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intersectionalpraxis · 20 days

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"If a pig catches both a human influenza A virus and an avian influenza A virus at the same time, it can spark a process known as viral reassortment — a genetic exchange in which flu viruses swap gene segments." "Those swaps can introduce dramatic changes, producing a new virus with certain properties of a non-human strain coupled with the capacity to infect and spread between people." "The death rate in humans may be upwards of 50 per cent, World Health Organization data suggests, though it's possible that milder infections are getting missed, skewing the case fatality ratio. Still, in a population that's never been exposed, the global impacts could be dire." "More human cases could also be happening under the radar among farm workers who've moved to the U.S. from abroad, don't speak English as their first language, and may be hesitant to seek medical help, he added." "So I think there's probably underreporting on both sides," Armstrong said." "If [H5N1] gets into a population where there's constantly animals going in and out … it might not ever leave."

I've been watching this develop for the past several days, and apart from being terrified most people will not take this seriously (I've seen a handful of people already shout conspiracy on social media and it's alarming to see, as always). What I wanted to point out is that pandemics are going to continue to be our 'normal.' I watched a great video on YouTube a while ago (I believe it was by Vice?) that touched base on how this is going to become our new reality because of multiple factors (such as our proximity to animals, and environments/etc). It was when Covid hit and they did a piece debunking some of the misinformation floating on the internet. If I can find it I will post it here because it was informative and relevant to pretty much any world crisis we will see around any virus that spreads among a human population.

This post isn't trying to fear monger anyone, I just hope more people are aware of what is happening because this is important to talk about. There are already cases (of cows getting this bird flu) in the US, and I won't be surprised if there will be instances in more countries around the world. As usual, keep washing your hands/keeping good hygiene practices, masking up (and if you aren't I hope you consider it), and taking precautions if you do happen to visit/work or go near a pig or poultry farm too:

I'll keep track of this here of course, but please stay informed folks. And also FU to any governments who will try to minimize this or try to diminish the severity until it's too late and community spread happens like Covid because their actions are influenced by capitalistic interests.

Update (April 7th, 2024, 9:32pm EST): to anyone wondering where some of the source information originates from -here is a link to the CDC. They are tracking documented avian virus outbreaks in the US and the public can access it here:

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madamepestilence · 19 days

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H5N1: What to know before fear spreads

What is H5N1?

H5N1 is a 1996 strain of the Spanish or Avian Flu first detected in Chinese birds before spreading globally across various avian species. H5N1 is similar to H1N1, but spreads slower and has a much higher mortality rate.

H5N1 may also be referred to as Influenza A. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has seen fit to rename H5N1 to Bovine Influenza A Virus, or BIAV, and are encouraging others to use the same terminology.

I would not be surprised if the colloquial name among the public becomes Bovine Flu or American Flu in the coming months, and may be referred to as the Chinese Flu by the same folks who took the spark of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic as an excuse to be publicly racist to East Asian people without social repercussions.

BIAV is a virus, meaning that it is a (probably) non-living packet of self-replicating infectious material with a high rate of mutation. BIAV is structured similarly to SARS-CoV-2, having a packet of infectious material encased in a spherical shell with a corona, or crown, of proteins that can latch to living cells to inject RNA.

Image source with interactive model: ViralZone - H5N1 subtype

What is the history of BIAV?

In 1996 and 1997, an outbreak of BIAV occurred among poultry and infected 18 people in Hong Kong, 6 of which died. This seemingly isolated incident then infected ~860 people with a >50% death rate.

At the time, BIAV was known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, and killed nearly 100% of chickens within a 48 hour period.

From 2003 to 2005, continual outbreaks occurred in China and other East Asian countries, before spreading to Cambodia, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

From 2014 to 2016, it began being detected in American fowl, as well as mutating the H5N6 (lethal in birds, no human to human transmission) and H5N8 (largely spread through turkeys, ducks had immunity) viruses.

BIAV has since evolved into a clade known as 2.3.4.4b, and was first detected in 2021 in wild American birds. This then caused outbreaks in 2022 among wild and domesticated birds (such as chickens) alike, but was largely being overshadowed by the pressing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the time.

