Rotarians throughout New England Delivering 1MM PPE Masks to First Responders and
Essential Workers throughout New England.
Funded by The Rossi Family Foundation
The Rotary Million Mask Challenge Tour will begin on Monday, October 5 and
continue through Wednesday, October 7th. During this time, a caravan of Rotarians from District 7980 along with the 24-foot truck of masks will travel through six states and stop at
nine major municipal centers to deliver a total of 800,000 masks to awaiting Rotarians.
The tour will travel over 500 miles through ten key cities throughout the New England
Region starting on Monday, October 5th and completing on Wednesday, October 7th. At each
of the ten distribution locations, the host Rotary District will hold a Media and Distribution
Event to tell the Rotary Million Mask Challenge Tour Story.
After Hurricane Isaias passed
by East Hampton about half of the residents
were without power. A Rotarian, Charlie, was without power and needed help.
Charlie is over 90 years old and has been a Rotarian for a long time. So Bill
sent out an e-mail to the East Hampton Rotary Club asking for help for Charlie.
Ten(10) Rotarians offered to provide a generator to keep the refrigerator and
lights going for Charlie. Within a couple hours a generator was helping Charlie.
There were nine additional
generators available to help others through the lost power. So in the future in
a power failure situation the Rotary Club members who do not lose power, but
have generators, will offer them to Rotarians who have lost power. It's simple,
easy and a wonderful way to give back.
Do it in your Club.
Create a list of members who
have generators and are willing to loan them if they do not lose power.
When the event happens
Communicate and provide generators to those without power.
to First Responders, Healthcare Workers and Others
Ted Rossi and the Rossi Family Foundation will donate an
additional 800,000 masks to Rotary Clubs in New England.
The clubs will provide the masks to first responders, healthcare workers,
nursing homes and other care homes and others who need masks to stay safe. We
all do.
The masks will be distributed on a tour of New
England to bring the masks to the Rotary Clubs. A large truck will
be loaded with masks and then make stops in
Bridgeport; New
Haven; Hartford; Springfield,
Mass; Rutland, Vt;
Portland, Maine;
Boston, Mass.;
Providence, RI;
and New London.
Social distancing and masks will be worn at each stop. Local
and state government officials and Rotary clubs will be represented. Even some
mask recipients could be at the mask distribution locations.
QuestionWhat are the cardiovascular effects in unselected
patients with recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
FindingsIn this
cohort study including 100 patients recently recovered from COVID-19 identified
from a COVID-19 test center, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed
cardiac involvement in 78 patients (78%) and ongoing myocardial inflammation in
60 patients (60%), which was independent of preexisting conditions, severity
and overall course of the acute illness, and the time from the original diagnosis.
MeaningThese
findings indicate the need for ongoing investigation of the long-term
cardiovascular consequences of COVID-19.
Abstract
ImportanceCoronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality
worldwide. Case reports of hospitalized patients suggest that COVID-19
prominently affects the cardiovascular system, but the overall impact remains
unknown.
ObjectiveTo
evaluate the presence of myocardial injury in unselected patients recently
recovered from COVID-19 illness.
Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this prospective observational cohort study, 100
patients recently recovered from COVID-19 illness were identified from the
University Hospital Frankfurt COVID-19 Registry between April and June 2020.
ExposureRecent
recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, as
determined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction on swab test of
the upper respiratory tract.
Main Outcomes and MeasuresDemographic
characteristics, cardiac blood markers, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance
(CMR) imaging were obtained. Comparisons were made with age-matched and
sex-matched control groups of healthy volunteers (n = 50) and risk
factor–matched patients (n = 57).
ResultsOf the
100 included patients, 53 (53%) were male, and the median (interquartile range
[IQR]) age was 49 (45-53) years. The median (IQR) time interval between
COVID-19 diagnosis and CMR was 71 (64-92) days. Of the 100 patients recently
recovered from COVID-19, 67 (67%) recovered at home, while 33 (33%) required
hospitalization. At the time of CMR, high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) was
detectable (3 pg/mL or greater) in 71 patients recently recovered from COVID-19
(71%) and significantly elevated (13.9 pg/mL or greater) in 5 patients (5%).
