#health data exchange
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
emorphistechno · 2 years ago
Link
Integrating Health Information Exchange (HIE) is an effective strategy to streamline clinical workflows and improve patient outcomes. By engaging a managed service provider, the necessary resources can be procured to establish a secure HIE network. HIE involves multiple stakeholders and is a highly complex process; however, it is essential to find ways to securely exchange data between all participants.
Discover the types, and benefits of Health Information Exchange and how HIE technology integration helps in overcoming healthcare industry challenges
2 notes · View notes
hk-1989 · 6 months ago
Text
Streamlining Operations: The Role of Hospital Information Management Systems
Tumblr media
In the modern healthcare landscape, the efficient management of hospital information is paramount to ensure smooth operations and quality patient care. This is where Hospital Information Management (HIM) systems play a crucial role. Let's delve into the significance of HIM systems in data governance, clinical documentation, health information exchange, capacity planning, and performance analytics.
Data Governance: Effective data governance is essential for maintaining the integrity, security, and quality of healthcare data within a hospital. HIM systems facilitate the implementation of robust data governance policies and procedures, ensuring that data is accurately captured, stored, and utilized in compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Clinical Documentation: Accurate and comprehensive clinical documentation is vital for documenting patient encounters, treatment plans, and medical histories. HIM systems streamline the documentation process by providing healthcare professionals with user-friendly interfaces and templates, enabling efficient documentation of clinical encounters while ensuring data accuracy and integrity.
Health Information Exchange: Interoperability and seamless health information exchange between healthcare systems and providers are critical for coordinated patient care. HIM systems facilitate the exchange of patient information across disparate systems and organizations, allowing healthcare providers to access relevant patient data when and where it is needed, leading to better care coordination and improved patient outcomes.
Tumblr media
Capacity Planning: Effective capacity planning is essential for optimizing resource allocation and ensuring that hospitals can meet patient demand efficiently. HIM systems provide valuable insights into patient demographics, utilization patterns, and bed occupancy rates, enabling hospitals to forecast future demand, allocate resources effectively, and optimize operational efficiency.
Performance Analytics: Performance analytics play a vital role in assessing and improving hospital operations and outcomes. HIM systems offer robust performance analytics capabilities, allowing hospitals to track key performance indicators (KPIs), measure clinical and operational outcomes, and identify areas for improvement. By leveraging data-driven insights, hospitals can enhance patient care quality, streamline workflows, and achieve operational excellence.
In conclusion, Hospital Information Management systems play a pivotal role in streamlining hospital operations and improving patient care delivery. From ensuring data governance and facilitating clinical documentation to enabling health information exchange, supporting capacity planning, and providing actionable performance analytics, HIM systems empower hospitals to operate efficiently, deliver high-quality care, and adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape.
0 notes
drnic1 · 1 year ago
Text
Healthcare's Digital Dilemma: Data Sharing or Data Hoarding?
Healthcare’s Digital Dilemma This week I am talking to Don Rucker, MD (@donrucker), Chief Strategy Officer, 1upHealth (@1up_health) who is working to solve the interoperability problem in healthcare Don shared his journey from being a medical student to a physician with a keen interest in data and computers. What he saw was healthcare’s inefficiency is often due to a lack of data, which led him…
Tumblr media
View On WordPress
0 notes
tritonmarketresearch · 2 years ago
Text
Data Exchange in Healthcare Market: Importance & Future
The global healthcare industry is focusing on improving efficiency and service quality delivered to patients. And the integration of technology in this field has been instrumental in inching closer towards these goals. This also includes healthcare data exchange, which helps medical professionals and organizations to seamlessly share vital patient information electronically, with better security, quality, speed, and cost. According to our experts, the global data exchange in healthcare market is expected to advance at a CAGR of 24.90% in the forecast period from 2022 to 2028.
The growing patient-centered approach, rising use of electronic health records (EHRs), and an increasing focus on cutting down healthcare costs are some key factors driving this market.
Tumblr media
Role of Telemedicine – Driver to the Market
Telemedicine provides access to healthcare services, supporting care providers and patients across distances. It is estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic sparked ten years’ worth of innovations in telemedicine in less than a year, with demand from areas like psychiatry reaching an all-time high.
The use of healthcare data exchange systems for this purpose ensures that patient data is shared securely among end-users, such as pharmacies, healthcare providers, and healthcare payers. Also, teleconsultations often require patients to share their data from different EHRs, and thus, a consolidated record is essential to improve process efficiency and receive appropriate care.
Why is Data Exchange In Healthcare Crucial?
Data sharing in healthcare is crucial because it has numerous benefits, such as:
It equips care providers with clinical tools to help make informed decisions
Offers better reporting and monitoring of public health data
Improves patient safety by minimizing the likelihood of medical errors
Offers enhanced efficiency due to the elimination of unnecessary paperwork and handling
Reduces hospital visits required, and thereby, the associated costs
Also, it is important to note that the willingness of several healthcare organizations to share information across international borders was one of the key supporting factors in the fight against the pandemic. For instance, Dawex Systems, a France-based international online data exchange provider, launched the COVID-19 Data Exchange platform. It provided access to all stakeholders to share any beneficial information with the community to help tackle COVID-19 and its consequences with a globally connected information exchange system.
With developments such as these, Europe has emerged as a key region for innovation in this field. In fact, the Europe data exchange in healthcare market is expected to progress with the fastest growth rate globally, over the forecasted period. The growth of this market is aided by supportive government policies, the availability of highly developed healthcare systems, the presence of a skilled workforce, and major investments from market players.
Data-driven Social Partnerships – The Next Big Thing
Data is growing exponentially, and accessing and aggregating it from different sources, especially those outside the public domain, can present several challenges. However, this enables the formation of new partnerships among public, private, and governmental entities. These are termed data-driven social partnerships, and are aimed at leveraging data for positive societal impact and public good.
Care providing organizations and professionals realize the importance of social factors in determining patients’ health outcomes, and are thus exploring avenues to contribute to addressing societal issues by means of health information exchange.
For instance, the Community of Practice is a health information exchange platform, developed as a result of a collaborative effort between Michigan-based healthcare and social organizations. It is focused on ensuring the interoperability of social care data across platforms, and is rooted in improving the health and well-being of all individuals and communities. The emergence of such initiatives is expected to lead the data exchange in healthcare market on a pathway towards growth.
