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2020-10-06
The COVID-19 lockdown has forced many people into social isolation, and also provided the free time necessary to care for and train new pets. The resulting surge in dog adoptions has led to a shortage of adoptable animals in San Francisco shelters, and the pet sales industry made a record-breaking $100 billion this year. Since puppies can no longer be commercially shipped, a company called PuppySpot has taken to chartering private jets to transport animals bred in the Midwest to the Bay Area. With no end to the pandemic in site, demand has continued to rise.
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2020-08-27
This article supports research findings indicating that Black and Hispanic communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The research also demonstrates a link between cases in nursing homes and communities. There are some challenges to addressing the severity of Covid’s impact on communities of color. As stated in the Discussion section, “Nursing homes are now required...to report cases and deaths on a regular basis, but they are not required to report the data by race and ethnicity, and few states include such information in their own public reporting….” I think this data should be included, since it will help future historians categorize the effects of Covid-19 by communities.
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2020-09-17
From March through August, I walked through the environs of downtown Tucson to make images capturing the effect of the pandemic.
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2020-09-16
From March through August, I walked through the environs of downtown Tucson to make images capturing the effect of the pandemic. After the murder of George Floyd, I also documented the aftermath of the resultant demonstrations during the end of May and June.
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2020-06-04
This article is about public health officials urging people to join the fight for social justice. While the health officials state that everyone involved needs to be aware of the risks and take precautions, now is the time to demand change and join in solidarity with those affected by racial injustice. This post demonstrates that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials were agreeing with protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. This article is important because it demonstrates that social justice is needed yesterday, today, and tomorrow no matter what is happening.
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2020-06
This experience was a phone call I had with my mother in June. My mother is a corrections officer and works in the local jail. Amidst the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, I was discussing with my mom that I value her and the work she does, yet I fully support the BLM movement and the demand for justice. The conversation shifted to white privilege and I shared my ideas on what white privilege is and how it shows up. Towards the end of the conversation, my mother stated that she should be able to wear her uniform in public without being criticized, judged, or feeling unsafe, and how it was ‘unfair’ that the BLM movement targeted police officers. My response was, “at least you have the option to take your uniform and feel safe, whereas black people do not have that option.”
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2020-07-01
This post was the first story I read regarding the murder of Elijah McClain. I was shocked that I found out about it through my friend’s instagram and not the news. This post showed me the power of social media and need for social awareness. In my view, this post indicates an additional way individuals are seeking social justice amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2020-10-29
The image I chose to share was of the basket of masks in my room. Never in my life could I have predicted that this would be something I have, never mind how much of a staple it would become in my everyday life. I think what I titles thing story holds a certain importance as well. Keys, Wallet, Mask, really emphasizes how much masks have come to be a part of my daily routine. Going from living at home to moving into my new apartment in North End during the middle of the pandemic in July, just minutes from Downtown Boston, I went from only wearing a masks when going to get groceries indoors to wearing a mask every time I walk out my front door, even just walking down the street. I truly has just become such a natural thing to have a mask on my face and for everyone I walk by to have one on as well. I think the significance of the mask during the pandemic and that it has really been the only constant in my or everyone’s lives throughout this COVID-19 experience. Every day I hear contradicting statements about the pandemic, not knowing what’s true and what’s not. My masks for me symbolize a sense of protection at a very vulnerable time in life. I’m not sure if they help or if they don’t, but I know for sure that wearing a mask has given me some sense of security throughout all this chaos and uncertainty.
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2020-10-29
I submitted this image because it represents the cleaning items that are essential in my life but have been hard to find because of COVID. Many people were restricted about how many Clorox wipes they could buy at the store. It was weird to go to the store and not find the cleaning products I need. When I found an item such as Lysol Laundry Sanitizer, I would send a text to my friends and family to let them know which store had them in stock. I would also try to buy several Lysol Laundry Sanitizers so that I could give them to my friends and family. Prior to COVID, cleaning products would not be a gift that you would give your friends and family, but it became a thoughtful item that you could give to your loved ones. For several weeks it was difficult for me to find Lysol laundry sanitizer. It was scary to go to the store and find the shelves empty. Luckily, I had already stockpiled prior to COVID so I had plenty for several months.
