%) were in fully vaccinated persons, 1,431 (3.3%) were in partially vaccinated persons, and 30,801 (71.4%) were in unvaccinated persons. On July 25, infection and hospitalization rates among unvaccinated persons were 4.9 and 29.2 times, respectively, those in fully vaccinated persons. In July, when the Delta variant was predominant, cycle threshold values were similar for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and vaccinated persons. (CDC MMWR, 8/27/2021)

FROM HOPKINS:

1. Immunity To COVID-19 Could Last Longer Than You’d Think (NPR) All around the world, there seem to be signs that immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, doesn’t last very long after you’re vaccinated. Israel is now having one of the world’s worst COVID-19 surges about five months after vaccinating a majority of its population. And in the U.S., health officials are recommending a booster shot eight months after the original vaccine course. So, how long does immunity last after two doses of the vaccine? Six months or so? And at that point, how much protection is left over?(Some Repetition here.)

2.  Outbreak Associated with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant in an Elementary School — Marin County, California, May–June 2021

”…The two classrooms were separated by a large outdoor courtyard with lunch tables that were blocked off from use with yellow tape. All classrooms had portable high-efficiency particulate air filters and doors and windows were left open…’

(J. Harris: This is a good quick read and has made news all week. I envy neither teachers nor students right now. )

Area Schools Covid through Aug 22 ATTACHED

LAST BUT NOT LEASED:

It turns out that being an adult now is mostly just googling how to do stuff.

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