Private Businesses Still Requiring Masks

Many businesses have done away with masks, but some are still requiring it. This photo was take at the Share Tea in Aurora. I found it interesting that they also used a cute cartoon to try and make their point.

Spring Guidelines from Adams State University

 Below are the FAQs that Adams State University sent out to their students about covid.

Where are we really at with covid?

 Everything I'm hearing in the news right now is saying things are getting better, but not all of the data is supporting this. One place you can check is the CDC's website. The first map below shows that most of the U.S. is still medium to high risk for covid.

What do each of these colors mean?

The map above clearly shows that we are nowhere near being back to normal. Maybe if 50-75% of the map was green you could argue that things are getting better, but based on the amount of orange alone it shows that people should still be concerned.

For Colorado it is looking like our death rate has dropped to levels that are close to last spring and summer.

Even with the drop the chart shows how just a few months later there was a stronger surge. Was it because people were letting their guard down? Don't know, but we need to keep watching it. Hopefully our medical system is also getting better at treating covid, but from my personal experience with Kaiser I do not have high expectations.

Everyone should keep watching the numbers so that they can make their own choices and not just be pressed into dropping masks and other protections due to others who just want 'freedom.'

Pictures 1 and 2 from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

Pictures 3 and 4 from: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+people+have+died+from+covid&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS974US974&oq=how&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59l2j69i65l3j69i60l2.2147j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

2022 March News

3/1/22: "As Masks Come Off, Immunocompromised Americans Feel Left Behind"- As people argue about freedom it is people like these that are being stripped of their freedom as mask mandates go away and the vaccine push gets reduced. As a society we are willing to impact people's basic rights to life and freedom of movement because there are people that just don't like wearing masks. History will look back on the failures of our society right now and they will not be kind. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/24/1082850659/as-masks-come-off-immunocompromised-americans-feel-left-behind?fbclid=IwAR3OiA8LI8IKC8LnIYg8pMUTBj3ILRCu0QAuC-hszLuWisu41KLFfb54zQk

3/2/22: "His wife died from John & Johnson Covid Vaccine complications. Why he's still pro-vaccine"- I do not see how anyone can read this a not get emotional. His wife should be considered a hero during this whole covid mess. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/complications-johnson-johnson-covid-vaccine-caused-oregon-womans-death-rcna18200?fbclid=IwAR36H5AqvUOnfLXaLbEVstKCIVlk3wbFjF6jR1NMnad4TtAyQXOp9xMQrkc "First Case Of Deer-To-Human COVID Transmission Possibly Seen In Canada"- https://iflscience.com/first-case-of-deertohuman-covid-transmission-possibly-seen-in-canada-62812

3/3/22: "'Covid is still here': Immunocompromised people express fears as mask mandates are lifted"- Covid is still with us and has masks go away we are stripping many people of their rights to be able to interact with others and even their most basic right to life. https://abc7.com/immunocompromised-immune-system-covid-mask/11614945/?fbclid=IwAR141B89Ob_3-XCPMGjWFLFXKqOFsPao1o7ybkwKm4umkPFuEiq78usbB5U "COVID-19 Doesn't Infect Sensory Neurons, So How Does It Shut Down Smell?"- https://iflscience.com/covid19-doesnt-infect-sensory-neurons-so-how-does-it-shut-down-smell-62834 "Man's Testicle Pops Out Of His Scrotum After Rare Complication From COVID-19"- https://iflscience.com/mans-testicle-pops-out-of-his-scrotum-after-rare-complication-from-covid19-62838

3/4/22: "These US counties still have 'high' Covid-19 levels as their states lift mask mandates, CNN analysis shows"- The main thing that stood out to me in this article was the map of the US from the CDC that they pulled on 3/3 according to the text under the photo. I had pulled the map the same day as can be seen in the post I created on 3/3, but their map has a lot more green on it then mine did. Then when I went to the CDC's website today to try and verify if they just had a more updated map then the one I did, the map was entirely gone from the CDC's website. With this I could not confirm if their map was real or not. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/health/counties-high-covid-levels-cdc-mask-mandates/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3rkiyiL-X87K6E-bU3o2OayZKFoYh9JtNhqfrw22SRyGaylEWelUqEDv8 "When teens blow off pleas to get Covid-19 vaccines, the consequences can be deadly"- This article shows how people are actively causing their own deaths by not getting vaccinated. More people have died to not being vaccinated, then due to complications from the vaccine. The vaccine can save lives, but only if people are willing to take the steps to protect their own lives. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/health/teen-covid-19-vaccine-holdout-khn-partner-wellness/index.html?fbclid=IwAR20HFeOJy50TzMqP-jZHbqdv1VnKkZNutbnEt9mjFQLv1kenPfjzPmBRKo "COVID-19 Infects Penis And Testicles Causing Complications, Suggests Monkey Study"- https://iflscience.com/covid19-infects-penis-and-testicles-causing-complications-suggests-monkey-study-62851

3/7/22: "Death toll surpasses 6 million for pandemic now in 3rd year"- https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-lifestyle-9cd511bc84955131ba00846716e02647?fbclid=IwAR3MlqNMdL_7LVi6hlf05f25xDpnW1W4hYGm6FY0-UWEp4ijLwH637GN-uY