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2020-10-29
Dems unhappy about SCOTUS
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2020-10-18
This is a shirt that I saw being sold at a thrift shop that I thought was pretty awesome. It's the Tapatio logo that someone put a mask on and changed the text. "Tapate La Pinche Boca" translates to "Cover your f***ing mouth." And my favorite part at the bottom saying "Cabronavirus" which of course is a play on Coronavirus. Which could also mean "dumba** virus". It's interesting to see things like this because people are finding fun ways to speak their mind and take matters into their own hands.
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2020-10-29
I submitted this image because it is a solution to a problem I thought I would never have. When Covid-19 started, my partner and I immediately started wearing masks. We felt it was something we could control during an uncertain time. As the months went on, and our cloth mask collection grew, we needed a place to keep them without being in the way. We purchased some adhesive hooks and placed them near our front door. Every time we leave the house our routine is to check for phone, wallet, keys, and mask. We have adapted quite well to our masks and by purchasing options that display our personalities, it feels as if we are making the best out of a bad situation. This image is meaningful to me because it represents our new routine. Masks are now just part of our daily checklist before leaving for work or to run errands. I do not mind wearing a mask, but I sometimes look at our collection and wonder how long it might be until we can retire our collection of masks.
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2020-10-29
I am posting this photo because it showcases how I have spent a lot of my time during the pandemic. This photo displays every painting I have created since the beginning of quarantine. Some of the works shown in the picture are still works in progress and others are completed. Before Covid prevailed and we were sent home in the spring, I had lost interest in painting and had not painted in months. The lockdown that Covid brought on allowed me to slow down and rekindle the love and creativity I had for painting. In this photo, there are 14 paintings, however, I have made more and gave them to friends as gifts. I mainly work with acrylic paint on canvas because I like vibrant color and solid lines, although, I would like to start experimenting with oil paints soon. Covid-19 brought on many obstacles to a lot of people but I am grateful that I was allowed to reconnect with painting
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2020-10-28
I submitted this link because it gives a lot of insight as to why quarantining is so important during a global pandemic, especially after traveling far distances and remaining in said location for over 24 hours. Traveling is something many of us are missing during this tough time, but this article informs me that we now have to take many precautions before proceeding to do so. We have to keep in mind how many people we have been exposed to, who they have been exposed to, wearing masks in every public place, etc. It’s crazy to think that this is our world now, as I think most of us never saw this coming as a long-term thing. These laws are important because they should persuade people to make decisions that will help flatten the curve, even if they have only traveled from one small state to another. Anything counts.
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2020-10-29
The surge of COVID-19 cases across the United States has impacted voting across the country. Not only are some people afraid to vote in person but people are afraid of working at polls, resulting in a shortage of polls workers. Because of poll closures, people are being forced to find new polls. Low-income are being impacted by these closures due to the time it takes to find new polls and the cost of reaching them. Minorities are also impacted because they already faced longer than average wait times before COVID-19 when all polls were open.
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2020-09-18
My friends and I had wanted to hang out for a while, but wanted to be safe while doing so. I picked them both up and while wearing masks the whole time, we drove to Newburyport, MA and then walked around. We stopped to get coffee and treats and sat outside. We walked along the boardwalk and continued to talk about stuff for a couple hours. We talked about shows we binged during quarantine, how we felt about online school and how excited we were to be able to go back to living at school eventually (we're all sophomores at different colleges). This picture is important to me because I have missed being able to hang out with my friends whenever I want to, and it took us such a long time to plan how we could all meet up.
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2020-10-25
I flew to California for a wedding and the day after we went to brunch. It was the first time since February since I had gone to a restaurant with friends. It felt weird, but I almost cried to be sitting at a table with people that I love so much.
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2020-10
Avoiding restaurants in an attempt to quarantine and social distance has led me to try new things. One of those new things is cooking over coals in my fire pit. I cut up a pineapple and seasoned it with Tajin, wrapped it up in foil and placed it in the hot coals for about 15 minutes. Took the pineapple out, let it cool for about 5. Delicious! Absolutely delicious!
