Brief Messages or Announcements – Page 39

My Updated Easy Exercises

Okay, so I’m nobody’s personal trainer, but I have an update on my exercise routine, which I’m doing daily for the most part. I spend about a half hour on the “workout” which starts with a floor yoga warm up. I get on the exercise bike for 5 minutes. Then I do 3 sets of body weight squats, dumbbells, and planks. I finish off with another 5 minutes on the bike.

Obviously, my goal is not to be ripped. I just want to keep my bowels moving, to sleep OK, and stay reasonably fit for a geezer. I also do daily mindfulness meditation.

I still have a lot of work to do on being more well-rounded. And I mean a lot.

Fill a Bag and Help Feed Families Program

We’re filling a bag to help families in the program affiliated with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). Letter carriers in Iowa City will be picking up bags of non-perishable food items placed beside mailboxes on the second Saturday in May, which is on May 14, 2022 this month. Edward James Olmos is the food drive’s celebrity spokesperson, which gives the title of the movie he played a role in, “Stand and Deliver,” a special meaning in this context.

Total Lunar Eclipse Starts May 15, 2022

We’ve never seen a total lunar eclipse, but it’ll happen May 15-16, 2022. It happens over several hours. For us in Iowa City, Iowa it starts at around 8:30 PM on May 15, 2022 and ends at around 2:00 AM on May 16, 2022.

You don’t need any special eclipse glasses and you can see it with your bare-naked eyes. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon and lines up precisely so that it blocks the Sun’s light, which otherwise reflects off the Moon. Find more at the Farmer’s Almanac.

There’s a web site to find out when you can see it where you live.

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Total Lunar Eclipse

NAMIWalks Today and Beyond!

We drove by Terry Trueblood Recreation Area today and were amazed by the big crowd of people. We found out about the NAMIWalks today because of the signage and people everywhere at the park.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has been around since 1979, and you can read more from the top fundraiser for today’s event, Margalea Warner!

COVID-19 Transmission Level Medium in Johnson County, Iowa

The CDC has reported that the level of COVID-19 transmission in Johnson County, Iowa is Medium. It’s recommended to adopt appropriate safety precautions accordingly. The Swiss Cheese Model is an easy way to remember:

Learn more about how to keep yourself and others safe.

University of Iowa Participating in COVAIL Trial on Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters

University of Iowa Health Care is participating in a multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating various additional COVID-19 vaccine boosters. It’s the COVID-19 Variant Immunologic Landscape (COVAIL) trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allery and Infectious Disease (NIAID). The trial “will test new and existing booster vaccines in various combinations to see which ones provide immune responses that cover existing and emerging COVID-19 variants.”

New Hawkeye Wave Anthem Strong Contender

I formally nominated “I Lived” by OneRepublic to be the new Hawkeye Wave Anthem. On the other hand, I just noticed there is a strong contender for the new Hawkeye Wave song. Dalles Jacobus is a former Hawkeye football player who recently submitted his song, “We Wave.”

He has a lot going for him. He’s a former Iowa football player, He recently graduated from the University of Iowa. He wrote his own song, “We Wave.” He taught himself how to play the guitar by watching YouTube. And there is growing support for the song.

He’s Iowa grown and that’s a real plus for this song. The melody itself feels like a wave. And what Dalles himself says about the song puts the emphasis right where it needs to be, “But, you know, at the end of the day it’s not about the song that’s playing, it’s about the act and the actual wave.”

Featured image picture credit: Pixydotorg.

Reminder: FDA Advisory Committee Meeting Today on Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters

Just a reminder; today the FDA Advisory Committee will meet from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, ET today to discuss Covid-19 vaccine boosters. I’ll be unable to post a “play by play” as I have in the past because I have something else on my schedule.

Especially noteworthy is the Briefing Document in the meeting materials, entitled:

“Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses and Process for COVID-19 Vaccine Strain Selection to Address Current and Emerging Variants.”

Section 7 starts on page 17, “Topics for VRBPAC Discussion.” The important issue is determining strain composition of Covid-19 vaccines and what goes into consideration for the optimal use of additional booster doses.

April 6, 2022 Update:

“Topics for VRBPAC Discussion

Following the scheduled presentations and open public hearing, the VRBPAC will be asked to discuss and provide input on the following topics (no voting questions):

• What considerations should inform strain composition decisions to ensure that available COVID-19 vaccines continue to meet public health needs, e.g.:
-Role of VRBPAC and FDA in coordinating strain composition decisions
-Timelines needed to implement strain composition updates
-Harmonization of strain composition across available vaccines

• How often should the adequacy of strain composition for available vaccines be assessed?

• What conditions would indicate a need for updated COVID-19 vaccine strain composition, and what data would be needed to support a decision on a strain composition update?

• What considerations should guide the timing and populations for use of additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses?”

Quick Announcement on Covid-19 2nd Vaccine Booster

According to a University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics announcement on The Loop, 2nd booster doses were available to employees, volunteers, and patients starting April 4, 2022.

AMA Update on Covid-19 2nd Vaccine Booster

The AMA published an update on the Covid-19 Vaccine 2nd booster and the YouTube presentation is only a couple of days old and pretty thorough. While the CDC indeed gave a permissive recommendation, it sounds like another jab would be recommended in the fall anyway, likely targeting variants. The FDA Advisory Committee still has a meeting scheduled for April 6, 2022. It sounds like Medicare and private insurance will cover the cost. The Federal funding outlook doesn’t sound as positive for the uninsured.