August 20, 2020
Thursday
I stayed up late (for me) watching political convention speeches last night. In college, when I was studying political science, I remember pouring through campaign websites comparing and contrasting the nuances of policy statements. Now I am delighted to hear mature adults who can articulate a vision and believe in basic scientific tenets. My 20-year-old self would be very disappointed in my lax standards. But, 45-year-old Adam knows 20-year-old Adam was way too idealistic and naive. I wonder what 60-year-old Adam will think. 2035 is disturbingly soon (relatively speaking), and yet, as we see, benchmarks of performance can change in an even shorter timeframe.
----------------
Latest Data
Global-View:
https://www.ft.com/content/a2901ce8-5eb7-4633-b89c-cbdf5b386938
Nationally:
a slow decline in new cases in the US (just below 50,000 a day, now)
stable deaths @ 3.2 per million (or about 1000 deaths per day) in the US for the last nine days
https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=usa&areas=gbr&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=ustx&areasRegional=usco&cumulative=0&logScale=0&perMillion=1&values=cases
Also, look at https://covidtracking.com/data
The US Regionally:
The NY Times state-level data visualization:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
About the data:
https://covidtracking.com/about-data/visualization-guide is the best resource to understand data visualization and data integrity.
-----------
I found (or received) several substantial articles in the last 24 hours. Thanks to those of you who send me things to read and share! Enjoy!
Here is an interesting article on the protective and additive impact of face shields (when combined with masks). The study controlled for a lot of variables. It is a good set of data suggesting that protecting your eyes from droplets, especially when you will be in close proximity to those who are known to be infected, is important.
about the study https://www.latestresearchnews.com/2020/08/19/face-shields-reduced-covid19-transmission/
the study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2769693
The struggle between individual liberty and the common good errs on the side of the common good. Massachusetts will require all students to receive a flu vaccine by the end of 2020 to attend public school. While there are appropriate exemptions, it appears irrational fear of vaccines is not one of them. Best of all, there is a legal precedent for these mandates.
https://lawandcrime.com/covid-19-pandemic/one-state-is-requiring-its-students-to-get-flu-vaccine-by-end-of-year-and-yes-its-legal/
Here is the 1915 Supreme Court case upholding mandatory smallpox vaccination orders:
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/197/11/
Scientific knowledge continues to be something that evolves. BMJ Heart recently published this prospective cohort study of 8.28 million patients in 1205 English medical practices. They found that ACE inhibitors and ARBs REDUCE the risk of COVID-19, even when accounting for numerous other variables. There were also some variations in the reduced risk in various ethnic sub-populations. Again, raising the point of how best to incorporate an understanding of genetics into clinical care. Either way, this is an extensive data set that further diminishes the concern about ACE/ARB use during the pandemic.
https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/13/heartjnl-2020-317393
Finally, a few Tweets I liked.
Not sure the source of this data, but the author is a former CDC director, and the numbers and discussion are striking
https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1296174527408480256
Here is an article that has some more cost data:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/23/preventing-next-pandemic-fraction-cost-covid-19-economic-fallout
Eric Topol has some interesting thoughts, and the critical "is reinfection possible?" question he posed to Dr. Fauci:
https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1295790141131223041?s=10
More words than an infographic, but I found the nine commandments of the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, delivered by the Looney Tunes production team. I think there are lessons here for all of us, including "The coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures."
And, I learned it is beep, beep - not meep, meep.
https://i.redd.it/sn9lvhi4nzh51.jpg
Here is an infographic worth pondering:
https://engaging-data.com/usps-vs-private-delivery/
Bonus Round--- Physics and Fish
It is easy to see why I clicked on an article entitled "Psychedelic Fishes from the World's First Natural History Encyclopedia of Marine Creatures Illustrated in Color." The article about Louis Renard (1678-1746) was as enjoyable as the images. However, I do wonder about the factual accuracy given the inclusion of a mermaid.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/08/15/louis-renard-poissons/
And, in a weird twist of reality, you can click through the Brain Pickings website and order one of the 300+-year-old images as a cloth facemask. I bet Mr. Renard could not predict that application of his illustrations. https://society6.com/product/fishes-from-louis-renards-poissons-ecrevisses-et-crabes-17543178594_mask?sku=s6-16570641p122a274v889#274=889
I am unsure why I have not made reference to Richard Feynman in this email newsletter. He was a physicist at Cornell and Caltech who, many decades after his death, is renowned for the teaching of physics and critical thinking. It is a good use of time to watch his talks on YouTube. Here is some background:
http://www.openculture.com/2020/08/what-made-richard-feynman-one-of-the-most-admired-educators-in-the-world.html
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=richard+feynman+lectures
Clean hands and sharp minds, team
Adam
I'll be on a family vacation (socially distanced and in the woods) for a few days, so I'll be back on Tuesday. Unless I get bored and want to write sooner - be safe.
