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2021
This National Integrated Drought Information System website shows a timeline map of drought conditions in the United States from 2000 to present by week. The map timeline shows that Camp Wolfeboro was located in the extreme drought category during the entire of the 2021 camp season. Extreme drought, according to NIDIS, means: "Livestock need expensive supplemental feed; cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains; fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter
Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of state; burn bans are implemented
Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted".
During the same time period most of the rest of California was also in drought conditions.
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2021-07-23
For me, the pandemic brought a new found attention to the passing of time. My hope for a post-pandemic life is one where we continue to find time for the things we most appreciate and enjoy - like a walk on the beach at low tide.
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2021-08-21
Wednesday, August 18 was the eve of the first day of classes at Arizona State University. It was also the first week that the Child Development Lab (CDL) was open for daycare on campus. I picked my son up around 5:00 PM and took this picture of mask trash, likely unintentionally dropped by one of the parents outside the center.
This image is part of the mask trash series.
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2021-08-20
Since the pandemic we couldn’t go out to town that much. We made our farm/garden bigger. We got our chickens. There were about 12 of them and we started working on the garden. Everything in our yard at that time was edible. Then when a dog jumped our fence we started to build an enclosure. It took us about a year to get it done, but we still have a few more fences to drill on. For the entire summer of 2020 we had something to eat from the pandemic straight from our garden. Which is something we usually don’t do since we don’t have the time.
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2021-08-15
The Instagram page nochill_latinos share a meme directed at those who are making a big deal that vaccine cards are being required at schools and places of work.
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2021-08-14
picture showing a meme posted by Mark Hamill. It pokes fun at how ridiculous anti-maskers sound about having the right to not wear a mask. He calls on people not to be "maskholes"
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2021-08-10
A friend of mine posted this photograph on social media
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2021-08-15
Los Angeles Animal Services is offering free adoptions to people who have been vaccinated and are able to present a vaccination card.
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2021-08-16
A friend of mine is a teacher for the Los Angeles School District. She shared on social media how Covid has impacted her school and its students.
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2021-08-16
a nurse friend of mine posted this on her Instagram story. It's hard to understand the logic of the anti-mask, anti-vax community.
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2021-08-19
I didn't get to see my friends cause of covid.
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2020-03-24
A blog post from Banner Health Blog about talking to children about Coronavirus and the pandemic.
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2020-03-23
A blog postfrom the Banner Health Blog about boosting your immune system.
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2020-03-20
A blog postfrom the Banner Health Blog about working from home during the pandemic.
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2020-03-19
A blog postfrom the Banner Health Blog about social distancing.
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2020-03-20
A blog postfrom the Banner Health Blog about managing anxiety during Covid-19
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2020-03-17
A blog postfrom the Banner Health Blog about what people should buy after the WHO declared a pandemic.
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2020-09-16
When things started to slowly open up after Melbourne's stage 4 lockdown we started to have a few more options for meeting outside. I wasn't able to see anyone during the hard 6 week lockdown as I didn't have any friends within my 5km radius whom I could meet with and get home again within an hour. When these restrictions eased a little I was able to meet my friend Sarah at the beach. She had bought a kite during lockdown because she was bored and had always wanted to try flying a kite. She even wrote in to the ABC Live Blog to ask if flying a kite was acceptable as outdoor exercise. This is her with her kite.
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2020-08-24
During Melbourne stage 4 lockdown we were limited to only 1 hour of exercise outdoors each day. I usually do significantly more than this so was looking for activities to do in my very small apartment. Channel 10 released via their app a whole bunch of old Aerobics Oz Style videos from the 90s so I started doing those. This is a picture of Anton, who I remembered from watching the program occasionally as a child.
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2020-07-22
Trying to pivot to online dance classes. Pulled my very old ballet shoes out to try to keep up with classes during Melbourne's long lockdown in 2020. Sadly it didn't really work due to a lack of space and the fact that I have carpeted floors, but it was nice to be able to connect with friends and feel like we were doing something together.
