Mar 17, 2020
“It is the microbes who will have the last word.” — Louis Pasteur
“The conditions for infectious disease emergence and contagion are more dangerous than ever … due to overpopulation, urbanization, industrial livestock crowds and mobility; there was (is) a 20% chance that four pandemics could unsettle the globe over the next century” — 2016 Commission on Creating a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future
“As dramatic agents of biological change pandemics represent tsunamis or bombs…pandemics have the energy to rattle and even collapse civilizations.” —Andrew Nikiforuk
Throughout human history, as we spread across the world we have had infectious diseases as a constant companion. Outbreaks continue to happen, even more frequently in our modern era. First, I discuss a timeline over the last 2000 years and chat about some of histories most deadly pandemics, including the biggies such as Black Death (Bubonic Plague); with 200 million dead (30-50% of Europe); smallpox killing 90% of Native Americans, and the Spanish flu. Next I discuss what we know about seasonal cycles of many infectious diseases, and then some recent papers considering whether Covid-19 may be seasonal, perhaps weakening as we head to Northern Hemisphere summer.
Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Weaken in the Northern Hemisphere as we move into Summer?
I discuss a new scientific paper that examines the present coronavirus spread and shows correlations of the hardest hit regions to temperature and humidity changes with latitude. This is only one paper, but it seems to indicate that the hardest hit regions are within an average temperature band from 5C to 11C, with low specific humidity (3-6 g/kg) and absolute humidity (4-7 g/cm3). If this is confirmed in subsequent scientific studies then it could indicate that Covid-19 is a seasonal respiratory virus. Promising (since it would slow down in summer); but too early to tell for sure at the moment.
Mar 17, 2020
As Canadians avoid gatherings and crowds amid the COVID-19 outbreak, grocery stores present a challenge as people stock up and pick shelves bare.
Mar 17, 2020
Jim Braude shares his thoughts on an online tool that can help you explore some of the great artistic wonders of the world while practicing social distancing.
Mar 17, 2020
Mayor Martin J. Walsh provides updates on the City’s response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. The Mayor will share a situation summary and planning updates to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Mar 17, 2020
The White House announced Tuesday that it wanted to send cash payments to Americans in the coming weeks to help stifle the blow of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. This on the heels of a complete change in tone from President Trump on Monday during a press conference, in which he stressed the seriousness of the outbreak he once downplayed. To discuss all this and more, Jim Braude was joined by Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy, who also has released a plan for cash payments to Americans.
Welcome to Transition Studies. To prosper for very much longer on the changing Earth humankind will need to move beyond its current fossil-fueled civilization toward one that is sustained on recycled materials and renewable energy. This is not a trivial shift. It will require a major transition in all aspects of our lives.
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