Take a Break: Track Sunsets and Sunrises

Now that we’ve started the count to summer-my husband refers to Winter Solstice as the first day of summer- it does me a world of good to see how the days are getting longer.

 

Because we were trying to watch the "great conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn, or “Christmas Star 2020,” on Dec. 21, I was paying close attention to the time of sunset. That was to be the best time to see this once in 800 year astronomy event. I noticed that within a day, sunset went from 4:17 to 4:18 and today, Dec. 30, it’s 4:23.

 

Interestingly, it seems that sunrise seems to be remaining around the 7:20 mark. To understand why we see daylight extending at the end of the day versus the beginning check out:

 • Why Isn’t the Year’s Earliest Sunset on the Winter Solstice? 

• Why sunrise gets later in early January, even though the days are getting longer. 

 

With such short cold days, I enjoy knowing that since Dec. 21 we’ve gained 6 more minutes of daylight in my part of the world.

 

While I just use my cell phone to make note of sunset/sunrise, you can also just google it for your part of the planet.

 

Not interested in today’s activities, try the Take a Break Pinterest Board.

Take a Break: Check out Chateau De LaLande

I happened to catch a CNN article  about a vlog on a Chateau in France called de Lalande. According to their website, The Chateau de Lalande, a magnificent 16th century chateau, lies nestled in the heart of France, amidst rolling meadows, ancient hedgerows and woodland. This corner of the Berry was described by the romantic novelist, George Sand, as la vallée noire, an enchanting earthly paradise.

 

As the CNN article noted, What do you get when you put a former opera singer, two ex-boyfriends, her French mother, an adopted Scottish brother, a Dutch tango instructor, a Norwegian flower designer and a cheery Argentine house manager together into a sprawling 40-room French chateau? Well, you get "The Chateau Diaries," the unlikely YouTube quarantine hit that has made a star of Stephanie Jarvis and her friends and family.

 

There are so many videos to watch, but given it’s Christmas time, check out the Advent Calendar of daily posts. The ones from 2019  are much shorter than 2020 -guess quarantine gives you more time to film and perfect.  

 

This is more than just a “quarantine family,” this is clearly people enjoying one another’s company in unique ways. It’s a refreshing way to see the world through art, music, fun and just plain enjoyment of others.

 

Here are some links where you can learn more about this amazing place:

• LaLande’s website and Facebook 

• Escape to the Chateau: DIY returns to colourful Chateau de Lalande 

• Marie Wiik’s website/blog: She’s the florist for LaLande

 

Not interested in today’s activities, try the Take a Break Pinterest Board.

Journal Watch December 2020

COVID

Vaccines Authorized by the FDA: The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine gained approval from the FDA on Dec. 11 for those 16 and older, which was followed by the Moderna Vaccine on Dec. 18.  President Trump has said vaccines will be free to all Americans, though some places may charge a fee for administering the shots. Initial supplies will be limited. Based on the U.K experience, it’s expected that  people with a history of serious allergic reactions will be warned about the vaccination. The FDA also said the vaccine might not be as strong in people with compromised immune systems, including those taking drugs that weaken the immune system. Both vaccines employ mRNA technology. It will be up to the states how the vaccine will be distributed thought the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that health-care workers and nursing home and other long-term care residents be the first to receive the vaccine.

 

CDC Warns That COVID-19 Vaccine Might Spur Transient Sickness: Experts attending a meeting of an advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressed that Americans who receive the vaccine should not be surprised if they feel under the weather for a few days afterward. 

 

FDA Give Guidance on Allergy, Pregnancy Concerns for Pfizer Vaccine: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has clarified its guidance on administration of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, stating that it is safe for people with any history of allergies, but not for those who might have a known history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine.

 

Researchers urge priority vaccination for individuals with diabetes: Researchers have discovered individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes infected with COVID-19 are three times more likely to have a severe illness or require hospitalization compared with people without diabetes. Diabetes Care

 

Interpol Warns Fake COVID-19 Vaccines May Pop Up Online: Interpol released a warning last week stating that organized crime networks may try to scam people into buying fraudulent COVID-19 vaccines. The real vaccine won’t be distributed online, so avoid circumventing the process for what may seem like early access to the shot.

 

Johnson & Johnson Hopes to Offer COVID Vaccine in February: Johnson & Johnson has fully enrolled 45,000 participants in phase III of its clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine and hopes to apply for an emergency use authorization from the FDA in February. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine differs from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in that it doesn't need to be frozen and only requires one dose, not two.