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2020-05-15
One of the most frustrating parts of the pandemic is the return to single use items. While we're talking about building back better, people are also using more packaging via online orders and disposable items to avoid sharing. Single use masks are particularly problematic and can be frequently seen on the ground as litter. The strings get caught around birds' legs and cause problems for wildife.
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2020
Some pictures of my local neighbourhood walks within my 5km radius of Albert Park, Prahran and South Yarra. Some cute and creative things that people did to brighten other peoples' walks. All taken during the long lockdown in Melbourne between August and December 2020.
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2021-08-19
My year 10 English teacher shared this but unfortunately I don't have the original to credit it. I liked it because people are so panicked about kids missing school and so I thought this was a nice reminder that education is not just school, and success in life is so much more than an ATAR score. It was backed up when I came across the items and sign in the second photo which I assume have been made by kids and made me think that they are learning empathy and kindness which will stand them in good stead, even if they can't do long division.
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2021-08-14
I bought two of these cookies to take to my friend's house when I went to visit her under the 'single bubble' program during Melbourne's lockdown 6. They're from a store called Mad About Cake in Caulfield South.
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2020-12-01
A story I wrote about using history to keep a sense of perspective and gratitude through Melbourne's long lockdown in 2020. Coming against a background of university job losses and policies disfavouring humanities degrees I also wanted to let historians know that their work is important and has relevance.
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2020-08-26
The ED Musos are a group of health care workers from Emergency Departments in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, the UK and the USA. We came together for connection and wellbeing during the pandemic. We made this and other videos in our own time. We send love and support to everyone impacted by COVID-19.
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2021-08-16
Afghanistan government falls
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2021-08-14
The title of this article quickly caught my attention and then I immediately felt saddened by the reality that this pandemic has been politicized from the beginning. People have become so passionate that they have lost all reason. There are always two sides to every story but I find it so hard to understand who oppose vaccinations and reject science. Its not at all surprising that the anti-vax side of this particular story showed up in MAGA hats, its further proof of the political foundation of their argument to "fight for their rights". I understand that people want the right to decide, but then those same people refuse to get tested regularly. This issue has been a messy and passionate one from the beginning and its really hard not to blame Donald Trump for the misinformation that is still being used by the anti-vax community.
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2021-08-04
Steve is a retired ER tech who has combined comedy with medical advice. In this clip, he uses humor to break down why being vaccinated is better than avoiding the vaccine even though it is still possible to contract the covid virus.
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2021-03-02
This article celebrates the dedication of a friend and mentor, Sister Jean Flannelly, SC, who, at age 80, volunteered to serve with the Dutchess County New York Medical Reserve Corps to help people affected by the pandemic. Despite age and some health problems, she felt called to use her many talents as a psychologist, teacher, counselor and religious sister to do contact tracing, case investigation and serve in various roles at COVID-19 vaccination sites. She is an inspiration to me and to many!
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2021-08-16
Today, after 2 weeks without daycare, ASU reopened its daycare on campus. I dropped my son off at the CDL daycare this morning, and all the kids are now required to wear a mask. This was not a big deal, because I won't let my son go grocery shopping with me unless he wears a mask, he sees his older sister wearing a mask, so the process is normalized.
Last night CVS was selling kids masks with a 2-for-1 sale. Since masks always going missing at home, I bought a new one for each of them. This morning I gave one to my son Juli, and it disappeared. He claimed it was in his backpack, but I looked over the bag and didn't see it. So I gave him the second mask, the only clean one left and when I put him in the car I noticed he didn't have the mask. He said it was in his backpack, which I checked quickly and didn't see. I was frustrated and grabbed a mask out of the dirty laundry. On arriving at the CDL, he didn't want to wear the third mask because it was "stinky." I'm sure it was. I told his caregiver what happened and she said they could give him a disposable mask. I took the stinky mask and shoved it in my purse. 10 minutes later the caregiver texted to say she found both cloth masks in his bag, and everything was fine. My poor 3-year-old was right, and I was too frantic to see the truth. I feel like a hot mess mom today.