0 notes
novasolstarr · 2 months ago
Note
NOVAAA DROP YOU'RE PRESSURE OCS!! AND MY LIFE.... IS YOURS!!!
A little tip for the way you draw Sebastian
Tumblr media
(I deeply apologize if I've sent an ask already.. I have the memory of Dory so I can't remember if I even sent one or not.)
Tumblr media
FINALLY GOT THEM ALL DRAWN AND SKETCHED UP
OC LORE UP AHEAD
Content warnings before you continue! The upcoming information may contain topics that are sensitive to users, including;
Medical mentions
Vague Child death
It is now 23:00 and I’m so tired and have school and blegh. So enjoy this silly little jabbering of OC lore and my apologies for the typos that are bound to be incoming
ALSO Feel free to ask any questions about these characters, I’m more than happy to answer them :3
The Nurse, Z-156
Also known previously as Andrew Laticdinae
Andrew before being subjected to the procedures from Urbanshade at the Hadal Blacksite was a nurse at the [REDACTED] hospital located within [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. During his round about runs a patient under his care, an elderly individual, known as [REDACTED], had passed after receiving a lethal dose of heart medication which sent the elder into cardiac arrest. The nurse responsible for the death was quick to pin the blame onto Andrew, and in his confusion, poor wording, and inability to afford a good lawyer, Andrew was charged with murder and sent to the [REDACTED] Prison.
It was here that he was eventually picked up by Urbanshade along with a select few other individuals.
Andrew during this time was put into a project which revolves around making agile, quick, deadly, and effective agents. He was one of the latest of these procedures, having been subjected to the mix of Nurse Shark and Sea Krait. The Sea Krait DNA provided Andrew with a scuted underbelly, a vicious venom [complemented with fangs], and a large paddle like tail that allowed him to comfortably, quickly and effectively navigate through the waters, able to Bob and weave between narrow spaces. The Nurse Shark mix also provided him with a primarily cartilage skeleton and a bite that’s near impossible to pry off due to the suction like bite. Should an individual be able to pull Z-156 off, if the venom doesn’t make quick work of them the large chunk of flesh that is pulled off along with Z-156 will certainly leave them in a world of hurt.
Andrew ended up as one of the more successful tests, however the animalistic appearance side effect was unwanted and needed to be worked out. After further study Andrew had been dropped, leaving him to ponder what his fate may become. In a desperate moment, Andrew pleaded to Urbanshade Personnel to allow him to opportunity to work as an on-sight-in-water medic, noting he had exponential experience before ended up in his current position.
It took days of back and forth [with help from his Docile nature] to finally get the Personnel to agree, granting him very very limited freedoms compared to the average experiment.
Though he was far from treated like an employee. Whenever he was to be out on his job, he was fitted with a muzzle to prevent any potential envenomation of divers, he could only eat within his room, was monitored around any medications and was heavily restricted on what he had access to as to prevent any potential attacks.
Despite it, Andrew preferred this over being cooped up in a room to rot or potentially worse, almost overworking himself some days out of fear. Even now a passing Expendable may find this friendly face sitting within the Blacksite, ready to offer up his services in exchange for Data. [This Data is given to Sebastian]
Mechanic Info
For 90 pieces of Data players can have their health restored from anywhere between 20-50 health. Do note though that this comes with a 25% risk of failure, in which the player will have 10%-20% of their health removed [this will not exceed 10 health however].
Players can also flash The Nurse a limitless amount of times on their first time meeting him, however continuing to do so with each meeting will result in him becoming short with the player. By the 7th - 8th meeting and flashing him twice, he will lash out and bite the player dealing a base of 10 damage. Though this in itself is fine, players will then receive 2 tickets of damage for up to 30 seconds. Players that were at 100 health will be knocked down to 30. This can be stopped with a medkit though or eating wall dweller flesh.
Tumblr media
Nova Starr, Expendable
Just a self insert for me and Non-canon to my universe :3
Tumblr media
False Alarm, Z-326
Also know previously as Nouvel Nebula
Nouvel lived a relatively bland life before Urbanshade, married to their husband Clayton Nebula [OC Owned by @cyanide-cafe], and working various odd jobs they could find. They were relatively lax and had little concern, so when they ended up thrown in prison alongside their husband after suspected of being an acquaintance in his murders and defiling via cannibalism, they were thrown for a heavy loop.
Even during these harder times the two were inseparable and this became further apparent once picked up by Urbanshade and delivered to the Hadal Blacksite.
Here, the two were put under similar genetic splicing with small differences in DNA for the purpose of testing fertility between spliced genetics. Despite the difference in spliced DNA, Urbanshade was capable of producing 3 living offspring using their gametes in a controlled environment via test tubes, only one of which however was able to escape their termination date and still roams the facility unbeknownst to their supposed parents.
It wasn’t until their time in the Blacksite that Nouvel learned of the crimes that landed their husband here and, subsequently, themself, being absolutely horrified by the revelation and distancing themselves as much as they feesibly could from him during this period. The relationship became stiff and strained in this time, made further worse with the eventual separation of the two for their experimenting. Despite their disdain towards him at the time, he was the only comfort they had in this hellscape, falling deep into a mental spiral which further fueled their eventual sporadic behavior.
The extreme mental strain in this time from the constant experimentation, manhandling from personnel, separation and even occasional threats should they continue to lash out and attack, left them flitty about their behaviors towards Expendables. They seem to show more submissive behaviors when groups of 3 or more are around, being passive unless provoked, but the will quickly become incredibly hostile with groups of 2 or fewer.
Mechanic Info
False alarm is a small and agile monster, preferring to hide within dark rooms whilst waiting on unsuspecting Expendables to pass by. Though they are passive if groups exceed more than 2 players, flashing them will result in a hasty hit and run, where they damage the aggressor for 15 damage and then run off to a separate room.
If there are 3 or more in a party there’s a rare chance that False Alarm will even provide a small bit of information about item whereabouts for Expendables lingering in a room too long. This could be vague hints about flashlights, medkits, high priced data, or otherwise.
If there are 2 or fewer Expendables around, False Alarm becomes hyper aggressive, doing multiple hit and runs for 5 damage per hit, targeting the player with the least amount of health. Flashing them successfully 3 times will get them to back off entirely, ending the encounter for the rest of the run.
Be wary when False Alarm is around, for their companion Real Alarm is not far behind..