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2020-04
In April of 2020 I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had to immediately stop eating anything that contained gluten, so no wheat, barley or rye. Gluten is in EVERYTHING. Bread of course, but sauces, candy, condiments, cheese dips, frozen foods, you name it. It is even in beauty products and lotions. Learning to live with CD meant learning how to change the recipes to some of my favorite dishes. I started with a Gluten-Free loaf of bread, which ended up being a disaster. Unlike a regular loaf, GF flour is not sticky or elastic, but acts more like a batter. The “dough” was ultra soft and wet, and especially hard to form. I followed the instructions, but the bread came out hard on the outside and dense and wet on the inside, like an old 50s cake recipe. Quarantine and baking hasn’t been the greatest combo.
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2020-10-29
On March 13th, 2020, my entire life shut down with the rest of Massachusetts. My public school job closed, my university closed and my life began only existing in the four rooms of my apartment. My time became dedicated to my toddler, I became a stay at home mom, student and caretaker full time. The world around us had stopped completely, or so it felt. Quarantine was in full affect and people were stuck inside for months.Then, almost magically, our communities began to come together. I have witnessed some of the most beautiful things I for so long ignored because of the business of every day life, I witnessed nature and humanity again. I began appreciating the little things again. Quarantine had become a time to reflect, grow and appreciate the world around me. This horrible situation began to blossom into people supporting each other, clapping for the healthcare workers nightly, singing together out their windows, thanking each other. I share this image because I realized in the midst of everything that has been bad about this year, I’m reminded daily that there is always positivity in the world, even when everything around us feels negative.
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2020
When I landed from Italy back in Los Angeles on Feb. 22,2020. I was greeted with concern and told that my group probably should go into quarantine because of a virus they were then calling Corona. I was confused. I had just had a wonderful 12 day tour of Italy with a group of 30 of my students and their parents. I was able to show them beautiful, historic places and art that they had been studying. We knew when we left for the trip that there was a virus in China but we had no idea that it was spreading through Italy like wildfire while we were there. The only thing that should have tipped us off was when we first arrived and landed in Naples, getting off the plane we had to get our temperature tested. But, that was the last time any of us had any inkling that a virus was spreading dangerously through the streets we were walking. Until we landed back in Los Angeles! I had to check the news and when I did, I saw that we had gotten out of Italy just in time because the country was shutting down. At that point there were no reported cases in the United States but people were fearful that my group brought the virus back with us. We did not. But soon enough, it arrived and began to spread. And that's when my world changed.
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2020-04-15
During quarantine, we were all very bored and going a little stir crazy. One day, I really wanted to get into painting because it is relaxing for me, and it takes up a lot of time. This is important to me because it was something during lockdown that made me feel relaxed and calm. It was a stressful time for everyone, and we all had to find hobbies that would keep us busy. I think that is what this says about the pandemic, we had to find these little things to keep us going throughout the long days stuck inside, and painting really helped me do that.
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1918-09-28
The reason why I submitted this paper was to show the similarities between both the Spanish Flu and the current Covid-19 pandemic that we are going through. As philosopher George Santayana would say, "Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It."
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2020-10-27
Will The Bahamas open up for those much needeed tourist dollars?
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2020-10-29
It's cold. I usually waited for the cold. I enjoy wearing a sweater, and the escape from the heat of summer. This year, for the first time, I dreaded winter. They said COVID-19 is stronger in the cold.
I guess we will find out.
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1919-02-22
This piece brings to light the persistence in human ability to question authority. The "tar cures" of yesterday are scarily similar to the presidential suggestions to "inject bleach" today. To me, this piece brings a sense of comfort; just knowing that the people of 1918 had their share of pseudo-scientific authority figures to dodge and denounce just as we do in 2020.
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2020-10-27
Reaching out to my school's student veterans, I was able to acquire one response. I emailed out a few questions about how the Covid-19 pandemic effected their registration process, and any other thoughts that may pertain to school and the pandemic. Even for myself, trying to find volunteers to participate in this project is difficult; not being able to visit the campus and collaborate with classmates proved I did not have an abundance of volunteers to work with at a moments notice. Before the pandemic we were able to ask for almost anyone's help with school projects, something that seems like a luxury at this time in the middle of Covid-19. I want to thank the individual for participating in my project, and wish them well with their classes throughout this difficult times that we are experiencing.
