Select Page ::

Investigation in progress after officer-involved shooting in Columbia – ColaDaily.com

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook has requested the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigate an officer-involved shooting that took place Wednesday evening on Monticello Road.

According to CPD officials, officers were initially patrolling an area off Monticello Road and Columbia College Drive, shortly before 6 p.m., after receiving reports of car break-ins.

While patrolling the area, one officer stopped to speak with a male who was walking along Monticello Road. As the officers got out of the patrol vehicle, the man fled the scene on foot to 4800 Monticello Road, according to officials. During the foot chase, police said the male produced a gun, causing the officer to discharge his department-issued gun. He struck the male at least once.

The male was transported to a local hospital. The officer was not injured during the incident and, according to CPD, will be placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the SLED investigation. There was no information on the male's current state.

More information will be updated when received.

View post:

Investigation in progress after officer-involved shooting in Columbia - ColaDaily.com

Team Haverhill: From Possible Dreams to Today’s Haverhill Progress – WHAV News

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Community Spotlight is heard quarter past every hour on 97.9 WHAV. Greater Haverhill nonprofit organizations are invited to submit news of events, fundraising appeals and other community calendar announcements. Click image to use the Submit News Tip form to submit your information.

WHAVs Community Spotlight is turning its microphones to those civic and charitable organizations that make Greater Haverhill a wonderful place to live.

Beginning in 2005 as a community visioning initiative sponsored by the Greater Haverhill Foundation and the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, Team Haverhill emerged in 2006 as its own organization. With the purpose of making Haverhill a better place to live, work and play, officers were elected, and the group was organized into a self-directing association.

Team Haverhills signature events, River Ruckus and Possible Dreams, are annual events planning and celebrating Haverhills progress. The River Ruckus festival features a day of live music, classic cars, local food and drinks, raffle and a conclusion with fireworks. Possible Dreams is a brainstorming session that provides community conversation, fostering new connections and evoking community aspirations.

For more information about Team Haverhill and its programs and events, visit teamhaverhill.org/.

Like Loading...

Team Haverhill: From Possible Dreams to Today's Haverhill Progress - WHAV News

Virginia tips the scales toward trucker comfort – Progress Index

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Beginning April 23, 10 highway weigh stations across Virginia including Carson in Prince George County will double as rest areas for tractor-trailer drivers

PRINCE GEORGE The weigh station on Interstate 95 in Carson is quiet now, but come April 23, it is going to be temporarily re-purposed as more than just a place to determine how heavy or light a truck is.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles announced Thursday that Carson and nine other stations in Virginia will double as a place for tractor-trailer drivers to park and get some rest.

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last month, the state suspended operations at all 13 weigh stations in Virginia until April 23. DMV said it recommended setting up the rest space upon reopening at 10 of those stations as a way to support truckers who continue through the crisis.

"We recognize that these are unusual times for tractor trailer drivers hauling goods in Virginia and across the nation with the industry working around the clock to deliver food and emergency supplies to those who desperately need them," DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb said in a statement. "We applaud their efforts and are proud to offer a place of refuge in this critical time."

Opening these weigh stations adds another 246 truck spaces that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to commercial drivers, according to DMV. You may see some portable road signs along the side of the road over the next few weeks, where the Virginia Department of Transportation and DMV are signaling to commercial drivers that there is an increase in rest space.

"The trucking industry is a vital link in our countrys supply chain," Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine said in a statement. "During these unprecedented times, we are especially grateful to these men and women serving on the front lines, and we are proud to help in any way we can."

Carson, at mile-marker 39, and Dumfries, at mile-marker 154 in northern Virginia, are the only I-95 stations serving dual purposes.

Other rest stops are being set up at stations in Sandston and Suffolk, and at locations in southwestern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

In addition to creating more rest space, DMV also announced an extension to June 30 for commercial drivers licenses that were set to expire after March 1. Hazardous materials endorsements are also being extended to July 31.

DMV has also notified administrators of the International Registration Plan (IRP) that Virginias waiver of registration and licensing requirements for motor carriers and a waiver of normal weight and width restriction in response to the pandemic COVID-19 emergency has been extended until May 19, 2020.

To find out more pandemic-related information specific to CDL holders, visit DMVs website.

Sean Jones can be reached at 804-722-5172 or sjones@progress-index.com. On Twitter: @SeanJones_PI

Read the original post:

Virginia tips the scales toward trucker comfort - Progress Index

The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Trump: Tough times but progress being made | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Presented by Facebook

Welcome to The Hills Morning Report. Its Tuesday. We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the daily co-creators, so find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and recommend the Morning Report to your friends. CLICK HERE to subscribe!

Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 9,648*. Tuesday 10,993.

* The United States surpassed 10,000 confirmed fatalities by midday Monday.

In New York, Italy and South Korea on Monday, the shared temptation was to herald any signs that fatalities and the pace of new coronavirus cases were ebbing.

Tremendous progress has been made, President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenators demand more details from Trump on intel watchdog firing Overnight Health Care: Trump steps up attack on WHO | Fauci says deaths could be lower than first projected | House panel warns federal stockpile of medical supplies depleted | Mnuchin, Schumer in talks over relief deal Trump says he'll look into small business loan program restricting casinos MORE said during a Monday briefing in which he displayed his impatience with questions that focused on states challenges in locating sufficient medical equipment and supplies.

The progress has been made before the surge comes, because the next week, week and a half is going to be a big surge, the professionals tell us, the president said, while presenting all 50 governors as very happy, every one of them during a teleconference with Vice President Pence on Monday.

Were increasingly hopeful that the aggressive mitigation strategy we put into place will ultimately allow our hospital system to successfully manage the major influx of cases we have right now, he added, reading from notes.

The president, who has repeatedly said he wants governors to decide on stay-at-home orders for their states, said a national order is not called for. If I thought it was necessary, Id do it in a heartbeat, he said.

Federal travel restrictions around urban areas experiencing surges in COVID-19 cases are unnecessary, Trump added, because U.S. airlines are cutting domestic routes on their own and flying planes that are nearly empty.

The Hill: Trump and his administration confront the most difficult week yet of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Associated Press: Modeling coronavirus: Uncertainty is the only certainty.

In Great Britain, Japan and Lebanon, on the other hand, the situation on Monday appeared more dire, and in Spain, infections continued to rise today along with the death toll. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, now in critical care, is the first known head of government to be sickened and hospitalized with the highly contagious respiratory virus. In Japan, cases of COVID-19 surged anew. Lebanon, describing a situation of extreme danger, took steps to extend the countrys lockdown order to the end of April.

Eager for any shred of relief in the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared on Monday more than 1,500 points on the idea that coronavirus cases may be slowing in some U.S. hot spots (The Hill). Stocks surged 7 percent, building on a global rally fueled by tentative signs that the rate of increase in deaths may be slowing (CNBC).

New York Gov. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoOvernight Health Care: Trump steps up attack on WHO | Fauci says deaths could be lower than first projected | House panel warns federal stockpile of medical supplies depleted | Mnuchin, Schumer in talks over relief deal 16 things to know for today about coronavirus Mnuchin, Schumer in talks to strike short-term relief deal MORE (D), during a briefing on Monday, said his state may have flattened the curve of the coronavirus outbreak but cautioned that it is too soon to be certain. Deaths related to COVID-19 have stayed flat for two days in New York, he said, while new hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions are down. "Those are all good signs and again would suggest a possible flattening of the curve, he added (The Hill).

At the same time that Trump warned of another tough two or three weeks with coronavirus cases and fatalities, the White House and congressional leaders are anticipating millions more Americans will lose their jobs this month.

Theyre coming closer to a meeting of the minds that the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act enacted late last month will not be enough. The conversation is moving toward at least another $1 trillion in federal help to prop up the economy (The Washington Post).

Trump said hed be open to a second round of federal assistance to furloughed workers if the payments were directly dispersed to beneficiaries rather than funneled through state unemployment insurance systems, a mechanism he said Democratic lawmakers preferred.

Asked about reported glitches, Trump made light of any fumbles. All we can do is get this massive amount of money to the states, he said. Its getting out.

Inside the executive branch, small businesses are howling that the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration (SBA) are not able to process the tsunami of applications for much-needed bridge loans available under the new law. The E-Tran system used by the SBA crashed and was down for hours on Monday before it was revived, Bloomberg News reported. Some banks are still unable to access SBA application systems, and industry leaders say questions about loan benefits remain unanswered (The Hill).

The president said more than 3,000 lenders had made loans as of Monday, adding that if the government exhausts funds appropriated for the lending programs to small businesses, well ask Congress to refill it immediately.

Congress is now feeling pressured to move quickly on the next phase of relief. Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerHouse Republicans, key administration officials push for additional funding for coronavirus small business loans Rep. Massie threatens to block next relief bill, calls for remote voting Democratic senators call for funding for local media in coronavirus stimulus MORE (D-N.Y.) bashed by Trump on Monday as a lightweight and partisan politician hes known for most of my adult life told reporters that lawmakers will have to return to Washington "relatively soon" to move on new legislation.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrip that led to acting Navy secretary's resignation cost 3K: reports Overnight Health Care: Trump steps up attack on WHO | Fauci says deaths could be lower than first projected | House panel warns federal stockpile of medical supplies depleted | Mnuchin, Schumer in talks over relief deal House Republicans, key administration officials push for additional funding for coronavirus small business loans MORE (D-Calif.) said in a letter that her colleagues should move this month. Aides said federal bureaucratic delays processing the newest benefits Trump signed into law are adding to the sense of urgency (The Hill).

