GET YOUR COVID UPDATED VACCINATION

Got to start with Donald Trump.  There are so many court cases pending that I've lost count.  Here was one I did not know even existed.  I'm a bit confused, for New York Attorney General Letitia James has a wide-ranging non-jury lawsuit against Trump and his family, which is scheduled to start anytime soon.  But Judge Arthur Engoron (right) somehow made a pre-judgement, I think.  Read this article.  Maybe you can better comprehend what exactly is happening.

About that second GOP presidential debate yesterday, nothing much happened.  Here is NBC News' take on the five biggest moments.  Or, Time's assessment of the biggest moments.  I once visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Library in Simi, California, as my attire shows:  Air Force One jacket and cap, which I bought when I was there.

Who won the debate?  Maybe Donald Trump in another successful boycott.

I'm nearing the end of my Thursday Covid summary, for there were only 148,860 new cases in the World this past week, and 221,582 cases the previous week.  In January of last year, the USA alone had more than 5 million cases per week.

About what Covid vaccinations, does it matter if you get a booster or the new update? 

• Both are mRNA-based.
• Both are made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
• Both are approved for 12 and older.

• 
  The updated vaccine targets the XBB.1.5 subvariant, even though the EG.5 and BA.2.86 subvariant are now the most prevalent.  But not to mind, for this update works for all of these variants.

• 
  Novavax's vaccine has not yet been approved by the FDA and is based on recombinant viral proteins.  
• So when it does get approved, can you mix and match?  The answer is yes.
• However, the best medical advice is NOT TO WAIT.  As only the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech versions are currently available, get one of them now.
• Finally, should you get old booster or new update?  The CDC recommends the new update.

As vaccines and past cases have made herd immunity now the world condition, and those who do get infected rarely die anymore, with the mortality rate approaching that of the seasonal flu, one of the remaining fears is LONG COVID, which now is found in 7.5% of new cases.  Researchers are working on a specific test for this ailment.  Long covid patients tended to have significantly lower levels of a hormone called cortisol, which causes profound fatigue.  Further, dormant viruses, such as the one that causes mononucleosis, sometimes awakens for some.

It was thirty years ago that the USA Ryder Cup team beat Europe 15-13 at the Belfry in Warwickshire, England.  Remember Bill Clinton in the White House.  It was that long ago.  Over half the 2023 team wasn't born yet.  Since then, they have lost in Spain, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France.  Play begins in Rome on Friday.

-