What 2022 brought to us and looking forward to 2023

Liberation

Lots of people thought 2022 would be the year of liberating us from that terrible virus which got the world in its grip. Though not a liberation became several people on their part, an even more senseless killing ‘disease’ came unto Europe.

The leader of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, who would love to find a renewed Soviet Union, said at the beginning of the year he would bring liberation to the Ukrainians. Instead, his “bloodstained” tyranny plunged Europe into the war on a scale not seen since 1945 as Russian troops advanced on Kyiv on Thursday night, February 24th.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is shocking and disgraceful. It is the latest terrible aggression by the Putin regime and the latest damaging conflict in our world, with so many people being killed or injured, losing loved ones and seeing their homes destroyed.

2022 has been a tough year to navigate, with a series of political and economic crises that continue to shape our world.

One powerful man

Who could have ever imagined that one man, from up north, would single-handedly turn the world upside down? However, he has succeeded very well in not only bringing black snow over several people, and literally turning the landscape blood-red, he has severely disrupted economic life in several countries.

Following two long pandemic years – with many still experiencing the effects – we’ve witnessed the outbreak of war in Ukraine and could feel in our purse how it affects us also in our region. We cannot ignore this war that has affected many citizens. At our new WordPress Site “Some View on the World” we have given a voice to those suffering in the conflict as well as reporting the situation on the ground and providing the expertise needed to understand geopolitics.

Picturing what is happening in the world

As best we can, we try to give a picture of what is happening in the world on the continuation of “Our World“. 2022 was another year of figuring out how we would be able to keep up with bringing political and religious news alongside our other spiritual websites. We hope to find that balance further in 2023.

By nature, I am not an easy person and have dared to clash several times by speaking my mind outright. Even in the articles, I publish here and on my other websites, my thinking is based on my personal opinion. One can agree or disagree with that view. I, therefore, appreciate that people also dare to express their opinions. But in general, there is a little reaction in that area. Still, I hope the articles brought, can make people think. For instance, I was happy to find that my op-eds on Christmas in the Daily Telegraph were able to bring a debate after all.

Hoping to expose wrongdoings

With the news we place at Some View on the World we do hope we also could be able to expose the mistreatment and deaths of migrant workers in Qatar for almost a decade as well as other wrong attitudes towards people as well as animals and plants. At my personal site and this site as well, in particular on “Some View on the World” we continue to bear witness to the climate crisis as it destroys lives, uproots whole communities and changes the course of our shared future. We hope for 2023 to be able to bring regular news about our environment.

The fallout from the January 6 hearings and Donald Trump’s presidency could get our attention, and we hold our hearts for the intentions of Mr Trump, wanting to come back as president of the U.S.A..

Independence of my websites

For all the reporting we do here, and on my other websites, I would like to remind you, readers, that there is no financial support from companies anywhere and that all reporting is based on personal and independent reporting, where I keep searching for this site among texts that appear on the net what could possibly be fascinating for you to read as well, and thus to reblog them here.

2022 could bring lots of blogs on the net of which we presented some selections over here too. At Firefox several could find their way into ‘Pocket’, like: Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid, How to Want Less, A Neurologist’s Tips to Protect Your Memory, Why You Should Really Stop Charging Your Phone Overnight, A Guide to Getting Rid of Almost Everything, a.o. most read.

Uncovering and unravelling

Whether on social, political or religious issues, we are eager to seek the truth and expose false reports. Exposing wariness is not always appreciated, but is very important in our view. To do that, we can count on several investigative journalists and some newspapers to join in the pursuit of that muddle, so that together we can make certain things known to the world while others would rather see them covered up.

At Some View on the World we have maintained round-the-clock coverage from several places, not always bringing nice news, like mass graves of Bucha, Izium and many war crimes.

The war accelerated a global economic slump, sending costs soaring, throttling energy supplies and raising the spectre of blackouts, malnutrition and a winter of discontent across dozens of countries. As global food supplies fluctuated, we reported on the hunger gripping the Horn of Africa and Afghanistan. In 2022, it became impossible to ignore those victims in poorer countries. But sadly, we had to observe how little the public cared about those people living far from their homes. And closer, many did not wish to have refugees, so we could speak of a refugee crisis again this year.

Here in Belgium, the influx of refugees seems completely uncontrollable and many, even with small children, shamefully had to sleep outside several nights through rain and wind. This while in Great Britain, the reception was also not going smoothly and people started looking for a housing solution in Rwanda, and proceeded to deportations.

Condition of mother earth

A lot of people do not want to realise that things are very bad for Mother Earth. To this, in 2022, several scientists again tried to make it clear to the world that we need to think seriously about this and take action. We were confronted with UK’s hottest summer, a very early and long great Summer in Belgium, drought in Europe, and the accompanying fires.

Heating the houses became for many difficult to keep in the household budget. It looked like mother nature felt the pressure on the energy market, as well. Everywhere in Europe, we had extremely high temperatures for the time of year. In Belgium 2022 became the warmest year since measurements.

The climate emergency ran as a constant thread through much of our Some View on the World journalism in 2022.

While many European countries were suffering from a shortage of water, they had it in other countries, like Pakistan, too much. Devastating floods in Pakistan, encountering one of its worst natural catastrophes, Sydney’s wettest year on record, ferocious heatwaves in the US southwest and the costliest Atlantic hurricane for years, could catch our attention.

At Cop27 in Egypt, the Guardian asked the tough questions. Though, we did not give so much attention to the changing tactics of activists, now more likely to throw soup at a painting as they are to glue themselves to a public highway.

Uprising

In my view, many other protests could get our attention earlier, as they were carried out in a more correct way. Coming from a not expected corner, sparked by the death in custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini.

Once again, we were able to conclude in Afghanistan and Iran that there is no improvement in human rights yet. The Iranian authorities tightly control reporting inside the country, so we counted on the teams of the Guardian to redouble efforts to reach protagonists to tell their stories. Social media remained also important for this, so it was satisfying to see the Guardian Instagram video on why Iranians are risking everything for change reach more than 2 million viewers.