The Associated Press: In what proximity are you to confirmed cases of COVID-19? Drill down to the county level, and you can see the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the 50 states.

Philosophers Win $1.3 Million Grant to Study Epistemic Progress in the University – Daily Nous

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

A trio of philosophers atVrije Universiteit Amsterdamhave won1.2 million (approximately $1.3 million) grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundationto study how universities can best enable epistemic progress in the humanities.

The three-year project is led byRen van Woudenberg, Jeroen de Ridder, and Rik Peels. They write:

The project does two things. First, it develops institutional policies and procedures foruniversities that facilitate epistemic progress.Specifically, Standard OperatingProcedures(SOPs, as we call them) for research integrity will be designed as well as training and supportprograms for mentors and supervisors. Second, it aimsto contribute directly to epistemicp rogress in the humanities by carrying out replications of twocornerstone studies, byclarifying the nature of aprominent type of humanitiesexplanations, namely non-causalexplanations, by clarifyingthe relations between thesciences and the humanities, bywritinga textbook on the philosophy ofthe humanities defending the possibility of progress inthehumanities, and by articulating what progress in theology can amount to.

Ren van Woudenberg, Jeroen de Ridder, and Rik Peels

The project arose in response to academia being shakenby reports about questionable research practices and concerns about the epistemic value and respectability of the humanities in the university.

The funding will support research and writing, lectures, conferences, seminars, summer schools, a PhD student, and three post-doctoral researchers. More details here.

Philosophers Win $1.3 Million Grant to Study Epistemic Progress in the University - Daily Nous

Easton school board gives progress report on flexible instruction in district – 69News WFMZ-TV

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

EASTON, Pa. The Easton Area School Board of Education met on Tuesday to discuss amendments to the current school calendar and provided a status update on virtual learning for students.

The district began implementing its flexible instruction plan on March 30 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Everyone has just stepped up and said what can I do, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Alyssa Emili said.

The district has made iPads available to students from grades 3 to 8 for instruction. Students in high school grades already take laptops home for instruction.

Some 2,100 iPads have been distributed allowing teachers to use district approved programs like Google Classroom, See Saw, Class Dojo and Zoom for instruction. For students who dont have internet access available, officials say, paper handouts were also distributed. The transition to online instruction has gone smoothly, the district said.

One reason why this has been so successful is because the investment into technology that had already been done in the district, Emili said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in the district having to make changes to the current district calendar. Several dates that had been for spring break and election day will now become a day for online instruction instead.

Students will now have online instruction on this upcoming Thursday, April 9 and April 28. Classes will not be held, as planned, on Friday, April 10 and April 13.

It does appear that will be able to end the school year on June 3 as the original date on the calendar, Superintendent David Piperato said.

The board is also looking to extend the interim tax deadline for payments. Currently, the discount tax deadline is June 7 and total payments August 2. Board officials hope to have those dates extended an additional 30 days, until Sept. 2, for total payments. That approval, however, has to be made on a municipal level. A resolution requesting the extension could be made at the boards April 21 public meeting.

‘Glimmers of progress’ on coronavirus touted by White House dim slightly in Spain – Yahoo Parenting

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

BARCELONA, Spain When the Trump administration said Sunday it was beginning to see glimmers of progress against the COVID-19 pandemic, one of those glimmers was in Spain, the country that has reported more coronavirus infections (140,000) than any other except the United States, and a fairly reliable leading indicator of what may happen in other countries in the coming weeks.

As you can see from the hopeful signs in Italy and Spain where we see, finally, new cases and deaths declining its giving us hope of what our future could be, Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the coronavirus task force, said.

But that hope may have been at least somewhat premature, and Americans looking forward to an end to the social distancing orders that have crippled the economy may want to temper their optimism.

In the country where morgues are so packed with corpses that some crematoria have been unable to keep up in Barcelona, those seeking to cremate remains may have to wait two years Minister of Health Salvador Illa assured the public five days ago that the rate of new infections had peaked, while other officials believe it may soon peak or, alternatively, has merely hit a ridge and may still go higher.

Death rates in Spain appeared to drop over the previous four days, but they rose again Tuesday, a statistical aberration, explained one official, resulting from insufficient data released over the weekend. The numbers of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units appear to have dropped, but then again Spains two biggest cities, both with the highest numbers of cases Madrid and Barcelona calculate those numbers differently.

And sending a mixed message, Prime Minister Pedro Snchez announced an extension of his countrys state of alarm, which shut down public spaces and restricted nonessential travel, to April 26, while allowing factory workers and construction laborers to return to their jobs on April 13. The move to end the two-week-old shutdown was denounced by Quim Torra, the president of the regional government of Catalonia, as reckless.

Story continues

While Snchez added that mass testing of Spaniards is about to launch, particularly of those in essential jobs such as medical personnel, couriers and those working in grocery stores, he didnt offer details. Other reports have said that the army would be in charge of rapid testing centers and that those workers testing positive but not showing symptoms would be isolated in hotels. Meanwhile, the efficacy of tests has been called into question with hundreds of thousands returned because they didnt work, while others that test for antibodies are effective only a week or more after exposure. Health Minister Illa has stated that Spain is conducting 15,000 to 20,000 tests a day, but as reported by the New York Times Tuesday, the testing data appears incomplete.

It seems that the Spanish authorities are themselves no longer clear about how many tests are being conducted in Spain, Guadalupe Moreno of the data company Statista told the Times.

Factor in all these inconsistencies against a backdrop where countries arent using the same tests or following the same protocol in reporting increases and deaths, and the question of exactly what the COVID-19 situation is in Spain is unanswerable. But the restrictive lockdown announced on March 28 seems to have averted some of the worst outcomes. At the start of that countrywide quarantine, known cases appeared to be growing by more than 30 percent a day according to research compiled and analyzed by El Pais. Now the increase in the rate of new infections is less than 5 percent, the paper reports. Whats more, at least 43,000 of those known to have contracted COVID-19 in Spain have recovered.

As for masks, as in the U.S., Spains experts seem divided, with the Health Ministrys lead physician recently saying they were unnecessary, while some government plans to partially lift the lockdown on April 13 call for workers to wear them. Prime Minister Snchez for the first time appeared in both mask and gloves this weekend when touring a factory making medical supplies. But, as some in the Spanish press pointed out, by touching the inside of the mask, he appeared to be giving a lesson on how not to wear one.

_____

Click here for the latest coronavirus news and updates. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please refer to the CDCs and WHOs resource guides.

Visit link:

'Glimmers of progress' on coronavirus touted by White House dim slightly in Spain - Yahoo Parenting

Riverhead officer injured in crash ‘making progress’ in recovery while in ICU – Riverhead News Review

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Robert Sproston, the Riverhead Town police officer who was seriously injured while responding to a police pursuit March 31, remains in the intensive care unit at Stony Brook University Hospital, according to friends and family, who have organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to offset his medical costs.

By Wednesday morning, the effort has raised more than $50,000. More than 745 individual donations have been made, according to the site.

Hes making progress, Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said Tuesday. Every day is a little better news, but hes got a long way to go.

Mr. Sproston, 28, served in the Marines before joining the Riverhead Police Department in 2017, and has also volunteered in the Rocky Point Fire Department and most recently the Riverhead Fire Department.

His father Bill, whos a lieutenant in the Riverhead Fire Department, posted an update Tuesday saying his son opened his eyes and is resting.

Im sure that took a lot out of him with all the moving hes been doing the last two days, he wrote. Thank you for all your unconditional love and support.

In an update posted Monday, Bill wrote that everything is going as well as expected with Rob as positive progress. Hes totally moving around more.

On Monday, the hospital staff performed another CT scan, which came back the same, meaning good news, Bill wrote. His family was anxiously awaiting the moment he would open his eyes, which finally came Tuesday.

Last Thursday, the suspect who led police on the initial pursuit that began in Greenport was arrested. Alfred Cowell, 40, of Middle Island, who has a history of fleeing police and has previously been listed with a Riverhead address, was charged with burglary, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawfully fleeing police, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a number of traffic violations by Southold Town police.

See the rest here:

Riverhead officer injured in crash 'making progress' in recovery while in ICU - Riverhead News Review

Arts in Medicine creates signs of support for UAB Medicine heroes – UAB News

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Artists with UAB AIM are telling health care workers, from nurses and physicians to environmental services and facilities staff, they are grateful for the work they continue to do.

AIMs artists-in-residence Elizabeth Vander Kamp, Haleigh Black, Helene Taylor, Lauren Edwards, Lillis Taylor, Valerie Hanks and Kim McKenzie have painted the signs at home. The inspirational messages and cheerful colors and designs are a welcome respite. AIM invites people to create their own messages of gratitude or support and use the hashtag#uabmedicineheroes to share them on social media.

When I think of the staff I know all over UAB Hospital from Guest Services to the Maintenance crew, to EVS, to the medical teams I wish so much I could be there to help, Vander Kamp said. Since being there would not help, sending support and love and color through artwork on posters hopefully will. I am awed by how hard these people work in typical times. I can only imagine how much they are doing now. A poster saying thank you seems the least I could do.