 

New Home Test approved by the FDA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized the first coronavirus test that people will be able to buy at a local store without a prescription and use for immediate results at home to find out if they're positive or negative. The test will cost about $30 and be available by January. It takes about five minutes to collect the sample and produces results within 20 minutes. 

 

Plasma From Recovered Patients Shows Little Benefit in Those Hospitalized With COVID-19: The therapy know as convalescent plasma, which delivers antibodies from COVID-19 survivors to infected people, did not significantly improve patients' health status or reduce their risk of dying from the disease any better than a placebo.

 

Face masks slow spread of COVID-19; types of masks, length of use matter: "The results suggest that the consistent use of efficient face masks, such as surgical masks, could lead to the eradication of the pandemic if at least 70% of the residents use such masks in public consistently," said author Sanjay Kumar. "Even less efficient cloth masks could also slow the spread if worn consistently." Physics of Fluids

 

One-third of patients may experience ‘long COVID’: A study has found that 32% of people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were still experiencing at least one symptom 6 weeks after their tests. The most common of these symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, and a loss of taste or smell. The phenomenon appears to be more common among people who experienced more severe infections. Among people with milder infections, however, the prevalence of long COVID has been unclear. Data from the COVID Symptom Study app suggest that 1 in 10 people with the illness experience symptoms for 3 weeks or more. Annals of Internal Medicine.

For Covid Long-Haulers, a Little-Known Diagnosis Offers Possible Treatments—and New Challenges: a little-known syndrome called POTS: A  disorder of the autonomic nervous system that can have a variety of causes, and it existed before Covid. One common trigger is an infection, such as a virus. Now some doctors believe that the coronavirus is triggering the disorder in some people, providing an explanation for debilitating symptoms including dramatically elevated heart rates from small movements, dizziness and extreme fatigue after even minor physical activity. The good news, experts say, is there are protocols and treatments for POTS, which stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. They include a guided, very gradual return to physical activity; compression stockings or abdominal compression to prevent blood pooling in the lower half of the body; increased salt and fluid intake if blood pressure is low; and sometimes medications to regulate blood pressure, heart rate and blood volume. The Wall Street Journal 

Long-Haul COVID-19 May Be a Public Health Crisis After the Pandemic: On Dec. 3 and 4, the National Institutes of Health sponsored a meeting to discuss the long-term symptoms of COVID-19. This shed light on the millions of people around the world who’ve been affected by lingering symptoms from the disease. Healthline

 

Large US study confirms COVID-19 complications: Lung, kidney and cardiovascular issues. Canadian Medical Association Journal (2020). DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.201686

 

Baricitinib Combo for COVID-19 Accelerates Recovery: Among people hospitalized with COVID-19, a combination of baricitinib and remdesivir reduces the median time to recovery compared with remdesivir plus placebo, according to trial results published December 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

 

Men Worldwide Doing Worse with COVID-19: Researchers pooled data from government websites and the medical literature on more than 3.1 million people infected with the new coronavirus in 46 countries. They found no difference in the proportion of male and female patients who contracted COVID-19. Men, however, were nearly three times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit and 39% more likely to die from COVID-19. Nature Communications

 

Vitamin D Deficiency in COVID-19 Quadrupled Death Rate: Vitamin D deficiency on admission to hospital was associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the odds of dying from COVID-19, according to an observational study looking back at data from the first wave of the pandemic. published online November 25 in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

 

Metformin Use May Reduce Mortality in Women With COVID-19: For women with type 2 diabetes or obesity who are admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, metformin use is associated with significantly reduced mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. 

 

Study hints that supplements may reduce COVID-19 risk in females: The research found small but significant decreases in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among females — but not males — who took multivitamins, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, or probiotics. MedRxiv.

 

LED lights found to kill coronavirus: Researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) have proven that the coronavirus can be killed efficiently, quickly, and cheaply using ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs). They believe that the UV-LED technology will soon be available for private and commercial use. ournal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology.

COVID-19 Neurologic Fallout Not Limited to the Severely Ill: A review of  medical records of 74 adults (mean age, 64 years) who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and evaluated for neurologic conditions at Boston Medical Center, a safety-net hospital caring primarily for underserved, low-income, racial and ethnic minority populations. "We found a range of neurologic diagnoses, including stroke and seizures, among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the majority were not critically ill, suggesting that these complications are not limited just to those patients who require ICU care or a ventilator," The study was published online December 9 in Neurology Clinical Practice.