It is impossible for me to have news sources everywhere, which is why we must also call on professional companies, for which we must also pay. Financial aid is therefore very welcome to cover these expenses. Nevertheless, we try to be as aware as possible of the general events, for which we also make further use of the known news channels and reliable TV channels and newspapers.

United States debacle

In terms of exposure, it was imperative to look at the Trumpists who still claim high and low that the US elections were forged.

The country which was formed on the idea that it could be a free world where everybody could express himself freely and would not be bounded by limitations through a government, in 2022 came to see deep political divisions, caused by a man who as 45th president of the U.S.A. did mutiny on that state and brought democracy in danger. His party made the ongoing climate crisis and racial, economic and health inequalities worsened. It was impossible to ignore the fallout from the January 6 hearings and Donald Trump’s presidency, as well as his willingness to come back as president.

The repeal of Roe v Wade provided a divisive backdrop to the November midterm elections. The conservative, or better said, the extremist Christians in the U.S., made it possible that women lost even the right to their own bodies. They also did not want to give an eye for mother nature nor for all those poor Americans who have no house or anywhere to live except on the streets, where many in the last weeks of the year found their dead by Winter storm Elliott. Buffalo got the worst hit by that bomb cyclone.

Political storms

In 2022 there were more significant elections in America which caught our attention. In Brazil, there were an anxious few weeks as Jair Bolsonaro wanted to do like his friend Trump, saying the votes were falsified. Finally, he suffered a chastening defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who completed a comeback from prison to the presidential palace.

To our annoyance, we in northern Europe had to observe an inverse movement towards South America. The far right in Sweden, Italy and Israel, could get most seats in parliament. Despite her political prowess, the 45-year-old from Rome, whose strong will and determination has drawn comparisons to Margaret Thatcher, Giorgia Meloni has spent three decades fighting her way to the top of Italian politics. She is clear evidence that go-getters win. In October last year, after Brothers of Italy managed to draw votes away from the Northern League in its northern strongholds in local elections, a secret recording revealed Matteo Salvini hitting out at Meloni, calling her a “pain in the ass”.

In Belgium, too, the newspapers disguised several polls, clearly showing that the right is making a strong rise and where voices can already be heard that NVA will have to make the choice to form a majority coalition with Vlaams Belang.

As for British politics, prime ministers came and went with alarming regularity and the nation buried the pound, Queen Elizabeth and its global standing in quick succession. For 10 days in September, the future of the monarchy dominated the newsroom. The crazy game of the English conservatives who wanted their leader to put his capsones under the benches and to ask the people to stay at home because of Corona and not to have parties seemed to think it normal that their leader could do that and lie about it too. The whole world could laugh at the blunders of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, while the British citizen seemed not to mind. In any case, they did not demand new elections and left it to the Tory members to elect the new prime minister.

In Australia Labour could note a historic federal election victory.

Economical storms

The struggle between Russia and Ukraine is also a struggle between the Putin regime and Western Europe.

The war accelerated a global economic slump, sending costs soaring, throttling energy supplies and raising the spectre of blackouts, malnutrition and a winter of discontent across dozens of countries. But we also noticed that certain companies were abusing the war in Ukraine to raise their prices.

Cereals and gas were not released enough by blockades from the Russians, which caused major food problems, especially in Africa. In Western Europe we felt our energy prices skyrocket due to the pressure on the export and import markets. In Belgium, it took forever for the government to take measures to mitigate the costs of its citizens. After several months of calls by the Labour Party PvdA/PtB to reduce VAT to 6% and by their appeals to the public to put pressure on the government, things finally came to a head.

Health matters

2022 received big leaps forward for Alzheimer’s treatments, bowel cancer prevention and understanding depression.

In several countries there was joy that people could come together again to party and that the elderly should no longer be separated from their children and grandchildren. The lockdown had made it very clear how important personal contact is. It was striking how in 2022 teenagers and twens still had many psychological difficulties, which were not resolved. Bad enough, many could not be admitted in time, causing unnecessarily too many young people to die, while this could have been avoided.

Post-pandemic in Europe in danger

For months Europe tried to combat Covid-19. We started the annual overview with the relaxation of the Corona measures. But at the end of December, they now appear to be endangered because Europe does not want to take strict measures for the Chinese who are now allowed by their government to travel outside China again, which will allow them to spread the increased disease further outside China. With the coming Chinese New Year, they could start a new pandemic as in Belgium, it started in Antwerp.

For much of the world, a sort of post-pandemic normality has resumed – with one striking exception: the country where it all began. Chinese leaders faced a rapid spread of public anger caused by their draconian Covid lockdown policy. Only after some activists could ignite a revolt against the lockdown and more people joined them on the streets, even coming to shout to get rid of the Chinese leader and communist party, the government got seriously afraid and eased the lockdown measures. After they had done that another hell broke down, the virus rapidly spreading and killing so many people the mortuaries could not handle it anymore.

While the Chinese seem to be in the first Corona wave, as it were, the rest of the world has gotten out over time and everyone is now looking forward to a shock-free 2023.

We too look forward to an ending of the war in Ukraine and to a peaceful solution between Kosovo and Serbia.

At Some View of the World and at my other personal Space, we shall try to bring you up-to-date news of the happenings in the world, and here on this website, we hope we shall still be able to offer you and share with you, some worthwhile articles to read in this coming New Year.

 

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A sincere thank you to our readers and supporters – wherever you are in the world,
we wish you a wonderful end to 2022 and an optimistic 2023.

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In case you like our work,
do not forget that we always can use your support.

