jlerollblues on Science and surprisingly related topics

 Here is a follow up to my last post I put on Facebook: I have literally been hammering on long Covid for quite some time. You can read about what it could cost and other tidbits at: https://www.blogger.com/.../325404.../2700410517867404973... Please don't say this is the "new normal" (disgusting phrase, it admits defeat). I would say this is the F'd up current situation. In Australia they are seeing BA.5.x surge and SIMULTENEOUSLY hospital and death rates surge. There used to be a lag of about 2 weeks. Caution when comparing locales (countries) though, each has it own unique preconditioned status. Remember the "3 amigos" (BA.274/275/276) I mentioned over a month ago? They are now showing up surging in wastewater samples. My model says we will see a BA.4/5.x peak in 2-3 weeks (remember those are local too) and I suspect within 6-8 weeks the 3 amigos might be peaking then. I have not added them to the model yet. Meanwhile, monkeypox (MPX) is surging and the U...

 Daily update on Higgs the Labrador. He is currently advising me on my next blog. Higgs Boson or the benefits of endless scoops of food are his top picks. Hmm, maybe we will try swimming in the lake again today in preparation of our first fishing expedition together tonight.  One month since Higgs joined the team:  Happy September Higgs! Now let's get in the damn water!

 I will start my blogs with my latest scientific endeavor, modeling the pandemic. I have been astounded by the level of political discourse that has been injected into the scientific research and our subsequent suggestions at tackling this dire disease. I experienced the same, many times derision, while a climate researcher at NASA. In fact, I left to private industry renewables when GOP led assaults' led to censorship and drastic funding cuts at Earth Sciences. Despite this I believe science is finally prevailing in the climate war. Let the luddites walk into the dark ages, they are becoming more irrelevant each passing hour.  With that said, I will be brief in this initial post. I should be working on a Covid model problem introduced by the CDC's ineptitude in data management.  I have noticed recently that there is a general public view that Covid is over and this is the "new normal". This is often paired with the view that "capitalism will fix this". The ...