I so miss working side by side with staff, day to day, to care for UABs patients, Taylor said. We want the whole of UAB hospitals staff to know that were thinking of them and that we support them during this scary, difficult time. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope these simple signs will not only brighten days for all who see them, but also show that we are thinking of them and holding them up the best way we know how.

How can we best convey unified messages of thankfulness, gratitude and adoration for every staff person serving our community through selfless hours of kindness, hard work and dedication to thousands of individuals? Hanks said. Through simple, yet colorful graphics, I was inspired to shout out these messages on visuals to remind staff of our continued prayers, love and support that flow constant every single day! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Always remember we are here cheering you on!

I am beyond proud to be part of a community that continues to offer comfort and support inside the hospital no matter what, Black said. I hope every staff person feels appreciated and loved when looking at our poster-sized love letters.

With each of these posters, I hope the UAB staff feels the love and support we are sending from the outside, Taylor said. It pains us not to be available to help more during this time when the staff needs it the most. We hope the simple acts bring you joy and peace.

Through a collaboration with the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center and UAB Medicine,UAB Hospital isone of thefirst hospitals in Alabama to have a formal Arts in Medicine program.AIMfocuses on the needs of the whole person: mind, body and spirit. AIM includes both interactive and passive arts experiences, which can include bedside and workshop activities, or performances and visual art installations in public spaces.

Research on thearts and health has indicated that arts programs may boost the moods of patients and their families by reducing perceived pain, anxiety and stress. In turn, that could contribute to a reduction in medication use, a quicker recovery and a shorter hospital stay.

AIM offers programs inpainting,drawing,sewing,storytelling, theater, writing, music, guided meditation, anddance and movement, and its artists-in-residenceare able to tailor programs to individual specific needs.

Originally posted here:

Arts in Medicine creates signs of support for UAB Medicine heroes - UAB News

50 Years Ago: IHS begins program to train medicine men – Navajo Times

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Fifty years ago this week, the U.S. Indian Health Service was looking at doing something it had never done before setting up a program to help train new medicine men. IHS officials said they were in discussions with the tribe and leading medicine men to see if such a program could be implemented on the Navajo Reservation much like the program that already existed to train doctors to serve in the U.S.

Public Health Service and in rural areas. Under that program, the federal government agreed to pay the tuition for medical school if the student agreed to serve five years in the Public Health Service or in a rural area. The PHS had been having a difficult time recruiting doctors because of the Vietnam War. The same situation existed within the IHS, which had been having problems for years recruiting doctors to serve in Gallup, much less in places like Tuba City and Crownpoint.

By giving them a break on their education costs, the IHS hoped that after a few years practicing medicine on the Navajo Reservation, they would decide to make this their permanent home.

That philosophy worked in a few cases but it wasnt until the Navajo Area office began encouraging Navajos to go to medical school and agreed to help with expenses that the program took off. Exactly how the IHS got the idea to get involved in training medicine men is not known but by 1970 there was already talk of an upcoming shortage of traditional practitioners as more young Navajos opted to get a regular 8-to-5 job.

Medicine man was a prestigious occupation in the first half of the 20th century when there were few jobs and most Navajos made a living raising sheep. After World War II ended and tribal leaders started encouraging young members to get a college education, the luster of being a medicine man seemed to wear off. Former Navajo Tribal Chairman Peter MacDonald talked about a time in his life when he considered becoming a medicine man.

But after joining the Marines, he went on to college to study electrical engineering. Over the next 50 years, the Navajo Times would print numerous articles about the problem of getting young Navajos to become medicine men. The first obstacle was the training, which often took years of working with an experienced medicine man and becoming his apprentice.

Since there were a lot of ceremonies, each one required going over the words and protocols over and over again until you had it down to the satisfaction of your mentor. And then there was the financial aspect of the job. Unlike doctors, who made an above-average living, the Times learned that no medicine man made a fortune.

In fact, even the most popular medicine men on the reservation made not much more than a schoolteacher. And while there was a structure of sorts connected, one did not become a medicine man to become rich with each ceremony.

There were times when the family needing the ceremony would only be able to pay by other means, such as with sheep or jewelry. One of the aspects of the education process mentioned in the Navajo Times articles was that this was not an education one could get on their own. There were no books or tape recordings a student could study.

He had to attach himself to a master medicine man and attend ceremony after ceremony, memorizing the words and techniques. Another thing to factor in was reputation. Like in the world of doctors, some medicine men had better reputations than others; also, families became accustomed to going to one medicine man and they sought him out, making it harder for new medicine men to find clients.

This latter was resolved to some extant by the fact that many Navajo families scheduled ceremonies for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays so their children in college could attend when they came home. The demand for medicine men during those times became so great that even young medicine men had no problem finding work.

The Times published a story in the 1980s about concerns from officials of the Navajo Medicinemens Association after they heard reports that some of the newer members of their profession had shortened the length of some of the ceremonies. They called this a very serious problem because the shorter ceremonies were not considered to be as effective as the ones that had been around for generations.

Another problem that greatly affected the number of new medicine men who entered the profession was the fact that many experienced medicine men didnt want to train an apprentice. Not only was it hard work for little pay, they didnt see any benefit to train someone who eventually would be trying to get their clients. That was one of the benefits of the program the IHS would finally establish.

Not only did the prospective student get a stipend each month but so would the medicine man. When the program started, the stipend was $390 a month but it was later increased to $500 in certain situations.

The program also took into account the type of ceremonies the student would be taught. Special emphasis was placed on learning ceremonies that were being offered by only a couple of medicine men so the ceremonies would not be forever lost. The IHS program lasted several years and was eventually taken over by the tribe.

Scope of veterinary medicine embraces animals and their people – Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

As we all are learning to cope with our current, ever-changing new normal I want to offer some musings and things I have learned through this coronavirus pandemic crisis. It is my sincerest hope that as you read this column, you, too, are overcome with love and compassion for our collective, human and animal suffering and rebounding resilience.

Veterinary medicine has always been touted as a career for animal lovers. However, anyone who remains in the field knows that to be successful one must enjoy interacting with people. After all, pets are always accompanied by their owners.

One of the things I have always loved about general practice is the ability to develop bonds not only with my patients but also their families. I enjoy hearing about the familys joys and triumphs. I have always tried to focus my interactions not only on presenting facts, guidance, and honesty; but also through a lens compassion and understanding for the family.

COVID 19 has shown me that I never realized how much I would miss these interactions until I couldnt be there for my clients in person.

I never realized how much I would miss being able to hug a client during a euthanasia or when were trying to make a difficult decision.

I miss being able to introduce myself to new clients by shaking their hand and inviting them into the exam room.

I miss being able to spend time in the exam room with clients talking them through my exam findings in real time. I miss helping seniors carry their pets to their cars. I even miss letting kids use my stethoscope to listen to their pets heartbeats.

Because at the end of the day yes my job is to do medicine, it is to be a veterinarian. But the best part of my job has, and always will be, interacting with clients and their pets.

The best part is that I get to help maintain and foster a deeper human animal bond through teaching the importance of what were trying to do.

Please know that our curbside check-ins and the way we are structuring appointments is to maintain public health and safety.

However, we feel the absence and change too. May we never take for granted again the power of a hug, a handshake and in-person conversation. I, for one, never will again.

Danielle Carey, a doctor of veterinary medicine, is an associate veterinarian at the Animal Clinic of Walla Walla.

See the article here:

Scope of veterinary medicine embraces animals and their people - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Stanford Medicine’s ‘Stuck@Home’ series closes the distance between medicine and art despite social distancing – The Stanford Daily

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

After almost a month of social distancing, it is difficult to imagine attending a concert. Throwing yourself in a crowd of thousands for the sole purpose of entertainment without worries for your health seems like a distant memory. Thankfully, current media technology has allowed for the arts to be shared with miles in between each audience member, something that communities wouldnt have had a decade ago. Popular artists have been using Instagram Live and daily YouTube uploads to keep their fans entertained. Broadway.com live-streamed a reading of Lips Together, Teeth Apart. Cirque du Soleil has been broadcasting 60-minute specials with highlights from their various shows.

Unfortunately, when you turn on your TV, the first thing you hear is news coverage on the pandemic. With stories about the influx of cases, it is easy to get lost in the medical world. However, there is no rule that states that STEM fields must be separate from the arts and that practitioners cannot engage in creative expression. The Medicine & the Muse Program at Stanford Medicine created the [emailprotected] concert series in late March to converge the worlds of medicine and humanities in front of a virtual audience. The organization is dedicated to continuing this event every week on Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. until the shelter-in-place order in the state of California terminates.

I had the fortune to watch the second [emailprotected] concert aired on April 2. Bryant Lin, a clinical associate professor of primary care and population health, served as the emcee for the entire hour. When asked for his reflection on the series, Lin reflected that [he] was inspired to help start the concert series out of a desire to forge closer human connections during a time when we all have to stay apart. He is amazed by the depth of sharing, warmth and talent in [the] community.

He started off the event by introducing Jacqueline Genovese, the executive director of The Medicine and The Muse Program. She thanked all the medical professionals working on the frontline of the pandemic, acknowledging that this is a difficult time for our community, our country and the world as a whole.

