#omicron severity

[azures-grace]

Hey @sharkbait-33 look here they are

and the guy whose playthrough this is is on here and we're mutuals. If you see this man.... you've already seen it.

Behold, the saga of Omicron throwing things at people continues

[sirensongsea]

atlas in the omega f outfit... *grabby hands*

[hong-kong-art-man]

Rebound For Life Is What Happens When Other People Are Busy Crying And You Are Busy Making New Plans After A Catastrophe—Historical Devastations Which Have Almost Killed Hong Kong Since 1950s

Pete Seeger composed “Turn! Turn! Turn!” in 1959. He wrote

a time to be born, and a time to die

a time to plant, a time to reap

a time to kill, a time to heal

a time to laugh, a time to weep

to everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn) and a time to every purpose, under heaven……

The vast devastations, political, economic and health hazards, in the history of Hong Kong did not destroy but raised us to greater heights of ability to survive. We can trace our proud ancestry through these past struggles. In fact, the devastations have made Hong Kong very different from other places in Asia and so a uniquely charming city gone down in history.

In our old days, there were 3 incidents of violent rivalry between the establishment vs the people. In 1967, street protests and fights occurred under the influence and in the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution taking place in China. There were people who were either shot down dead or killed by bombs. My mother forced us to stay at home at all times. Schools were closed. Tear gas was often deployed in riotous scenes near our house in Wan Chai and we always kept windows shut.

I was told that back in 1956, the pro-Taiwan and pro-Chinese Mainland political supporters fought fiercely in Sham Shui Po. Soon, Hong Kong was convulsed by deadly violence. The city became in chaos.

As we can remember not long ago, street conflicts in 2019 were stirred over the ‘Rendition Bill’ legislation dealing with fugitives. Thousands were arrested, inevitably many were injured and some unfortunately died. By mid-2020, the serious commotion led Hong Kong government to declare the restoration of peace and stability with the imposition of the National Security law.

Sometimes, it takes a social or natural disaster to reveal the highest human qualities such as hope, love and endurance. No tragic disaster can destroy the treasures of our heart. Despite all these hardships, people in Hong Kong managed to live, continue and exist. To believe in future can help us overcome all the above unbearable situations because we try to envision a better tomorrow at the end of the dark tunnel.

It is recorded that Hong Kong has been hit by death-dealing health plagues for nearly 25 times since 1843. The heart-breaking ones are never forgotten. In 1914, 1,300 people were killed by the Black Death epidemic. In 1937, 1,000 victims died of cholera. In 1970, 1,500 lives were taken away by tuberculosis. In 2003, we lost almost 300 patients due to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). At present, the death toll caused by COVID-19 has been more than 10,000 and the figure is still rising…Mamma Mia, we still cannot get rid of the Omicron nightmare in Hong Kong right now!

The writer Gene Wolfe humorously put, “You think whatever is wrong with you is contagious? Yes, but you had it already. You caught it from your mother. Death!” We are the humble beings that have to die when it is time for us to die. We can do very little but just try hard to survive.

No one should ever ever have a good reason for suicide. It is especially not sensible for some in economic crisis to end their life. ‘Bankruptcy’ in Hong Kong is a legal solution which can be adopted by a person who is unable to repay outstanding debts. His debts will be written off after 4 years of bankruptcy.

Tragedy is timeless. The overarching theme for an economic crisis is always that many will become poor but a few will painstakingly find ways to become rich; and on that note, Hong Kong has transitioned from a number of well-known economic catastrophes: 1973 Stock Market Crash (caused by oil crisis), 1981 Economic Slump (Sino-British’s talk over the political future of Hong Kong failed), 1987 ‘Black Monday’, 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and 2008 World Economic Recession. Hong Kong took great pride in having been able to overcome these economic downturns and seek the opportunities to reform as a result of all these lessons. The governing fundamentals in our city are still strong but we have to watch out the future balance of power management—Hong Kong does have to be a very international city if it wants to maintain its status as the economic centre in Asia.