From 2022 to 2023, it was observed to be spreading among various mammals, including humans. Now, in 2024, we're having the most concerning rapid outbreak of BIAV since 2003.

BIAV is known to spread from mammal to mammal, particularly between cows and humans. BIAV may also be spread from cow to cow (highly likely, but not confirmed - this is likely the reason the virus has spread to Idaho from Texan cattle), and is known to be lethal to domestic cats and birds within 48 hours.

How does BIAV spread?

BIAV spreads through fomites - direct contact with infected animals or infected surfaces and then touching parts of your face or other orifices - as well as through airborne particulates, which may be inhaled and enter the sinuses and lungs.

BIAV is known to spread through:

Asymptomatic Ducks, geese, swans, various shorebirds

Symptomatic, may be lethal Foxes, bears, seals, sea lions, polar bears, domestic cats, dogs, minks, goats, cows, (potentially human to human, but unconfirmed - there have only been 8 potential human to human cases in 2024).

How can I protect against BIAV?

As BIAV is a type of Influenza A, existing protocols should do fine.

Current recommendations are to wash your hands vigorously after interacting with birds (I would also recommend doing this with mammals), avoid touching your face or other open orifices, and wear N95 masks.

Avoid sick or dead animals entirely - I would also recommend reporting them to your local Animal Control or veterinary centre and warning them about the infection risk. People who work with animals are recommended to also wear full PPE such as N95 masks, eye protection, gloves, and partake in vigorous hand washing.

If you suspect you've caught BIAV, seek medical attention immediately. Existing medications such as oseltamivir phosphate, zanamivir, peramivir, and baloxavir marboxil can reduce BIAV's ability to replicate.

Standard flu shots will not protect against BIAV. Remember - symptoms of BIAV may not manifest for between 2 to 8 days, and potentially infected people should be monitored for at least 10 days.

How far has BIAV spread?

BIAV is currently a global virus, though the current infection location of note is the United States.

Image Key: Dark red - Countries with humans, poultry and wild birds killed by H5N1 Deep red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1 and has reported human cases of H5N1 Light red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1

Image source: Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 - File: Global spread of H5N1 map

Image source: Metro.co.uk - Map shows where bird flu is spreading in US amid new warning - File: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s H5N1 bird flu detections map across the United States

Should I be afraid?

You needn't be afraid, just prepared. BIAV has a concerningly high lethality, but this ironically culls its spread somewhat.

In the event human to human transmission of BIAV is confirmed, this will likely mainly affect marginalized communities, poor people, and homeless people, who are likely to have less access to medical care, and a higher likelihood of working in jobs that require frequent close human contact, such as fast food or retail jobs.

Given the response to SARS-CoV-2, corporations - and probably the government - may shove a proper response under the rug and refuse to participate in a full quarantine, which may leave people forced to go to work in dangerous conditions.

If this does spread into an epidemic or pandemic, given our extensive knowledge about Influenza, and the US having a backup vaccine for a prior strain of H5N1, a vaccine should be able to be developed relatively quickly and would hopefully be deployed freely without charge - we won't have to worry about a situation like The Stand.

Wash your hands, keep clean, avoid large social gatherings where possible, wear an N95 mask if you can afford them (Remember: Cloth masks are the least protective, but are better than nothing. If you can't afford N95 masks, I recommend wearing a well-fitted cloth mask with a disposable face mask over it to prevent pneumonia from moisture buildup in the disposable mask), support the disabled, poor, and homeless, and stay educated.

We can do better this time.

Further things to check out:

YouTube: MedCram - H5N1 Cattle Outbreak: Background and Currently Known Facts (ft. Roger Seheult, M.D.)

Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1

Maine.gov - Avian Influenza and People

CDC.gov - Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses

Wikipedia - H5N1 genetic structure

realagriculture - Influenza infection in cattle gets new name: Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV)

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yamameta-inc · 7 days

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covid has really made me realize that most people don't have very good risk assessment or sense of scope, especially when it comes to statistics. part of it is definitely a knee-jerk aggressive response to the word even being said, but a lot of the arguments i hear seem predicated on some kind of belief that Low Percentage equals safe, because that's how people talk about things generally.

putting aside for one moment that the percentages are most likely a lot higher than they think, and that the risk of long-term complications after catching the virus is cumulative--i think people have sort of lost sight of how unprecedented covid actually is, because it's so easy to go back to normal life. covid is the first pandemic in the age of super fast and easy plane travel. covid is the first pandemic in the age of humanity's numbers being over 8 billion.

no one is claiming that your risk of catching covid after going out unmasked just once is high (with the exception of peak season during the holidays). in periods where transmission is low, that risk could in fact be negligible. but you aren't rolling that dice once. you're rolling it several times a day, every day. have you ever played a gacha game where the odds of pulling a SSR were 0.5%? did you ever pull one, or did you know anyone who did? how surprised would you be if you were able to pull one after pulling for 10 hours a day nonstop every day? would you really be particularly surprised?

despite all this, you may not catch covid more than once a year, or maybe even every two years. if you're looking at a time-frame of 5 years, that's pretty good, isn't it? the odds of developing severe, permanent complications from one or two covid infections isn't That high. except... why would we look at time-frames of 5 years? we're in the fifth year of the pandemic and this virus has evolved fast, so the research is obviously laser-focused on year to year changes and working with the timeline that it's got. but i don't know about you guys, i anticipate living about 60 more years. do you think, knowing what we know about cumulative damage, that catching covid 60 times will be completely fine for our bodies? hell, what do you think catching influenza 60 times would do? post-viral syndromes have existed long before covid.

vaccines will never be able to catch up to the rate of the virus' mutations if they keep being tailored to specific variants, and it complicates things for developing effective treatments too. this is because this is a virus that circulates every day among essentially 8 billion people. statistically, it's inevitable that a random mutation somewhere will be successful and then begin to circulate. the fact is that 0.5% (a completely arbitrary number) of the global population is a massive number of people. it's 40 million people, more than the population of many countries. but it can be that amount again and again, because there's nothing preventing continuous reinfection.

no other statistics deals with this kind of situation. you can't use that ordinary benchmark or logic to think about covid. because this is in fact an unprecedented situation. and when new situations arise, people have to adapt and change their behaviour. but that's something that humans really hate doing, unfortunately

#covid #it's not new to covid! but again. the scale is so much greater #the impact on the world is unfortunately inevitable--but it could be much less worse if we wanted it to be #unfortunately the third world will once again be bearing the brunt of this #as they're denied vaccines and medications #and as they continue to suffer poverty due to global imperialism #and you know? the best thing we could do is reduce transmission globally overall. because everything is connected now #less transmission in the US means less transmission in europe means less transmission in the world #but we apparently. just hate the idea of health so much

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yugiohz · 2 months

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#covid and other global events have relativized everything else like how am i supposed to care and prioritize my research paper when i see #starvinf and mutilated children on twitter and news about how our government funds all of this #i will write enough so i can pass but i rlly dont care about my gardes anymore

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ridiculously-over-obsessed · 2 months

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Ben Platt's dropping a whole album in May and I could CRY I'm so excited 😭😭😭

#max rambles a lot #i love one man and that man is ben platt #if he does a tour again i really want a uk leg this time 😭😭#we didn't get a global reverie tour which i get #because y'know covid #but STILL #honeymind is about to be my entire personality and i make no apologies for it #also!!! new single on THURSDAY????#like sir i need at least 3-5 business days to process this news before you drop actual music #ready to be an absolute mess over it let's goooooo ✌🏻#ben platt

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caffeinatedopossum · 1 year

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Doctors be like "have you experienced a major life event recently", not considering the possibility that every event in my life has been major so honestly nothing feels important from my perspective

#like last time they asked me this im pretty sure i had just moved states cut off contact with most of my family #turned 18 discovered i was chronically ill and disabled AND was just going to doctors for the first time in my life #despite my crushing anxiety of being anywhere in front of anyone #im pretty sure i have/had agoraphobia but ive never been evaluated for it #i just feel absolutely terrified being in public especially any new places or being alone outside at all #like i cant go places alone but that was what i was doing anyway for doctors appointments #because oh yeah this was during covid too lmao #i kinda forgot because once again nothing seems all that important me #like global pandemic? cool cool can i get some severe isolation with this life threatening virus too? awesome #also yeah covid is still a thing but people dont care anymore #oh yeah i had also just lost my pets and my religion and all of my religious friends. this is the type of stuff i forget #what even counts as a major life event anymore #i think if i was to become homeless get hospitalized or my gf died. those are the only three things i can think of that would shake me rn #nvm there are more now because im thinking about it lol i just think those three are more likely scenarios

