L’chaim…to life!
Red Wattle Bird in a Jacaranda Tree
Reposted by kind permission of photographer...
Thank you for that Farside…it never ceases to amaze me what canines can be trained to do. Very interesting study.
You may also find this exciting… a team of scientists believe that a four-year-old llama named Winter may hold the key to fight COVID-19. A team of international researchers reports that two copies of a special kind of antibody produced by llamas can generate a new antibody that can attach tightly to a key protein on the novel coronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In the paper, published in the Journal Cell, the scientists said a fragment found in a four-year-old woolly camelid's antibodies seem to tightly bind to the proteins of the novel coronavirus and neutralize it. This means that the antibodies, also known as nanobodies, can help in the battle against COVID-19.
Winter is four years old and still living on a farm in the Belgian countryside operated by Ghent University’s Vlaams Institute for Biotechnology.
Here’s some more on the work they are doing
Photo credit: Tim Coppens
Nikki Janeon Thursday****COVID-19 Awareness post*****
For those of you who don’t think that wearing masks or social distancing is important and that COVID-19 isn’t serious or it won’t happen to you, this post is especially for you!
This week has been one of the scariest times of my life! Josh unintentionally had close contact with someone who tested positive to corona at his work and as a result of this Stevie, our almost 6 month old daughter tested POSITIVE to COVID-19 on Tuesday. She has spent the past two nights in emergency and the Pediatrics ward at Casey Hospital.
Stevie was the very first positive COVID -19 case in the Pediatrics ward that Casey have dealt with and the staff there were AMAZING! Although she is home, safe now in her own bed, we are not out of the woods yet. She still needs to be closely monitored over the next few days. Not only was it emotionally challenging to see my little girl so unwell, or be apart from my son Cameron who is too young to understand what was happening, it was really mentally challenging to be isolated in quarantine at the hospital by myself.
It was also one of the hardest things to see the look on Josh’s face when he could not be by his daughters side to protect or comfort her while he said goodbye to her and watched the ambulance drive away. This shit is real people and it’s really hard. Thank you to the outstanding care from the paramedics, the amazing nurses, doctors and admin staff at Casey Hospital and to our families who have really supported us through this ridiculously tough time. You know who you are and we appreciate you more then we could ever say!
Please do the right thing so this doesn’t happen to someone else!
#socialdistancing #wearamask #allinthistogether2020 #itsnotthathard #ifyouaresickstayhome
How to ward off acne and skin irritations when wearing a face mask.
How to relieve pressure injuries
Most indentation from masks will resolve spontaneously. But to help alleviate soreness, Dr Nixon recommends applying a cold compress for around 20 minutes every two to three hours.
With severe indentation, betadine diluted by saline at a ratio of 1:9 can be used on a compress.
Importantly, avoid using hot water on any pressure spots.
If the soreness is behind your ears, US dermatologist Daniela Kroshinsky recommends buying a few masks that have different types of ties and ear loops.
There are also plenty of tricks you can try from plastic extenders that sit on the back of your head to more creative solutions....
Tips for people who are blind or have low vision
Tactile indicators can help you identify the top of your mask to ensure you’re wearing it correctly. If attaching a tactile indicator to your mask, be careful not to puncture or tear the mask.
If making a cloth mask, consider using contrasting colours or suitable textured fabrics to help you identify your mask, as well as being able to identify parts of your mask, such as ear loops.
Where possible, always put your mask on by yourself. If this is not possible, ensure anybody who is helping you is known to you, is wearing their own mask and has thoroughly washed or sanitised their hands before touching you or your mask.
When not in use, keep your masks organised and in a location that is easy to access.
If you are using a cloth mask, take note if it begins to fray, slip from your face or no longer fit snugly across on your face. If you need to constantly adjust it, consider replacing it.
Further information
If you would like further information about the COVID-19 situation in Victoria, you should visit the DHHS COVID-19 website or call their 24/7 hotline on 1800 675 398.
You can also visit the Australian Department of Health website or call their 24/7 hotline on 1800 020 080.