We believe in the strength of music and community to bring healing, Genovese stated as she smiled into the camera. She also commended Lin for being an enthusiastic host, joking lightheartedly that he could rival the famed Ryan Seacrest.

Before starting the program, Lin encouraged the audience to utilize the chat function on Zoom to send in comments and applaud the performers. An unfortunate instance of Zoombombing during the first performance, however, required that Lin and Genovese close the chat for all but the select cohort of performers, reminding those watching live of the importance of kindness and empathy in these trying times.

The concert opened with Matias Bruzoni, a pediatric surgeon, and Rajashree Koppolu, a nurse practitioner with pediatric general surgery, performing a medley of Im on Fire by Bruce Springsteen and Walkaway Joe by Trisha Yearwood. As part of their introduction, Lin asked the duo what has surprised them during this challenging time. Koppolu expressed that its been refreshing and wonderful to reconnect with good friends and family from around the country, while Bruzoni emphasized the impact of these times, adding that music is a good excuse. Weve been playing a lot of music ourselves its a good vent.

This passion for music was clearly exemplified the second that they began performing. As Bruzoni began playing the piano, Koppulus voice cut through the audio of Zoom as her relaxing tone enraptured the audience. The clearness of her voice contrasted so beautifully with the raspy nature of Bruzonis harmony, elevating the dynamic of the piece.

These harmonies were rivaled by Steve Goodman, the associate dean for the School of Medicine, and his son, Eli Goodman 21. In their introductions, Lin stated that Goodman has performed in numerous Bay Area productions and has sung the national anthem for the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors. This musical talent was not lost in Eli, who is a member of the Stanford a cappella group the Mendicants. The pair performed Brother Can You Spare a Dime, which, as Goodman explained, was the anthem for the unemployed during the Great Depression. As they sang, it was so interesting to listen to the difference in style. Goodman exemplified strong, classical training while Eli had a more contemporary tone (as you would expect of someone in the Mendicants). However, when they sang in unison, it was as if one person was performing.

Following performances by Anita Honiken, Alyssa Burgart, Laurel Braitman, Han Zhu, Jonathan Chen, Dan Li, Paramesh Gopi and his children and Tamara Dunn all exemplified the diverse range of musical talent within Stanford Medicine. There were elements within every performance that related back to the current stress of the pandemic, and these individuals spoke to their audience through their artistic mediums to virtually reassure everyone. In reciting the poem The Weighing by Jane Hirshfield, Laurel Braitman mused, the world asks of us only the strength we have and we give it. Then it asks more and we give it. These were not originally words written by her, but Braitman took them and made them her own with her delivery and audible silences.

Dan Lis performance of Drunken Man by Ruan Ji on the Guqin (a seven-stringed zither) was a form of music that you dont hear every day. The melodies were not what you would call conventionally pretty, but there was something about the chord structure and the form of the song that makes it so unique. There were no patterns that you could infer. As with current times, you had to take the piece as it came and allow yourself to relinquish a little bit of control over your musical expectations.

Another moment that stood out was Paramesh Gopi singing an Indian healing prayer with his entire family. After a stunning rendition of Rise Up by Andra Day performed by his children Kaanchana and Shankaran, the Gopi family crowded around a keyboard to perform said prayer. Prior to the performance, they explained that the prayer was historically used to deliver communities from disease. It was so heartwarming to visualize these individuals coming together to gather their hopes towards a common cause.

The event concluded with a sing-along, an idea crafted by Paul Wang, who acknowledged that in these uncertain times, it is important for all of us to come together as a community. What better way to join together than in song a sing-along. We all felt a bit closer. This part was led by Tamara Dunn, a clinical assistant professor in hematology and program director for hematology fellowship. She sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow, powerfully belting the well-known melody and taking liberties with the tempo of the piece. She added her own special take on the piece by including dips and soaring high notes as well as intentionally getting softer and concentrating the nostalgic tune into a definite close.

In a conversation afterward with Genovese, she remarked that as a non-clinician who works with so many wonderful physicians and medical students, I feel a bit helpless as our medical professionals go in every day and face the enormity of this pandemic. To be able to create community and bring musical joy to the medical community and others, and to provide a space and shine a light on our talented medical students, residents, doctors and staff, especially in such uncertain times, makes me feel just a little less helpless.

While there will undoubtedly be technical interruptions that come from conducting a Zoom concert, the [emailprotected] series has proven that no matter where you are and no matter how many years of experience you have, art is always something you can indulge in. No one knows for certain how much longer this pandemic will last, but this does not mean that each day must be faced with negativity. Creative expression provides an outlet and a method of community contribution for everyone, even if your career is not in the arts. Just as evolving media technology has been shaping the way that we learn, it can also shape the way that we entertain and the way that art is delivered and created.

As stated before, the [emailprotected] series will be every Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. PT until the shelter-in-place order ends. The next concert will be aired on April 9, 2020 (today) at 5:30 p.m. PT. Visit http://med.stanford.edu/medicineandthemuse.html for the Zoom link to attend.

If you are interested in performing in the series, please contact Jacqueline Genovese at [emailprotected].

Contact Chloe Chow at chloe23 at stanford.edu.

Continue reading here:

Stanford Medicine's 'Stuck@Home' series closes the distance between medicine and art despite social distancing - The Stanford Daily

Curfew in Peths affects medicine supply to city – Pune Mirror

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Most wholesalers are in Sadashiv Peth; association asks shops to stock for a month. Police say bulk supply will be allowed, but storage units should be moved out of the cityThe effects of a more stringent lockdown in the heart of the city have led to a disruption in the supply of medicines to pharmaceutical stores across Pune. Despite these items falling into the essential category, wholesalers are unable to move stocks smoothly out of the Peth areas amid curfew, to deliver to stores.

Now, Chemists Association members have demanded that retailers stock up on medicines for a month and asked that wholesale supply be made available to them. While cops have said theyll facilitate movement, they also asked chemists to relocate their storage spaces for bulk inventory to the outskirts, to avoid crowding.

After PMC sealed several city areas on Monday, the Peths have been very difficult to move in and out of for delivery agents (inset). Chemists in various city areas now fear they are set to run out of of medicines and other health items like sanitary napkins

In this process, Sadashiv Peth has also been sealed off. Since most wholesale chemist stores are located here, they are now finding it difficult to supply medicines as per demand to retailers, resulting in a shortage of medicines at shops across the city.

Preferring to stay unnamed, the owner of Sai Medicals based in Hadapsar shared, Procuring medicines was already difficult due to the lockdown. With this curfew, our delivery boys are now not even able to cross Swargate. Since wholesale shops are in Sadashiv Peth, it has become impossible to get anything. Slowly, we are running out of stock.

With medicines, several other essential health products like sanitary napkins are also elusive. From Sinhagad Road, Chetan Sharma of Chetan Medicals, added, There is lot of confusion in this lockdown. So, many delivery staffers also refused to turn up. There are barricades in several areas. But, we have managed to send our delivery agents to get the required material today. Tomorrow is another story. We are already facing a shortage of supply by 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, wholesalers are struggling to keep up with orders, as police barricades have sealed off all lanes to halt vehicular movement. Next door, Shaniwar Peth and parts of Kasba Peth are also sealed. Considering this, association members have requested all chemists to stock up, so that they will not face issues in coming weeks. Anil Belkar, secretary, Chemists Association, said, Normally, we get as per needs and those amounts are sup-plied. For now, doctors are also asking many patients to continue with the same medication, so demand is measurable. But, chemists need to take a round up and stock for the next 15 days or a month. Delivery boys are reluctant, so supply will get hampered.

Cops have advised chemists to change storage locations. Joint commissioner of police (CP) for Pune city, Ravindra Shisve, clarified, Association members are constantly in touch with our DCPs. We will decide timings for vehicular movement and facilitate only bulk supply. We are also advising chemists to opt for storage for this supply in the outskirts, so that there is minimal human movement in the containment zone. In the given situation, reducing this movement is the need of the hour.

Link:

Curfew in Peths affects medicine supply to city - Pune Mirror

Awareness, Attitudes, and Actions Related to COVID-19 – Annals of Internal Medicine

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (M.S.W., L.O., R.M.O., L.M.C., J.Y.B., G.W., S.B., M.E., P.Z., A.R., M.A., S.C.B.)

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (M.S.)

Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (D.L., M.K., S.D.P., T.R., J.A.L.)

Grant Support: By grants R01AG030611, R01AG046352, R01DK110172, and R01NR015444 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Disclosures: Dr. Wolf reports grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study; grants from Merck, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the NIH, and Eli Lilly outside the submitted work; and personal fees from Sanofi, Pfizer, and Luto outside the submitted work. Dr. Serper reports personal fees from BioVie outside the submitted work. Ms. Batio reports grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr. Ladner reports grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases during the conduct of the study. Dr. Persell reports grants from Omron Healthcare and Pfizer outside the submitted work. Dr. Bailey reports grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study; grants from Merck, the NIH, and Eli Lilly outside the submitted work; grants and personal fees from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation outside the submitted work; and personal fees from Sanofi, Pfizer, and Luto outside the submitted work. Authors not named here have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Disclosures can also be viewed at http://www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-1239.