Tumblr media
Theo Nebula, 326-327-5
Theo Nebula is the last of 5 offspring that had come as a result of the project behind Z-326 and Z-327. Theo ended up the most human and most viable of the 5, with the first 2 offspring having never successfully survived after being removed from incubation and the more recent 2 having been long terminated before Theo, as they had no use and were more hassle than they were worth, being far more monsterous in appearance than Theo. Despite being the most human, they still showed several physical changes and even risked a shorter life span due to their rapid growth [Looking almost 13 or so despite being 4 at most]. The project itself at least proved it was possible for mutations that had occurred on individuals could be passed down, and with more proper tweaking may even be able to be further selective about what can and can’t be passed down.
After Theo had been researched to their fullest extent and there wasn’t much use for them anymore, they were set to be terminated just as their previous two siblings. Luckily for young Theo, a familiar face sent the Blacksite into mayhem after releasing the monsters, allowing Theo to escape their fate of being terminated.
From time to time they can be spotted rummaging around rooms or heard crawling in the vents in their search for food and fueling their curiosity of the Blacksite. They’re cautiously curious yet incredibly skittish and will quickly run off whenever approached by expendables. It’s recommended to search where they were last rummaging through as this may provide Expendables with extra data or information
Tumblr media
85 notes · View notes
autismcatboy · 2 months ago
Text
i hear the sunspot is a story about being human first, disabled second and a bl third. it doesnt flow like a bl and has very brief moments of romance because its not intended to be read/watched a romance.
the mangaka did not write it as a BL because she herself wasnt even familiar with it as a genre until after she started publishing. she was writing a story that just happens to also feature queer romance.
the live drama is not going to end with them getting together. its an adaption of just one series within the story and even at the most current series, they only barely got together.
the story is not unrealistic in how it handles communication (or lack thereof). its a lot easier to judge characters (and people in real life) when you think you have all the pieces, but the reality is we know very little about how others truly feel and when you have a lot going on and pulling you in different directions, its hard to know it yourself.
continued below the cut, spoiler free.
taichi and kohei are busy adults. between work/school, family and personal health, they dont have a lot of free time. many people dont have ways to contact friends they made in school because usually, you just see each other and dont think about exchanging contact information until later.
exchanging contact information is a bigger step to take in japan compared to places like the us. taichi uses a flip phone until hes pushed to get a smartphone after it breaks. data plans are expensive and many are selective about when and how they use them, and chatting apps like line are usually the main form of communication method. many people in the us dont like to give out their number or social media (which is also a feature of line) to people they know, like coworkers or classmates.
theres some pretty big assumptions about japanese culture and what its like to be a young adult by fans watching the drama that, in my opinion, just arent realistic. you're thinking like a bl fan and not like what people actually do in real life.
i hear the sunspot is a story about navigating the awkward, the hardships, fumbling and coming to terms with the things we may not like about ourselves. this isnt just about being disabled. able bodied, fully healthy people have things they dont like, push off and ignore. we see this in taichi, and how he continues to push that hes happy, nothing is wrong, he's just a big goofball and doesn't have anything below the surface and a lot of you have fallen for it.
relationships rarely go "we met, we fell in love, and now we are together and everything is perfect with only mild and entertaining drama." in fact id say they almost never do. people get scared to get close to other people, people dont think about if their feelings are romantic love or not when theyve never considered they might be gay. people get busy and distract themselves from addressing the things theyre not ready to look at and understand. all of these things happen much more often and often subconsciously, too.
people are mean and bullheaded when they feel like their comfort zone is threatened. people *run* when they feel like their status quo might change and they dont know what that will look like.
its easy to say someone is being ridiculous when you dont have their full story or dont stop to consider their circumstances. will it be different from how you'd react? absolutely. you lived a different life and had different experiences shape who you are.
but its equally as ridiculous to assume you know exactly how you'd react better than someone in their situation. no one is perfect, and definitely not 20 something year olds figuring out how to be adults after tough moments completely changed their childhoods. your early 20s, especially, is about thinking youre an adult and realizing just how little you know about adulthood. its easy to look back on when i was taichi and kohei's ages and say "oh there is a /lot/ that i fucked up with and couldve done better".
i hear the sunspot is about being human. the mistakes, the drama, the pain and the laughter. it happens to also have a gay love story but its not written to *be* a gay love story or even to be any love story in the first place.
if youre not willing to wait, and consider all the troubles that come before and during their relationship, this is not the story for you. save yourself the time, its got a long way to go. maybe come back in a few more years and see if the story resonates differently.
theyre not going to dive right into a relationship when they still barely know themselves.
66 notes · View notes
luxenvulpies · 1 year ago
Text
[Missing-Link] CBT1 Info
Since the closed beta began, there has been a lot of activity with testers posting images, videos, and details (and some streaming). I've compiled some for easier browsing:
Character customization
Body types A and B
Character creation
Earring (whose?)
Some customization
Maku's drip
More drip
FFXIV Black Mage but green
FFXVI Jill Warrick
Purchasable outfits named after Final Fantasy jobs (each cost 2k jewels you know the ones)
UI
Equipment menu
Vertical and horizontal resolution with seamless transition
Gameplay
Dive to the Heart tutorial (stained glass may be a spoiler)
More Dive to the Heart
Meeting other players in the hub area
Timed battles (apparently may not be all fights)
Timed battle footage (not enough info on who or what is the opponent)
Buzz Lightyear and Sulley piece usage
Charged attacks
Ranged Keyblade
Grand Chests that contains a piece
GPS and walking on buildings with no care in the world
Losing all health & reviving
Raid battle completion
Raid battle completion screens
Piece enhancement screens :worry:
Donald piece screen (JP)
Prince Phillip piece screen (JP)
Mickey piece screen (JP)
Sora piece screen (JP)
Defeating area bosses grant coins to exchange for accessories. Accessories are enhanced with a chance of failure. Using enhancement records will increase stats.
Ireland
Auto gameplay result screen (JP): AP gained, defeated enemies, times activated(?), recovery spots used, treasure chests obtained, pieces obtained
Elemental wheel (no, this was not stolen from another game, so stop that nonsense)
Gacha
Winnie the Pooh
Some pull rates (subject to change!)
2 banners
Sora, Riku, Kairi Pieces
Story (spoilers!!)
JP intro (not sure if the English version is dubbed No dub, yet anyway)
Scala ad Caelum logo appearing (not really a spoiler)
Posting any text here will spoil it - just click the link
Other
Scala ad Caelum logo
Beta data size (~1.9GB)
Guide Moogle (Cute, kupo!)