3/8/22: "Study links even mild Covid-19 to changes in the brain"- This is another study that shows if you live through covid your body will still be damaged. With more and more of these studies coming out, it re-enforces the concept that it is still best to try and avoid infection as much as possible. Masks, social distancing, and cleaning are still the best. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/health/covid-brain-changes-study-wellness/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2HOuOHnxypsrEuAr3Jj6QQqjChPxJmIK1Ki6blaFbstuKm_sibWwfJeFE "Covid can shrink the brain as much as a decade of aging, study finds"- https://fb.watch/bDzh6j9uNx/ "COVID-19 patients say Omicron back pain feels like period cramps, kidney stones, or muscle spasms"- https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-covid-symptom-intense-back-pain-kidney-stones-2022-3?fbclid=IwAR2phWxNfm7EPAk4NUBvmxRn8erNtsXMDzb7rf2cbJnP95DiMPpTmn5UZjs "Even Mild COVID-19 Linked To Brain Shrinkage And Tissue Damage, Study Reveals"- https://iflscience.com/even-mild-covid19-linked-to-brain-shrinkage-and-tissue-damage-study-reveals-62879

3/10/22: "Covid-19 now found in 29 kinds of animals, raising variant fears"- https://www.towleroad.com/2022/03/covid-19-now-found-in-29-kinds-of-animals-raising-variant-fears/?fbclid=IwAR0M0GMi4-MQ3Piru3qP03cYYfVKhts34bhb8oDcMnuuYsp0JZYPIA-CFy0

3/9/22: "US public health remains far from normal with COVID-19 death rates more than 10 times the level expected in a bad flu year, experts say"- This is another article that points out that covid is way worse then the flu. https://www.businessinsider.com/us-not-normal-covid-death-high-report-pandemic-2022-3?fbclid=IwAR2gPJD2AxlE3oJHg5uvKg56wYx9z-V9rD2EnzD1bGMcchXGM7oTvLAp0O4

3/16/22: "Some hospitals ask patients, visitors to remove N95s, citing CDC"- https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/16/hospital-mask-cdc-covid-00017556?fbclid=IwAR2ERD_wJsWssM8r8yyjzX2L6qzCi1lQRjt3BlcU39Fb0YtvDdjZtBJ3TX0

3/22/22: "'Perfect storm': Europe Covid rise due to fewer curbs, subvariant"- https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/perfect-storm-europe-covid-rise-due-to-fewer-curbs-subvariant/article?fbclid=IwAR2OSHqNDKSQ3mjO0ZyzqQ452o_mTdzw9xpXzLCh89kNqfs0YYlXC4c8lRg

3/23/22: "Even Carole Baskin's Tigers Had COVID. Here's How Zoos And Sanctuaries Are Dealing With The Virus."- There are people out there that still claim that animals can't get covid. For those people out there I hate to burst their bubbles, but the Earth is also round and not flat. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/patrickwaechter/carole-baskin-tiger-covid?fbclid=IwAR3ZGMw9yyibrHZ0HNlwbxNFGs0Z3UkRBxbz1VGQhxedLmrzLvos0Fo0xd8

3/24/22: "Colorado's COVID cases tick up for first time since January, hospitalizations appear to be falling more slowly"- https://www.coloradodaily.com/2022/03/24/colorado-covid-cases-hospitalizations-ba2/

3/25/22: "Costs of going unvaccinated in America are mounting for workers and companies"- Basically if you are physical able to get the vaccine, and do not have any medical reason that would prevent you from getting it, just get the shot. The costs of not getting it are just too high and we will continue to have issues with covid until everyone that can be vaccinated are. Vaccines have a long history and have proven themselves to work if everybody does them. The only thing I didn't like about this article is that they used some research from Kaiser and anything from Kaiser is not to be trusted. https://www.reuters.com/business/costs-going-unvaccinated-america-are-mounting-workers-companies-2022-03-25/?fbclid=IwAR2MT2_Ihdnn8pnW-HgLR29gkIgV8UzCCBuL77iujav8afEodiuIQRo4PqE 

3/31/22: "Woman Who Lost Both Legs To COVID-19 Encourages Others To 'Never Give Up'"- https://www.simplemost.com/woman-who-lost-both-legs-covid-19-inspires-others/?fbclid=IwAR3Uh8S4VLTAXZd1XQfyiYRZ57ePxGSEDZYgztceHqzFV6VA9m9YCXbBfBs

International

3/13/22: "War in Ukraine could make the Covid-19 pandemic worse, WHO says"- https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/health/who-ukraine-war-covid-19/index.html?fbclid=IwAR120sB8-DnxnjB7oE3n7p22Fg4-F2A2jotU9M2KJwQ7WBbYw5FRlT420VM

3/21/22: "Scotland Eases Covid Restrictions as Number of Hospital Patients Hits Record High"- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-21/covid-restrictions-eased-as-number-of-patients-in-hospital-hits-new-record-high?fbclid=IwAR1A4Whvi8L2EKZYS2KG-ZPBuvIC9rUD4GQStjUZmuiHCOM5cf1lizPTwck

"Why is COVID-19 on the rise in Asia, and what does this mean for the US?"- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-is-covid-19-on-the-rise-in-asia-and-what-does-this-mean-for-the-us?fbclid=IwAR2RBgGbsXQCYscWHxc8yUXeOzaYTM2peVeXdbcZjNnaJ6oP_NB30bNsmAo