COVID Ranks as Leading Cause of Death in the US. 

Tocilizumab Reduces Odds of Ventilation or Death in Mostly Non-White COVID-19 Patients: The interleukin-6 inhibitor tocilizumab reduced the combined likelihood of mechanical ventilation or death by 44% among mostly non-white patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a new international randomized test of 389 volunteers. The New England Journal of Medicine

 

We are over-cleaning in response to covid-19: We don’t have a single documented case of covid-19 transmission from surfaces. Not one. Covid is spread mainly through the air so there’s no need to constantly disinfect surfaces. Shared air is the problem, not shared surfaces. Washington Post 

Elevated biomarker for blood vessel damage found in all children with SARS-CoV-2: Researchers have found elevated levels of a biomarker related to blood vessel damage in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection, even if the children had minimal or no symptoms of COVID-19. They also found that a high proportion of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection met clinical and diagnostic criteria for thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Blood Advances

 

PAIN

Improving pain care through implementation of the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management: A new study published in the Journal of Pain Research provides evidence that implementation of a Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM) has the potential to more adequately treat chronic pain. The SCM-PM calls for an individualized approach to managing pain in three steps. In Step 1, the clinician identifies and discusses the patient's pain concerns, and develops a treatment plan focusing on self-management and primary care-based interventions. Step 2 involves additional resources and collaborative treatment, including behavioral health assessment and interventions, medication, and consultations with specialists. Step 3 focuses on patients with chronic pain requiring significantly more care and involvement from other members of a pain management team.

 

Exercise for low back pain beneficial but no one agrees on why: A new evidence review has found there is still no consensus between researchers about why exercise works for low back pain patients - despite decades of studies on the topic. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice recently 

 

 

 

COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

First meta-analysis shows promise for yoga, meditation, mindfulness in concussion: Data from 22 different studies, including both published and unpublished work, that included a total of 539 study participants, and looked at the impact of the three interventions on outcome categories -- including mental health, physical health, cognitive performance, quality of life, and social/occupational performance -- and on specific health outcomes, like depression, attention, anxiety, and fatigue. "The main results that we saw were significant reductions in depression and fatigue, Especially with fatigue, it was a large effect size, which is impressive in the sense that fatigue is a difficult symptom for patients to deal with." Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being 

 

Does CBD Impair Your Driving Abilities? Experts, Researchers Disagree: In a new studyTrusted Source, researchers say cannabidiol (CBD) without the intoxicating chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) doesn’t impair driving. However, the researchers say that THC itself can produce mild driving impairment that can last up to 4 hours.

 

FDA ACTION

• Approved Xofluza for postexposure flu prevention

• Approved Tagrisso, the first adjuvant therapy for the most common type of lung cancer

• Approved the Osseoanchored Prostheses for the Rehabilitation of Amputees (OPRA) Implant System, the first implant system marketed in the U.S. for adults who have transfemoral—or above-the-knee—amputations and who have or are anticipated to have rehabilitation problems with, or cannot use, a conventional socket prosthesis. 

• Approved Orgovyx the first oral hormone therapy for treating advanced prostate cancer

• Warns consumers to avoid 50 male enhancement and Weight Loss Products Sold Through Amazon, eBay and Other Retailers Due to Hidden, Potentially Dangerous Drug Ingredients

• Granted marketing authorization  for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) implant intended to serve as an alternative to ACL reconstruction to treat ACL tears.

• Approved Gallium 68 PSMA-11 (Ga 68 PSMA-11) – the first drug for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positive lesions in men with prostate cancer.

• Approved Oxlumo (lumasiran) as the first treatment for primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), a rare genetic disorder

• Expanded the approved indication for Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) to include post-exposure prevention of influenza (flu) for patients 12 years of age and older after contact with an individual who has the flu.

• Approved Zokinvy (lonafarnib) capsules to reduce the risk of death due to Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and for the treatment of certain processing-deficient progeroid laminopathies in patients one year of age and older

 

 

PREVENTION: Exercise

Aim to exceed weekly recommended physical activity level to offset health harms of prolonged sitting: The health harms associated with prolonged sitting can be offset by exceeding weekly recommended physical activity levels, says the World Health Organization (WHO) in new global guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, published in a special dedicated issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. But all physical activity counts and is good for long term health, say the new guidelines.