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With mention: support websites

For which we thank you wholeheartedly

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Additional reading

1. G7 agreed to ban or phase out Russian oil and gas imports
2. 2022 the year of fearing some wars

More than $150,000 raised for animal sanctuaries during Goat Games

To make it through the pandemic, the owner of a New York animal sanctuary had to get creative — and that‘s how the Goat Games came to be. “Covid did a number on us, as it did on nonprofits around the world,” Kathy Stevens, founder and executive director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary, said in a statement. “Funding plummeted overnight, while the urgent needs of hundreds of animals remained the same. So in 2020, we created the Goat Games as a way for animal lovers and athletes to support the work of farm sanctuaries and the thousands of animals who call these special places home.” This year’s Goat Games took place virtually August 12 through 15, with 222 “athletes” participating, representing 14 farmed animal sanctuaries. The athletes sign up for different activities, from running to reading, and take pledges from supporters. In addition to being a fundraiser, the event gave sanctuaries the opportunity to show off what they do every day, and how the money they earn goes to help — donations are used to buy hay and feed, purchase land, build new shelters, and provide veterinary care. The final totals are in, and for 2022, the athletes raised $153,789 from 1,791 supporters. [Hudson Valley 1]

Long-term consequences of acute Covid on the brain

As new research shows Covid is associated with an elevated risk of dementia, we examine how to protect your grey stuff in midlife and beyond.

It is common to feel a bit fuzzy-headed and fatigued in the days and weeks following a bout of Covid but in some rare cases, it appears that the virus may actually precipitate cognitive decline.

This summer, the Lancet Psychiatry journal published one of the first major studies looking at the long-term consequences of acute Covid on the brain. Using health records from more than 1.2 million patients across the UK, US, Australia and five other countries, the study found an increased risk of neurological problems in the months and years following infection.

One particularly concerning example of this is in over-65s, who were found to have a slightly elevated risk of dementia after contracting Covid. Medical experts still do not know why exactly this is the case, and there is a worry that it will place greater strain on the NHS in the coming years.

> Read more about it: Eight (scientifically-proven) ways to keep your brain healthy

Andrá Tutto Bene, Everything will be fine!

Throughout 2020 and 2021 people wondered how long their restrictions would take. In many countries doctors and nursers had to give more than their best to save lives. In the health area they were at war, daily fighting this war whose enemy is invisible.
For them, there is this message.

We keep praying for all those involved to help people to survive this crisis.

As citizens, we can all do our best to stay safe by keeping to the Corona measures. Let us not forget all those health workers and in respect of them stay protected at home stay.

Andrá Tutto Bene, Everything will be fine!

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Let’s count…

Now that we have closed the curtains of the year 2021, when we open the blinds for 2022, let us consider how lucky we are to have the light of 2022 coming to us.

On January 8, 2021 Sushmita Sahay wanted to start with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen to you, her and us. On the next new year’s eve, we then could open it and see what an awesome year it has been. She wrote:

Imagine what a life it has been for all of us… You tell me, is it worth it, all these plans, new year resolutions etc ? Shut inside our holes, masked up faces, sanitizing any human presence… simply praying to see just another day; unscathed. God managed to puncture the great human Ego. So it’s time to start with counting our blessings in reflection:

The lockdown proved it beyond doubt that we could all cook, or at least potter around the kitchen with productive results. God and government kept our food supplies running, thank God. {This Year…}

So many people found so much to complain, about being limited in their freedom, about not being able to do what they wanted to do, etc.. Many could be at home for more hours than they would have been able when normal work times would have gone on. Instead of enjoying the extra free time at home they looked for reasons to complain and moan.

Last year many people could enjoy more time for themselves. Like the year before:

Snatched moments of fresh air on the terrace, walking in solitude on deserted garden paths became the most beautiful experience. Alps can wait forever. {This Year…}

2021 had started with so many wishes and what did we finally get?

The virus marauded us… taking away our loved ones. {and it’s December}

All the year through, we heard cyphers and numbers, see lots of statistics and heard lots of predictions.

Two years of confinement, new words in our lexicon and the undying spirit! With such optimism, we tread on, specially we the 1.39 billion! …. it’s all up to the media… They are capable of pushing things out of collective memory! …. {and it’s December}

No end to woes, it seems Covid likes reruns…race for cure began, vaccine came, but new strains came in stronger. {This and that}

The Indian traveller still went from the extreme South to the East in all PPE and social distancing that an economy class ticket of a budget airline could vouch for, whilst she hoped she and her fellow Indians can resist this virus as well. She like we came to see that

A virus can change the fabric of a society; this has been proved beyond doubt, as human survival takes over all social gimmickry. Weddings and funerals being binding factors in the Indian context, have been eye openers in the recent times. The virus has successfully imparted a life-lesson at what all can you manage without. When attendees numbers were compulsorily reduced, it was about making do with barest minimum people and paraphernalia. Covid reduced expenses, alright, but also reduced the need for bonding between neighbours, relatives and friends… {This and that}

For this New Year we should try to open our eyes again with the positive colours of life, being grateful for all the things we still have.

Heartfelt

Remember what I said at the start of this year? No? Read it here👇 http://sushmitasahay.com/2021/01/08/this-year/

Although it was an emotional watershed year…we still have lots to be thankful for if we begin to count our blessings one by one. Just for starts, here I go…

1. We are still here, me writing you reading.

2. Hopefully, not all our loved ones are gone, some still are waiting with enough warmth in their embrace to hug our miseries away.

3. Then there is this immense blue sky, filling us up with thoughts of immense infinity.

4. A child/ your child smiled back at you, just like that! No reason( Its a wonderful Kodak moment, I tell you 🥰)

5. You were able to help someone in dire monetary need without expecting a return because God has been kind to you.

6. Like me, you didn’t have to visit the doctor this…

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Sunshine for a New Year

Even when so many celebrate the birth of Jesus not on his real date of birth (October 17) but on the birthday of the goddess of light (December 25), at the end of the civic year we, before going into a new year, can bring our thoughts to him and his heavenly Father, the Divine Creator and giver of all good things around us. Let us in these darker days remember and be thankful for the light given to the world.

praise2worshipdotnet

Milk Eggs and Worry in the New Year by Peter Caligiuri

That is why I say to you, don’t worry about living—wondering what you are going to eat or drink, or what you are going to wear. Surely life is more important than food, and the body more important than the clothes you wear. Look at the birds in the sky. They never sow nor reap nor store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Matthew 6:25- 26 Phillips