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2020-10-28
This is a funny meme of What Dogs could be thinking about all the mask wearing going on lately! #MaskUp
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2020-10-28
Japan is the country that uses public transportation a lot compared to the United States. I personally also commuted to school with train for more than 10 years and it is normal to use public transport to commute and to get anywhere rather than your own car. Parking on streets is very hard to find and all parking lots are very expensive, especially in downtown areas. It is also just more convenient to use public transport because Japan is one of the countries that trains/bus are never late and come on time. This news is really important because infection can easily happen in trains if it is not ventilated properly and people are not taking distances. However, Japan is very rigid on rules about time and a lot of workers have to get to work on certain time, which causes crowds on trains/bus at certain time.
最近、また列車が混んできたなと感じることが増えてきました。気になるのは車両の中の換気です。ある研究データが出てきました。 シミュレーションの結果は意外なものでした。一時はガラガラだった列車も、いつの間にかコロナ前の混雑が戻りつつあります。気になるのは感染リスクです。混み具合によって車内の空気の流れはどのように変化するのか・・・。 鉄道総合技術研究所は、この「換気」の問題に焦点を絞り、シミュレーションを実施しました。例えば乗客ゼロの状態と、乗客が増えて立っている人ですべてのつり革が埋まっている乗車率100％の状態を比べると、換気の効率にどのような違いが出るのか・・・。 条件は6カ所の窓を10センチ程度開け、時速70キロで走行した場合です。結果、乗車率ゼロでも乗車率100％でも換気効率に大きな違いは出ませんでした。 これは乗客が増えると、その分、車内の空気の体積が減るため。乗客がいないと5.3分に1回のペースで車内の空気が入れ替わりますが、乗車率100％だと4.5分。むしろ早まることが分かりました。ちなみに山手線の混み具合はコロナの影響が出る直前の2月初旬を「100」とした場合、5月に38％まで落ち込んだものの、その後、徐々に回復し、先月は65％まで戻しています。 今回のシミュレーションでは乗客が増えても空気の流れ自体にはさほど悪い影響がないことが分かりました。ただし、乗客が増えることによって不特定多数と接近してしまうなどのリスクは今回の計算には含まれていません。
Recently, I feel that the trains are getting crowded again. What is concerning is the ventilation inside the vehicle. Some research data came out.
The result of the simulation was surprising. The train, which was once rattled, is returning to congestion in front of Corona. What is concerning is the risk of infection. How does the air flow inside the car change depending on how crowded it is?
The Railway Technical Research Institute focused on this "ventilation" problem and conducted a simulation. For example, if you compare the state of zero passengers with the state of 100% occupancy rate where all the holding straps are filled with people standing with more passengers, what kind of difference will there be in ventilation efficiency?
The condition is when 6 windows are opened about 10 cm and the vehicle travels at 70 km / h. As a result, there was no big difference in ventilation efficiency between zero occupancy rate and 100% occupancy rate.
This is because the volume of air inside the car decreases as the number of passengers increases. If there are no passengers, the air inside the car changes at a pace of once every 5.3 minutes, but if the occupancy rate is 100%, it takes 4.5 minutes. It turned out to be rather quick. By the way, if the congestion level of the Yamanote Line is set to "100" in early February just before the influence of the corona, it dropped to 38% in May, but then gradually recovered and returned to 65% last month. ..
In this simulation, it was found that even if the number of passengers increased, the air flow itself was not so badly affected. However, the risk of approaching an unspecified number of passengers due to an increase in passengers is not included in this calculation.
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2020-10-28
大型イベントの休止が相次ぐなか、日本最大級のファッションの展示会が開催されました。 独創的な眼鏡・・・お値段なんと99万円。縁は金でできています。さらに、眼科などで使う検眼をイメージして作った眼鏡です。そんなユニークな眼鏡が展示されているのは、27日から始まった日本最大級の眼鏡の展示会。眼鏡市場はコロナで需要が高まっているといいます。 そうなると、話題に上がるのが「コロナ対策に役立つ眼鏡」です。ゴーグルにもなる眼鏡です。掛けても隙間ができず、ぴったりフィット。飛沫（ひまつ）対策になるといいます。さらに、眼鏡型のフェースシールドも。ポリカーボネートと呼ばれる素材を使用。耐久性は抜群だといいます。 ところ変わって、眼鏡展示会のお隣では国内最大級のファッションの展示会が行われていました。今回、初めてコロナ感染対策コーナーを新設。ファッションの展示会というだけあって、おしゃれなマスクが至る所に。機能だけでなく、ファッション性も兼ね備えたマスクに注目が集まっているようです。
Japan's largest fashion exhibition was held while a series of suspensions of large-scale events.