We can never tell what goes on in between Hong Kong is and what it will become. The uncertainty of destiny of a city is always a blue and scary section of hell. No one is able to give us the map which can put Hong Kong continuously on the map. Rebound for life is what happens when other people are busy crying and you are busy making new plans after the COVID holocaust! This is why I am now busy packing my bags for my 1st trip to Thailand since 2020! Oh my gosh, 3 years have passed!

Devastation never ends, and hope never melts too.

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lan-de-xi-xu-xin-76194473?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Song – “Turn! Turn! Turn!”  https://youtu.be/snZKnES4ng4  Acknowledgement – Classic Hits

Song – “The Windmills of Your Mind”  https://youtu.be/WEhS9Y9HYjU  Acknowledgement - Noel Harrisonfan 

Tips on Hong Kong Airport  Arrival in 2022  https://youtu.be/rol6Fsu8z-c  Acknowledgement-The Walk  Street Channel 

Popular places in Bangkok  https://youtu.be/FaVIuwTpxIo  Acknowledgement-KKday Taiwan

[lotus-tower]

The Swiss Cheese Model of Covid Prevention

An edited version of the swiss cheese model tailored towards the measures that you as an individual can take to minimize your risk of infection. Public health is ultimately what its name implies, public, but that doesn't mean you're powerless.

Covid prevention is not all-or-nothing. Think of it as risk reduction, rather than a binary.

Let's go through these step by step.

VACCINES

The current vaccines are meant primarily to reduce chances of severe illness, hospitalization, and death. They will reduce your chance of infection a bit--but not nearly as much as you might think. You should still get your boosters regularly, because avoiding severe illness is of course worth doing.

If you haven't gotten the updated monovalent vaccine yet, go get it. It is not a booster. Think of it as a new vaccine. It's targeted towards the XBB lineages, which are now the most common variants. Your last boosters were likely of the bivalent type, aimed at both the original Covid strain from 2020 and Omicron. The new vaccine is monovalent, meaning it targets one family in particular.

Some studies suggest that the Novavax vaccine, which is a more traditional protein-based vaccine, is more effective and safer than mRNA vaccines, and offers better protection against future variants. Of course, the data we have so far isn't 100% conclusive (the last paper I linked is a preprint). Make of these findings what you will, just something to keep in mind. The new Novavax vaccine's availability is still limited, especially outside of the US.

MASKS

Masking is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself. While it is true that masking and reducing Covid transmission protects those around you, the idea that masks can't protect the wearer is outdated information from the early days of the pandemic when medical authorities refused to acknowledge that Covid is airborne.

The key to protecting yourself is to wear a well-fitting respirator. You want to minimize any gaps where air might leak out. If your glasses get fogged up, that's a sign that air is leaking.

Headbands will always have a tighter fit than earloop masks (and therefore provide better protection). However, you can use earloop extenders to improve the fit of earloop masks. You can find these online. Your comfort in wearing a mask is important, but there are options for compromise.

The above graphic doesn't include elastomeric respirators. While some (like the Flo Mask) are expensive, they can be much more affordable than buying disposables--look for P100 respirators at your local hardware store, but make sure it fits your face well.

For more general information, see this FAQ. For mask recommendations (NA-centric, sorry!), see my list here or Mask Nerd's YouTube channel.

For situations where you need to hydrate but don't want to take your mask off, consider the SIP valve.

Not even N95s are foolproof (N95 means it filters at least 95% of particles--with the other 5% potentially reaching you). Most people will likely not have a perfect fit. There will be situations where you'll have to take your mask off. The key is risk reduction, and that's why the Swiss cheese model is crucial.

If you can't afford high-quality masks, look for a local mask bloc or other organization that gives out free masks. Project N95 has unfortunately shut down. In Canada, there's donatemask.ca.

AVOID CROWDED INDOOR SPACES

This is rather self-explanatory. Indoor transmission is much, much, much more likely than outdoor transmission. If it's possible to move an activity outdoors instead, consider doing so.

If possible, try going to places like stores or the post office during less busy hours.

Viral particles can stay in the air for a considerable amount of time even after the person who expelled them has left. Do not take off your mask just because no one is currently present, if you know that it was previously crowded.

