TallGuyJohninBKK

And more: Blood Clotting, COVID-19 and Vaccines "Blood clotting is a well-recognized complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has also been identified as an extremely rare side effect of certain COVID-19 vaccines. The risk with vaccines is exceedingly low and individuals are at a significantly higher risk of developing a blood clot from COVID-19 infection than following COVID-19 vaccination." [emphasis added] What is the link between blood clots and COVID-19? The association between COVID-19 and blood clots was recognized early in the pandemic among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. These patients experienced blood clots both in deep veins and arteries, which sometimes led to strokes and heart attacks. Although these conditions have mostly been seen in patients with severe COVID-19 illness, people with non-severe illness have also developed blood clots. ... If deciding whether a COVID-19 vaccine is worth the risk, Abou-Ismail tells his patients that ”mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe in patients with a history of blood clots or increased risk factors. The risk of developing a blood clot from COVID-19 infection is far higher than getting a blood clot from a COVID-19 vaccine.” https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2022/09/blood-clotting-covid-19-and-vaccines

And there's plenty of evidence that COVID infections themselves can lead to greater and more frequent blood clotting problems than from the viral vector vaccines: COVID-19 and the Blood Last updated July 11, 2023 "Some people with COVID-19 develop abnormal blood clots, including in the smallest blood vessels. The clots may also form in multiple places in the body, including in the lungs. This unusual clotting may cause different complications, including organ damage, heart attack and stroke. Researchers think the clotting may be triggered by the high levels of inflammation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. A high level of inflammation can affect multiple organs and result in severe disease. In children and teens, this high inflammation is called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), and it can particularly affect the heart. People who already have damage to the blood vessels from diabetes or high blood pressure may be at higher risk of developing blood clots. In addition, some chronic health conditions may impact how COVID-19 affects your body, including your blood vessels." https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/covid/blood Thrombosis (blood clots) with Thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS): During thrombosis, blood clots form and block the blood vessels. In thrombocytopenia, there are low numbers of platelets cells that help blood clot. This can cause internal bleeding. These issues were reported in a small number of cases after more than 12 million doses (Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines). These conditions can be life-threatening if untreated. Most cases have occurred one to two weeks after vaccination in women, ages 18 to 49. If you get a COVID-19 infection, the risk of thrombosis is greater than you would get from the vaccine. [emphasis added] https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/stories/making-a-difference/covid-19-vaccine-side-effects-how-common-are-they.html

The rare blood clotting with low platelet levels problem, informally known as TTS, can be caused by many different conditions, not just viral vector vaccines, and with quite a few different causes more frequent than those vaccine-related (which are rated below as "rare"), as laid out in the following study from March 2024: 4.1.3. Thrombocytopenia with thrombosis syndrome (TTS) TTS has many possible causes which vary in frequency and pathogenesis which can be immune-mediated or non-immune-mediated (Table 3) [29]. VITT is in the category of immune-mediated entities. Some of the conditions in Table 3 can be easily recognised clinically, whereas others are more difficult to diagnose and may require specific laboratory assays. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X24000574

The election is still months away, and depending on which poll someone wants to pick, the numbers are close, generally within the margins of error. Newsweek via MSN: Donald Trump Stung by Double Polling Blow Two polls have suggested Donald Trump will lose the presidential election, in the latest swing in what has been a tight race so far. ... Polls have so far shown that the results will be tight as the pair are statistically tied in most surveys or enjoying only marginal leads. However, two recent polls have suggested Trump is now lagging, marginally. In one poll of 1,046 adults by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research, 40 percent of all voters said they would vote for Biden and 38 percent would choose Trump in a race in which independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was included. When only likely voters were polled, 44 percent said they would vote for Biden and 39 percent for Trump. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-stung-by-double-polling-blow/ar-AA1o5xpW

Here's a Thai ingredients label for their product. They call it "Ice Confection"! Actual liquid milk or cream seems kinda hard to find. https://www.tops.co.th/en/walls-ice-cream-vanila-cup-51g-8851932074025 In the past, when I've checked the ingredient labels for the cheapest "ice creams" in Thailand, they often seemed to have various forms of sugar and palm oil as among their primary ingredients.