 

Everyday activities enhance personal well-being: Physical activity makes happy and is important to maintain psychic health. Researchers studied the brain regions which play a central role in this process. Their findings reveal that even everyday activities, such as climbing stairs, significantly enhance well-being, in particular of persons susceptible to psychiatric disorders. Science Advances

 

Large study finds clear association between fitness and mental health: New research from a large study demonstrates that low cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength have a significant association with worse mental health. BMC Medicine

 

PREVENTION: Diet/Nutrition

New ‘Green’ Mediterranean Diet May Be Even Healthier for You: According to a new study published online in the journal Heart,  researchers found that people who consumed higher amounts of plant-based proteins and less red meat and poultry experienced increased cardiovascular and metabolic benefits.

 

Following A Mediterranean Diet Helps Lower The Risk Of Diabetes In Women, New Study Finds. The health harms associated with prolonged sitting can be offset by exceeding weekly recommended physical activity levels, says the World Health Organization (WHO) in new global guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, published in a special dedicated issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. All physical activity counts and is good for long term health, say the new guidelines.

 

Patients with heart rhythm disorder warned against heavy alcohol consumption: Fourteen drinks a week is linked with a higher risk of health problems including stroke and embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to research published in EP Europace, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

 

New Study Blood Type Diet A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by researchers with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine—a nonprofit of 12,000 doctors—debunks the 'blood type diet' by finding that blood type was not associated with the effects of a plant-based diet on body weight, body fat, plasma lipid concentrations, or glycemic control. This new study is based on a randomized control trial whose main findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Nov. 30. That trial randomly assigned overweight participants with no history of diabetes to an intervention or control group on a 1:1 ratio for 16 weeks. Participants in the intervention group followed a low-fat, plant-based diet. The control group made no diet changes. The key finding is that a plant-based diet ramps up metabolism as measured by an increase in after-meal calorie burn of 18.7%, on average, for the intervention group over the control. 

 

Diet modifications -- including more wine and cheese -- may help reduce cognitive decline, study suggests: The foods we eat may have a direct impact on our cognitive acuity in our later years. This is the key finding of an Iowa State University research study spotlighted in an article published in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Key findings included: Cheese, by far, was shown to be the most protective food against age-related cognitive problems, even late into life; The daily consumption of alcohol, particularly red wine, was related to improvements in cognitive function; Weekly consumption of lamb, but not other red meats, was shown to improve long-term cognitive prowess; and Excessive consumption of salt is bad, but only individuals already at risk for Alzheimer's Disease may need to watch their intake to avoid cognitive problems over time.

 

Is the sugar substitute stevia bad for our health?: New research into the plant-based sweetener stevia indicates that the sugar substitute may have negative implications for gut health. Molecules.

 

An avocado a day keeps your gut microbes happy: Eating avocado as part of your daily diet can help improve gut health. Researchers found that people who ate avocado every day as part of a meal had a greater abundance of gut microbes that break down fiber and produce metabolites that support gut health. They also had greater microbial diversity compared to people who did not receive the avocado meals in the study. Journal of Nutrition

 

PREVENTION: VITAMINS/SUPPLEMENTS

Dietary Supplements and Cognitive Function, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease: What the Science Says: From the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. This issue of the digest summarizes current information on what the science says about several dietary supplements that have been studied for cognitive function, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Although a few trials of natural products for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia have shown some modest effects, direct evidence is lacking. In addition, research on some mind and body practices such as music therapy and mental imagery, which have shown promise in treating some symptoms related to dementia, as well as alleviating stress among caregivers, is ongoing.

 

Study Finds Fish Oil May Not Help Your Heart: A studyTrusted Source, published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationon November 15, found that a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce people’s chances of experiencing a major cardiovascular event.

 

Eating driedfruit linked to better overall diet and health: Encouraging people to eat more dried fruit — without added sugar — could be an effective way to boost their intake of vital nutrients, researchers have concluded. Even after adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors, the participants who ate significant amounts of dried fruit tended to have better diets, a lower BMI, a smaller waist circumference, and lower systolic blood pressure compared with those who did not. Medical News Today

 

Higher doses of vitamin D did not reduce falls in at risk older adults: A randomized trial found that, compared with a lower dose, higher doses of vitamin D supplementation did not reduce falls in older persons at high risk for falls. In addition, several analyses raised safety concerns about vitamin D3 doses of 1000 IU/d or higher. Annals of Internal Medicine.