Unique eyeglasses ... The price is 990,000 yen. The rim is made of gold. In addition, these glasses are made with the idea coming from optometry used in ophthalmology. Such unique eyeglasses are exhibited at Japan's largest eyeglass exhibition that started on the 27th. The eyeglass market is said to be in high demand in Corona.
In that case, the topic of discussion was "glasses that are useful for corona countermeasures." These glasses can also be used as goggles. There is no gap even when hung, and it fits perfectly. It is said to be a measure against droplets (himatsu). There is also a face shield that is combined with glasses. It uses a material called polycarbonate. It is said to have excellent durability.
By the way, next to the eyeglass exhibition, one of the largest fashion exhibitions in Japan was held. This time, for the first time, a corona infection control corner was newly established. As it is a fashion exhibition, fashionable masks are everywhere. It seems that attention is focused on masks that are not only functional but also fashionable.
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2020-10-27
27日に開かれる東京オリンピック・パラリンピックの新型コロナウイルス対策会議で、陽性と判定された選手が無症状の場合、複数回の検査を行うことを検討することが分かりました。 大会に出場する選手が陽性と判定された場合、その選手が出場できないことも想定されます。このため、無症状でも陽性と判断された選手に対して複数回の検査を行うことが検討されます。また、濃厚接触者の特定にあたっては、チーム競技か個人競技かや、格闘技など多くの接触を伴う競技かを踏まえたうえで、試合直前までに陰性と証明されれば出場を認めることも検討されます。組織委員会は「感染症対策センター」を設置して、選手の健康状況を確認したい考えです。
On 27th, at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics' New Coronavirus Countermeasures Conference, it was concluded that if athletes who test positive are asymptomatic, they have considered to do multiple tests.
If a player who participates in the tournament is found to be positive, it is assumed that the player cannot participate. For this reason, it is considered to perform multiple tests on athletes who are asymptomatic but positive. In addition, if the participants were found to be in close contact with the infected participants, they have considered to allow participation if they prove that they are negative until right before the match, based on whether it is a team competition or an individual competition, or a competition that involves a lot of contact such as martial arts. The Organizing Committee wants to set up an "Infectious Disease Control Center" to check the health status of athletes.
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2020-10-26
Personally, when I saw this news, I was very confused at the fact that they would start a cruise ship after all the incidents that happened on the cruise earlier this year, where cluster of infection happened. Even though bringing back the economy is important, starting a cruise ship where if an infection happens, others cannot run away and avoid infection.
25日にチャータークルーズ「にっぽん丸」が愛媛県の新居浜港を出港しました。クルーズ船の商業運航は新型コロナの感染拡大後、初めてです。 にっぽん丸は日本で3番目の大きさを誇る豪華客船です。今回のクルーズツアーは2泊3日の予定で、GoToトラベルキャンペーンの対象となっています。四国を中心に乗客約190人が参加しました。 乗客：「うれしいです。ずっと待っていたので再開を」 今回のクルーズツアーは乗船客へのPCR検査、サーモグラフィー検温など、徹底した感染対策を講じたうえでの運航となっています。にっぽん丸は26日、長崎県佐世保港に到着する予定です。
On the 25th, the charter cruise "Nippon Maru" departed from Niihama Port in Ehime Prefecture. This is the first commercial cruise ship operation since the spread of the new coronavirus.
Nippon Maru is the third largest luxury liner in Japan. This cruise tour is scheduled for 2 nights and 3 days and is covered by the GoTo Travel Campaign. About 190 passengers participated, mainly from the Shikoku area.
Passenger: "I'm happy. I've been waiting for a long time to restart."
This cruise tour is operated after thorough infection countermeasures such as PCR inspection for passengers and thermography temperature measurement. Nippon Maru is scheduled to arrive at Sasebo Port in Nagasaki Prefecture on the 26th.