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2021-07-22
This is an animated map of air quality in the Sacramento, CA region on Thursday, July 22, 2021. The map shows the air quality in the region every twenty minutes during the day. From roughly 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Camp Wolfeboro is located in the "unhealthy" air quality index level. From 7:00 AM to 12:00 noon the air quality is "unhealthy for sensitive groups". The poor air quality in the region appears to originate in Alpine County based on the animation, the location of the Tamarack Fire.
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2021-07
This is a report from the USFS Wildland Fire Quality Response Program outlining the expected air quality impact of the Tamarack Fire near Lake Tahoe from Thursday-Friday, July 22-23, 2021. The reports discusses the possibility of increased smoke in the areas south of the Tamarack Fire, which includes Camp Wolfeboro. The report also notes the fire on Thursday had increased over 10,000 acres in size from the day before.
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2021-03-29
Though research in this area is often qualitative and findings have at times been disputed, studies suggest that interacting and forming bonds with animals, such as dogs, might have a positive effect on a person’s well-being. During the past year, in particular, many people have reported that pets played an important role in helping them cope with the physical and psychological tolls of pandemic life.
Animals provide companionship and can offer unconditional affection, which people don’t always get from other humans, said Lori Kogan, chair of the Human-Animal Interaction Section of the American Psychological Association and a professor at Colorado State University. Owning pets can also help people maintain a schedule and feel a sense of responsibility, Kogan said.
Although existing research has largely focused on more traditional pets, she said, “raising chickens can provide an incredible amount of emotional support.” Plus: “Chickens have their own little personalities. They’re very funny. They’re very cute.”
For Kelly Rutkowski, 38, of Ashland, Va., her chickens are her “therapy.”
“Just going out with them and just caring for them, interacting with them, it makes me happy,” said Rutkowski, founder of the Adopt a Bird Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of adoptable birds in animal shelters and rescues nationwide. In addition to hens, Rutkowski also keeps a “bachelor flock” of roosters.
“I know we’re missing out on being able to go out and do things and stuff, but being with the chickens is just an experience which makes it easier,” she said. “I’d say they’re just as fulfilling as a dog or cat.”
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2021-02-22
Can't find a puppy since the pandemic began? You're not alone - and that's left East Coast residents desperate for companionship looking at new avenues.
One of the most popular options? According to Google Trends, Atlantic Canadians are all about lizards.
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2021-08-12
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Thousands of animals across South Carolina are in need of adoption including some more exotic options you may not think about taking home with you at the Charleston Animal Society.
“Right now, we have a bearded dragon which is a very cool lizard and they have special needs, special diet as well as two bunnies, and two guinea pigs, so that’s a lot of animals that are extra care at the Charleston Animal Society as well as needing homes,” said Kay Hyman who is the director of community engagement at Charleston Animal Society
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2021-03-10
Kazakhstan is facing a multitude of problems, including a weak currency, dependence on fluctuating oil prices, a closed political system and dire human rights. Amid all of this, the fate of its abused pets may seem trivial. However, passionate activists are rising up to take a stand for animal rights.
As the Central Asian state’s socio-economic conditions have worsened over the past year due to the pandemic, more pet owners have been abandoning their animals or committing violence against them. And just as animal shelters are more needed than ever, they’re grappling with an influx of animals, a lack of funding and a legislative vacuum on animal rights.
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2020-09-01
Refugees from Western Sahara in camps in Algeria’s Tindouf province lose animals to livestock epidemic, while coronavirus restrictions wipe out other means of income.
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2021-01-25
In northern Kenya, researchers are working to prevent a dangerous coronavirus – Mers – from jumping from camels to humans again. But climate change is making their job more difficult.
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It’s thought that Covid-19 originated in animals before jumping to humans. Now experts are warning that the chances are the next pandemic will, too.