I must confess that we New Englanders brag a lot about how tough we are when it comes to winter. We laugh uproariously at stories of school districts in the South shutting down because of a couple of inches of snow. But no matter how many New England snowstorms we have lived through, often our conversation at home when it starts falling, begins with the words, “Honey, can…

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Where are the church-members gone

When COVID subsided somewhat, and the nation began to open its doors again, churches also began to open and regroup initially with some level of precautions involving masks and social distancing. After several weeks, most churches were back to a semblance of normal operation. What wasn’t normal was that only about half of the pews or chairs were filled. Half of the congregation was looking around wondering where the other half went. Research shows that a few are still not comfortable with indoor crowds, since the pandemic has not yet fully ended. A much greater number have grown too comfortable with watching services from their home and are still in that mode. And, the hard truth is many have simply gotten out of the habit of church, actual attendance or on TV, and can’t get motivated to return. Being an online church member or avoiding church altogether can become addictive, but it comes at a price, spiritually and socially. {It’s Time to Get Back into Church}

Find out more:

1. Has Bible Engagement during Coronavirus Increased or Decreased?
2. About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated
3. Less Americans interested in praying
4. My perspective: Virtual v Physical church attendance

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Related

1. Normal Christian Doctrine Explained: Church Attendance
2. Millions skipped church during pandemic; will they return?
3. Why We’re Not Going Back to Church
4. Probe 2020 Survey Report #3: Religious Practices and Purpose for Living
5. Why are people attending church less frequently?
6. “I Can’t Come To Church Because Of Covid”
7. Sellers: The Church is Losing Its Way
8. Church attendance is often a distraction from biblical Christianity
9. Is church attendance linked to higher rates of coronavirus?
10. Some Assembly Required
11. Only megachurches and “minichurches” in the United States?
12. Where Should You Go to Encourage & Be Encouraged?

My perspective: Virtual v Physical church attendance

After several months having the churches being closed, people now allowed again to meet in small circles (with the Covid Safe Ticket or Pass) every individual should check for himself or herself and should examine for the family if it would already be safe to go to gatherings, be it for relaxation, Bible study or church service.

Going to “the grocery store, the restaurants, the beauty shop, the office, the classroom, the gym, and the doctor” is something totally different than going to a church, where people are sitting close together and normally also would sing and say prayers together in an enclosed space making it very easy for a virus to spread.

When people go to the supermarket, they are only limited by the amount of people allowed per square metre, and as such have to follow the red and green light indications or the stewards allowing only the right amount of people entering the wide space. To enter the shops only a regulated amount of people per square metre is allowed and often only two at a time, plus always with a mouth mask.

To go to a café, snackbar or restaurant a person has to have the Covid Safe Ticket or Pass and the same regulation is there for other places (as churches) and events.

For going to a gp or doctor one must make an appointment and maximum two people are allowed in the waiting room, which should be ventilated and normally is spacey enough to receive much more people than two.

For going to church there is in many cases no controlling system, though there should be someone at the door asking and checking your CST.

Worship and Bible class are not simply about our being fed spiritually and matters that can be done on our own or via online meetings. Such online meetings can never take in the place of an actual real-life meeting. But we must be fully aware of the present conditions and dangers for each other when coming together in real life.
For every follower of Christ and every lover of God the gathering between all members of the faith community should be very important and not negligible. But, and a great But, we should be fully aware of the situation.

We must consider one another to stimulate unto love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), and that the best way to do that would be in connection with assembling together (Heb. 10:25), but this also can be done by going in conversation online by the present technical progress. There are Zoom, Jitsi a.o. to have interaction when meeting online.

That people would stay away from the assembly in present times does not mean that they would be less religious or would have abandoned their faith. It is essential to protect the own health as well as the health of others. This can mean that we still have to wait sometime before coming together in real-time and/or real life.

Our relationship with God and with His beloved son shall not be less or of less value. It is from the depth of our heart that the love for God should rise above all our present limitations.

 

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Preceding

Ideas about Religiosity

May we have doubts

Religious Resistance against vaccination

Covid-19 update | Covid Safe Ticket

New rules in Belgium to stop the spread of coronavirus

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Additional reading

1. Christian in Christendom or in Christianity
2. Daily thought for July the 8th and the Summer months
3. Not created to be on our own
4. No time yet to relax the CoViD-19 restriction measures
5. Fourth wave of COVID-19 a pandemic of the unvaccinated
6. According to Pew Most White Evangelicals Don’t Think COVID-19 is a Medical Crisis
7. Did the first followers of Jesus have ‘church’
8. Priorities for our Christadelphian community and for the spreading of Good News
9. Worship

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Related

1. Get Back to Church
2. Is church attendance linked to higher rates of coronavirus?
3. Enjoying Christian Fellowship
4. Church attendance is often a distraction from biblical Christianity
5. Normal Christian Doctrine Explained: Church Attendance
6. Three good reasons to come back to church
7. Millions skipped church during pandemic; will they return?
8. No Family Is Too Busy for Church by Desiring God
9. Why are people attending church less frequently?
10. Why We’re Not Going Back to Church

OMT's Digest

This post is dedicated to all the virtual churchgoers like myself and those who are still unsure about whether it is best to worship virtually or physically in a church every Sunday. If this is the first time reading any of my blog posts and you want a straight answer, then please don’t proceed because this post is meant to get you thinking to find the answer within yourself.

Prior to COVID, I wouldn’t say I was a consistent church goer. If there was an attendance register, I am sure I would be called to ask why I get in late or why I have been absenting myself from church. COVID however resulted in a lot of churches going online because of physical safety restrictions so I guess I found it very convenient to wake up and have church right in the comfort of my living room.

Afterall, we learn…

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Freedom for whom?

 

East of Eden

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to drag on, one thing is emminently clear to politicians, scientisits, business leaders and the public at large: mass vaccination is the only way out of the pandemic, and thus the only way out of the cycle of restrictions that have been imposed on our lives. Most people can see this, and thus most people in Britain have already gotten vaccinated at this point. But of course, not every country is as fortunate to have vaccination rates as high as ours.