Try keeping up, or at least paying attention. No chance? UK COVID deaths lately were running more than 100 per week, along with more than 1,000 weekly new COVID hospitalizations. https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/

Everyone understood all along that the rapid tests were not as accurate at the PCR tests. But early on in the pandemic, the testing demand was huge and sufficient PCR capacity simply didn't exist. So they ended up going to the mass market with the best alternative they had. The rapid tests worked to a reasonable extent, particularly if repeated as recommended, just not as well as the other kind. As cited two posts above: "Alternatively, if RT-PCR tests are not available or accessible, clinicians and patients should follow FDA's [Food and Drug Administration's] serial antigen testing recommendations to help optimize diagnostic test performance," they added.

Yep, clearly exposed: Report: COVID-19 vaccines saved US $1.15 trillion, 3 million lives A Commonwealth Fund study estimates that, through November 2022, COVID-19 vaccines prevented more than 18.5 million US hospitalizations and 3.2 million deaths and saved the country $1.15 trillion. [emphasis added] https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/report-covid-19-vaccines-saved-us-115-trillion-3-million-lives Right here for everyone to see.

Obviously you've got your opinion, but apparently, nothing credible to back it up that you're willing to present here.

COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record low, the CDC says There were 5,615 COVID hospitalizations in the most recent week data available. Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit their lowest level ever reported since the pandemic began, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 5,615 COVID hospitalizations in the most recent week data that is available. In comparison, there were over 150,000 weekly admissions at the peak of the Omicron variant circulating in early 2022. "The significant decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths to these new lows is encouraging, showing that our public health measures and vaccination efforts have paid off," said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News medical contributor. (more) https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-hospitalizations-hit-record-low-cdc/story?id=109793784 These below may be among the last official weekly U.S. COVID hospitalization reports we'll see for a while: Odd convergence: 5,000+ current COVID hospitalizations in the U.S., and 5,000+ new COVID hospitalizations for the most recent week: CDC source: The key looming question is will the recent declines be sustained, or be just a temporary seasonal reprieve. Last spring 2023, U.S. COVID hospitalizations (as shown in the charts above) declined markedly into the spring-summer, and then rose markedly again at the end of 2023 and into early 2024. The question is will the same seasonal pattern repeat itself again toward the end of 2024 and into 2025, or the U.S. will get a real sustained COVID reprieve? The year-end 2023 spike had a somewhat lower peak than the year-end 2022 spike, which was a good sign, but weekly new COVID hospitalizations still peaked at more than 30,000 per week just a few months ago.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/02/2024-07567/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-and-the-childrens-health-insurance-program-hospital-inpatient A Proposed Rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on 05/02/2024 This document has a comment period that ends in 38 days. (06/10/2024) p. Conditions of Participation Requirements for Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals To Report Acute Respiratory Illnesses "In section X.F. of the preamble of this proposed rule, we are proposing to update the hospital and CAH infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship programs conditions of participation (CoPs) to extend a limited subset of the current COVID-19 and influenza data reporting requirements. These proposed reporting requirements ensure that hospitals and CAHs have appropriate insight related to evolving infection control needs. Specifically, CMS is proposing to replace the COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza reporting standards for hospitals and CAHs with a new standard addressing acute respiratory illnesses to require that, beginning on October 1, 2024, hospitals and CAHs would have to electronically report information about COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. CMS is proposing that outside of a public health emergency (PHE), hospitals and CAHs would have to report these data on a weekly basis."