Astral Plane battle music
AimmsBear's experience thread
Key_Cast's thread on game mechanics and some lore
Summary of Nomura's visit to the Artnia Cafe in Japan with reports from those who attended (via lottery)
Streamers/Video Archives
[leeadamsmusic3630] Multiple videos with specific features
[Dive Hearts] Game records/growth log, UI editor
Our Stuff
Post on spreadsheets with data from the closed beta
---
195 notes · View notes
emorphistechno · 2 years ago
Link
Healthcare Analytics Software Development enables accurate and timely data analysis for better clinical decision-making, saving lives & costs.
According to a recent survey, the healthcare sector produces immense quantities of data via electronic medical records (EMR), electronic health records (EHR), and health information exchange (HIE). Nonetheless, the difficulty arises in competently examining and leveraging this data to enhance decision-making and proficiently manage it. Healthcare analytics software development services provide an answer to these predicaments.
Healthcare analytics can also be integrated with telemedicine app development and can help various features in this type of heathcare app development 
2 notes · View notes
mayakern · 1 year ago
Note
hi ! im wondering what exactly you mean by ethical labor and materials? i have no doubt the best has been done to reduce exploitation and harm, but everyone has a different definiion of ethical, so i'd love details ! (maybe you precised it somewhere already if that's the case sorry)
our skirts are made in a factory with SEDEX (supplier ethical data exchange) and OEKO-TEX standard 100 certifications. the former certifies ethical labor practices (proper wages, clean working environments, documented proper hours, health professionals on staff, etc) and the latter certifies responsible textile production (proper disposal of waste material, a commitment to minimizing waste, a properly investigated supply chain that ensures everything from the dyes, elastic, and other materials are made ethically).
as a small business we do not have the infrastructure or funds to launch audits of the manufacturers we work with, and even for larger companies running investigations all the way up the supply chain to track things like the production of buttons, hooks and eyes, and other fixings is extremely difficult and expensive, so certifications like this are invaluable to us.
140 notes · View notes
gentlebeardsbarngrill · 9 months ago
Text
02/06/2024 Daily OFMD Recap
TLDR; New Events calendar; A Safe Space Ship Event; Watch Parties; Reminders; Cast & Crew Sightings; Clowning; OLD SPICE!; Stats!; Market Research?; Articles; Personal Update; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika
== New Events Calendar from SaveOFMDCrew! ==
More events happening throughout the week! Tumblr Post
Tumblr media
Tomorrow is Cosplay Day! Show off your cosplay and OFMD-Inspired outfits with the hashtags: #WearFineThingsWell!
= New Upcoming Event: A Safe Space Ship! =
Tumblr media
Sunday, February 11th - Star of India in San Diego, CA! Museum Hrs: 10 am - 5 PM 1/2 Price Tickets!
== Watch Parties ==
Today's WWDITS watch party went great!
Tumblr media
Lots of people had fun pointing out our lovely characters from the show (Mads, Taika, Rhys)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
It actually went so well the SaveOFMDCrew twitter got banned! It's back though! If you can, please be sure to follow their backup account in case it happens again.
Tumblr media
== Reminders! ==
Muppet Treasure Island - Feb 7th 2024 4PM EST, 1PM PST, 9 PM GMT
Tumblr media
Watch Party Hashtags:
#MuppetPirates
#AdoptOurCrew
#SaveOFMD
== Cast & Crew Sightings ==
This was technically the 5th, but I don't think the excitement happened mostly today so I'm gonna throw it in! So Chaos Dad popped his head out yesterday just long enough to like Samba's BTS post on twitter and then also Samba and Rhys' little exchange.
Tumblr media
And of course that triggered clowning since anytime Chaos Dad pops in we don our clown shoes. Thank you to @merryfinches for catching some of the discourse!
Tumblr media
== Old Spice! ==
Well well well, we're back to polite menacing brands until they respond to us!
Tumblr media
Looks like another Astroglide is starting up, the Crew is out there matching deodorants to characters. Thanks to @brainfugk for calling it out!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
== Stats! Stats! Stats! ==
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
So close fam! Let's keep pushing that UK viewership if you have the time/spoons!
= Market Research Campaign about OFMD Potentially Going On? =
Tumblr media
There's some speculation around the market research company YouGov potentially conducting research on OFMD. There's a big thread. Why is this important? Well this company works with streamers to measure viewership data, and if OFMD is in there...and someone's interested, that could be a good sign.
Tumblr media
Some folks signed up, and if you're interested in doing so too, you can here.
== Articles ==
Some fun articles tonight, including Hard Drive again!
Tumblr media
Joke Article: HBO Max Unveils Ominous New “Don’t Get Too Attached” Category
Our Flag Means Death and 9 Other Best TV Shows and Movies About Pirates
Our Flags Means Death fans get TV licence just to watch pirate show
== Personal Update ==
Some of you have heard, I got the COVID so I may be in and out over the next several days, I'm still trying to make sure I get to recaps though so don't worry! I'll let you know if I can't. Remember to mask up if you can and stay hydrated out there luvs!
== Love Notes ==
Alright lovelies. We've run out of Rhys videos for a few days so you're back to me being irritatingly loving at you! I saw this today on The Latest Kate's instagram and it reminded me of a few things I wanted to say. My brain is a bit covid-fogged so apologies if it's a bit wibbly wobbly.
We all struggle with so many little and big things in our lives. Whether it's mental health, self esteem, a physical ailment, love, lonliness, self-identity, family, friends, world conflicts, or anything, I could go on and on.
I know sometimes it feels like you are pushing so hard and you start making so much progress-- and then something, big or little stalls everything and you feel like you're having to start from scratch again.
I just want to send you a gentle reminder that progress isn't always linear. Just because you have lost momentum doesn't mean you've lost your progress. Every single situation is a learning opportunity and every time you run into a new hurdle, you learn from the last one.
You are wonderfully intelligent, kind, precious, complex people and no matter what you're dealing with, no matter how small or how big, you are moving forward and making headway bits at a time. Remember to be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself up for bad days.
We are so proud of you lovelies, remember that.