Editors' Disclosures: Christine Laine, MD, MPH, Editor in Chief, reports that her spouse has stock options/holdings with Targeted Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Darren B. Taichman, MD, PhD, Executive Editor, reports that he has no financial relationships or interests to disclose. Cynthia D. Mulrow, MD, MSc, Senior Deputy Editor, reports that she has no relationships or interests to disclose. Jaya K. Rao, MD, MHS, Deputy Editor, reports that she has stock holdings/options in Eli Lilly and Pfizer. Christina C. Wee, MD, MPH, Deputy Editor, reports employment with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Sankey V. Williams, MD, Deputy Editor, reports that he has no financial relationships or interests to disclose. Yu-Xiao Yang, MD, MSCE, Deputy Editor, reports that he has no financial relationships or interest to disclose.

Reproducible Research Statement: Study protocol and statistical code: Available from Dr. Wolf (e-mail, mswolf@northwestern.edu). Data set: Available to those who meet prespecified criteria; access allowed to deidentified data only. Available from Dr. Wolf (e-mail, mswolf@northwestern.edu).

Corresponding Author: Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH, MA, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611; e-mail, mswolf@northwestern.edu.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Wolf, O'Conor, Arvanitis, Persell, Rowe, Linder, and Bailey; Ms. Opsasnick; Ms. Curtis; Ms. Benavente; Ms. Wismer; Ms. Batio; Ms. Eifler; Ms. Zheng; and Ms. Russell: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611.

Dr. Serper: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 2 Dulles, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Dr. Ladner: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 676 North Saint Clair Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60611.

Dr. Kwasny: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60611.

Author Contributions: Conception and design: M.S. Wolf, M. Serper, L. Opsasnick, L.M. Curtis, J.Y. Benavente, G. Wismer, D. Ladner, T. Rowe, J.A. Linder, S.C. Bailey.

Analysis and interpretation of the data: M.S. Wolf, M. Serper, L. Opsasnick, R.M. O'Conor, L.M. Curtis, S. Batio, A. Russell, M. Arvanitis, D. Ladner, J.A. Linder, S.C. Bailey.

Drafting of the article: M.S. Wolf, L. Opsasnick, A. Russell, M. Arvanitis, J.A. Linder, S.C. Bailey.

Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: M.S. Wolf, M. Serper, R.M. O'Conor, L.M. Curtis, D. Ladner, S.D. Persell, T. Rowe, J.A. Linder, S.C. Bailey.

Final approval of the article: M.S. Wolf, M. Serper, L. Opsasnick, R.M. O'Conor, L.M. Curtis, J.Y. Benavente, G. Wismer, S. Batio, M. Eifler, P. Zheng, A. Russell, M. Arvanitis, D. Ladner, M. Kwasny, S.D. Persell, T. Rowe, J.A. Linder, S.C. Bailey.

Provision of study materials or patients: M.S. Wolf, J.Y. Benavente, P. Zheng, D. Ladner.

Statistical expertise: M.S. Wolf, L. Opsasnick, L.M. Curtis, M. Kwasny, J.A. Linder.

Obtaining of funding: M.S. Wolf, D. Ladner, S.C. Bailey.

Administrative, technical, or logistic support: M.S. Wolf, R.M. O'Conor, J.Y. Benavente, G. Wismer, M. Eifler, P. Zheng, S.C. Bailey.

Collection and assembly of data: M.S. Wolf, L. Opsasnick, G. Wismer, M. Eifler, P. Zheng, A. Russell, D. Ladner.

See original here:

Awareness, Attitudes, and Actions Related to COVID-19 - Annals of Internal Medicine

Laugh it off. It might just be the best medicine to battle the coronavirus. – Houston Chronicle

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Dusti Rhodes has wondered who decides when its OK to laugh at a bad situation.

The Houston comedian and high school teacher said people dont always know when theyre allowed to chuckle at something, especially a collective hardship like COVID-19.

On a conference call with her fellow teachers, Rhodes was surprised when one co-worker announced she let herself watch a comedy. Rhodes said people feel an invisible social obligation to not laugh during this time.

But thats silly.

When the city went on an effective lockdown, Rhodes braced herself for terrible and cheap jokes. They came in every format internet memes mostly and many were cringe-worthy.

But they did make her laugh. And laughing makes her feel better. She realized everybody decides for themselves when theyre comfortable making light of a situation, and it almost always helps to just laugh it out.

When you choose to start making jokes, its how you deal with it; youre able to dismiss the sad feelings you have about it and it makes it a little easier, said Rhodes, 38. Youre not dismissing the terribleness of that news. But you have to laugh.

And laughing has both short-term and long-term benefits for our mental and physical health, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Short-term effects can include the stimulation of organs, like your lungs, heart and core muscles. Laughter can also trigger an endorphin release, which can lead to relief in our stress responses, muscle relaxation and lowered tension.

Studies have shown daily laughter can lead to an improved immune system and overall pain relief. Giggles big and small can help alleviate varying levels of depression, according to the clinic.

Rhodes type of comedy is personal. Its usually about me and the awkwardness of my life, but its not self-deprecation, she said.

Her style is telling a relatable story, from awkward dates to weird sex to growing up ugly. Her goal is for every night on stage to end in mutual laughs.

When the world isnt in a pandemic, she runs Rudyards Open Mic Comedy Night every Monday and has a regular show at The Secret Group in East Downtown, a venue she calls her home club.

Rhodes had plans to record her first comedy album for Sure Thing Records in Austin this month. She postponed the recording date for one reason: she needs an audience to tell jokes.

The strange thing about comedy that is different from being a singer or a band in a music studio is that (for them), it doesnt matter if theres not an audience there, she said. Its awkward if a comedian is telling jokes and theres not an audience there to laugh.

Kevin Cotter will host his Laughter Workout class on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Zoom details:https://us04web.zoom.us/j/738801156

Meeting ID: 738 801 156

Rebecca Fiszer, 54, considers herself a pretty well-adjusted loner. She has an 11-year-old miniature schnauzer named Harley and enjoys quiet time after a days work at a Houston law firm.

But since Fiszer began working from home last month, she realized she misses the sound of one of her co-workers buoyant laughter. Every time he laughed in his office, Fiszer would overhear it and begin laughing herself. She misses it so much that she asked him to record it and send it to her, so she could listen from home.

This is a different level of being alone, Fiszer said. When you go to a store, youre still forced into social interaction. But in this situation, all that is being cut out. Im struggling, too. I need to see somebody.

Last week, Fiszer joined Kevin Cotters Laughter Workout class via Zoom.

Cotter teaches laughter as a form of mental and physical fitness; its akin to laughter yoga, an exercise in laughing developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in India. Kataria found that our bodies dont differentiate between genuine laughter and fake laughter, and our brains release feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine regardless.

Laughter exercises help oxygenate the body and brain due to deep breathing practices and spread contagious laughter and childlike playfulness, according to LaughterYoga.org. It also lowers the presence of cortisol, a hormone that causes stress in our bodies.

Cotter found laughter yoga early in his treatment for clinical depression six years ago. Knowing his background as a class clown, his therapist recommended he try it.

He began teaching in assisted-living facilities and nursing homes, and found that older people need an extra push to laugh again.

The class is broken down into a series of laughs, like the Yee-Haw and Santa Claus.

Were in Texas, so we dont say Aloha here; we say Yee-Haw. We say YEEEE-Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Cotter said as he starts tall and bends down to holler the ha-has.

For the Santa Claus laugh, Cotter put his hand on his stomach and bellowed out Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho, much faster than a typical Santa.

Once he teaches students how to perform the laughs, they laugh in rapid succession, switching from one to the other.

Even though the laughs start artificially, they quickly become real, he said. People feel ridiculous at first, but then they lose the self-consciousness and feel good.

Sound far-fetched? He thought so, too. But he cant argue with the results.

Fiszer said she felt lighter at the end of class, a feeling she had forgotten in the past few weeks.

Watching or hearing anything funny just does make you feel better. It takes your mind off things, she said. I do think its contagious.

julie.garcia@chron.com

twitter.com/reporterjulie

Read this article:

Laugh it off. It might just be the best medicine to battle the coronavirus. - Houston Chronicle

Meet the MEPs returning to medicine amid the coronavirus pandemic – Euronews

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

EU institutions are on lockdown and, while politics goes online, those with medical training are heading to the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I'm working again as a medical doctor in a private practice where I practised until the end of 2002 so it's quite a long time ago," German MEP Peter Liese told Euronews over Skype.

He gives a quick sweep of the room to show the medical equipment at the cabinet practice in Germany, where, he explains, he does the 'easy stuff', such as taking blood samples.

Another former doctor and MEP is Chrysoula Zacharopoulou from France. These days she is working at a military hospital near Paris. Seeing the crisis up close, gives her some perspective on the EU's response.

"In the face of such a huge sanitary crisis, it's normal that we didn't have the right answer at the start. But now, I think, the Commission, the institutions, using modern technology, have stepped up to the plate. I think that we do see European solidarity."

Having a medical background has helped these MEPs see what is needed to protect public health, across borders. Peter Liese says he had already encouraged the Commission to create a contact point where all hospitals that still have capacity could be registered when they are ready to accept patients from abroad.