Seventy-five percent of the newly emerging diseases currently affecting people originate in animals, according to Predict, a US government-funded collaboration by infectious disease experts across the globe. Already, Predict scientists have identified 1,200 new zoonotic, or animal-borne, diseases. But scientists estimate there are some 700,000 more zoonotic diseases we don’t even know about yet.
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“That infection” is Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), a novel coronavirus that so far has proven to be at least 10 times more deadly than Covid-19. It was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012. By 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) had identified “1,761 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Mers-CoV, including at least 629 related deaths”.
Later that year, an outbreak at a hospital raised the alarm that it’s not just camel herders who are susceptible to the disease, but anyone at all.
But while camels can be carriers, the Mers threat to humans is mostly man-made. As human-induced climate change makes droughts more frequent, prolonged, and severe, herders have had to abandon cows and other livestock for camels because only they can survive weeks without water. The result is a growing number of camels in close contact with humans – the perfect conditions for the spread of a deadly disease.
Mers causes the same sorts of respiratory system complications as Covid-19, including pneumonia. Symptoms often start with nasal congestion, a cough, chest pains, or difficulty breathing. In the worst cases, it may cause fibrosis – irreversible scarring – in the lungs. This can be deadly. More than one-third of all humans known to have contracted Mers have died from it, according to the WHO.
Once it jumps from animals to humans, a Mers outbreak could grow rapidly. Saudi Arabia alone saw 15 people infected in December 2019 and January 2020 – three of whom were hospital workers infected by their patients. “The fact that RNA viruses such as coronaviruses mutate means you never know what could happen with that particular virus,” says Zimmerman.
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2021-05-22
Grover and his owner, Karen Loeffler, are with the group NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, which has teams that respond to crises and anywhere that people have stress and anxiety. Loeffler, the former United States attorney for the District of Alaska, regularly brings Grover to court to calm people when they are testifying in a trial or grand jury.
The Anchorage OEM connected Alicia with Loeffler’s group, and Lillian sat with Grover on the floor of the Alaska Airlines Center for an hour, petting him, brushing his fur and giving him treats until she was calm enough to get the shot.
A majority of children exhibit needle fear, along with up to 20-30% of young adults, according to a pre-pandemic meta-analysis. The 2018 study noted that 1 in 6 health care workers avoided the influenza vaccine because of a fear of needles, and the authors encouraged further study of approaches that could alleviate fear during injections.
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2020-07-22
Police dogs in Chile are being trained to sniff out Covid-19 in humans, with hopes that they will facilitate the reopening of busy public spaces including malls, sports centers, bus terminals and airports this fall.
The so-called "bio-detector" dogs are expected to complete training by mid-September and will be deployed to places with high concentrations of people, according to the Chilean police.
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2021-05-26
Russia has started vaccinating animals against coronavirus, officials say.
In March, Russia announced it had registered what it said was the world's first animal-specific jab.
Several regions have now started vaccinations at veterinary clinics, Russia's veterinary watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, told local media.
Interest has been shown in the Carnivak-Cov vaccine by the EU, Argentina South Korea and Japan, the agency said.
While scientists say there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the disease to humans, infections have been confirmed in various species worldwide.
These include dogs, cats, apes and mink.
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2020-04-30
Athens, Greece – As a nationwide lockdown enters its second month in Greece, animal rescue groups and shelters have become overwhelmed with the number of strays piling up in their facilities.
Although dog adoption in central Athens and other urban city centres continues, as some seek companionship in the form of pets during the lockdown, international dog adoption from Greece to countries across Europe and the US has come to a standstill.
A lack of resources means that shelters have been forced to stop taking in new strays, leading to more dogs on the street.
It also means more dogs continuing to breed in the wild, which again increases the number of strays.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic changed the nature of dog adoption in Greece, more dogs were being abandoned because people could no longer afford them and also due to a hunting culture.