A CO2 monitor is a decent proxy for how many viral particles may have accumulated in the air around you. The gold standard is the Aranet4, but it's expensive, so here are some more affordable alternatives.

VENTILATION AND AIR FILTERS

Ventilation is effective for the same reason that outdoors is safer than indoors. If it's warm enough, keep windows open whenever possible. If it's cold, even cracking them open occasionally is better than nothing. Try to open windows or doors on different sides of a room to maximize airflow.

HEPA air filters can significantly reduce viral transmission indoors. Make sure to find one suitable for the room size, and replace the filters regularly. You want to look for devices with HEPA-13 filters.

You can use websites like these to calculate how long it takes for a device to change all the air in a room. Remember what I said about viral particles being able to hang around even after people have left? If an air purifier provides 2 air changes per hour, that means that after 30 minutes, any potential viral particles should be gone.

If you can't afford a commercial air filter, here's a useful DIY filter you can make with relatively simple materials. The filtration capacity is great--but due to being built with duct tape, replacing filters will be a challenge.

If you have to hold meetings or meet with people at work, having a smaller filter on the desk between you will also reduce chances of infection.

As a bonus, HEPA filters will also filter out other things like dust and allergens!

REDUCE LENGTH OF EXPOSURE IF EXPOSURE IS UNAVOIDABLE

Viral load refers to the amount of virus in a person's blood. If you've been exposed to someone with Covid, how much you've been exposed matters.

You might escape infection if the viral load you've been exposed to is very small. Or, even if you get infected, there will be less virus in you overall, leading to milder illness--and crucially, a lower chance of the virus penetrating deep into your body, creating reservoirs in your organs and wreaking long-term havoc.

A low viral load is also less contagious.

This is the same reason that wearing your mask most of the time, but having to take it off for eating, is still much better than not wearing your mask at all.

RECHARGEABLE PORTABLE AIR FILTERS

You might attract some odd looks. But if you're at high risk or just want to be as protected as possible, small portable air filters can help. Try to find models small enough to take with you on public transportation, to school, or while traveling.

These devices will be far too small to clean the air in the whole room. The goal is to have it filter air in your immediate vicinity. Be sure to angle the device so that the air is blowing in your face.

Unfortunately, rechargeable devices are much rarer and harder to find than normal air filters, and many are also expensive.

The best option at the moment, apart from DIY (which is possible, but you need to know what you're doing), seems to be the SmartAir QT3. The size and shape are a bit clunky, but it fits in a backpack. Its battery life isn't long, but it can be supplemented with a power bank.

NASAL SPRAYS

There's some research that suggests that some nasal sprays may be effective in reducing risk of infection by interfering with viruses' ability to bind to your cells.

These sprays are generally affordable, easy to find, and safe. The key ingredient is carrageenan, which is extracted from seaweed. So there are no potential risks or side effects.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging carefully. Here's a video on how to properly use nasal sprays if you've never used them before.

Covixyl is another type of nasal spray that uses a different key ingredient, ethyl lauroyl arginate HCI. It also aims to disrupt viruses' ability to bind to cell walls. Unfortunately, I think it's difficult to obtain outside of the US.

CONCLUSION

None of the methods listed here are foolproof on their own. But by layering them, you can drastically reduce your chances of infection.

The most important layers, by far, are masking and air quality. But you should also stay conscientious when engaging with those layers. Don't let yourself become complacent with rules of thumb, and allow yourself to assess risk and make thought out decisions when situations arise where you might have to take off your mask or enter a high-risk indoor area, such as a hospital.

Remember that the goal is risk reduction. It's impossible to live risk-free, because we live among countless other people. But you can use knowledge and tools to keep yourself as safe as possible.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Do not give them Toys

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

When the human government wished to initiate trade with the Filthrax Conglomerate the Filthrax were understandably cautious. They had always been sensitive when it came to sharing technology with other species. To that end they had an extensive amount of restrictions on what could and couldn’t be traded; excluding much of their more advanced technology from ever reaching the market.