In Austria, which has among the lowest vaccination rates in Europe at 42%, has recently become the first country in Europe to make it mandatory for all eligible citizens to recieve the Covid vaccine. In the US, only about 59% of the population has been vaccinated, which sounds fine until you remember that a large and vocal part of the population resists the idea…

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Allister Heath on people who have a vested interest in this permanent Covid emergency

In the Daily Telegraph Allister Heath brings a comment where he blames that the pandemic has become a convenient excuse for bodies that fail to do their jobs properly

He writes:

There is much that we have learnt about the character of modern Britain since Covid burst so disastrously on the scene almost two years ago. The only unambiguous positive is that our community spirit is alive and well, with millions ready to volunteer for the general good. We are more trusting of political and medical authorities than most other societies, and in return the British state has remained ever so slightly more liberal towards us; unfortunately, our second-rate machinery of government is still scandalously unprepared for modern-day pandemics, new variants or any kind of genuine crisis.

Read further: Too many people have a vested interest in this permanent Covid emergency

You also may find more crucial insights and in-depth analysis as Boris Johnson announces all adults will be offered booster vaccinations by the end of January. The Telegraph’s expert team will talk you through everything you need to know about the third vaccine dose. You’ll also find answers to our readers’ most pressing questions on the omicron variant, including how the symptoms differ and what protection vaccines offer. Paul Nuki examines whether the new variant will cause severe disease or just a runny nose, while Sarah Knapton explains why “The Ghosts of Variants Past may bring comfort amid omicron gloom”.

Sherelle Jacobs provides illuminating commentary as she warns that “The failed Whitehall blob threatens to push Britain back into lockdown”. Tom Harris is incisive as he explores “Why many on the Left want another lockdown”. Plus, as new rules are brought in to combat the variant’s spread, Tim Stanley laments that “Lockdown looms and our liberties are in tatters”.

Storms are Coming

 

Friendly Fairy Tales

storms are coming,
as the skies grow dark, remember,
you can’t dodge the rain 

Copyright 2021 Brenda Davis Harsham

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Al of niet corona-vaccinatie verplichten

Er is al heel wat te doen geweest rond het al of niet vaccineren. Er zijn heel wat mensen die niet inzien dat vaccinatie het beste redmiddel is om zo veel mogelijk mensen te beveiligen tegen het Coronavirus. In meerdere landen gaat het zelfs zo ver dat er mensen oproepen tot burgerlijke ongehoorzaamheid. dat is totaal onverantwoord en zou ernstig bestraft moeten worden met een duidelijk making dat men enkel ieders vrijheid en gezondheid kan beschermen door deze maatregel van injectie op te leggen.

Vooral die mensen die de verantwoordelijkheid dragen over anderen, zoals mensen in de zorgsector, horen hun gezond verstand te gebruiken en te beseffen dat een injectie met het coronavaccin niet enkel hen, maar ook de anderen rondom hen beschermd.

Met recht en rede heeft de minister van Volksgezondheid Frank Vandenbroucke in de ‘Cooke & Verhulst Show’ gepleit voor een verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel. Daarom wil Vandenbroucke dat er een wet wordt goedgekeurd die de vaccinatie verplicht voor wie werkt in de zorgsector ook al is hij geen voorstander van een algemene verplichting om zich te laten vaccineren met een vaccin tegen het coronavirus.

De regering twijfelt nog steeds om het vaccinatiecertificaat te verplichten als een toelatingsbewijs voor bepaalde evenementen. Maar zulk een verplichting zal juist een goede aanzet zijn voor heel wat mensen om de knoop door te hakken en zich te laten inenten met dit vaccin, zoals zij ook al zijn ingeënt met zovele andere vaccins (de meeste kinderziekten, pokken, rode hond, tetanus, e.a.).

Indien wij terug onze vrijheid willen herwinnen en komaf willen maken met dit longvirus, zijn wij beter om de bevolking algemeen gevaccineerd te krijgen en niet te snel mondmaskers en sociale afstand regels over boord te gooien.

Het zou trouwens niet slecht zijn indien mensen er nu een gewoonte van zouden maken in de winter periode bij de banale verkoudheden en griepvirussen ook een mondmasker in het openbaar te dragen.

Waarom je laten vaccineren?

Vreemd genoeg vinden wij in zeer veel landen nog altijd mensen die tegen de anti-coronavaccinaties zijn.

Door het vaccin maakt je lichaam antistoffen aan. Die stoffen helpen om tegen de deeltjes van het virus te vechten. Kom je later in contact met het virus? Dan beschermen de antistoffen jou.

Het gaat er niet alleen om je zelf te beschermen. Het weigeren van gevaccineerd te worden doet de vraag rijzen of men wel voldoende rekening houdt met de mensen om zich heen?

Het vaccin beschermt niet alleen jezelf, maar ook de mensen in je omgeving. Als zoveel mogelijk mensen in België en andere landen zich laten vaccineren, kan het virus zich minder snel verspreiden.

De vaccinatie tegen het coronavirus is gratis voor iedereen, dus dat kan zeker geen reden zijn om zich niet te laten vaccineren.

Doordat meerdere mensen nog niet gevaccineerd zijn, is de mogelijkheid ontstaan dat het virus over gaat van de een naar de ander waarbij er ook mutaties optreden. Sommige mutaties blijken nu zelfs gevaarlijker dan de oorspronkelijke boosdoener. De Delta variant is nu zelfs de grootste variant van het virus geworden die over de hele wereld weid verspreid is.

Het coronavirus overwinnen staat of valt met de vaccinatiestrategie, maar dan moet iedereen ook bereid zijn om zich te laten vaccineren.
We willen allemaal ons normale leven terug. Dat kan alleen als we de verspreiding van het virus tegengaan en ons met z’n allen laten vaccineren.

Quiet Heroes

 

Psyche and Spirit/Richard B. Patterson PhD

Hero has become a popular word these days, as it should be. It is being applied to front-line workers battling COVID, to police officers, to firefighters and EMTs, and to our warrior veterans. Indeed these are all people who suit up and show up to jobs that could make today their last.