 

PREVENTION

Anxiety associated with faster Alzheimer's disease onset: Anxiety is associated with an increased rate of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Radiological Society of North America

 

Testosterone can prevent type 2 diabetes in men: The largest investigation of testosterone treatment ever undertaken has shown that, over and above the effect of a lifestyle program, treatment with testosterone prevents or reverses newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in men. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology

 

TREATMENT

Drug for rare disorder shows promise for treating herpes viruses: A drug currently prescribed to treat a rare enzyme deficiency can help cells clear the herpes simplex 1 and herpes simplex 2 viruses, according to a new study. Science Advances 

 

New guideline supports behavioral, psychological treatments for insomnia: A new clinical practice guideline establishing recommendations for the use of behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults has been published. The guideline includes one strong recommendation -- which is one that clinicians should follow under most circumstances -- for the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. CBT-I combines one or more cognitive therapy strategies with education about sleep regulation plus behavioral strategies such as stimulus control instructions and sleep restriction therapy. Treatment typically involves four to eight sessions. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

 

 

OTHER

Amazon Pharmacy Boasts Big Discounts for Prescription Meds, but Probably Isn’t the Best Deal: Amazon launched Amazon Pharmacy, a delivery service for prescription medications.  The service allows customers to purchase prescription medications with or without insurance. It boasts that Amazon Prime members can save up to “80 percent off generic and 40 percent off brand name medications when paying without insurance.”

Experts say Amazon Pharmacy has the potential to improve drug pricing in the United States, but it likely won’t be a game-changer since it will work within the same system as other online pharmacies. Despite its boasting, Amazon Pharmacy pricing doesn’t really offer much of a discount. Healthline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a Break: Make a Hachimaki, Head Band

In Japan, when someone wants to apply themselves to a serious task or problem, they wear a Hachimaki, the cotton head band once worn by samurai. The traditional headband symbolizes focus and concentration, as well as physical and spiritual strength. It is also thought to keep the wearer safe from evil spirits and demons. You’ll see them worn in various situations including protests and of course there’s the  “Karate Kid.”

 

Several years ago, I watched the impact a Hachimaki had on a friend with major illness. Not only did he wear this throughout his birthday dinner, but he wore it two months later when he was raising money in a bike-a-thon. He definitely brought his A game to a challenging situation.

 

Given all the different styles and ways to wear them, these would make a nice holiday present to help friends, family and neighbors stay strong through the upcoming long winter.

 

Use the following links:

Hachimaki –the Japanese Headband that gives you Energy

 

How to make a Japanese Head Band.

 

 

Not interested in today’s activities, try the Take a Break Pinterest Board.

Life with Chronic Conditions in the time of Covid: Nurture Yourself with Self Care

Between the holidays, Covid, winter and general social isolation we can all use a bit of  self-care to stay healthy and sane as we get ready to head into 2021. So, without further ado, below are things to consider that can help improve your sense of well-being:

 

• Try a spot of relaxation/meditation: Voices make all the difference for me. I’ve found Andrew Johnson’s voice helps me relax and even fall asleep when I find myself wide awake at 2 am mulling over something I couldn’t possibly do a thing about.

 

Moment of relaxation 

 

 

Guided Meditation for Resilience 

 

 

• Designate a relaxing space at home: Make it your own, even if it’s a small corner of another room, or just a special comfy chair.  It’s your space so play soft music, light candles or do whatever makes you feel calm.

 

• Plan something: Even if it’s a plan to drive around and look at holiday lights (lots of social media tips on where to go), having something to look forward to helps.

 

• Play Music: Just talked to my 97 year old friend, who because she’s stuck at home, ordered herself an Alexa so she can listen to Frank Sinatra and her favorite music from the 40s. Talk about a mood elevation.

 

• Keep moving-indoors and out of doors: For me getting 10,000 steps in a day is helpful. However, that’s far from a realistic goal for everyone, and there are certain days I’m active but not in a way that adds up to steps. For example, if I’m on an archeological dig (one of my favorite things to volunteer to do) I’m on my feet for hours screening and I’m wiped by the end of the day. Another big plus of the digs is that I’m outside in nature. Lots of research supports being in nature and there are even “green prescriptions,” where you are encouraged to walk in the woods, park etc.

