Looking back in time, my  posting on 28February2020  summarized my return from Thailand: The fearsome factor was that Thailand had the second-most cases of   covid-19   when I left Honolulu on February 12.  Today, it is #9.  No new cases appeared after I arrived in that country.  No one is known to have died. (Interestingly enough, today  Thailand  is #33 in total cases and #143 in cases/million population.) But on  11 March2020 the World Health Organizaton declared the coronavirus to be a global pandemic .   This was the first time that a pandemic was caused by a coronavirus. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1200 points, the worst since 2008.  The eleven year bull market came to an end. China and Italy were locked down. Tom Hanks posted on Instagram that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted this virus.  They were in Australia. Two Utah Jazz players tested positive and the NBA canceled the rest of the se...

Before answering that question, I'll start with something really important.    How to use a N95 mask more than once.     I largely provided this information last week, but it doesn't hurt to repeat by indicating my variation to a  Wirecutter   article. Get seven small paper bags, each big enough to hold a N95 mask.   Write a different day of the week on the bags:  Sunday, Monday, etc. Place a N95 mask in each. Wear the mask of that day, and after doing so, place it back into that bag. This virus is supposed to die after three days of exposure. They say four days should be sufficient, so five is safer.  Seven might be more convenient for there are seven days in the week.  A typical box of N95 NIOSH masks holds 20. A few other points: Moisture, especially from vigorous use working out in a gym could wet your mask.  This is why you use a paper bag because it breathes, unlike a ziplock bag. Place the paper bag near a dry sunny wind...

                                 From  Worldometer  (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):          DAY    USA    WORLD     Brazil      India      South Africa 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    ...

I will get into the truth about zoonoses later.  Here is a nice graphic about pandemic deaths .  Considering the current world population ( 7.6 billion compared to 0.4 billion in 1300 ) and how travel-connected humanity is today, the 3.2 million COVID-19 deaths pale in comparison to what has happened in the past. The CDC yesterday announced that masks need not anymore be worn in most settings ( including bars and restaurant s) by those who have been inoculated.  They now encourage travel.  Yet, there remain controls in nursing homes, hospitals, plus public transport and airports.   State governors have the final say, so you would think Hawaii with about the lowest incidence of cases because we are protected by the Pacific Ocean would now open up everything?  Well, we have a particularly cautious governor who happens to also be an engineer.  Wouldn't be surprised if masks will still be generally encouraged for all. Just about when the CDC took acti...