I have been a practicing psychotherapist for a very long time. Sometimes people will ask “How do you do that? How do you sit for hour after hour listening to terrible stuff?” Well, first of all, I recall what one woman said to me one day when my stress level was apparent. She said “Hey! Us crazy people didn’t ask you to do this job!” Amen to that.

I do know that one thing that keeps me going is that I get to meet true heroes on a regular basis. These are not always people who have saved…

View original post 433 more words

National Heroes Day Message of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda

Normally we consider a hero as someone who has done something brave, new, or good, and who is therefore greatly admired by a lot of people, but we have also the little heroes near us, people who are not known by others but have done something special for someone.

Let us also not forget those whose bravery or effort is not noticed or recognised and the many people in anonymity who save others

 

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Next:  Healthcare Workers: Heroes of the modern world???

Celebrity World Ph

As we remember today the greatness of our heroes who had a vision of a better, progressive, free, and independent nation, let us also celebrate our heroes of today who continue to strive for the betterment of our people and our country amid numerous challenges.

Let us recognize and honor our present-day heroes, those who continue to sacrifice their lives and safety for the welfare of our people.  These are our country’s frontliners who have the same quality of selfless devotion and unparalleled contribution to the national cause of keeping this thriving country healthy and strong amid our fight against COVID-19. They are our healthcare professionals and workers, policemen and members of the armed forces, teachers, the utility staff, supermarket staff, food and cargo delivery drivers, fisherfolk and farmers, market vendors, journalists, local and national government employees who continue to courageously perform their duties to provide essential services to our…

View original post 161 more words

You’ll Probably Get Covid-19 Eventually. But Avoid It for as Long as You Can.

That even people who had two injections of anti-covid-vaccines are not totally safe, was proved by the several who still got infected with the delta variant and the 8 deaths from the elderly home in Belgium.

Dewayne-Net Archives

You’ll Probably Get Covid-19 Eventually. But Avoid It for as Long as You Can.
The next six months of this pandemic may look dispiriting. But that doesn’t mean we’re doomed.
By Melody Schreiber
Aug 6 2021
https://newrepublic.com/article/163186/youll-probably-get-covid-eventually-avoid-long-can

“Hot vax summer” never quite materialized. For parents, like me, and other caregivers with vulnerable family members, it wasn’t clear what exactly we could do safely. Now, as Covid-19 cases in the United States spike and we learn that vaccinated people may transmit the delta variant to others, we are all donning masks again and gritting our teeth in preparation for more restrictions. And we’re wondering: Will it always be like this?

The science is pretty clear: SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay. It will become endemic, which means the virus will continue circulating through humans and animals in the next few years. Elimination, where the virus is almost entirely quashed, is possible, but…

View original post 1,140 more words

Pour les personnes arrivant en Belgique

Comment rentrer d’un voyage en toute sécurité ?

J’habite en Belgique

Vous avez séjourné à l’étranger pendant plus de 48 heures ? Ces règles s’appliquent lors de votre retour en Belgique. Vous allez seulement partir à l’étranger ? Lisez ici ce qu’il convient de faire avant de partir.

Attention: Vous avez séjourné dans une zone à très haut risque ? Dans ce cas, les règles ci-dessous s’appliquent toujours, même si vous avez séjourné dans ce pays pendant moins de 48 heures.

Que dois-je faire ?

1. Vous devez remplir le formulaire de localisation des passagers (PLF) dans les 48 heures précédant votre arrivée en Belgique, même si vous êtes vacciné. Le PLF doit être rempli par toutes les personnes qui se rendent en Belgique, sauf :

• Lorsqu’ils séjournent moins de 48 heures en Belgique.
• Lors du retour en Belgique après un séjour à l’étranger de moins de 48 heures.

Vous vous rendez en Belgique en avion ou en bateau ?
Dans ce cas, vous devez toujours remplir le PLF, même si vous séjournez en Belgique pour moins de 48 heures ou si vous étiez à l’étranger pour moins de 48 heures.

Vous voyagez en train ou en bus depuis un pays situé en dehors de l’UE ou de l’espace Schengen ?
Dans ce cas, vous devez toujours remplir le PLF, même si vous séjournez en Belgique pour moins de 48 heures ou si vous étiez à l’étranger pour moins de 48 heures.

Si vous avez séjourné dans un pays à très haut risque au cours des 14 derniers jours, vous devez toujours remplir le PLF, quelle que soit la durée de votre séjour.

2. Vérifiez le code couleur du pays dans lequel vous avez séjourné et/ou si ce pays se trouve sur la liste des pays à très haut risque.

3. Vérifiez quel certificat Covid vous possédez sur www.covidsafe.be. En principe, vous devez en faire la demande avant le départ. Il existe trois types de certificats :

• Un certificat de vaccination prouve que vous êtes entièrement vacciné contre le virus de la Covid-19. Vous êtes complètement vacciné si votre dernière injection remonte à au moins deux semaines, et si le vaccin est certifié par l’EMA.
• Un certificat de rétablissement prouve que vous avez été infecté à la Covid-19 et que vous vous êtes rétabli. Vous avez eu un test PCR positif datant de moins de 180 jours et votre quarantaine est terminée.
• Un certificat de test prouve que vous avez subi un test PCR dont le résultat est négatif. Lisez ici comment demander un test.

Test ou quarantaine

Le PLF prend en compte les 14 derniers jours pour déterminer la quarantaine, également quand la zone change de couleur.

Vous venez d’une zone verte ou orange ? Vous n’avez pas besoin de vous faire tester ou d’être mis en quarantaine.

Venez-vous d’une zone rouge au sein de l’Union européenne ?

• Vous avez un certificat de vaccination ou un certificat de rétablissement ? Vous n’avez pas besoin d’être mis en quarantaine ou de subir des tests.
• Vous n’avez pas de certificat de vaccination ou de certificat de rétablissement ? Vous ne disposez pas d’un test PCR négatif récent de moins de 72 heures ?
  • Faites-vous tester le premier ou le deuxième jour après votre retour de voyage. Votre test est négatif ? Vous pourrez alors quitter la quarantaine dès que vous aurez votre résultat.
  • Les enfants de moins de 12 ans ne doivent pas être testés.