Both doctors are reluctant to say when life can go back to normal. They acknowledge that lockdowns are difficult for everyone, but emphasise the need to stay put a little bit longer.

"Let's be humble and patient. Let's respect the instructions and stay and home - out of respect for care-givers, for ourselves and society," insists Zacharopoulou.

Originally posted here:

Meet the MEPs returning to medicine amid the coronavirus pandemic - Euronews

INTERVIEW: Emergency Medicine Doc In NYC Talks COVID-19, How It’s Different Than The Flu, And What He’s Seeing On The Ground – The Daily Wire

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

On Wednesday, The Daily Wire spoke with Dr. Zachary Blankenship, DO, a fourth year Emergency Medicine resident physician working at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx, New York City, the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

As of publication, New York City has just over 19% of total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States, and nearly 32% of deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map.

[NOTE: The observations/opinions expressed below are that of one doctor in one hospital, and while indicative of what this physician is seeing on the ground in the hospital in which he works, nothing in this interview should be taken as necessarily representative of the experiences of other doctors in other hospitals in New York City and throughout the nation.]

DW: What did you see before on a normal day versus a day during this pandemic?

BLANKENSHIP: The emergency room is always a grab bag. Our specialty consists of really anything and everything that could come through the door. You have a mix of the sickest people youve ever seen in your life, and sometimes you have people who are not so sick, or have more minor ailments, and our job is to figure out which is which, whos who, and where people need to go. Do they need to go to surgery? Do they need to be admitted to the hospital? Can they go home? So, it was just much more of a mix of highs and lows.

Now, what were seeing is everybody is sick. Our ER still has a small area thats dedicated to right now treating people who are coming for non-coronavirus related issues. That section may be a little bit more of business as usual, but thats a small fraction of the patients who are coming in.

What Im seeing now is people who are much, much, much sicker. And every once in a while, I have somebody who is well enough to go home and self-quarantine. Then of course, we give those people what we call return precautions, saying, If this happens, come back to the hospital, or If this happens, call911.

DW: When youre seeing COVID-19 cases on the floor now, what is that like? Whats the procedure when a suspected COVID case comes in?

BLANKENSHIP: Everybody who is suspected COVID is placed in our section for COVID patients because the test doesnt come back immediately, and we presume that they have it. One thing that were doing is were getting a chest X-ray on people as soon as they come in the door. These people all have viral pneumonia, and so were basically judging off of that chest X-ray.

The main thing in resuscitation, the first thing is always airway, breathing, circulation and pretty much all of these people have difficulty breathing. So then we have to decide how we are going to take care of that. Some people can use whats called a nasal cannula, which is the two prongs that go in your nose. Some people require a mask, which is called a non-rebreather. Its the clear mask that has a bag attached to it. Then the sickest of the sickest actually get intubated and put on a ventilator.

DW: Whats the intubation process like?

BLANKENSHIP: The intubation process involves a lot of setup, getting all your equipment ready all around the bedside doctors and nurses, a respiratory therapist, all of the bedside ready to go. You administer medication. Typically, youll do one medication for sedation and one medication for paralysis. Then you insert the endotracheal tube and confirm that with your physical exam and with a chest X-ray. Then you attach the ventilator to the endotracheal tube.

Weve been doing a lot of whats called video-assisted intubation. We have a machine where the blade that youre putting in someones mouth to look at their airway actually has a fiber optic camera attached to it so you can better visualize what youre doing.

DW: From a patient perspective, once one has been intubated, are you kept under after the process is completed?

BLANKENSHIP: You are kept sedated because the procedure can be pretty uncomfortable. On TV, they use the term medically-induced coma. So, youre giving people a combination of pain medication and sedating medication so that they are out of it, that theyre unaware of whats going on, and theyre not responsive to the interventions that youre doing. We dont say medically-induced coma, we just say the patient is sedated.

DW: What are you seeing as it pertains to intubated patients? Are a majority of your intubated patients recovering?

BLANKENSHIP: I would say the majority, as far as I can tell and keep in mind this is not epidemiologic data, these are the observations of one doctor at one hospital. What I have seen is typically the patients who are so sick that they require intubation dont end up doing well, and Ive had many patients die on the ventilator. It seems to me that the patients who are able to get by without being intubated are the ones who are going to make it. That being said, I just heard this morning on one of our conference calls that weve had five patients recently who were able to be extubated and discharged, which is good to hear.

DW: How is this different than the flu, and why should it be taken more seriously?

BLANKENSHIP: Whats frustrating about it is that the flu happens every year, it kills thousands of people, and nobody seems to take it seriously. We cant convince people to get flu shots. We cant convince people to self-medicate as far as getting rest and hydration, and taking Tylenol or Motrin for their fever.

This, though, is not the flu. The flus course is much more predictable. You get sick people over a much longer time period, so that the capacity for our hospitals, our resource limits, are not strained in the way that they are now.

The other thing about the flu is that even though it can affect people in different ways as far as having respiratory symptoms, as far as having GI symptoms, the severity is just not as bad. Whereas the patients that Ive been seeing here in the ER, I was really surprised at just how sick these patients are. And its not simply people with a little cough, a little fever. Its people who are really, critically ill.

These patients have respiratory failure requiring oxygen. Most of the flu patients I see do not require oxygen. Ive seen a lot of heart failure. Ive seen a lot of heart attacks. And I believe theres some evidence that the virus directly affects your heart rather than the heart failure being secondary to respiratory failure. All of my patients have deranged laboratory values, like abnormal electrolytes, kidney failure, liver failure.

There seems to be some effect on your bloods ability to clot and break down clots, which is at a constant balance. And so Ive seen a ton of people who have blood clots. Theyre getting blood clots in the brain, which we call a stroke, blood clots in the heart, or a heart attack. Ive seen people with blood clots in the leg, too. Ive also seen patients with bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, blood in the urine.

DW: And these are all COVID cases?

BLANKENSHIP: These are all COVID cases. So, these people are being affected almost from head to toe. Multiple organ systems are all being affected by COVID. And dont get me wrong, there are plenty of people who are getting it, staying at home for 14 days, theyre sick for a few days, and then they feel just fine and they do okay but the ones who are truly sick are much sicker than any flu patient Ive ever seen.

DW: Do you have enough PPE, or are you struggling with supplies?

BLANKENSHIP: Were good. Our hospital has taken good care of us. I think weve also received some private donations. Were not worried about that at all.

DW: Hows the situation with capacity, specifically as it pertains to ventilator access?

BLANKENSHIP: We did have an influx of ventilators. We were able to increase our supply, and we have used most of them. But capacity has been actually improving. This week I worked five nights in a row, and it definitely got better as I went on through the nights as far as number of patients.

DW: What is your stress level like? How has this impacted you as a physician?

BLANKENSHIP: It goes back and forth because as an emergency medicine physician, this is what we were trained for, and weve always seen the sickest of the sick. So there are times when Im in the middle of a shift and Im just working, working, working, I dont really have time to think about the bigger picture, and then maybe you get a little lull and you start to think, Wow, this is really crazy. Sometimes Im more negative and feeling extremely stressed, and then other times I feel more positive and think, At least Im doing something. And the camaraderie between staff has been very good, very high, really supporting each other. So, its good to know youve got other people, and that other people have your back.

DW: How is this impacting your colleagues? How do you see this impacting their behavior or their stress levels?

BLANKENSHIP: It varies from person to person. I think the stress level is definitely higher than baseline. Thats hard to say. I think well know when this is over really just how much people have been affected. But right now, its almost like we dont have time to be stressed because theres so much to be done.

DW: What would you say to those who are downplaying the impact of COVID?

BLANKENSHIP: Please dont. Please dont. That has been one of my big frustrations. Maybe this is some sort of denial. Maybe people are trying to protect themselves because they dont want to face that. Downplaying it doesnt just hurt you, it hurts everybody youve come into contact with. It hurts people who are older than you. It hurts people who are baseline sicker than you. I think its selfish.

DW: We just saw a predicted drop in deaths on the IHME model to approximately 60,400 on the low end, and ICU bed need down to 19,400 or so. Do you think we are effectively flattening the curve?

BLANKENSHIP: That is really hard to say. So much of that depends on where you are because I think there are places that still havent been fully impacted yet. Are we effectively flattening the curve? For starters, we definitely werent at the beginning of this, right? We had months to prepare for this, and we pretty much did nothing. We were told over and over again, Dont worry about it. So I think at the beginning, no, we did not effectively flatten the curve. However, our interventions, our social interventions, made a difference. Now, I think time will tell.

DW: To those who say that if the curve is flattening, its because COVID-19 wasnt a big deal to begin with, what would you say?

BLANKENSHIP: I would say youre wrong. The people who are going to say that are not the ones who have just lost a parent or lost a grandparent. Because for those people, it was as bad as we said it was going to be. With something like this, if you over-prepare and things do end up being not as bad as they said it was going to be, thats a good thing. Thats a good thing to take precautions and save lives. Whats not good is a sense of complacency or not doing anything, and then having the alternative happen, where far too many people die.

DW: Is there something that we havent touched on in this interview that you would want our readership to know about this whole situation?