Compared with healthy controls and risk factor–matched controls, patients
recently recovered from COVID-19 had lower left ventricular ejection fraction,
higher left ventricle volumes, higher left ventricle mass, and raised native T1
and T2. A total of 78 patients recently recovered from COVID-19 (78%) had
abnormal CMR findings, including raised myocardial native T1 (n = 73), raised
myocardial native T2 (n = 60), myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (n = 32),
and pericardial enhancement (n = 22). There was a small but significant
difference between patients who recovered at home vs in the hospital for native
T1 mapping (median [IQR], 1122 [1113-1132] ms vs 1143 [1131-1156] ms; P = .02) but not for native T2 mapping or hsTnT
levels. None of these measures were correlated with time from COVID-19
diagnosis (native T1: r = 0.07; P = .47; native T2: r = 0.14; P = .15; hsTnT: r = −0.07; P = .50). High-sensitivity troponin T was
significantly correlated with native T1 mapping (r = 0.35; P < .001) and native T2 mapping (r = 0.22; P = .03).
Endomyocardial biopsy in patients with severe findings revealed active
lymphocytic inflammation. Native T1 and T2 were the measures with the best
discriminatory ability to detect COVID-19–related myocardial pathology.
Conclusions and RelevanceIn
this study of a cohort of German patients recently recovered from COVID-19
infection, CMR revealed cardiac involvement in 78 patients (78%) and ongoing
myocardial inflammation in 60 patients (60%), independent of preexisting
conditions, severity and overall course of the acute illness, and time from the
original diagnosis. These findings indicate the need for ongoing investigation
of the long-term cardiovascular consequences of COVID-19.
At East Hampton Club Zoom Meeting At 6:45 PM on Wednesday, August 26 All are invited including each of You. (Go to the Rotary District 7980 Calendar for Zoom Link)
Valarie
Wafer
RI Director 2020-2022
Rotary Club of
Collingwood South Georgian Bay
Collingwood, OntarioCanada
Valarie is the previous
franchise owner of six Tim Horton’s restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area. As
an employer, her company was a strong advocate for people with disabilities,
especially in the area of employment. She continues this advocacy in many
aspects of her life, including serving on a local hospital and university
board.
Joining Rotary in 2005 made a profound impact
on Valarie’s life, giving her a new viewpoint of the world and how substantial
differences happen when we work together.
Valarie was governor of District 7070, which
covers the greater Toronto
area, in 2013/14. Now residing in Collingwood, Valarie’s home club is the
Rotary Club of Collingwood South Georgian Bay.
She has continued to serve at an international
level with roles such as: International Trainer, member of International
Convention Host Committee, Rotary International Presidential Representative
and, most recently, she has been elected to serve on the board of Rotary
International 2020-2022.
During her tenure as a Rotarian, Valarie has
participated and led many initiatives including Vocational Training Team Leader
to Australia in 2010
focusing on youth mental heath, National Immunization Day in India 2012, and
has traveled to Kenya and Tanzania to
audit long-term Rotary Foundation grant activities.
Valarie, and her husband of 33 years, Mark,
are Paul Harris Fellows, Bequest Society members and Major Donors to The Rotary
Foundation.
The Science indicates that even 2 meters may not be enough
unless you wear
a face mask.
Covid19 transmission and immunity
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health —
Open Access Journal
Airborne Transmission Route
of COVID-19: Why 2 Meters/6 Feet of Inter-Personal Distance Could Not Be Enough
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the shutdown of entire nations
all over the world. In addition to mobility restrictions of people, the World
Health Organization and the Governments have prescribed maintaining an
inter-personal distance of 1.5 or 2 m (about 6 feet) from each other in order
to minimize the risk of contagion through the droplets that we usually
disseminate around us from nose and mouth. However, recently published studies
support the hypothesis of virus transmission over a distance of 2 m from an
infected person. Researchers have proved the higher aerosol and surface
stability of SARS-COV-2 as compared with SARS-COV-1 (with the virus remaining
viable and infectious in aerosol for hours) and that airborne transmission of
SARS-CoV can occur besides close-distance contacts. Indeed, there is reasonable
evidence about the possibility of SARS-COV-2 airborne transmission due to its
persistence into aerosol droplets in a viable and infectious form. Based on the available knowledge and
epidemiological observations, it is plausible that small particles containing
the virus may diffuse in indoor environments covering distances up to 10 m from
the emission sources, thus representing a kind of aerosol transmission.