Tumblr media
== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==
Tonight's gifs are courtesy of the glorious, brilliant, talented, ever-enabling @celluloidbroomcloset from her post over here.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Ok, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Goodnight all! <3
85 notes · View notes
doomdoomofdoom · 2 months ago
Text
any trans person should get HRT for free (no insurance required) and in exchange they should participate in the occasional study/survey.
research into sex hormones and their effects is so scarce and you have a whole ass population group who's willing to not only switch up their hormones but keep it up for very long periods of time. you could run some incredible long term studies with participants across all sorts of demographics.
while it's impossible to conduct any blind studies on this due to observable change in appearance, there's still so so so much data we're giving up on because we'd rather...
lemme check my notes. that cant be right.
...because we'd rather deny trans people health care and let them die. huh.
43 notes · View notes
crookedkryptonitebeliever · 8 months ago
Note
can i pamper yves? yes or no. honest question. i get spontaneous bursts of energy to care for someone, but i mostly just would like to show how i care even if it’s probably not as sufficient as him in this relationship. i would probably feel bad to just take all of the love and not give any back. i would draw him and make playlists and probably shittily made food for him that i think he would like. maybe i write in a journal about silly little observations about him that i find endearing and gift it to him later on. i know he doesn’t like surprises, but i would do small ones just for him. i want to show that i care!!! (and not overstep any boundaries.)
also, how does he feel about us mast of bating ? occasionally. rarely i get the urge. i think there can be health benefits to it. 🤷‍♀️
- 🌷
You're more likely to get Yves to initiate sexual intercourse with you if you pamper him without expecting anything in return.
He treats masturbation as something normal and mundane. To him, it's no different than how you would watch TV at a certain time. He would record it and take notes, observe everything from every angle but he derives no sexual arousal from this. Only contentment that he gets to see another part of you. He just likes watching you under a microscope and recording your every move, every behavior and every thought.
He would appreciate everything you described, especially when it doesn't take away his role as the main caregiver in the relationship. And you are truly spoiling him by giving him such precious data about yourself to fill his information vault.
In exchange for every unique drawing you give him, Yves would shower you with more affection. Spoiling you rotten for doing that to him first; with these he can identify your average stroke strength and depth. He also loves how you depict him too, Yves will never turn down materials that show how you perceive the world no matter how trivial or repetitive.
He would spend hours listening and analyzing the playlist you made him, discerning patterns and beats, why did you choose these songs for him? Why is it every third song is in the hip hop category? Do you actually like these songs or does it simply remind you of him? Are you relating to any of the lyrics?
Yves would definitely appreciate the food although he doesn't eat much. However, it's the process you took to make it that interests him way more. Whose recipe are you using? How do you crack the eggs? In what way do you stir? Could you multitask? When faced between tending to a boiling kettle and a bubbling pot, which would you turn off first? Why do you think he might like this dish of yours?
The one he would love the most and become giggly, overcome by cuteness aggression is your journal that you would have given him. It shows him your world. Much, much more of your world. He wants to know what interests you, how you experience different things and what catches your attention.
On the day he receives this journal, he would feign ignorance. But he is actually trying extremely hard not to shake out of excitement. Upon explaining what it is, Yves will pick you up and twirl you around joyfully. Praising you for giving him such a wonderful, beautiful gift. Loving you up and down as a reward. Gently nibbling your cheeks to try and satisfy some of that urge to squeeze the adorableness out of you.
He will be on cloud 9 for the next few weeks. You would notice that he's clingier and a lot more affectionate towards you than usual. Sometimes even to a nauseating degree, but he just couldn't help himself. He adores you, he reveres you. This is such an amazing feeling, he also wanted you to experience this too. And he does it by manipulating the environment and drugging you to feel this euphoria.
So, as long as he is in this state, you will be too. The glee and happiness you will feel are indescribable, it transcends language and actions. It's something unearthly. You feel free and giddy all the time, excited for everything that is going to happen.
Yves is actually very easy to please and pamper. He especially loves things that serve as major enrichment in his mind enclosure. Yves's scientific, analytic, mathematical brain needs something to chew on, and it will eat up anything about you. The most delicious feast for his thinker is information that you've willingly given up to him. That is why he worships the journal very much.
Nothing is a surprise for him, really. He already knows and predicted what you're going to do. It's the intent and effort you put into this that gets him hot and bothered under the collar, that gets his heart swelling out of pure adoration for you. The fact that you cared, walked the talk and paid attention aroused him greatly and is one of the very few things that would get him tight in the pants.
He is delighted to feel valued. And you may see these as small gestures, but to Yves, they're grandiose displays and declarations of love, not even the most romantic and strongest gods can compete. It makes Yves swoon over how much romance and sweetness you could possibly express to him.
So in short, yes. You can pamper Yves. Not by copying what he does to you, but by willingly giving up data about yourself. Data that was never seen or obtainable before. Precious, precious data.
Because he is the caregiver, and not you. The 'pampering' he will appreciate the most are those that could help him take care of you better.
68 notes · View notes
tritonmarketresearch · 2 years ago
Text
Global Data Exchange in Healthcare Market Analysis for 2022-2028
Triton Market Research presents the Global Data Exchange in Healthcare Market report segmented by Set Up (Private, Public), by Type (Consumer-mediated, Direct-mediated, Query-based), by Implementation Model (Hybrid, Decentralized, Centralized), by Application (Web Portal Development, Internal Interfacing, Workflow Management, Other Applications), by End-user (Healthcare Providers, Healthcare Payers, Pharmacies), by Deployment (Cloud-based, On-Premise), by Geographical Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa), discussing Market Summary, Competitive Landscape, Market Challenges, Market Opportunities, Market Drivers, Industry Outlook, Research Methodology & Scope, and Global Market Size, Forecasts, & Analysis (2022-2028).
According to Triton Market Research’s analysis, the Global Data Exchange in Healthcare Market is likely to grow with a CAGR of 24.90% in the forecast years from 2022 to 2028.
Tumblr media
Request Free Sample Report:
https://www.tritonmarketresearch.com/reports/data-exchange-in-healthcare-market#request-free-sample
 The use of telemedicine has bolstered after the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in 2019, only 11% of patients in the United States used telemedicine platforms, and in April 2020, a staggering 46% of patients used these platforms. This provides opportunities for the incorporation of AI and other advanced technologies, thereby enabling further opportunities for the data exchange in healthcare market.
A number of countries have stringent data protection laws that prohibit companies from exchanging and leveraging data. Such policies and regulations have a negative impact on the studied market, thus hindering its growth.
