YOUR KIDNEYS ARE A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK

From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

         DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

2020

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

2021

Jan     14       4142      15512       1151         189     712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194

April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37

May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59 

June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July    7         251      8440        1595        817      411

Aug     4         656    10120        1118        532      423 

Sept   22      2228      9326          839       279     124

Oct      6       2102      8255          543       315       59

Nov    3        1436      7830         186        458       23

Dec     1       1633      8475          266        477       28

2022

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1          439      4056         290          52       12

May    5          225      2404         151            ?        64

June    2         216      1413         130           10        31

July    6          316      1627         335           35       12 

Aug    4          311       2138         258          70         ?

Sep    1           272       1732         174            ?         ?

Oct     6          281       1305         119            9         ?

Nov    3          167         980           16            ?         ?

        25            88         985           71             3        ?  

Dec    3          149       1029         131            3         ?

          8          194       1320         104             6       86

        15           147       1295         124             4         ?

        22          289       1637         165             9         ? 

        28          296       1768         337            2         ?

Jan    4          346       1534         207             ?         ?

         5           220       1611          183             ?         ? 

       12            270       1470         128             ?         ?

Summary:

• New deaths yesterday:  #1 Japan 489, #2 USA 270 and #3 Brazil 128.
• New cases yesterday:  #1 Japan 185,472 (which is more than half of the world total), #2 S. Korea (43,953) and #3 USA 28,015.
• Then there is China.  According to NBC:
• China has reported fewer than 40 Covid-related deaths since Dec. 7, when officials abruptly lifted “zero-Covid” restrictions that had largely shielded China’s 1.4 billion people from the virus for the past three years but fueled rare widespread protests. 
• Satellite images taken over multiple cities in China show heightened activity outside crematoriums and funeral homes, appearing to contradict the country’s low official Covid-19 death figures and illustrating the severity of the outbreak in the world’s most populous nation.
• The country’s official death toll is about 5,270 since the start of the pandemic, but international experts say the true number of deaths could reach 1 million or more in the coming months — about the same as in the United States.  
• How badly has COVID-19 hurt the USA?
• With 1,124,399 deaths, we have twice the number of deaths than #3 India with 530,722.  Sure, but the World Health organization in May of 2022 speculated that MORE THAN 4.7 MILLION people are thought to have died from this disease in India!
• #2 is Brazil with 695,255 and #4 Russia with 394,309.  
• But how accurate are all these numbers?
• The Economist a few months ago speculated that the 6.7 million COVID-19 deaths should be at least 16 million, and maybe 28.1 million.
• Forbes last month estimated 15 million covid deaths.  Using this figure, over a three year period, this would average to be 5 million covid deaths/year.
• In 2022:
• There were 134 million births.  In 1950 this number was 92 million.
• There were 67 million deaths:
• In other words, the World population increased by 66 million.
• Covid represented 7.5% of all deaths.
• Some insist that our increasing population is a more serious problem than global warming.

The Star Advertiser had an article by Richard Brill on the role your kidneys play in managing body functions.  A surprise, for I thought my brains pretty much controlled everything in me.  New medical research, though, is showing that your various organs also are responsible, independently exchanging chemical messages with one another and other parts of the body to control functions independent of the brain.

He specifically focused on your two kidneys, which you most probably think only cleanse your blood as urine.  Not so.

• When blood oxygen is low, the kidneys release a molecule called EPA that tells other organs we need more oxygen.  Thus, the bones increase red cell division.  Plus, controls the production of red blood cells.
• Also pumps salt and acid into the bloodstream as needed.
• The kidneys can also produce Renin, which triggers contraction of the blood vessels, thereby raising blood pressure.  Unfortunately when they produce too much renin, one can get hypertensive.
• They also produce an active form of vitamin D to promote strong and healthy bones.
• Kidneys are managers of blood.
• The total length of blood vessels in the body is around 62,500 miles...2.5 times around the globe.
• Blood carries oxygen, removes waste product and serves as a carries information molecules created by various organs.
• Each kidney is about the size of a fist, containing a million functioning units called nephrons, which do the filtering and addition of chemicals leading to the final product being the urine we excrete.
• Processes 200 quarts of fluid every 24 hours, recycling most of it, leading to around 2 quarts/day of urine.
• Kidney disease:
• Diabetes results in a high blood sugar level, the leading cause of kidney disease.
• High blood pressure also causes problems.
• When too much calcium is absorbed, kidney stones can accumulate.
• Drugs and toxins cause kidney problems.
• Two tests for kidney disease are Albumin to Creatinine Ratio and Blood Creatinine.
• Kidney diseases can be treated, but with failure, dialysis and transplantation are other solutions.
• 
  Warning signs from the National Kidney Association.

1. High blood pressure.
2. Blood and/or protein in the urine.
3. A creatinine and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) blood test, outside the normal range. BUN and creatinine are waste that build up in your blood when your kidney function is reduced.
4. A glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 60. GFR is a measure of kidney function.
5. More frequent urination, particularly at night; difficult or painful urination.
6. Puffiness around eyes, swelling of hands and feet.

Among the more recent medical discoveries include:

• Your lymphatic system removes waste from tissues and organs.  In 2017 neuroimaging work revealed that the brain too might use this process.

• 
  While still unsettled, and there is controversy, two new discoveries could well lead to new organs.
• The mesentery is a large, fan-like tissue holding our intestines in place.
• A set of salivary glands set deep in the upper part of the throat behind the nose.
• There are blood vessel capillaries that pass through the bones.
• A tiny bone call the fabella is more and more being found behind the knee.  3.5 times more prevalent in 2018 than 1918.

Oh, well, no way to end the week, so a few entertaining videos and advice sent to me by readers.

Some of you are no doubt wondering, name of song, group?  Everywhere, Fleetwood Mac.

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