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chrysocomae · 1 year

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screams in fuck american hypercapitalism

#covid isn't over #covid 19 #wtf joe biden #for once stop appealing to the hedgefund class #i mean fucking hell #it is a global pandemic #not a new burger chain opening #us politics

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thoughtportal · 2 years

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#global development #global health #coronavirus #infectious diseases #vaccines and immunisation #article #COVID-19 #capitalism is violence #colonization #colonialism #imperialism #health news #pandemic

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panicinthestudio · 1 year

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Further reading:

AFP, via HKFP: Deadly Xinjiang fire stirs anger at China’s zero-Covid policy, Urumqi mayor apologises, November 26, 2022

The Guardian: Covid lockdown protests break out in western China after deadly fire, November 26, 2022

AP, via Global News: China’s Xinjiang loosens some ‘zero-COVID’ restrictions after lockdown protests, November 26, 2022

#Urumqi #Xinjiang #news #COVID 19 #zero covid policy #China #Agence France Presse #Hong Kong Free Press #protest #BBC #coronavirus #pandemic #Global News #Associated Press

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intersectionalpraxis · 17 days

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#current events #current news #covid #long covid #covid 19 #covid isn't over #covid conscious #pandemic #wear a mask #mask up #science #medicine #healthcare #medical industry #medical study #global news

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maaarine · 1 year

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Jannat Jalil:

“While China's team isn't taking part in the world cup in Qatar, there has been huge interest in China in the tournament.

But rather to the embarrassment of the authorities, it's not just the footballers, but the large crowds packed in a stadium that have attracted a lot of comment, as many ask why football supporters are not being forced to wear masks or stay at home.

And it now seems censors on state TV have stepped in.”

Michael Bristow:

“What the Chinese authorities appear to have done is censor the live feed coming in to Chinese homes.

Whenever the live feed shows close-up pictures of the crowds, Chinese TV appears to be changing those pictures and showing instead pictures of players and coaches.

They appear to be trying to neuter, stop, any debate about how different COVID restrictions are in Qatar and China.”

Source: Global News Podcast: China Covid protests spread to major cities

#global news podcast #podcast #covid #world cup

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auressea · 2 years

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meanwhile is so called 'canada': The federal government has stopped Health Orders and all Reporting.

"For the record an Omicron infection lasts on average seven days and viral shedding may continue more than 10 days even among mild cases."

"....COVID has killed more than 14,317 Canadians since December 2021, a month dominated by the first Omicron wave. Or 24,230 if you include estimates of underreporting of COVID deaths — a chronic problem."

"...one in every 402 people living in Canada has been hospitalized with a variant of Omicron since December 2021."

[in the last 9 months!]

#The tyee #Covid-19 #global pandemic #It's not over #bad leadership #Canada centric #canadian news #I went to a concert on Saturday night.#Less than 10% of the people wore masks.#BC has zero physical distancing #There are zero public health orders in effect in BC #fuck.

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sleepysera · 2 years

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6.17.22 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

West Bank: Israeli troops kill 3 Palestinians in gunbattle (AP)

“Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians and wounded at least eight others early Friday during a military operation in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The military said its forces came under attack and exchanged fire with militants.”

India: One dead in violent protests over military hiring (BBC)

“A person has died and 13 others have been injured in India after protests against a new army hiring plan turned violent. He died when police and protesters clashed in Secunderabad city in the southern state of Telangana on Friday. Police reportedly opened fire into the crowd but reports said it was not clear if the man died due to a gunshot wound. Several states have seen huge protests against the plan to hire soldiers on a fixed four-year term. Protesters say the government's plan to hire temporary soldiers will reduce their chances of getting coveted permanent military jobs, which guarantee fixed salaries and pensions.”