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2020-10-26
新型コロナウイルスとの同時流行が懸念されているインフルエンザのワクチンの接種が26日からすべての人を対象に始まりました。 厚生労働省によりますと、今シーズンのインフルエンザワクチンは過去5年で最も多い6650万人分を供給できる見通しです。新型コロナウイルスとの同時流行の可能性が指摘されるなか、1日から重症化リスクの高い65歳以上の高齢者などへの接種が優先的に行われていました。26日からはすべての人が対象になります。 予防接種を受けた女性（60）：「このところ（ワクチン接種を）していなかったが、新型コロナのこともあるので接種しようと」 厚労省は本数に限りがあることから医療従事者や妊婦、小学2年までの子どもなどは早めに接種するよう呼び掛けています。これまでのところ、全国のインフルエンザの患者は例年と比べて大幅に少ない状況です。
Influenza vaccination, which is feared to be a simultaneous spread with the new coronavirus, began on the 26th for all people.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, this season's influenza vaccine is expected to supply 66.5 million people, the highest number in the past five years. While it has been pointed out that there is a possibility of a simultaneous spread with the new coronavirus, inoculation was given priority to elderly people aged 65 and over who are at high risk of becoming severe from the 1st. From the 26th, everyone will be eligible.
Vaccinated woman (60): "I haven't been vaccinated recently, but I'm trying to get vaccinated because of the coronavirus."
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is calling for early vaccination of medical staff, pregnant women, children up to the second grade of elementary school, etc. So far, the number of influenza patients nationwide is significantly lower than usual.
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2020-10-28
This is an article about the difficulty that crew members on shows and other entertainment industry venues are facing regarding the pandemic.
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2020-07-14
While serving with the Texas Army National Guard on the COVID-19 Relief Mission in Houston, TX, Josh Farrar was visited by his parents, wife, and daughters when he was given a day off by his Commander. In order to get outside, they all went to the park. This video is of the granddaughter and grandfather playing on a slide while the father (Josh Farrar) interacts with his dad.
This video is important as it shows an extended family interacting during the pandemic in an outside venue while a family member is supporting the COVID-19 Relief Mission. This day was very supportive and therapeutic for the Soldier after months dealing with COVID-19 testing.
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2020-06-25
I served on the COVID-19 Relief Mission for 93 days with the Texas Army National Guard. The attached orders and email detail my timeline on the mission and my preparation in late June to come off orders by my end date of 18 July 2020.
I will not give any more details than that when it concerns orders or paperwork for orders in this public forum. I just wanted to add to military and National Guard perspective of this story as thousands of National Guardsman served on the COVID-19 Relief Mission. In Texas, the same rules applied to this mission as to an OCONUS deployment in terms of leaving mission. The orders were also longer than 90 days for most Soldiers which allowed them to earn 50% Post 9/11 G.I. Bill College Benefits if they had never served on Active Duty Orders (outside of training) before.
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2020-04-17
During Spring of 2020, I was wearing many hats. I was a 1st Lieutenant in the Texas Army National Guard, a husband, a father of two girls, a PhD student, a research assistant for the department chair of the Texas A&M Anthropology Department, and an Anthropology Instructor at Blinn College. Everything changed on April 17th, 2020 when I was activated with the National Guard on 45 day orders starting at 0800 on April 18th.
I packed my bags, told my kids and wife goodbye, and sent emails to my supervisors at Blinn College and Texas A&M University. Two of the emails featured here are the emails that I sent to my supervisors.
My orders were initially for 45 days but were later extended to 93 days in total. I sent updates to my supervisors as I learned new information. One update email to Dr. De Ruiter at Texas A&M University is featured in this email collection as well.
This is my third activation with the National Guard in the past three years. I have been called to floods, hurricanes, and now a pandemic. Serving the people of the State of Texas is never boring, but it can be difficult on the family and jobs that I leave behind. I hope these emails speak to that struggle.
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2020-10-28
Prior to COVID-19 older adults or the elderly were prone to depression and isolation and now with community events cancelled those are rising. The CDC suggests not watching news coverage, care about your health, relax, ask for support if you need it, and take action if need be. If you know someone who is elderly make a virtual visit, send physical mail, encourage them to care about their health, and always be a helping hand if you can be.
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2020-05-19
COVID-19 hits eldery the hardest compared to other age groups. Group homes for the elderly are almost comparable to those in the hospital, not only risking other eldery but also workers. A common issue in homes are those who have dementia or alzheimers makes it difficult to stop the spread. Elderly are often being refused care in favor of those with COVID-19 as they can make more money this way.