North America leads the global market, and held the highest revenue share in 2021. The demand for data exchange in healthcare in this region is majorly driven by the booming healthcare sector in the United States. Further, the rising number of government initiatives and the enhanced adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) & health-related applications such as m-Health are expected to augment the demand for healthcare data exchange in the future, thus positioning the market on a growth path.
Definitive Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Zenome, AWS Marketplace (Amazon), Cloudera, Optum, Health Verity, Medical Chain, H1, Longenesis, Cloudticity, Datavant, BurstIQ LLC, Cloudtag Inc, and Snowflake are some of the noteworthy players in the data exchange in healthcare market.
The threat of new market entrants is anticipated to increase in the forecasted period, due to the rise in the availability of funding and incentives aimed at encouraging the establishment of health information exchange platforms. In addition, the growing efforts and initiatives undertaken by public organizations to promote awareness about the benefits of health data exchange are expected to further boost the threat of new entrants. On the other hand, the big players are focusing on improving and expanding their existing product portfolio with the help of significant investments, in order to strengthen their position among industry rivals.
 Contact Us:
Phone: +44 7441 911839
0 notes
drdemonprince · 9 months ago
Note
i think people fundamentally misunderstand how masks work to limit transmission. masks are not magic totems that keep diseases away. they reduce the amount of airborne particles by putting a physical barrier between a person and the environment, allowing the air in the enclosed space some time to be exchanged with air from outside. even proper masking isn’t 100% effective. in fact, they are most effective at preventing transmission when an infected person wears one— which is why they are popular in other countries as a politeness for when you feel ill. and masking can be fruitless if, say, your building doesn’t have proper airflow.
but masks aren’t being treated like a health measure like condoms, they’re being used as a way to signal virtue. it’s an acceptance of the world put forth by anti-maskers that masks somehow represent something more than what they are and can show others what “team” you are on.
masking 24/7 is not something people are on board with, and it isn’t even the most useful way to use a mask. wear a mask if you feel sick and simply must be in public, and continue to apply pressure for better ventilation and airflow to make those masks worth a damn…
Yeah the focus on masks is because they are individual behavior that is attainable (and visible, and thus capable of judging in others and viewing as an important symbolic gesture in oneself)... in reality proper ventilation and air filtration is VASTLY more effective. but it requires systemic infrastructure improvements and organizational investment and so it has just been completely willfully ignored by our institutions and we have FALLEN FOR IT by keeping our attention on personal level decision making as usual.
of course ideally masking and air filtration work best together, and masking from both the sick person AND the people around them is necessary to reduce spread should anyone be positive, but people have just.... completely neglected the actual data in lieu of politicizing individual action. because thats what we have long been conditioned to do.
75 notes · View notes
nasa · 2 years ago
Text
What are Phytoplankton and Why Are They Important?
Breathe deep… and thank phytoplankton.
Why? Like plants on land, these microscopic creatures capture energy from the sun and carbon from the atmosphere to produce oxygen.
Tumblr media
Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh. Though tiny, these creatures are the foundation of the aquatic food chain. They not only sustain healthy aquatic ecosystems, they also provide important clues on climate change.
Let’s explore what these creatures are and why they are important for NASA research.
Phytoplankton are diverse
Phytoplankton are an extremely diversified group of organisms, varying from photosynthesizing bacteria, e.g. cyanobacteria, to diatoms, to chalk-coated coccolithophores. Studying this incredibly diverse group is key to understanding the health - and future - of our ocean and life on earth.
Tumblr media
Their growth depends on the availability of carbon dioxide, sunlight and nutrients. Like land plants, these creatures require nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and calcium at various levels. When conditions are right, populations can grow explosively, a phenomenon known as a bloom.
Tumblr media
Phytoplankton blooms in the South Pacific Ocean with sediment re-suspended from the ocean floor by waves and tides along much of the New Zealand coastline.
Phytoplankton are Foundational
Phytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food web, feeding everything from microscopic, animal-like zooplankton to multi-ton whales. Certain species of phytoplankton produce powerful biotoxins that can kill marine life and people who eat contaminated seafood.
Tumblr media
Phytoplankton are Part of the Carbon Cycle
Phytoplankton play an important part in the flow of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the ocean. Carbon dioxide is consumed during photosynthesis, with carbon being incorporated in the phytoplankton, and as phytoplankton sink a portion of that carbon makes its way into the deep ocean (far away from the atmosphere).
Changes in the growth of phytoplankton may affect atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, which impact climate and global surface temperatures. NASA field campaigns like EXPORTS are helping to understand the ocean's impact in terms of storing carbon dioxide.
Tumblr media
Phytoplankton are Key to Understanding a Changing Ocean
NASA studies phytoplankton in different ways with satellites, instruments, and ships. Upcoming missions like Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) - set to launch Jan. 2024 - will reveal interactions between the ocean and atmosphere. This includes how they exchange carbon dioxide and how atmospheric aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the ocean.
Information collected by PACE, especially about changes in plankton populations, will be available to researchers all over the world. See how this data will be used.
youtube
The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) is integrated onto the PACE spacecraft in the cleanroom at Goddard Space Flight Center. Credit: NASA
1K notes · View notes
covid-safer-hotties · 1 month ago
Text
Also preserved on our archive
A lot of good sources linked in the original article!
By Bruce Mirken
As the dangers of Long COVID become more recognized, the country's going backwards on preventing new infections.
While I’m far from the only person worried about Long COVID and our society’s general inclination to look away and pretend it’s not there, people like me certainly feel badly outnumbered. It’s beginning to feel reminiscent of how people with AIDS and their loved ones felt circa 1986—and maybe it’s time for the same kind of response.
For those of you lucky enough not to have lived through that era, by the end of 1986, AIDS had killed nearly 25,000 Americans, but president Ronald Reagan had yet to speak the word “AIDS.” His press secretary had joked about it and the White House press corps laughed. While individual scientists were doing important work, the bureaucracies running the NIH and FDA seemed very much to be in business-as-usual mode. Because the casualties had largely been gay men and injection drug users, it seemed like no one with any power cared whether we lived or died.
So, a group of New Yorkers – mostly gay men – decided it was time to start raising hell. Calling themselves ACT UP, they disrupted the New York Stock Exchange and, as chapters sprang up nationwide, they staged protests that shut down the FDA and NIH. Eventually, people like Anthony Fauci began to see they had a point. I joined the Los Angeles ACT UP chapter in 1988 and ended up getting arrested half a dozen times in protests at the LA federal building, the County Board of Supervisors and the U.S. Capitol, among others. We won major improvements in HIV/AIDS care in the Los Angeles County health system, which cared for thousands of people with AIDS who had no health insurance. When I landed in San Francisco in 1993, I connected with ACT UP Golden Gate.