 

So here’s some interesting info on how many steps you take, Research finds that more steps are better but even a lower amount can achieve health benefits. A study following 4,840 men and women 40 years of age and older for about 10 years found that those taking at least 8,000 steps daily had a 51% lower death rate from all causes compared with those taking 4,000 steps or fewer. [20] A large cohort of more than 16,000 older American women (mean age 72 years) from the Women’s Health Study followed for 4 years found that those taking 4,400 steps a day had a 41% lower death rate compared with those taking about 2,700 steps a day. [21] Death rates continued to drop in relation to taking more steps up to 7,500 daily, but steps beyond that did not show additional benefit. Walking for Exercise Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

 

• Lifting Weights: Definitely helps to weight train twice a week. Don’t have weights? No worries, use can goods, jugs or small buckets filled with water or sand.

 

• 20 minute clean: Definitely feel better when the bed is made, dishes cleaned and put away and the floor vacuumed. De cluttering my office, while I listen to a podcast like Criminal  results in a cleaner office (a big win for me) and I’ve learned something interesting.

 

• Socialize earlier in the day: Getting sufficient sleep is important, plus late night eating triggers my GERD. Doing activities earlier in the day gives you the evening to unwind and more likely to get required sleep. In short Zoom a lunch bunch versus Zoom nightcaps.

 

• What you drink matters: Eliminating sodas, reducing alcoholic beverages, and drinking water and tea makes a difference. VT winters are very dry, particularly if you are heating with wood, so drinking plenty of water is a must. Various studies support drinking tea, particularly green and black.

 

• Manicures and pedicures help: One of the first things I plan to do when Covid is under control is get a pedicure. As much as I soak my feet and scrub them, I just don’t do the same job as a professional, particularly cutting the nails. Healthy feet does wonders for the rest of your body.

 

• Let the sunshine in: If you can’t be in nature, open the shades and welcome the sun into your home and office. Of course, draw the shades when the sun goes down to keep the heat in.

 

• Learn something new At the moment I need new recipes as I’m so bored with my own cooking.

 

• Garden: For some reason I’m a better indoor gardener and once the holidays are over, I start thinking about what I can start indoors, such as lettuce, herbs etc. By March, our bedroom is awash in baby plants. All that new growth improves my mood.

 

• Snuggle with a Pet

 

• Self massage: Lots of online videos to help with this.

 

• Take a nap

 

Take a Break: Try a Virtual Free Escape Room

Maybe we need these now more than ever thanks to Covid, but there are a variety of free escape rooms that you can try out virtually. Some you can do a lone, others are best as a team effort. Maybe something to consider for a zoom holiday party. There are also lots of mysteries to solve as well. However, try the freebies first to find if this is something you like.

 

• Spice up Your Next Zoom Night With These 10 Free Escape Rooms 

 

• 24 Best Virtual Escape Rooms for Team Building in 2020

 

Not interested in today’s activities, try the Take a Break Pinterest Board.

Life with Chronic Conditions in the time of Covid: Should I get the Vaccine?

While England has approved the Pfizer Covid vaccine, and will begin administering it next week, the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval is expected on or about Dec. 11. The Moderna vaccine is about a week behind and it’s feasible that by Christmas, both vaccines will be approved and distribution begun.

 

AstraZeneca has yet to apply for approval to the FDA but their vaccine does provide advantages over Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as far as storage. All of them appear to be equally effective with two doses, given several weeks apart, though AstraZenca’s vaccine had a 70% effectiveness after one dose, making it more effective than many flu vaccines. In all three cases, two doses of the vaccine conferred over 90% effectiveness.

 

There are a 12 vaccines in stage 3 trials and approximately 50 additional ones in various stages of development. Oh and there is the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia with massive distribution starting in the next few weeks. Criticized by western scientist for cutting corners, it is reported that the two doses are 91.5% effective.

 

If your head is spinning, and I haven’t even mentioned the vaccines being developed by China, which may offer a solution to the storage problem, the point is that we will be seeing a lot more in the world of vaccine development in the coming months.

  

Should I wait to get the vaccine?

It is interesting to note how the responses have been to this question over the last month. Initially, there were a lot of “we’ll wait and see what the side effects might be,”  but as cases have surged, with increasing death and the emergence of “long haulers” - those individuals who continue with issues long after their initial Covid infection-more and more people are saying a definite "yes." 