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2020-04-07
The image is an infographic that lists 10 ways for people to help the eldery during COVID-19. Such as checking on them frequently, visit them (social distanced of course), buy things they may need, and other ways you can easily show you care and can help.
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10/11/2020
Ashley Pierce, a graduate student at Arizona State University, lives in Avondale, Arizona. In this interview, she reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected her life. She highlights the effects the pandemic and quarantine has had an affect on her family life and work at the Sheriff’s detention center. She describes how it has affected her work personally . She also touches on the division caused by COVID-19, politics, and the politicization of the pandemic by both sides politically. Ashley also describes the precautions taken by her and her family and friends to avoid catching the virus, and how the quarantine and the current political divide has affected their relationships.
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2020-07-14
While serving in the Texas Army National Guard on COVID-19 Relief Mission orders, I decided to apply to graduate school at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX. While on these orders, I ran into registration issues.
I was trying to register as a full time student with nine graduate credits, but St. Mary's had born forced to redo their entire Fall 2020 course scheduling due to COVID-19. This is described in detail in the email.
At first I asked the registrar:
"I am trying to web register for a third course in the fall. When I go to register in Banner, it states “No terms available for this option.” I seem to be in good standing and lack any registration holds that I can see. Is there any way to get my registration unlocked in Banner?"
They responded:
"We have temporarily closed registration so we can begin to make changes to the course schedule to accommodate the different modalities that will be offered. We will reopen registration on August 3. In the meantime, if you need to make a change to your schedule, I am happy to assist. Let me know if I can help."
I had to ask them to manually enter me for this course so that I was signed up for a full time course load in time to meet my funding date commitments.
Luckily this situation was sorted out and I was able to attend St. Mary's University full time during Fall 2020. The Fall 2020 semester was interesting though, as St. Mary's as a whole went almost entirely online.
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2020-07-25
I decided to attend St. Mary's University while on the COVID-19 relief mission with the Texas Army National Guard during Summer 2020. The attached email is the email I received when I was notified that I had earned a scholarship that would lower my costs of attending graduate school. I was overwhelmed.
I applied to the scholarship with the following essay:
I am currently a graduate student completing my Graduate Certificate for Dual Credit Teaching in U.S. History. I am on track to graduate in May 2021.
I work as an Anthropology Instructor at Blinn College. I currently serve as the Anthropology Instructor to RELLIS Campus for the joint Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn Program. Students are co-enrolled in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University and Blinn College. Given the expansion of the Blinn RELLIS Campus, there is a need for instructors who are certified to teach in multiple disciplines. Though my Ph.D. is in Anthropology, I possess a B.A. in History. I decided to go back to school in order to become certified to teach History courses so that I could further advance Blinn’s vision for the RELLIS Campus.
I have a proven track record of academic excellence that I intend to continue at St. Mary’s University. I finished my undergraduate studies and previous graduate studies with GPA’s over 3.90, receiving various awards along the way (see C.V. for details).
The most important thing in my life is not my job or academic achievement, but my family. I am married to a loving and supportive wife, Helen, who works as a high school math teacher. We have two amazing daughters – three-year-old Annie and one-year-old Rose. Though difficult, I have decided to surrender some of my limited time with them in order commit to and finish this graduate certificate online by May 2021.
Finally, in addition to my work at Blinn College and my family obligations, I serve as a Commissioned Officer in an Airborne Company with the Texas Army National Guard. Most recently I was activated for the COVID-19 Relief Mission, leaving my wife behind with the children. My orders ran from 18 April-18 July. While on this mission, I initially served as a COVID-19 Mobile Testing Team (MTT) Officer-in-Charge (OIC). Subsequently promoted to 2nd-in-Charge/Executive Officer (2IC/XO) of Texas Region 6, I led a staff of 18 Soldiers in personnel management and logistical resupply for 12 MTTs, encompassing 229 Soldiers and Airman. In all, my region served 8.2 million people in 25 counties - 29% of Texas. Working with multiple civilian agencies, including the Texas Department of Emergency Management, Texas Emergency Management Task Force, and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, I managed the resupply of 546,825 medical supply items and the testing of 58,550 COVID-19 patients at nursing homes, assisted living centers, meat packaging plants, drive-through sites, and walk-up sites in the region.
Thank you for making this scholarship fund available to non-traditional students like myself. Additional funding would significantly lighten the overall family burden of completing this graduate program. Thank you once again for your generosity.