I stayed up late (for me) watching political convention speeches last night. In college, when I was studying political science, I remember pouring through campaign websites comparing and contrasting the nuances of policy statements. Now I am delighted to hear mature adults who can articulate a vision and believe in basic scientific tenets. My 20-year-old self would be very disappointed in my lax standards. But, 45-year-old Adam knows 20-year-old Adam was way too idealistic and naive. I wonder what 60-year-old Adam will think. 2035 is disturbingly soon (relatively speaking), and yet, as we see, benchmarks of performance can change in an even shorter timeframe.
----------------
Latest Data
Global-View:
https://www.ft.com/content/a2901ce8-5eb7-4633-b89c-cbdf5b386938
Nationally:
a slow decline in new cases in the US (just below 50,000 a day, now)
stable deaths @ 3.2 per million (or about 1000 deaths per day) in the US for the last nine days
https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=usa&areas=gbr&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=ustx&areasRegional=usco&cumulative=0&logScale=0&perMillion=1&values=cases
Also, look at https://covidtracking.com/data
The US Regionally:
The NY Times state-level data visualization:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
About the data:
https://covidtracking.com/about-data/visualization-guide is the best resource to understand data visualization and data integrity.
-----------
I found (or received) several substantial articles in the last 24 hours. Thanks to those of you who send me things to read and share! Enjoy!
Here is an interesting article on the protective and additive impact of face shields (when combined with masks). The study controlled for a lot of variables. It is a good set of data suggesting that protecting your eyes from droplets, especially when you will be in close proximity to those who are known to be infected, is important.
about the study https://www.latestresearchnews.com/2020/08/19/face-shields-reduced-covid19-transmission/
the study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2769693
The struggle between individual liberty and the common good errs on the side of the common good. Massachusetts will require all students to receive a flu vaccine by the end of 2020 to attend public school. While there are appropriate exemptions, it appears irrational fear of vaccines is not one of them. Best of all, there is a legal precedent for these mandates.
https://lawandcrime.com/covid-19-pandemic/one-state-is-requiring-its-students-to-get-flu-vaccine-by-end-of-year-and-yes-its-legal/
Here is the 1915 Supreme Court case upholding mandatory smallpox vaccination orders:
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/197/11/
Scientific knowledge continues to be something that evolves. BMJ Heart recently published this prospective cohort study of 8.28 million patients in 1205 English medical practices. They found that ACE inhibitors and ARBs REDUCE the risk of COVID-19, even when accounting for numerous other variables. There were also some variations in the reduced risk in various ethnic sub-populations. Again, raising the point of how best to incorporate an understanding of genetics into clinical care. Either way, this is an extensive data set that further diminishes the concern about ACE/ARB use during the pandemic.
https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/13/heartjnl-2020-317393
Finally, a few Tweets I liked.
Not sure the source of this data, but the author is a former CDC director, and the numbers and discussion are striking
https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1296174527408480256
Here is an article that has some more cost data:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/23/preventing-next-pandemic-fraction-cost-covid-19-economic-fallout
Eric Topol has some interesting thoughts, and the critical "is reinfection possible?" question he posed to Dr. Fauci:
https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1295790141131223041?s=10
More words than an infographic, but I found the nine commandments of the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, delivered by the Looney Tunes production team. I think there are lessons here for all of us, including "The coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures."
And, I learned it is beep, beep - not meep, meep.
https://i.redd.it/sn9lvhi4nzh51.jpg
Here is an infographic worth pondering:
https://engaging-data.com/usps-vs-private-delivery/
Bonus Round--- Physics and Fish
It is easy to see why I clicked on an article entitled "Psychedelic Fishes from the World's First Natural History Encyclopedia of Marine Creatures Illustrated in Color." The article about Louis Renard (1678-1746) was as enjoyable as the images. However, I do wonder about the factual accuracy given the inclusion of a mermaid.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2020/08/15/louis-renard-poissons/
And, in a weird twist of reality, you can click through the Brain Pickings website and order one of the 300+-year-old images as a cloth facemask. I bet Mr. Renard could not predict that application of his illustrations. https://society6.com/product/fishes-from-louis-renards-poissons-ecrevisses-et-crabes-17543178594_mask?sku=s6-16570641p122a274v889#274=889
I am unsure why I have not made reference to Richard Feynman in this email newsletter. He was a physicist at Cornell and Caltech who, many decades after his death, is renowned for the teaching of physics and critical thinking. It is a good use of time to watch his talks on YouTube. Here is some background:
http://www.openculture.com/2020/08/what-made-richard-feynman-one-of-the-most-admired-educators-in-the-world.html
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=richard+feynman+lectures
Clean hands and sharp minds, team
Adam
I'll be on a family vacation (socially distanced and in the woods) for a few days, so I'll be back on Tuesday. Unless I get bored and want to write sooner - be safe.
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