Here I am (with my late boyfriend Tim at the left) at one of the protests in that L.A County healthcare campaign. Most of my closest friends from that era have been dead for decades.
I get that COVID has played out very differently than HIV/AIDS. AIDS ramped up slowly and seemed not to affect “normal” people until it killed closeted gay movie and TV star Rock Hudson in 1985, and even then officials largely looked the other way. Only scientific breakthroughs in the 1990s finally stemmed the tide of death. In contrast, the much more highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus came on fast and furious, turning Americans’ lives upside-down almost immediately.
But now, we’ve arrived at what seems in some ways like an eerily similar place. When needed precautions to curb a highly infectious airborne virus spurred frustration and political pushback, officials largely threw up their hands and gave up. Even measures that don’t involve mandates or restrictions on behavior have mostly either been dropped or never happened in the first place.
LONG COVID’S GROWING TOLL
Unfortunately, the virus hasn’t gone away, even if the initial wave of mass death has receded. In August, as a summer surge peaked, US COVID-19 deaths exceeded 1,000 per week, though the latest September data suggests the numbers have begun declining toward pre-surge levels, when deaths were generally in the 300-400 per week range. That’s still equal to a 9/11 every eight to 10 days. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracking of SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater—probably the best data on US viral prevalence now that cases aren’t being reliably tracked—showed 15 states with “very high” levels and another 19 rated as “high” as of Sept. 19.
But COVID is not just a matter of cases and deaths. The disease’s long-term effects have disabled millions of Americans, and the numbers keep growing with each new wave of infection. An updated review published in Nature Medicine puts the current global number of Long COVID sufferers at 400 million and estimates the worldwide economic impact at a staggering $1 trillion.
We now have plenty of people experiencing repeated SARS-CoV-2 infections. The good news, if you can call it that, is that these reinfections may produce fewer new cases of Long Covid than a person’s first infection – but they absolutely produce some, and the Omicron variants circulating in the last year or two seem to produce more Long Covid than earlier viral varieties. Every time you get COVID, you roll the dice with your health – maybe for the rest of your life.
If I sound alarmed, well, I am. As longtime readers may know, I have some first-hand experience with Long COVID, though in milder form than many experience. My January 2022 infection left me with peripheral neuropathy—painful nerve damage—in my legs and feet. It’s incurable and nearly impossible to treat, as conventional pain drugs don’t help. I will likely never live another day without pain and walking more than six or seven blocks at a stretch is a struggle. I used to enjoy hiking, but will probably never do it again. Still, I don’t have the more debilitating symptoms like crushing fatigue or dysautonomia—disruption of the part of the nervous system that controls automatic functions like heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion and breathing—that afflict some Long COVID sufferers. Lots of people have it way worse than I do.
We know that COVID can have lasting impacts on many parts of the body, including the brain. A recent study of 52 COVID survivors—about half with mild to moderate initial illness and half with more severe disease—found that compared to healthy controls, both groups “had a significantly higher score of cognitive complaints involving cognitive failure and mental fatigue” 27 months after their original illness, with no significant difference based on the severity of that initial illness. On a series of tests, researchers found “changes in brain function” that may explain the reported problems.
Just as scary, a study of people aged 65 and up just published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reports that “people with COVID were at significantly increased risk for new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease within 360 days after the initial COVID diagnosis.” This review of the medical records of over six million patients found that the risk escalated with advancing age. As with many of these long-term impacts, the mechanisms involved remain unclear.
Survivors of an initial SARS-CoV-2 infection also have increased rates of high blood pressure, now documented in multiple studies. High blood pressure increases your risk of deadly cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke.
I can’t help but wonder whether these issues have affected me, but there’s no way to be sure. My blood pressure, well-controlled for a dozen years with a very low dose of medication, began ratcheting upward about a year and a half ago, necessitating three medication adjustments since then. I’m also definitely more forgetful than I was, mostly little things like walking into a room and forgetting why I went there. But those things can happen to older people with or without COVID, and it’s hard to know cause-and-effect in a given individual.
But I sure as hell know I don’t want to get this virus again and risk these and other issues getting worse. Unfortunately, avoiding it is getting harder by the day, and neither government at any level nor public health authorities seem to care.
PREVENTION? WHAT PREVENTION?
While there’s some evidence that the antiviral drug Paxlovid can reduce the likelihood of Long COVID if administered early enough, the results so far are mixed and not overwhelming. The best way to avoid Long COVID is to not get infected in the first place. As a society, we’ve pretty much stopped trying.
The government is still encouraging vaccination, as it should. But it’s been clear for some time that while the vaccines are very good at reducing the chance of severe illness and death if you get infected, they offer only limited protection against getting infected in the first place. “Vax and relax” can prevent mass death, but it can’t prevent mass infection and an ever-growing number of cases of Long COVID, even if most people get vaccinated. And vaccination rates have been declining for a while, with a new Ohio State University survey reporting that only 43% of U.S. adults have gotten or plan to get the new COVID-19 shot.
And in a bit of absolute madness, Florida’s Ron DeSantis-appointed Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has actually advised against use of the newly updated mRNA vaccines. In a post on Mastodon, Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves called this “beyond irresponsible. It is malpractice.”
Ladapo is an outlier, but even his saner colleagues around the country downplay the fact that we don’t have to limit ourselves to vaccination. It’s an airborne virus, so there are two main ways to stop it from spreading: 1) Get the virus out of the air, or at least reduce its concentration to a very low level, and 2) Protect yourself from breathing in any virus that’s in the air around you. We know how to do both.
Masking works, but the type of mask matters. As the Mayo Clinic notes, “Respirators such as nonsurgical N95s give the most protection. KN95s and medical masks provide the next highest level of protection. Cloth masks provide less protection.” Two and a half years ago, a CDC study found that those who reported regularly wearing an N95 or KN95 respirator in indoor public settings had an 86% lower risk of catching COVID-19.
Recently, during my first return visit to San Francisco after moving in early 2022, I met my nieces for lunch at the Ferry Plaza. It was a Saturday, Farmers Market day, and the place was jammed. In three-plus hours I saw no more than half a dozen people wearing any sort of mask, and only a couple were N95s. In my new hometown of Hilo, masking is only slightly more common. At the supermarket, I see barely 10% of customers and staff in some sort of mask. In some venues, it’s less.