On-field studies carried out inside Wuhan Hospitals showed the presence of
SARS-COV-2 RNA in air samples collected in the hospitals and also in the
surroundings, leading to the conclusion that the airborne route has to be
considered an important pathway for viral diffusion. Similar findings are
reported in analyses concerning air samples collected at the NebraskaUniversityHospital. On March 16th,
we have released a Position Paper emphasizing the airborne route as a possible
additional factor for interpreting the anomalous COVID-19 outbreaks in northern
Italy, ranked as one of the
most polluted areas in Europe and
characterized by high particulate matter (PM) concentrations. The available
information on the SARS-COV-2 spreading supports the hypothesis of airborne
diffusion of infected droplets from person to person at a distance greater than
two meters (6 feet). The inter-personal
distance of 2 m can be reasonably considered as an effective protection only if
everybody wears face masks in daily life activities.
It is
not known how long immunity will last. But booster shots and yearly flu shots
are examples
of
dealing with this issue.
Can You Catch Covid-19 Twice?
Most scientists say
patients gain some immunity to the virus after the first infection
A
sample drawn from a patient at a Covid-19 testing site in Houston on June 28.
PHOTO: DAVID J. PHILLIP/ASSOCIATED
PRESS
By
oPRINT
oMonths
into the pandemic, the scientific community’s understanding of Covid-19, the
illness caused by the new coronavirus, is rapidly evolving. New reports of
patients testing positive, or appearing to suffer symptoms after initial diagnosis, continues to generate concern that people who have had
Covid-19 are getting infected anew.
Here
is the latest on what we know, and don’t know, about the possibility of
becoming sick with the virus more than once.
I
recently recovered from Covid-19. Does that mean I can’t get it again?
Most
scientists say that people who have had Covid-19 gain some immunity to the
virus that causes it. What they don’t know is whether that protection lasts a
few months, a few years or a lifetime.
What
factors affect immunity?
The
immune system wards off infections by producing antibodies that
fight invaders. A range of hereditary and environmental factors, including diet
and sleep patterns, typically affect the strength and longevity of those defenses.
Immunity
also depends on the pathogen. For example, infection by the virus that causes
measles confers lifelong immunity. Others, like the influenza virus, can mutate
so rapidly that protective antibodies might not recognize them during a reinfection.
The
novel coronavirus mutates more slowly than the influenza virus. That gives
researchers hope that any natural immunity, or vaccine, would offer more
lasting protection. Even if someone gets sick again, researchers believe a
second infection might be milder than the first.
How
soon would my body produce antibodies to fight the novel coronavirus after an
initial infection?
The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says antibodies develop within
one to three weeks after infection.
A
study involving 34 hospitalized cases in China found that two patients, both
in their 80s, produced antibodies within three days of symptom onset. The rest
produced them two weeks after symptoms first surfaced. The findings were vetted
by other experts and published in an academic journal in March.
Is
there any good news?
A
group of Chinese researchers reported this month that they had infected six
rhesus macaques, allowed them to recover and then reinfected four of them 28
days after the first infection. None became sick again, showing their immune
system shielded them from a second infection.
The research, published in Science, says, however, that more studies are needed
to understand whether the immune system can shield individuals from reinfection
over longer periods of time.
Then why are some people
testing positive again?
Roughly
450 South Koreans tested positive for the virus
again after meeting the criteria for recovery and being
discharged from isolation. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
re-tested more than half of those people and found no evidence of
the live virus circulating.
Peer-reviewed
research studies have shown that viral fragments can circulate even after an
individual is symptom-free. That doesn’t mean that people are still sick or
infectious.
How
do I know I’ve fully recovered?
Clinicians
have mixed views on what constitutes recovery because long-term data aren’t yet
available. Guidelines vary across the globe.
For
example, the CDC says that infected individuals are considered recovered if
they test negative for the novel coronavirus twice, with tests approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration taken at least 24 hours apart.
Or,
individuals must be fever-free for three consecutive days and show an improvement
in their other symptoms, including reduced coughing and shortness of breath. At
least 10 days should have passed since their symptoms first surfaced.
Some
survivors testing negative for the virus say that certain symptoms, such as a loss of taste and smell,
can linger for months after other symptoms are gone.