BLANKENSHIP: I would just say to please think about others. Please think about how your individual actions are affecting others. Think about what you can do to make the situation better. And I know everyones heard it a million times, but please stay home, if you can limit the number of times you leave your home. Ive just seen and heard from far too many people who are still going everywhere they want to go and doing everything they want to do, and think of this whole situation as some big inconvenience to them personally. So, please stay home. And if you have to go out for any reason hopefully its a good reason take precautions. Do the things that you know youre supposed to do.

I dont want to be too negative, but I have just seen so many people die in the last week. Ive seen people who are so sick, and were doing everything we possibly can, and they still die. And so even though I know Im helping a lot of people, I still felt like I needed to do something else, which is why I made that video when I came home the other morning because my family back in Oklahoma, and my friends in Oklahoma, they just dont get it. I think that, I dont know, maybe the news somehow isnt real enough to people. So maybe if they see my face and hear my voice, then maybe itll become real for them.

[The above reference: Dr. Blankenship posted a video to his Facebook on April 7 in which he asked that people stay home, and explained what he is seeing in a daily basis in the emergency room as it relates to COVID-19.]

And I think that if it never really makes it out to certain places, or they end up having a much lower death toll than predicted, then thats wonderful. It means weve done something right. After the fact, they shouldnt then turn around and say, Oh look, this whole thing was some big hoax. Because for 1.4 million people, it has not been a hoax.

The Daily Wire would like to thank Dr. Blankenship for taking the time to speak about this important issue in this critical time. For information pertaining to the current COVID-19 numbers in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, check out the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map here.

More here:

INTERVIEW: Emergency Medicine Doc In NYC Talks COVID-19, How It's Different Than The Flu, And What He's Seeing On The Ground - The Daily Wire

COVID-19 coping mechanism: Laughter is the best medicine! – Loop News Jamaica

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

BOSTON (AP) Neil Diamond posts a fireside rendition of Sweet Caroline with its familiar lyrics tweaked to say, Hands ... washing hands.

A news anchor asks when social distancing will end because my husband keeps trying to get into the house.

And a sign outside a neighbourhood church reads: Had not planned on giving up quite this much for Lent.

Are we allowed to chuckle yet? Wed better, psychologists and humourists say.

Laughter can be the best medicine, they argue, so long as its within the bounds of good taste.

And in a crisis, it can be a powerful coping mechanism.

Its more than just medicine, its survival, said Erica Rhodes, a Los Angeles comedian.

Even during the Holocaust, people told jokes, Rhodes said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Laughter is a symbol of hope, and it becomes one of our greatest needs of life, right up there with toilet paper.

Its a physical need people have. You cant underestimate how it heals people and gives them hope.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Those are scary words and scary prospects.

But, history has shown that its heaviest moments are often leavened by using humour and laughter as conscious choices ways to cope when other things arent working as expected.

Theres so much fear and horror out there. All the hand washing in the world isnt going to clear up your head, said Loretta LaRoche, a suburban Boston stress management consultant whos using humour to help people defuse the anxiety the pandemic has wrought.

Some people will say this is not a time for laughter. The bottom line is, there is always a time for laughter, LaRoche said.

We have 60,000 thoughts a day and many of them are very disturbing. Laughter helps the brain relax.

That explains why social media feeds are peppered with coronavirus-themed memes, cartoons and amusing personal anecdotes.HeresDiamond posting a videoof himself singing Sweet Caroline with the lyrics altered to say: Hands ... washing hands ... dont touch me ... I wont touch you.

TheresFox News anchor Julie Banderas tweeting: How long is this social distancing supposed to last? My husband keeps trying to get into the house.

Heres Austin restaurant El Arroyo, still smarting economically from the outbreak-induced postponement of the South by Southwest music festival,turning its outdoor message board into a mock dating app: Single man w/TP seeks single woman w/hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

And over here, see novelist Curtis Sittenfeld, sharinga photo of herself eating lunch in her wedding dressafter her kids asked her to wear it and I couldnt think of a reason not to.

Take a breather:

For centuries, laughter in tough times has been cathartic, said Wayne Maxwell, a Canadian psychologist who has done extensive research on gallows humour.

The term originated in medieval Britain, where hangings took place in parks near pubs and patrons told jokes at the victims expense.

Even in some of the writings of ancient Egypt, there are descriptions of military personnel returning from the front lines and using humour to cope, said Maxwell, of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

But, he warns, there exists a kind of comedy continuum: While humour can helpfully lighten things up, too much laughter and flippancy can signal a person is trying to escape from reality.

There are also questions of taste. No one wants to poke fun at medical misery or death.

Quarantining and social distancing, though, are fair game, and self-deprecating humour is almost always safe though LaRoche cautions that humour, like beauty, is always in the eye of the beholder.

It all depends on how your brain functions, she said.

Give yourself permission to find humour. Its almost like a spiritual practice, finding ways to laugh at yourself.

For those millions of parents struggling to work from home and teach their housebound children, shes preaching to the choir.

Witnessthis widely shared meme: a photo of an elderly, white-haired woman with the caption: Heres Sue. 31 years old, home schooling her kids for the last 5 days. Great job Sue. Keep it up.

Michael Knight, a 29-year-old musician and a caseworker for people with mental disabilities, has been breaking the tension by posting memes like: They said a mask and gloves were enough to go to the grocery store. They lied. Everyone else had clothes on.

It helps me decompress, said Knight, of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

It kind of offsets the paralyzing effects of the boogeyman that is the pandemic.

Rhodes, whos out more than $30,000 after three festivals and her first taped special were cancelled, is trying to see the humour in her own predicament.

She recently posted an iPhone video of herselfpretending to work a non-existent crowdon an outdoor stage she happened upon during a walk. Hows everyone not doing? she cracks.

The best material comes from a place thats very truthful and somewhat dark, Rhodes added.

Her prediction: When life eventually edges back to normal, Saturday Night Live and the latest Netflix stand-up specials will be powered by quarantine humour.

Just a month ago, who would have appreciated being given a roll of toilet paper? she said. I mean, the whole world is upside down.

Continue reading here:

COVID-19 coping mechanism: Laughter is the best medicine! - Loop News Jamaica

57% of Canadians Say Household Income Negatively Impacted by COVID-19 – Yahoo Finance

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

TransUnion unveils research assessing pandemics effect on consumer finances

TORONTO, April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly three out of five Canadians (57%) said their household income has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly released research from TransUnion (TRU) found that an additional 10% of Canadian adults said they expect their household income will suffer in the future.

Alberta (63%) and Saskatchewan (67%) were the provinces which reported the highest percentage of household incomes negatively impacted with both already dealing with economic shocks before COVID-19 as a result of oil price declines.

TransUnion has initiated a survey of adults in Canada and abroad to better understand the financial impact of COVID-19 on consumers. The survey (commenced March 31, 2020) of 1,064 adults marked the first for the country in what will be an ongoing series. Additional details as well as resources for consumers looking to minimize the potential negative impact of the pandemic on their credit, and access to self-serve, educational materials can be found at https://www.transunion.ca/covid-19.

Whether its their health, financial well-being or changes in day-to-day living, the lives of millions of people in Canada and abroad have been dramatically changed. The situation is evolving at an incredibly fast pace and we need to come together as a nation to solve the unique problems and situations that arise, said Todd Skinner, TransUnion Regional President for Canada, Latin America and Caribbean. The aim of our weekly consumer research is to better understand the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and better inform consumers, businesses and government decisions during these unprecedented times. It is important that businesses and consumers are able to continue to transact with confidence and we will do everything in our power to help facilitate the provision of lending and commerce during these uncertain times.

TransUnions research found that the youngest generations, particularly Millennials (those born 1980 to 1994) and Gen Z (born from 1995 onwards), felt most impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. While 70% of consumers who have had their household income impacted by COVID-19 are concerned about paying their bills, this increased to 78% for Millennials and 74% for Gen Z. On average, Canadian respondents said they will be short about $935 in the near future.

Our focus is on supporting Canadian consumers, businesses and the wider economy as a whole. We know this is an extremely difficult time, and were committed to helping people navigate any financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are facing many unexpected challenges and its natural that people are concerned about their finances. Its really important that there is a dialogue between businesses and their customers at this time of uncertainty. Equally, we encourage consumers looking to minimize potential negative impacts of the pandemic on their credit to visit TransUnions COVID-19 website, concluded Skinner.

TransUnions research and credit education tools will be updated weekly on its COVID-19 website as the company continues to support consumers and businesses from around the globe.

About TransUnion TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good. TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people in more than 30 countries. Our customers in Canada comprise some of the nations largest banks and card issuers, and TransUnion is a major credit reporting, fraud, and analytics solutions provider across the finance, retail, telecommunications, utilities, government and insurance sectors.

For more information visit: http://www.transunion.ca

57% of Canadians Say Household Income Negatively Impacted by COVID-19 - Yahoo Finance

Religion news April 4 – The Republic

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Danzig

Services and studies

Cornerstone Outreach Ministries A nondenominational ministry at 1229 California St., Columbus. The Sunday worship services are at 10 a.m.

Bible study is on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call 812-375-4502.

Dayspring Church Apostolic Worship begins at 11:15 a.m. at the church, 2127 Doctors Park Drive, Columbus. Every visitor will receive a free gift.

The Sunday Education Session starts at 10 a.m.

Bible Study is Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and is a group session sponsored by Heart Changers International, LLC on Depression, Perfection and Anger with hand out questions. These help build our Personal Empowerment and walk.

