News for the week 2023-04-10

The Prepared Support - April 10, 2023

News

Make a top-level comment for a new story/topic. Discussions about the topic should be in the replies to the top-level comment. That way things stay organized and every main comment as you scroll down is a different piece of news.

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White House Launches $5B program to speed COVID vaccine development

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/04/10/operation-warp-speed-successor-project-nextgen/

“Project Next Gen” would succeed “Operation Warp Speed” with money for new monoclonals, vaccines that produce mucosal immunity, and vaccines that are effective against future variants.

 

Strep is bad right now, and an antibiotic shortage is making it worse.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/10/1168699514/strep-is-bad-right-now-an-antibiotic-shortage-is-making-it-worse

In particular, invasive group A strep can cause rash and get into the bloodstream.

 

Large outbreak of fungal infections tied to Michigan paper mill

https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/103965

“The current outbreak appears to be the largest [Blastomycosis outbreak] ever reported.”

”We are seeing more and more of these fungal infections, in general.”

“unlike COVID-19 or other viral infections, a person is not going to travel to another area and transmit blastomycosis to others”

“Blastomycosis is caused by a fungus that lives in moist soil and decomposing matter like wood and leaves, according to the CDCopens in a new tab or window. The infection can occur after breathing in fungal spores. Symptoms include fever, cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, muscle aches, and joint pain. Though fatalities are rare, they can occur.”

 

Sig Sauer P320 trigger malfunctions injure 80 people.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/04/11/sig-sauer-p320-fires-on-own/

 

Syphilis cases rising fast in US – highest level in 70 years

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/stis-including-syphilis-rose-2nd-year-pandemic-cdc/story?id=98478883

 

Recycling plant fire in Richmond, Indiana. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/us/richmond-indiana-recycling-plant-fire/index.html

 

I live about 1.5 hours west & north of Richmond, so the story has been front and center on the local (Indianapolis) newscasts.  Thankfully for me, the prevailing winds have blown the smoke & debris into western Ohio (sorry about that neighbors!).  Reading the CNN article, it was interesting (sad) that one women drove off without her shoes, purse, or any other gear.  It serves to once again remind us to be prepared to bug out with little notice & to keep your panic down to a manageable level.  

Other things that have popped up in the local reporting – the city had been aware of the facility for years & never really pushed the owner to clean up the place.  A ticking time bomb that finally went off – makes you want to do a bit of recon around you to see if you can spot any potential hazardous sites.

The local reporters are now doing the onscene reports wearing masks, but they appear to be just surgical masks which won’t help much against the toxic fumes.