I’m sorry, I haven’t got much for you. It’s been one of those days. The lead story on Google News, for example, is about Robert Durst being convicted of murder. I really can’t do much with that. Plus, I am just not switched on and haven’t been so the past couple of days, but let’s do what we can.
While we’re still leading the country in deaths due to COVID, it seems cases and hospitalizations are leveling off. We notched over 2,300 new cases yesterday and 49 deaths, which is a drop. A mixed blessing I guess, but right now the biggest issue is who is getting the disease. People forget – or ignore – this current surge in COVID-related deaths is almost entirely caused by the Delta variant and it’s a meaner bag of cats than what we’ve been dealing with until now.
Across the country, two groups are making for most of the new numbers: kids and pregnant women. For the latter, particularly, Mississippi has been a deadly place. Since the end of July, eight pregnant women have died due to COVID, bringing the total number up to fifteen. Of that fifteen, none had been fully vaccinated and only one had any sort of vaccination.
Twelve of the fetuses from the above women survived and some were born severely premature. Mississippi’s also seen 72 stillbirth deaths. For the record, a stillbirth is one where a baby is born dead before making it past the twentieth week. For another record, Mississippi outlaws abortions after the fifteenth week. Let that one marinate around for a bit.
Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the state’s top medical officer, is basically begging people to get vaccinated. Unfortunately, he’s doing it all on their own, it seems, as both Governor Tate Reeves and State Attorney General Lynn Fitch are more bent out of shape about President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate, intentionally misrepresenting the whole thing in the process. In fact, AG Fitch has joined 24 Republican attorney generals in suing the Biden Administration because of that misrepresentation. Note, the last time Fitch joined in such a lawsuit, it was to try to overturn the votes of 81 million people so Trump could get his participation trophy. So, yeah, eyes on the prize.
There has been some fear among pregnant women that the vaccines would be hazardous to their pregnancy, but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s all safe. Dr. Dobbs joins in the recommendation and notes pregnant women are more vulnerable to sickness from COVID.
Protests worldwide are scheduled for tomorrow. Some are against vaccinations, some are against mandates and passports, and ones specifically here in the good ol’ U.S.A. are named “Justice for J6.” They’re implying to folks who’ve been charged with various shenanigans – some 643 at last count – stemming from the Great American Temper Tantrum this past January 6 are “political prisoners.” No, really.
The D.C. fuzz has been taking this seriously, much more so than this past January. They’ve put the fence back up around the White House and have called for National Guard support in case the dingbats get rowdy. And while it’s been going around in wingnut circles that D.C. will be a big ol’ Nazi trap and, thus, should be avoided, it’s still worth noting that protests are planned for state capitals. Furthermore, the calls for violence haven’t really slacked off.
It only takes one and there’s no reason to assume they’ll be acting in good faith, them or the mandate yay-hoos. Either way, for whatever reason you think you might need to be there, be safe and be smart.
Dear Y'all 