Our Prayer of Power starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and is preceded with requests and instructions on prayer.

Ignite is the Youth Growth Session that happens every third Friday.

For more information, call 812-372-9336, or email dayspringchurch@att.net.

East Columbus United Methodist East Columbus United Methodist Church services and Bible studies are canceled due to the pandemic.

Fairlawn Presbyterian Weekly Worship Service on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom (links and numbers below or folks can check fairlawnpc.net or visit our Facebook page for login and phone information).

Please use Zoom to call in by phone and/or login online.

Join the Online Zoom Meeting at https://zoom.us/j/431070245 with the Meeting ID of 431 070 245

Dial in using landline or cell phone: +1 253 215 8782 US; +1 301 715 8592 US; Meeting ID: 431 070 245

For more information, visit Fairlawns Facebook page or website (fairlawnpc.net), email office@fairlawnpc.net or call 812-372-3882.

All are welcome!

Please call or email the church office for most up to date information at 812-372-3882 or office@fairlawnpc.net

The church is located at 2611 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus.

Faith Lutheran Faith Lutheran Church will be streaming Palm Sunday worship on Facebook this Sunday, April 5, at 9 a.m.

During Holy Week, Maundy Thursday worship will stream live on Facebook on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m.

On Good Friday, April 10, worship will stream live on Facebook at 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday evening, April 11, Easter Vigil worship will stream live at 6:30 p.m. Then on Easter Sunday morning, April 12, we will gather together to worship again at 9 a.m.

Services are available on our Facebook site: Faith Lutheran Church Columbus. More information is at Faithontheweb.org or call 812-342-3587.

The church is located at 6000 W. State Road 46, Columbus.

First Christian Church The church will only be having an online service at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FCCOC) and at http://www.fccoc.org/sunday/watch-now.

Details at http://www.fccoc.org

First Baptist Columbus will not be holding public worship gatherings at present. The church does offer a live stream worship connection at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.

First Presbyterian First Presbyterian Church has canceled all in-person gatherings, including worship and committee meetings, and our office is closed until further notice. If you need to be in touch with us, please call (812) 372-3783 and leave a message, and we will be back in touch with you as soon as possible.

Streaming of worship services is available here https://www.facebook.com/groups/56933406910/ each Sunday, until we are meeting back in the church. Join us as we worship together through technology!

Please know that we are praying for our church, our community and the world in this time of crisis, and we encourage you to join us in prayer. God bless you.

Information: fpccolumbus.org

First United Methodist Worship services at First United Methodist Church have been canceled through April 12. We will have a live stream version of worship every Sunday at 10 a.m. on our Facebook page.

The Life Planning Seminar that was scheduled for April 5th has been postponed.

With regards to our Holy Week Services (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday), FUMC will likely have some kind of video/live streaming services to view, but will not have services at the church.

Information: 812-372-2851 or fumccolumbus.org.

Flintwood Wesleyan The church is located at 5300 E. 25th St.

In response to the current Covid-19 (coronavirus) situation, Flintwood Wesleyan Church is canceling all in-person services and activities through April 5th. This includes Sunday worship, choir practice, Celebrate Recovery, I-Kids, Youth, and Bible study. Schools will be closed until May 1st, resulting in all our Wednesday activities being canceled until then.

A Livestream worship service will be available Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. via the Flintwood Wesleyan Church Group Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Please remember to check our various communication spaces Facebook, Website, Mobile App for updates. Your Flintwood staff will be doing everything possible to keep our congregation encouraged. We need to do all we can to keep our staff encouraged.

Above all pray!

For further information about services or our ministries, please call 812.379.4287 or email flintwoodoffice@gmail.com. Church office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our website is http://www.flintwood.org

Garden City Church of Christ Garden City Church of Christ is canceling services until April 5.

We intend to provide weekly sermons at gardencitychurch.com or on our Facebook page. These sermons will be available at or before 10 a.m. each Sunday morning. In absence of our weekly gatherings, you are encouraged to continue giving your tithes and offerings through the website and the GivePlus app.

The offices will remain open throughout the week. If conditions change, we will provide an update.

Garden City Church of Christ is located at 3245 Jonesville Road, Columbus.

For more information, visit gardencitychurch.com or call 812-372-1766.

Grace Lutheran The Rev. John Armstrong will preach on Sunday. Worship is at 8 a.m. and can be livestreamed at http://www.gracecolumbus.org/livstream/.

The church is located at 3201 Central Ave., Columbus.

New Vision Community Church Friendship Sunday is April 5 at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the church, 1740 State St. The church welcomes everyone. Anointed singing and preaching in both services.

An Easter weekend revival will begin on Good Friday April 10 at 7 p.m. Communion will also be offered on Good Friday.

Saturday night April 11 at 6 p.m. will feature a gospel singing by the Riddells from Pendleton.

Sunday morning April 12 will feature special singing and preaching for Easter service.

Sunday School will be at 11:15 a.m.

For more information, call Chris Rutan at 812-447-2121.

Old Union United Church of Christ The Sunday worship service will being at 10 a.m. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m. with fellowship at 9:40 a.m.

The church is located at 12703 N. County Road 50W, Edinburgh.

Petersville United Methodist Church The Petersville United Methodist Church will be closed until further notice. Persons may check the Petersville United Methodist Church Facebook page for additional information.

Teresa Covert will post a childrens sermon on her Facebook page.

There will not be an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4.

Information: 812-546-4438; 574-780-2379.

Sandy Hook United Methodist The church will be having a Bible study on the book of Jonah for seven spring Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. from April 1 through May 13. This video-based study is part of the Epic of Eden Bible studies.

Please contact the church office at 812-372-8495 or office@sandyhook.org if interested in participating (so books can be ordered).

The church is located at 1610 Taylor Road in Columbus.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church All in-person activities at the church are suspended until further notice. Sunday worship is being hosted on ZOOM at 10:15 am each Sunday morning (Meeting ID# 2912120372). Wednesday Stations of the Cross are hosted at 5:30 pm on ZOOM (same meeting ID). The First Thursday Ladies Lunch will also be on ZOOM (same meeting ID) April 2nd at 11:30 am. (Friends of Bill W. are still meeting on their regular schedule at this time).

St. Paul Lutheran In response to the Stay at Home order, St. Paul Lutheran Church has suspended regularly scheduled worship services through April 5th. For pastoral care, please contact the church at 812-376-6504.

Open enrollment for the 2020-2021 preschool and kindergarten registration continues. Classes are for children who are 3-, 4- or 5-years old by Aug. 1. Information: 812-376-6504 or stpaulcolumbus.org.

Information: 812-376-6504.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus UUCCI building has been closed for services and all other gatherings until further notice.

Many of these programs can be or have already been moved online at https://uucci.org/

The church is at 7850 W. Goeller Blvd., Columbus.

Information: 812-342-6230.

Westside Community Until further notice, all in-person and onsite activities, including Sunday worship, are suspended. Please visit http://www.WCCShareJesus.com for recorded sermons, as well as Facebook for daily Points to Ponder by Pastor Dennis Aud.

When able, WCC has plans to host a community-wide garage sale. Be on the lookout for more details in the upcoming weeks. If interested in participating, while you are stuck at home this might be a good time to clean out your basements, closets, garages, etc.

For more information on studies or small groups that meet throughout the week, contact the church office at 812-342-8464.

Events

Community Church of Columbus An eight-week parenting course entitled Parenting with Love and Logic is designed for parents of children ages 6 and under. The course will be offered at Community Church of Columbus, 3850 N. Marr Road, as part of the Tuesday Connection series. Dinner is also available each week at 5:30 p.m. along with child care at no cost.

Eckankar of Southern Indiana All Eckankar events in Indiana are suspended through May 31, 2020. This is to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes the monthly Eckankar Spiritual Discussion held the third Sunday of the month at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation building in Columbus, Indiana.

Check http://www.eck-indiana.org for the latest update on events in Indiana, and you are invited to browse the main Eckankar website for videos and reading material at http://www.Eckankar.org.

Fairlawn Presbyterian Joint Lenten Study with First Presbyterian Church on Jesus Sees Women on the following dates:

Tuesday, April 7 at First Presbyterian Church 512 Seventh Street about Out of Chaos Hope Presbyterian Disaster Assistance led by Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Kirkpatrick.

Connect via your laptop or computer (if it has video and audio capabilities). Go to your internet browser and enter https://zoom.us/j/668104094 (or just click on the link). It is suggested that you log in a few minutes early because if youve never connected with Zoom, when you log in for the very first time it does require a small download for your browser.

Equally helpful is if you have a smart phone or iPad, then you can download the Zoom app and then join this meeting ID: 668-104-094.

If neither of these are options for you, you can still join via phone. Call (312) 626 6799 (Chicago) and enter this meeting ID when prompted: 668-104-094.

The church is located at 2611 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus.

Hope Community Church The free breakfast and Easter egg hunt on the April 11 is cancelled.

North Christian Church The church is temporarily suspending all church activities, effective immediately and for the foreseeable future due to caution concerning the coronavirus outbreak. The offices of the pastor and staff members will be closed as well. The church will reopen as soon as recommended by health officials.

Link:

Religion news April 4 - The Republic

Select Page ::