Archive for 2020

OPEN THREAD: We live in interesting times.

NINTH CIRCUIT JUDGE JAY BYBEE REPROVES CONGRESS. “It matters not to me as a judge whether Congress embraces or disapproves of the administration’s actions, but it is time for a feckless Congress to come to the table and grapple with these issues. Don’t leave the table and expect us to clean up.”

WAS THE EXCESSIVE DEATH RATE IN THE 1918 “SPANISH” FLU driven by aspirin overdoses? “The hypothesis presented herein is that salicylate therapy for influenza during the 1918–1919 pandemic resulted in toxicity and pulmonary edema, which contributed to the incidence and severity of early ARDS-like lungs, subsequent bacterial infection, and overall mortality. Pharmacokinetic data, which were unavailable in 1918, indicate that the aspirin regimens recommended for the ‘Spanish influenza’ predispose to severe pulmonary toxicity.”

CALIFORNIA STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE MONITORING 8,400 CASES OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS. “All of these people have travel history from China, but are not currently showing symptoms. Those individuals have been advised to stay in their homes for 14 days, the recommended incubation period for the virus. 28 of the confirmed cases currently reside in California. The other five have left the state, Newsom indicated. It’s unclear whether the 33 cases are from the evacuated Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of Japan. California health officials have 200 testing kits on hand and will be receiving more next week, according to Newsom.