As addressed in the above chart, here's what happens when people skip important vaccinations, whether due to increased anti-vaxerism or other causes: Global measles cases nearly doubled in a year There were more than 320,000 cases of measles worldwide in 2023, an 88% increase over 2022 May 02, 2024 The number of global measles cases nearly doubled in 1 year after a decline in vaccine coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts. Experts presented data at the ESCMID Global Congress showing an 88% increase in global measles cases from 2022 to 2023 and a tripling of the number of countries experiencing a large or disruptive measles outbreak. In the United States, nearly one-third of all measles cases since 2020 have been reported in 2024, CDC researchers reported last month. Measles vaccine coverage in the U.S. has remained below 95% — the rate widely considered necessary to prevent outbreaks — for the last 3 years at roughly 93%. https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20240502/global-measles-cases-nearly-doubled-in-a-year The U.S. previously declared that it had eradicated endemic transmission of measles, but now risks losing that status, as the above article recounts. The UK appears in a similar situation. The U.K. lost its measles elimination status in 2019, then regained it in 2021. However, since October 2023, there have been 1,294 measles cases in England, according to the above article.

More bad news for Trumpers: DJT Stock Falls. SEC Charges Trump Media Auditing Firm With ‘Massive Fraud.’ Trump Media & Technology Group shares were falling Friday after the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the company’s auditing firm with “massive fraud.” The regulator has charged BF Borgers CPA and its owner Benjamin Borgers “with deliberate and systemic failures to comply with Public Company Accounting Oversight Board standards in its audits and reviews incorporated in more than 1,500 SEC filings from January 2021 through June 2023,” according to a filing. To settle the chargers, BF Borgers and Benjamin Borgers have agreed to pay civil penalties of $12 million and $2 million, respectively. Both also have agreed to permanent suspensions from appearing and practicing before the SEC as accountants, effective immediately. ... Trump Media stock was tumbling 5.2% to $46.15. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/djt-stock-falls-sec-charges-trump-media-auditing-firm-with-massive-fraud/ar-AA1o5xV8 Is anyone surprised?

Yes, let's follow the money: Report: COVID-19 vaccines saved US $1.15 trillion, 3 million lives A Commonwealth Fund study estimates that, through November 2022, COVID-19 vaccines prevented more than 18.5 million US hospitalizations and 3.2 million deaths and saved the country $1.15 trillion. [emphasis added] The modeling study estimated hospitalizations and deaths averted through the end of November 2022, at a time when 80% of the US population had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. ... "Without vaccination the U.S. would have experienced 1.5 times more infections, 3.8 times more hospitalizations, and 4.1 times more deaths," the authors wrote. "These losses would have been accompanied by more than $1 trillion in additional medical costs that were averted because of fewer infections, hospitalizations, and deaths." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/report-covid-19-vaccines-saved-us-115-trillion-3-million-lives

And do you have some credible source of information about the WHO that provides any actual, factual, real-world basis for your lack of trust?

Lots of people around the world are continuing to receive COVID vaccinations, especially in the higher risk groups. For example: Latest update from the US CDC says 41+% of adults age 65 and above (the highest risk population) have received the updated monovalent XBB vaccine for fall 2023-spring 2024. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data-research/dashboard/vaccination-trends-children.html Last November in the UK, the NHS reported 11.4 million COVID vaccinations had administered in England since the start of the autumn 2023 campaign, including with 61.5 percent of people aged 65 and over having received a COVID jab. Then in December, NHS reported that an estimated 81.4% of all care home residents, and 89.5% of all eligible care home residents, have been vaccinated with an autumn booster. The spring 2024 COVID vaccinations campaign in the UK just recently got underway. 1.3 million COVID vaccinations for targeted older and at-risk groups in the past two weeks: Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/ With the latest update above, NHS also reported that the UK's cumulative number of COVID vaccinations since the start of the pandemic now stands at 162.5 million. And no, the UK isn't using the AZ vaccine anymore.