For more information about Vision Australia services during COVID-19, visit visionaustralia.org/COVID19 or call 1300 84 74 66.
Vision Australia have also provided this information in audio format.
You can listen to it on Podbean or via the player on their page by clicking on the link below:
Premier Daniel Andrews said 459 more cases of the virus were recorded since Saturday.
Seven men ranging in age from their 40s to their 80s and three women in their 70s and 80s are the latest to die from the virus and take the state's death toll to 71.
Seven of the deaths are linked to aged care outbreaks.
More than 42,000 tests were completed on Saturday, the highest amount the Government has completed in a single day.
Even the statues in Ballarat are wearing masks!
ABC
I had a great ride today and met up with some of the guys from my cycling club. Glad to say, everyone wore a mask, even spotted this one, anyone interested in having one?
That's good news Lucca...shows some people are keen to do their bit.
No, I would not like a Flossie face mask LOL...my daughter who lives in NSW sent me a couple of Chanel ones as part of a birthday present.
Not a nice sight, but some good news...
An English campaign designed to help and encourage people to quit smoking conducted a survey which has found that more than one million people have quit smoking since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The campaign called Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) reported that of the 41% of people in the UK who stopped smoking cigarettes in 2020 said it was a direct result of the pandemic.
It was not confirmed whether this was due partially or primarily to a lack of access to tobacco products because of the lockdowns, or the implementation of social distancing measures which prevented social cigarette use, or if it was from the links between smoking and the virus’s infection.
Strong evidence from several epidemiological studies linked smoking cigarettes and lung health with increased likelihood of developing the more serious panoply of symptoms arising from the novel coronavirus.hospitalization rates.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/one-million-smokers-quit-during-pandemic/
Congrats to these Bunnings staff members for dealing calmly with this deranged woman.
Here's the face that belongs to the voice!
Wearing a mask is of course top priority as well as distancing and hand washing. However, one very important point needs to be mentioned:
Eyes are also vulnerable...droplets can infiltrate the membranes in your eyes, and for that reason, the extra precaution of wearing googles, sunglasses or ordinary glasses is a good idea..
The latest forecast from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that 33,000 deaths can be avoided by October 1 if 95 percent of people wore masks in public.
Helen Mirren .. a shining example on a recent flight.
Source: The Independent
People are being kicked off planes every day for not wearing masks.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been reassured by the sight of people throughout Melbourne following the rules and wearing masks in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The State’s Chief Health Officer wants people to understand not all masks however are equally effective. Masks with valves should not be worn during the COVID-19 pandemic because the wearer can still breathe out the virus. It allows the wearer to breathe out more easily and stops moisture build-up, but the problem is that it allows you to breathe out virus if you’re infected.
So although it might protect you, it won’t properly protect others if you are infected. So the Chief Health Officer is asking people not to wear masks that have valves for Covid-19.
July 24, 2020, 7:44 PM GMT+8
Just read this Sophie, thought you might be interested.
Dogs with a few days of training are capable of identifying people infected with the coronavirus, according to a study by a German veterinary university.
Eight dogs from Germany’s armed forces were trained for only a week and were able to accurately identify the virus with a 94% success rate, according to a pilot project led by the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Researchers challenged the dogs to sniff out Covid-19 in the saliva of more than 1,000 healthy and infected people.
“We think that this works because the metabolic processes in the body of a diseased patient are completely changed,” Maren von Koeckritz-Blickwede, a professor at the university, said in a YouTube video about the project. “We think that the dogs are able to detect a specific smell.”
Dogs, which have a sense of smell around 1,000 times more sensitive than humans, could be deployed to detect infections at places such as airports, border crossings and sporting events with the proper training, according to the researchers. The study was conducted jointly with the German armed forces, the Hannover Medical School and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Von Koeckritz-Blickwede said that the next step will be to train dogs to differentiate Covid samples from other diseases like influenza.
A trainer works with a dog at a training school in Santiago, Chile on July 17.
Photographer: Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images
Note the trainers are wearing MASKS