It was very uplifting that my hard work with the military also allowed me to attend school full time upon returning from duty.
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2020-10-28
Dave Ruff is a military veteran and recent graduate of the PhD program in Anthropology (Nautical Archaeology) from Texas A&M University. Dave was working in Croatia on a Roman shipwreck for his dissertation project.
Dave is a really great friend and mentor. He is always willing to talk about his life experiences - in and out of the Navy - especially when it comes to money and investments. Dave is a hard-working individual who takes his role as an academic very seriously. I was extremely happy for Dave when I found out that he would be graduating in May 2020. He started in the program at Texas A&M a year or two before I did, but he moved from Texas to North Carolina to be closer to his grandchildren and this pushed him back a little.
Dave and I had been planning graduation for a few months. We helped each other check all the final boxes on the graduation checklist and buy robes. We were both really excited for the event. I hadn't seen Dave in about a year, so I was excited to see him in person at the graduation. Graduation in May 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19.
This email details a conversation between Dave and I. I was serving on the COVID-19 mission with the Texas Army National Guard and used the money I earned from that mission to pay off my house. I thanked him for his money mentorship throughout the years.
The email goes on to detail how all of Dave's summer plans for research had been cancelled due to COVID-19, but that being a grad and being locked down had given him time to work out and lose some weight - a goal that we both had, but he fulfilled better than I!
I wanted to highlight this email chain, as I feel that it brings humanity to the experience of Veteran PhD students, recent graduates, and researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2020-03-15
I could've write this in French, but i feel it would be way easier for you to get everything out of my story if i was writing it in english.
When COVID started, it gave me a good reason to stay for long periods of time at my girlfriend's house, placing me away from my violent and alcoholic roomates and the insecure environnement i was in. Being away from them lowered my stress levels and this was the first step of my depression recovery. Then, when university went online and offered us to extend our projects due-dates to the end of the summer, i was more than happy to put my school work aside to focus on my mental health. Because of the situation, I was able to reach out to a university psychologist and we worked out memories and discovered i was a sexual assault victim when i was young. This information being brought up, she was able to testify for me to a gov. agency that helps criminal activity victims to get psychological help. So i got a weekly psychologist (uni. psy was short term only) and then i started digging deeper and deeper into my traumas. At the same time, i moved out to a student residence in a 1 and a half appartment on the campus. In this environnement, i had total control over everything and i started feeling safer and safer. I had no one to see phisically and i was able to determine the way i was to live my life in the daily matters (ex-roomates were sleeping until 2pm, hurting my freedom to just use my old appartment as i wanted to )
This situation made me understand how my well-being is inherently attached to my hability to control my environnement and to have the freedom to realise the person i am. I started meditating everysingle day, i started taking care of my appartment, of my body's health and i started performing way more in school. Being a ADHD person makes it that i find online classes better than offlines... i can pause, record, fast-foward, go back .... love it.
I also started taking care of my spiritual sides, studying viking runes, their meanings, their wisdom and the way they could teach me about life.
Covid saved me, made me realize i should take care of myself, it made me realise i have something to bring to the world. I didn't have any suicidal toughts since 2-3 months and it feels great.
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2020-10-28
In Milwaukee, several museums and a zoo team up to create virtual field trips. This allows for students to have field trips in light of most schools not allowing off-campus trips because of COVID-19.
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2020
A jack-o-lantern depicting the reality of the times.
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2020-10-27
After backlash, the Texas government rescinded a recent action they proceeded with.
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2020-10-28
[Transcript]:
Panel 1:
I cry out - for a gentle hand, a wink or a nod, some sign that the universe cares and that it hasn't all been in vain.
Panel 2:
But there is no sign.
Panel 3:
A bird is just a bird, a crane is just a crane, the peng girl you saw on the bus wasn't God in disguise, she was just a peng girl.
Panel 4:
The universe shrugs.
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2020-10-28
I submitted this image because it has a lot of significance to the town of Scituate, with it being the only inn/hotel in this town. The owner has to cut a lot of employees and other things because of this pandemic and they are not receiving any money to do what is normal. Local hotels are getting diminished, just like this one and if these go down, so is the history. There is so much history that is brought along with local objects and there is meaning that locals understand so we need to try and protect local objects, not just hotels during this pandemic.