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2021-07-28
VANCOUVER -- Dog trainers and animal behaviourists are being flooded with calls from people seeking advice because their pets are having a hard time adjusting to their absence.
Pet adoption rates soared during the pandemic, as people spent more time at home and found they enjoyed the company of a furry companion.
Now that people are returning to the office – even those back for just a couple of hours a week – have noticed their dogs and cats appearing stressed.
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2020-10-26
An Ontario dog living with four human COVID-19 patients is the first dog in Canada to test positive for the virus. But researchers say the discovery doesn't mean pet owners need to worry.
The animal is from the Niagara Region and lived in a home where four out of six people had the virus, according to Dr. Scott Weese, chief of infection control at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College.
"At last check, both dogs were fine, everyone in household sounds like they're doing well," he said.
Weese described COVID-19 as a "human virus."
There is some risk of animal-to-human transmission when it comes to mink, and experiments have shown infected cats can pass the virus to other cats, but that has not been shown in dogs, he said.
"If your dogs has COVID or is infected with this virus, it got it from you or someone else in the household."
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2021-02-10
Efforts are underway in Seoul to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the pet population. The South Korean capital is offering free testing for cats and dogs exposed to carriers of the disease. The campaign to test and isolate pets comes just weeks after a kitten in Seoul became South Korea's first confirmed case of an animal with COVID-19.
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2021-04-23
Not everyone is losing out from the pandemic. Some businesses are reaping big profits due to rising demand. The pet market has exploded in the last year as people got animals to fight loneliness.
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2021-08-13
Our Post-Pandemic Healthcare World
I definitely view our future post-pandemic world through the lens of someone who has worked many decades in health care.
Though the pandemic has been a time of incredible stress for healthcare workers, for me I guess it is possible to identify two positives.
The first is the extent to which staff who work in healthcare settings have so obviously provided exemplary care even when faced with PPE shortages, heartbreaking patient losses, and sporadic public resistance to masks and vaccines. As a RN in an administrative position at a Federally Qualified Health Center, I don’t work on the front lines myself, but I’m close enough to feel that I’m a part of the collective healthcare effort. Our clinic is affiliated with UCLA and we had - for example – a Dental Hygiene staff member deployed to assist in the MICU at Ronald Reagan UCLA. Right in the middle of COVID and she did so willingly. I work with inspiring people in an invigorating and purposeful setting. What a gift.
The second positive is more clinical and pragmatic – the COVID pandemic has likely led to lasting infection control practice changes that were sorely needed. When I first started nursing school in the late 70’s, we would do all types of patient care without gloves and routinely had extensive exposure to blood and body fluids. The AIDS crisis resulted in permanent and necessary infection control changes. I’ve always felt that ambulatory care settings lacked adequate precautions when it came to diseases with the potential for respiratory transmission. Well, everyone understands screening and masking now. This is a positive that will result in a safer environment for patients and staff going forward.
So, amazed at the extent to which healthcare workers have delivered every step of the way during the pandemic. Proud to be a Nurse. Happy that we all have a better understanding of respiratory precautions. These are my positive takeaways from COVID thus far.
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2021-05-15
In South Africa, a private security company that deploys dogs to sniff out illegal drugs and explosives at airports now is teaching the canine corps to detect COVID-19. Romain Chanson checks out the situation for VOA in this report from Johannesburg, narrated by VOA’s Carol Guensburg.
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2021-07-01
Swabs were taken from 310 pets in 196 households where a human infection had been detected.
Six cats and seven dogs returned a positive PCR result, while 54 animals tested positive for virus antibodies.
"If you have Covid, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog, just as you would do with other people," Dr Els Broens, from Utrecht University, said.
The researchers say the most likely route of virus transmission is from human to animal, rather than the other way round.
"We can't say there is a 0% risk of owners catching Covid from their pets," Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Centre Dr Broens said.
"At the moment, the pandemic is still being driven by human-to-human infections, so we just wouldn't detect it."