A recent Ipsos survey found that half of Americans believe they’ll never get COVID again. Only 20% described themselves as “trying to stay as safe as possible.”
None of this is a surprise—people are simply responding to the messages they get from the people supposedly leading on health issues. The CDC promotes vaccination but barely talks about masking anymore; it acknowledges the value of indoor air quality but doesn’t seem to be doing much about it. In interviews, CDC Director Mandy Cohen regularly urges vaccination but almost never brings up masking or air quality and says little about Long Covid. Political leaders mostly talk about COVID in the past tense and pat themselves on the back for a job well done in prior years. The result is what you’d expect: Most Americans now treat COVID like a common cold, disregarding most precautions and not bothering to test when they get sick.
Back in 2022, when public policy on COVID was still relatively sane, the Biden administration published indoor air quality guidance and made congressionally-approved funds available that “that can be used in schools, public buildings, and other settings to improve indoor air quality.” It’s unclear exactly how much of that money has been used and for what, although some school systems have definitely made HVAC upgrades. But we’ve never had either enforceable indoor air standards or a coordinated plan to implement them. As Science noted in July, “The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown the vulnerability of society to the spread of infectious diseases. At the same time, with frequent outbreaks in elder care facilities and school classrooms, it became clear that it was a fatal mistake to largely neglect the recommendations of scientists and engineers regarding minimum standards for ventilation and indoor air quality.”
In any case, those federal dollars were aimed at schools and public buildings. It’s been left entirely to the private sector to do, or not do, anything to reduce airborne pathogens in supermarkets, theaters, clubs, malls and other privately owned spaces. Local groups like Chicago’s Clean Air Club and Austin’s Clear the Air ATX have tried to fill the gap by lending HEPA filters and other clean air equipment to arts and performance venues and other gathering places.
A RADICAL IDEA: DO WHAT WORKS
We know what to do. As Clean Air Club founder Emily Dupree and co-author Shelby Speier wrote in Sick Times in May, “We possess the technology to make public spaces safer. Studies show HEPA air purification and far-UVC lamps drastically reduce the number of airborne pathogens in a room and therefore lessen the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission. When combined with other layers of protection, these tools have the potential to finally make our shared spaces more accessible during an airborne pandemic.”
A key word here is accessible. Failure to address indoor air quality and other prevention measures makes public spaces seriously dangerous for those at highest risk, including the elderly, the immunocompromised and those with long-term health issues, including Long Covid.
Such simple, factual messages are rarely heard in official statements about COVID. “What I find the most frustrating about official handling of COVID and prevention is the lack of care, education, and honoring the science around COVID,” comments Clear the Air ATX founder and Long Covid activist Katie Drackert. “Telling people to ‘stay home when they feel sick’ for a virus that spreads asymptomatically? Well, they are just straight up ignoring science.”
Admirable as they are, the small, volunteer-driven efforts of groups like Drackert’s and Dupree’s are not remotely comparable to the scale of the problem. For now, people must take matters into their own hands. “In the year 2024, people still need to be wearing a well fitted KN95 or above for optimal communal and individual protection,” Drackert says. In the absence of reliable information about air quality in indoor spaces, she suggests getting a portable air quality monitor, which can be reasonably affordable. “High CO₂ levels indicate poor ventilation, which may lead to higher concentrations of aerosols that could contain the virus,” she explains. “Some air quality monitors track particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which are small airborne particles. While COVID is smaller than these particles, high PM levels may indicate poor indoor air quality.”
Most of us can’t entirely avoid being in spaces with poor air quality, and that leaves us with masking, which the country has largely abandoned. Worse, we’re starting to see bans on face coverings in public spaces being enacted—for example, in Nassau County, New York, and North Carolina.
These laws typically contain exceptions for people masking for health reasons, but, as New Jersey’s Star-Ledger noted in a recent editorial opposing a proposed mask ban, “t leaves it up to the cops to decide whether someone has a legitimate medical reason for wearing a mask at a public gathering. “How will they know that? It’s subjective. And based on past experience, we know what that means: Police will disproportionately stop and question Black and brown people, who have also been the most likely to continue wearing masks to protect against COVID-19.” It’s hard to imagine a more demented public policy than making disease prevention illegal. And it’s not hard at all to imagine a COVID-19 prevention framework that would make a meaningful difference without causing a nationwide freakout: Encourage masking. Even if mask mandates are a political non-starter, there’s still plenty we can do. First, officials can talk about it and actively encourage people to wear high-quality protection like N-95s when in busy, indoor spaces. They can remind people of its importance—that COVID is not over, not just a cold, and that even a “mild” case can change your life forever. Federal, state and local governments could distribute N-95s or KN-95s free or at minimal cost. Get serious about indoor air purification. Build on what the Biden administration started a few years ago: Develop medically informed, enforceable indoor air quality standards and create a verification system so that people know when a building they enter meets them. Start with public buildings and the largest, busiest private venues, like sports arenas, concert halls and theaters, and move on from there. Give business owners generous technical and financial support in meeting those standards, and a reasonable amount of time in which to do it. While this program is ramping up, fund the local organizations now struggling with limited resources to fill the gap. None of this is that difficult. It’s not even that expensive when you consider that the federal government is in the process of spending $634 billion to upgrade nuclear weapons that with any luck will never be used. What’s missing is political will, and that won’t be there until people scream bloody murder. That’s why I think it may be time for a new version of ACT UP focused on COVID-19. The issues are somewhat different, but less so than you might think. While the original ACT UP focused a lot on research, treatment and care, it also addressed prevention. ACT UP chapters around the country started syringe exchange programs, handed out condoms at high schools, and sometimes succeeded in shaming the system into doing the right thing. And of course, there are issues to tackle around Long Covid research that I haven’t addressed here, but which I will try to cover in a future piece. The fundamental problem is much the same as people with AIDS faced in 1986: a system stuck in neutral, politicians stuck in denial, and a public closing their eyes, covering their ears and shouting, “I don’t hear you!” The first task must be to break the system–and the broader population, as much as possible–out of its present inertia, complacency and denial. I honestly don’t know whether ACT UP tactics like occupying the CDC and disrupting state and local health commission meetings will have the same effect they did decades ago, but at this point I don’t know what else to try. Nothing good lies at the end of our current path.
31 notes · View notes