Tanzania: Accused of violence on Maasai protesting eviction (AP)

“Tanzania’s government has been accused of using violence against Maasai herders protesting efforts to evict them from one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, in the latest friction between those who see certain African landscapes as a lucrative playground and those who simply call them home.”

US NEWS

Alabama Church Shooting: 2 killed, 1 wounded, suspect detained (AP)

“Police investigating a shooting at an Alabama church that killed two people and wounded another said Friday that the shooter was a 71-year-old man who occasionally attended services. Police Capt. Shane Ware did not identify the suspect, who was taken into custody following the shooting Thursday night at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills. Ware said prosecutors were preparing warrants to charge him with capital murder.”

Covid: FDA authorizes 1st Covid-19 shots for infants, preschoolers (AP)

“U.S. regulators on Friday authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week. The Food and Drug Administration’s action follows its advisory panel’s unanimous recommendation for the shots from Moderna and Pfizer. That means U.S. kids under 5 — roughly 18 million youngsters — are eligible for the shots, about 1 1/2 years after the vaccines first became available in the U.S. for adults, who have been hit the hardest during the pandemic.”

Climate Crisis: Biden hosts climate meeting amid high gas price pressure (AP)

“Equating the oil and gas industry to Big Tobacco, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that “fossil fuel producers and financiers have humanity by the throat.” But President Joe Biden wasn’t quite itching for a fight. With both soaring energy prices and a warming planet weighing on the world at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, Biden talked about trying to ease the pain of high gas prices while pushing more long-term green policies.”

#current events #news #west bank #israel #palestine #india #tanzania #protest #united states #church shooting #gun violence #covid #climate crisis #climate change #global warming

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sonicenvy · 1 year

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gotta love that my immune system has thus far been awesome at keeping me from getting the virus™ but awful at keeping me from getting skin cancer. what gives body???? what gives???

i am (once again) cancer free as of this morning's fun (/s in case that wasn't abundantly clear) surgery, but still twice in six months??? there is obviously something fucked up about my skin. once again: hey body what the actual fuck??

#bright side had my surgery today and knock on wood i am once again cancer free #cw: cancer #covid nonsense #personal bs #literally soooo unfair actually #let's all take this moment to have a global unity moment where we all give cancer the finger btw #i mean it is nice that ive never gotten the virus™ in all this time despite repeated exposure but still ... fucking cancer #@ god if you are real you're a bitch and i hate you #this year has literally sucked soooo hard #multiple people in my family have gotten cancer this year #and multiple people in my family died #and there is SO much dumbass family drama #why is this my year #blares I wanna get better by the bleachers at new years in hopes that it will influence 2023 to be less shitty than the last 2 years #hate that i am now almost 4 years post graduation and have nothing to show for it #all i got is being broke and disabled so that's cool

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horce-divorce · 2 years

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i have to fight the urge to remind ppl that Michigan exists bc I am actually fundamentally fine w that idea. Yes, fucking FORGET. Stop coming here. Leave the dunes alone. Make your own goddamn fudge

#me #they keep saying that bc of global warming #well 2 things #1. michigan is the new florida which unfortunately does seem to be coming true #2. everyone's gonna move here when the rest of Earth is on fire bc we're gonna have a bunch of water #i dont like the intersection of these 2 things and im very nervous abt how its gonna pan out tbh #like socioeconomically speaking #im not saying im against climate refugees coming here that would be ghoulish #just that im anxious abt how the Powers That Be will handle the 2 things together ykw i mean #like we do seemingly have some competency about conservation #but theres absolutely no resources out here #i cant stress that enough like. north of Muskegon its JUST woods and we dont have resources #even for the small communities that already exist here #and the economic divide/gentrification in the tourist towns is a whole thing #people are saying it but i dont think anyones Ready for it is all and its gonna be like covid #where we were saying for years 'ope better get ready this could happen' and then it was happening #and everyone went 'oh no who couldve foreseen this we simply cant afford to address it properly.'#just like w every other facet of the economy ig #just seems like itll be rough for everyone involved. perhaps more than it otherwise could be

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brianbachochin · 24 hours

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Prophecy Brief: Ezekiel 38-39 and Daniel’s 70th Week (How might they be connected?)

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