Vous venez d’une zone rouge située en dehors de l’Union européenne ?

• Vous avez un certificat de vaccination? Faites-vous tester le premier ou le deuxième jour après votre retour de voyage. Votre test est négatif ? Vous pouvez quitter la quarantaine dès réception de votre résultat. Les enfants de moins de 12 ans ne doivent pas être testés.
• Pas de certificat de vaccination? Vous devez rester en quarantaine pendant 10 jours. Faites-vous tester le premier et le septième jour après votre retour de voyage.
• Certains pays ne sont pas concernés. Vous trouverez la liste de ces pays sur le site info-coronavirus.be/fr/code-couleur-par-pays/.
• Dans des cas exceptionnels, il ne faut pas se faire tester et/ou se placer en quarantaine. Lisez plus d’informations ici.

Vous venez d’une zone à très haut risque ?

• Vous devez passer 10 jours en quarantaine. C’est d’application à tout le monde, aussi vous êtes vacciné complètement ou si vous êtes resté moins de 48h dans ce pays.
• Faites-vous tester le 1er et le 7e jour après votre retour en Belgique.
• Un aperçu de ces zones à très haut risque est disponible sur info-coronavirus.be/fr/pays-a-haut-risque/

Vaccinations and anti-vaxers

Ex-president Donald Trump was against vaccinations and even did want Americans to believe the “Chinese disease would soon be over”. This ego tripper managed lots of Americans not to believe in the dangers of the Coronavirus.

By his misleading words he got many Republicans, evangelicals, but also poor blacks, and Hispanics to believe it are foreign forces and socialists or, worse, communists, trying to undermine the American society. Today many are suspicious of the government which would have become in power by a fraud election. Conservative evangelicals are among the quickest to share all those absurd stories about a.o. coronavirus-related conspiracy reaching to the highest levels of government. In many countries we can see that it is the Religious Right which is a hothouse of anti-vax activism and health fads.

Fools will readily believe a case without closely seeking out and attending to the criticisms of it (Proverbs 18:17). They routinely judge before hearing. They also attend to and spread rumours, inaccurate reports, and unreliable tales, while failing diligently to pursue the truth of a matter. The wise, by contrast, examine things carefully before moving to judgment or passing on a report. {Wisdom and Folly in Christian Responses to Coronavirus}

a lot of youngsters only go be the headings on their Social Media. Titles on You Tube or on Facebook, without going to read the article, let withstand to think about it and to examine what is said in it.

They do not follow up closely on viewpoints that they have advanced, seeking criticism and cross-examination to ascertain their truth or falsity. And when anything is proven wrong, they do not return to correct it. {Wisdom and Folly in Christian Responses to Coronavirus}

You would think, in the U.S.A., after the new president tried to get some order again, the American citizens would get back to their senses. The number of new Covid-19 cases per day has increased dramatically in the United States in the past month. New, dangerous variants have spread widely. At first Trump could convince people not to wear masks, but luckily now they show up in many parts of the country. Artists, often looked at as being “left”, went to get their vaccination as soon as they could. CEO’s also did not wait to long before getting vaccinated. But for the lowest-income groups, we can see it is more difficult to get people over the line. In the U.S.A. only 1.1 percent of the population of poor countries has received a single shot. Some people have surrendered to a sense of doom because they formed unreasonable expectations that the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines would miraculously obliterate the virus.

You would expect after the 2020 lockdowns, the 2.4 million Americans hospitalised and the 610,000 killed, more Americans would hurry to get the vaccinations over and done with. But the unmistakable fact is that they’ve made great progress in recent months to smother the virus and steer national life back toward normal. Where 5,463 people died from Covid-19 on one day at the beginning of the year, the daily death count is now bouncing in the low hundreds. One good thing may be that already an undetermined number of people have acquired some immunity from Covid-19 by exposure to it.

Today in America, severe Covid-19 infections and death are almost entirely in unvaccinated people. And the vaccines are still remarkably effective — of the 163 million fully vaccinated in the United States, only 1,141 have died from the virus.

It is known that the older you are, the greater the chance of getting seriously ill or dying from CoViD, and the younger you are, the less likely you are to have serious symptoms. This makes a lot of youngsters not worrying or not afraid of getting infected. For them there are many reasons not to receive an injection. Though lots of those reasons are based on absurd messages on Social Media. Social Media is doing a lot of damage and undermining national safety. One would expect them to see now, that because of the success of the vaccination in the older population, that the infection rate from the Delta variant has sent the number of infections soaring, the number of deaths, at least right now, is surprisingly low.

Young and old should come to recognise this virus is not an ordinary virus, like we have seen previously several viruses coming over the lands. It is not a virus that shall allow us to cry victory soon. No matter who might be president or in power, all shall have to start with acknowledging that it’s not within our power to eliminate Covid-19 from our shores the way we have polio, or to vaccinate every American against the virus. If we’re willing to agree on an end goal of dramatically reducing the severe illness and deaths from the virus, however, we might begin to see what winning is about.

According to Anthony Fauci the vaccines are even effective against the new variants that people fret so much about.

“A higher percentage of Americans have taken a Covid-19 vaccine in the past seven months than took a flu vaccine during the catastrophic 2017-18 flu season (37 percent of adults). Only 54 percent of the American population had taken the Salk polio vaccine six years after its introduction. Viewed from these angles, Americans in 2021 have not been particularly “vaccine hesitant.”

he says. But when we see news coverage and some documentaries about the handling of CoViD in the United States we got another view, with a lot of people between the age of 20-40 coming up with a lot of reasonable and sometime idiotic fantasies why they do not want to be vaccinated.

All over the world people should become convinced that it is a matter of not only protecting yourself, but out of love for the other, protecting those around you. The more people we vaccinate, the safer we all are today and how sooner we can go back to a normal life. We need everybody to be able to go to work, to have all the shops, pubs and event centres open again. Trying to get everything working properly again, we should safeguard ourselves by taking enough precautions that the illness can not spread. The less opportunity dangerous variants will have to emerge and spread tomorrow the better our life shall be and the better our economy shall be able to recover from those two years ‘disaster’.