What the COVID vaccines could accomplish was mostly correctly reported by scientists and most public health agencies at various points during the pandemic (excluding some invariable politician overstatements and occasional mis-speaks by others). But as the COVID variants evolved/changed thru the years, so did the performance of the vaccines against those variants (which eventually become more vaccine resistant/evasive), and thus so did the statements about the effectiveness of the vaccines. There's nothing new about that, as Yale Medicine recounts below: "COVID-19 is now in its fifth year, and the subvariants of the Omicron strain, which first emerged in 2021, continue to drive infections in the United States. The good news is that vaccines are still expected to be effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID. " ... In December 2020, Pfizer-BioNTech’s Phase 3 clinical data for its original vaccine showed 95% efficacy for preventing symptomatic COVID. Later data on real-world effectiveness for adults showed that the protection from the mRNA two-dose primary series waned over time, suggesting that updated vaccines would be needed to bring the immune system back to robust levels. ... Moderna’s initial Phase 3 clinical data in December 2020 was similar to Pfizer-BioNTech’s—both vaccines showed about 95% efficacy for prevention of COVID. Later data on real-world effectiveness for adults showed that the protection from the mRNA two-dose primary series wanes over time, but booster doses brought the immune system back to robust levels. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison What anti-vaxers (probably deliberately) refuse to recognize is that COVID and its variants didn't stay static over the past 4+ years, thus nor did the corresponding advice and statements made by public health officials at varying points in time. Things were constantly evolving, just as the vaccines were produced in updated versions to try to keep up with the newer COVID variants. And throughout that entire time, the facts and realities of 2020 weren't at all the same as those from 2021, 2022, 2023, etc.

What benefit did it provide us? Covid vaccines saved more than 400,000 lives in England and Scotland, WHO says https://inews.co.uk/news/science/covid-vaccines-saved-lives-england-scotland-who-2862550 Covid-19: Vaccines have saved at least 1.4 million lives in Europe, WHO reports https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q125 COVID vaccines saved 20M lives in 1st year, scientists say https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-england-54d29ae3af5c700f15d704c14ee224b5

High-risk patients with COVID symptoms should use PCR rather than rapid tests, study suggests Study findings that reveal a sensitivity of 47% for COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) compared with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests during Omicron variant predominance should prompt clinicians to consider using the latter test in high-risk patients eligible for antiviral drugs, the authors say. ... "Clinicians should be aware of the lower sensitivity of antigen testing compared with RT-PCR, which might lead to false-negative results," the authors wrote. "This finding has implications for timely initiation of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral treatment, when early diagnosis is essential; clinicians should consider RT-PCR for persons for whom antiviral treatment is recommended. "Alternatively, if RT-PCR tests are not available or accessible, clinicians and patients should follow FDA's [Food and Drug Administration's] serial antigen testing recommendations to help optimize diagnostic test performance," they added. (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/high-risk-patients-covid-symptoms-should-use-pcr-rather-rapid-tests-study-suggests

The World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition, which meets about every 6 months to assess if any changes are needed, has recommended that the next COVID vaccine formulations use a monovalent (single-strain) JN.1 lineage. ... In a statement, the experts note that the XBB lineage has been displaced by JN.1 and said that, over the short-term, circulating variants will likely be derived from JN.1. ... They urged countries to continue to use any COVID vaccines that are emergency listed or prequalified by the WHO and emphasized that COVID vaccination shouldn't be delayed while waiting for updated versions. FDA to consider strain recommendations in mid May The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet on May 16 to discuss and make strain-selection recommendations for 2024-25 COVID vaccines. (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/who-covid-vaccine-advisers-recommend-switch-jn1-strain