When asked which one of the vaccines should they consider, a number of experts are saying, whichever one comes first that you are eligible for.

 

How the vaccines are being distributed. Unless you are a front line health care worker, it’s unlikely you’ll be offered the vaccine right out of the gate. The following variables will impact when you might be first be offered the vaccine:

• How much vaccine is available is in your state

 

• Whether one, two or more vaccines are available for distribution. Note that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two injections. These are not interchangeable so if you start with the Pfizer for shot one, it will need to be the Pfizer drug for shot two. So when a state health official says they have 1,000 dosages of the vaccine, unless they say otherwise, that means there is only sufficient vaccine for 500 people.

 

• The Pfizer vaccine requires extremely cold temperatures for storage-minus 70 degrees. Not every facility can accommodate that level of freezing. Moderna’s vaccine also requires being frozen, but at temps more like a regular freezer. When these vaccines are thawed, they need to be used within a short time frame. These storage factors can have an impact on distribution. 

 

• Your state’s health department will prioritize vaccine distribution. Check their website to learn more about what is happening in your state.

 

See wait will be by trying NY Times Find Your Place in the Vaccine Line. For many of us we’ll be waiting a while and so will know more about side effects etc.

 

If you have the option of being vaccinated sooner than later

• Is it safe? As one member of the FDA advisory board noted, "For people who are worried about safety, we are essentially, by necessity, testing the water with one foot," Dr. Paul Offit said. "We'll have tens of millions of people who will be getting this vaccine before the general population gets it, so you'll have a much bigger safety profile than you have when it initially rolls out." Average folks can take comfort from the safety data that's already been gathered in clinical trials, and additional data expected to pour in from millions more people participating in the earliest waves of COVID-19.

"We really see vaccine side effects in the first week after vaccine, and sometimes in the first month to two months of the vaccine," said Dr. Buddy Creech, director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program, in Nashville, Tenn. "We've been very reassured that we haven't seen a number of cases of things that we would not expect."

Offit added, "What you're going to be able to say now, when these vaccines roll out, is you're going to be able to say that, at least in tens of thousands of people, there were no uncommon serious side effects that were seen within two months of getting a dose."

The CDC, on Dec. 3, 2020 updated their 8 Things to Know About Vaccine Planning, which stresses that the supply will be limited initially,  there will be priority groups and costs will not be an obstacle as there should be no charge for the vaccine itself, but there could be a charge for administering the shot.

 

• Can I get Covid from the Vaccine: No. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use only a gene from the virus while other vaccines being studied use inactivated virus. None of these can cause COVID-19.

 

• Side effects? Scientists anticipate that the shots may cause mild flu-like side effects — including sore arms, muscle aches and fever. Some providers are recommending that you take ibuprofen or acetaminophen (if you can safely take them) before you get the vaccine. This will help to significantly alleviate the side effects. Study participants did not take pain relievers before their vaccines.

 

• Is this a live virus: Both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines are mRNA vaccines, and AstraZeneca’s and Johnson & Johnson’s are non-replicating vectored vaccines. None of the early vaccines being tested are live weakened versions of the virus.

 

• How long will the vaccine immunity last? The jury is still out on this one and it’s why those who have been part of the Phase III trial will be followed for two years.

 

• If I’m vaccinated can I spread Covid to someone else? If an individual is vaccinated and they are protected from infection, they will not transmit the virus to someone else. But, it is expected that COVID-19 vaccines may protect against severe infection, but not necessarily prevent mild or asymptomatic infection. If this is the case, a vaccinated person could still spread the virus if they are infected. This is why it is expected that even after a vaccine becomes available, people will need to use masks and practice social distancing measures for some time.

 

• If I’ve had Covid and have antibodies, do I need to be vaccinated? The CDC has answered this question as follows: There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again; this is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this. Until we have a vaccine available and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices makes recommendations to CDC on how to best use COVID-19 vaccines, CDC cannot comment on whether people who had COVID-19 should get a COVID-19 vaccine. 

 

• Is there a decision tree to help me?: Currently there isn’t a decision tree model to help you decide whether to be vaccinated if it’s being offered to you at this time. The best advice is to talk to your medical provider, who can help you decide what’s the right choice for you. 

 

In the mean time, whether you are vaccinated or not, please mask on faces, avoid crowded places, and six foot spaces.