So many in France and Germany shout about their freedom being taken, but do they ever think about what freedom really might be? Freedom is also respecting the freedom of others!

The age factor helps to explain why the rate of vaccination has stalled and is unlikely to accelerate, especially among the 19-to-49 crowd, many of whom feel immortal. We also hear that several of that age group in Europe went only to get their vaccination to be able to travel or to go to music festivals.

Some people also point to the fact that lots of people die in car accidents or find their death by having cancer. They say the older generation reacted to strongly on a disease which perhaps should be regarded like any other flu variant or a disease that comes over our countries once in a while to bring a clean brush against overpopulation.

Jack Shafer, Politico’s senior media writer, agrees that everybody who can access a Covid-19 vaccine should line up and get the shot. Right now. But he also points out that we need to determine our “tolerance level” for the disease, realising that we are unlikely to eradicate it completely but that we cannot keep shutting down our society in an effort to eliminate all risk. According to him we also don’t do that with other diseases. He points out that in the 2017-2018 flu season, influenza put 810,000 Americans in the hospital and killed 61,000. Those are terrible numbers, but we didn’t panic, mandate masks, or lock down the economy.

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Also interesting to read

1. Remembering what happened in the previous influenza pandemic
2. According to Pew Most White Evangelicals Don’t Think COVID-19 is a Medical Crisis
3. Undermining security and democracy via the Internet
4. No time yet to relax the CoViD-19 restriction measures
5. Lockdown greetings for a newer year
6. Not created to be on our own
7. CoViD-19 Curation
8. A new start when the lockdown comes to an end
9. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo his state of the state address
10. G7 and Building Back Better
11. Good time to sort out your friends and contacts
12. In Coronatime thinking about death
13. A living Word giving confidence
14. Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief

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Related

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2. Employee shortage, COVID-19 surge leave ICU nurses exhausted
3. Japan’s pandemic entering ‘new phase’ as Tokyo COVID-19 cases hit record high
4. As delta variant spreads, New York City ramps up vaccination efforts among students
5. Clubs NSW calls for COVID-19 vaccinated individuals to be allowed back into venues
6. NYC, Big Employers Taking Hard Line Against Vaccine Holdouts
7. Be aware of othersAugust 1, 2021
8. Waking Up
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10. Hospital CEO tells anti-vaxers to ‘shut up’
11. Public hearing underway as thousands want a say in the proposed ban on religious exemption for childhood vaccines
12. How To Talk To Anti-maskers And Not Lose Your Mind
13. Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl mock anti-vaxxers in new song
14. Jaco: Welcome to the death lottery; wanna play?
15. Re- emerging
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19. It Sails Through the Air
20. Covid returns again – Why are you still not vaccinated?
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Man vs ‘Terminator’ – The Battle Of Covid 19 Rages Worldwide

Lots of people do forget the importance to protect oneself but also the other.
The quickest way to get rid of all the limitations is to have as many people as possible to be vaccinated and for some time not to go to other countries, but staying safe in your own bubble.

 

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Related

1. Florida Covid surge triggers restrictions, openness to vaccine among Haitian-Americans
2. Japan’s Govt: 74% of elderly fully vaccinated but need to “speed up vaccinations” highlighted
3. ICU nurse creates video dedicated to COVID patients who have died, revealing constant struggles
4. About 99.999% of fully vaccinated Americans have not had a deadly Covid-19 breakthrough case, CDC data shows
5. More ‘pain and suffering’ ahead as COVID cases rise, Fauci says
6. North Bay Has The Highest Vaccination Rate In Racine County
7. Histopathology features of the lung in COVID-19 patients
8. CDC Urges Vaccinated People To Mask Up Indoors In Places With High Virus Transmission
9. World And U.S. Vaccination Statistics As Of July 9, 2021
10. Vaccine Passports Could Allow Travel With Fewer Restrictions. The World Health Organization Says “Meh”
11. CoV-2 Genome Explorer
12. Neil Oliver sparks outrage after claiming he would ‘cheerfully risk catching Covid’ on GB News
13. Scioto County COVID-19 cases up almost 83% from last year

Salsaworldtraveler'sblog

A couple of things caught my attention this week relating to the seemingly ever changing myriad of Covid-19 restrictions. First, the French Parliament passed a law that will require a health pass for access to restaurants, bars, trains and planes from the beginning of August. (In France, all venues accommodating more than 50 people already require proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test, including museums, cinemas and swimming pools.) Second, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance on wearing masks and now the agency recommends that some fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors if they live in areas with significant or high spread.

Those are only two of many examples of increased Covid-19 restrictions going into effect around the globe. The Delta Variant of SARS-CoV-2 is more transmissible and can cause worse health outcomes than other variants. Because Delta is more transmissible, it is fast becoming the dominant…

View original post 883 more words

The Science Says Everyone Needs a COVID-19 Booster Shot—and Soon

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7. Man vs ‘Terminator’ – The Battle Of Covid 19 Rages Worldwide
8. #Influenza and #COVID19 #Research #References (by #AMEDEO, July 31 ’21)
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14. 570 days later – I predicted the pandemic, but now is the time to look forward

Dewayne-Net Archives

The Science Says Everyone Needs a COVID-19 Booster Shot—and Soon
It’s time for governments to admit that the biology of the delta variant has made mass revaccination an urgent necessity.
By Laurie Garrett
Jul 30 2021
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/30/booster-shot-coronavirus-covid-science/

The world has fought many battles against the novel coronavirus since January 2020, losing more than 4.2 million people and vanquishing some of its spread. But the war is still raging and will do so for a long time. I predicted early last year, in a best-case scenario, that we would face a 36-month battle before COVID-19 could be considered under human control. We are only now in month 19.

Sure enough, the United States is again awash in virus, with the incidence of new COVID-19 cases having soared 131 percent in the third week of July. To be clear, the vaccines available work well—especially the Pfizer and Moderna products based on mRNA…

View original post 1,554 more words