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, October 2023 COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was defined as having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was defined as not having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. New 23-country study in Nature Medicine. Responses from 23,000 people point to need for more locally relevant communication strategies to increase vaccine confidence While it found that global uptake of at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose was robust, a new survey published in Nature Medicine revealed mixed signals about the current acceptance of vaccines generally, especially COVID-19 boosters. The new survey of 23,000 respondents from 23 countries representing more than 60% of the world’s population is the fourth in series of studies led annually since 2020 by a team from the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH). ... Reported global uptake of at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose rose last year to 87.8%, as compared to 36.9% in 2021 and 70.4% in 2022. However, the intent to get a COVID-19 booster (71.6%) was lower compared to 2022 (87.9%). “The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to circulate and mutate,” says Ayman El-Mohandes, senior author and dean of CUNY SPH. “Variant-adapted boosters are available, but public health statistics show that many older people and others who are at higher risk of severe disease and death have not accepted them.” In addition, documented spillover effects on routine immunization raise the threat of the reemergence of other childhood and adult vaccine-preventable diseases. While just more than three respondents in five (60.8%) said that their experience with COVID-19 made them more willing to get vaccinated against other diseases other than COVID-19, almost a quarter (23.1%) reported greater reluctance to do so. (more) https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1042859 Influence of COVID-19 on trust in routine immunization, health information sources and pandemic preparedness in 23 countries in 2023 Vaccine hesitancy5, pandemic fatigue6 and vaccine fatigue, defined as the ‘inertia or inaction toward vaccine information or instruction due to perceived burden and burnout’7, continue to present challenges to vaccine uptake in 2023. Although COVID-19 has been deprioritized as a substantial public health threat since 2023, the virus strains continue to circulate and, in some settings, lead to new increases in hospitalization and intensive care unit admission1. The potential impact of vaccine hesitancy on confidence in booster doses remains substantial8. In addition, documented spillover effects on routine immunization pose a threat for the reemergence of some childhood and adult vaccine-preventable diseases9,10. “I am more willing to get vaccinated against other disease (e g, flu, measles,viral hepatitis B)” COVID-19 vaccine booster acceptance among those vaccinated decreased from 87.9% in 2022 to 71.6% in 2023 (P < 0.001) (Fig. 1b). This decrease was most profound in HICs [high income countries] (from 85.1% to 63.3%, P < 0.001), compared with MICs [middle income countries] (from 90.5% to 78.9%, P = 0.010). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02939-2

The same research team at the Univ. of Minnesota in the U.S. has done a series of published studies on the effects of metformin against COVID: Study: Using a diabetes medication after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 reduces risk of developing long COVID by 40% June 8, 2023 Taking a two-week course of metformin, a safe and affordable diabetes medication after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 leads to 40% fewer long COVID diagnoses over the following 10 months, compared to individuals taking a placebo, finds a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. The long-term symptoms some people experience after SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as long COVID, are an emerging chronic illness potentially affecting millions of people around the world. ... This is the first phase 3 randomized controlled trial of a treatment for patients in the community that shows a medication can reduce the risk of long COVID when taken after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. ... Metformin prevented over 40% of cases of long COVID in the trial with 6.3% (35/564) of participants given metformin reporting a long COVID diagnosis within 10 months of follow up, compared to 10.4% (58/562) of those receiving an identical placebo. (more) https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-diabetes-medication-positive-sars-cov-covid.html

Study finds metformin reduces COVID-19 viral load, viral rebound May 2, 2024 A team of University of Minnesota researchers found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, can decrease the amount of COVID-19 virus in the body and lower the chances of the virus coming back strongly after initial treatment. The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. ... "The results of the study are important because COVID-19 continues to cause illness, both during acute infection and for months after infection," said Carolyn Bramante, MD, principal investigator and an assistant professor at the U of M Medical School. She is also an internist and pediatrician with M Health Fairview. ... In this phase 3 randomized clinical trial, the researchers tested metformin against a placebo in 1,323 adults infected with COVID-19. The group treated with metformin had a viral load that was about four times lower than the placebo at day 10. The metformin group also had less viral rebound than the placebo group. (more) https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-metformin-covid-viral-rebound.html

From the profile info on his YT channel: "Welcome to my world of Shamanism and entrepreneurship in Thailand! 🌏 Join me on an inspiring journey as I navigate the challenges and triumphs of being an expat entrepreneur and a dedicated plant medicines Shaman, sharing authentic, open, and vulnerable insights into my entrepreneurial journey, personal growth, and the pursuit of excellence ❤️Not only have I embraced Thailand as my new home but also achieved remarkable milestones, including the launch of two thriving businesses and investments in property within just four months." From watching the above linked video, one might suspect that he's been dabbling in a bit too much of his "plant medicines"... 🙂

That was the above referenced Thai-PAN organization.. And yes, they found that most of the Thailand-based organic certifications had little meaning-value... But, the international and USDA organic certifications fared much better. Their testing also found that produce labeled here as hydroponic also continued to have pesticide residues, despite the public perception/expectation that it wouldn't.