The humans in comparison were technologically inferior to the Filthrax in nearly every aspect so they pictured the humans to heavily lobby for advanced technology to be made available. So it was with some surprise that when negotiations began the humans did not lobby for advanced technology, they instead seemed deeply invested in obtaining the Filthrax toys.

This was not something the negotiators had expected. Research into human culture had showed a deep rooted sense of aggression, towards outsiders and themselves when promoted, which made them believe that the first opening bid would be towards military grade technology.

Sensing the discord, the human diplomats explained that while they would like more advanced technology to be an option, they understood the hesitance and reluctance to trade such dangerous items. They said they would be fine earning the Filthrax’s trust over an extended period of time through trade. It seemed that several human enterprises had their eyes on Filthrax toys and they seemed like a safe enough items to begin trade. The Filthrax agreed and so trade lines were opened between the great powers.

What the aliens saw as a harmless deal was in fact the first foot in the door that could never be closed.

Several million orders for toys were placed almost overnight and the economic boon was felt overnight throughout the Filthrax Conglomerate. None of them understood the fascination humans had with their trinkets but if they were willing to pay then they would be more than happy to sell. It wasn’t until the Nexus Wars began that the Filthrax would come to understand their folly.

The “Nexus” was a series of star systems that held the majority of trade lanes between the core worlds and the far flung resource rich outer zones. Trade through these lanes was deemed to be the most stable for long distance transportation so whoever controlled these regions would make considerable wealth from their stewardship.

Current stewardship fell to the Omicron Empire who had held the systems for the last several hundred years and as such used the profits it generated to fund their empires expansion. The humans wished to control these routes to fund their own imperial ambitions but had never leveled the playing field with the Omicron military to make such a transgression possible.

Then, without warning, the human military launched a series of strikes against Omicron bases and fleets in the Nexus systems triggering the “Nexus War”. The Omicrons raised their fleets and armies and dispatched them to the systems with the full intention of repelling the humans and then carrying on their counter offensive into human space. What they met however was a suddenly technologically advanced human military spouting drastic advances in military equipment not seen.

Human soldiers now carried portable shielding units that blocked everything less than a direct hit from a hover tank, while their ships launched fusion bombs carrying a heavy enough payload to shatter Timbar class battleships in half.

With this new technology, the human military had taken control of half of the Nexus systems within five months of the wars start. Other powers dotting the stars took notice of the sudden prowess of the human military, as well as the calculations predicting that within another five months the Omicron Empire would be driven from the Nexus systems. Some cheered at seeing their old rivals in the Omicron’s brought low, others sent delegations to the human government pledging alliances and treaties, many more came to join the war effort now sensing blood amongst the stars; but to the Filthrax, they quickly came to realize the part they had played in this war.

While Filthrax toys were rather unremarkable, they were unique in the way that their power sources could last an entire lifetime. Through controlled energy distribution, the Filthrax had created a rudimentary power source that, while considered basic in their society, was light years ahead of any neighboring species.

The humans were well aware of this feature.

They knew before negotiations even began that the Filthrax would never part with their advanced weaponry or technology, but they would be willing to part with something they considered nothing more than a toy. Toys that were then torn apart to get to the power source, reverse engineered, and then used to power weapons and machines of human design.

Filthrax toys were now forming the basis for a new galactic power, and they had been fooled into giving them away for nothing more than currency.

The sudden realization sent shockwaves through the upper echelons of the Filthrax. If they admitted this they would be not only be publically humiliated on a galactic scale; but also be portrayed as cobelligerents in the war. Not only that, it would invalidate their own standing treaties with other species which specifically stated they would not trade anything that could be repurposed for war. They could see trade agreements torn asunder for a dozen species with even embargos placed upon their territories. Worse yet was if they did cease trading with the humans the human government could release the information and still black list them to the wider galaxy.

So they sat and watched the war from the sidelines, contemplating that their bobbles may have very well just doomed the universe.

[mariacallous]

Updated vaccines against Covid-19 are coming, just as hospitalizations and deaths due to the virus are steadily ticking up again.

Today, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized new mRNA booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer, and a panel of outside experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend the shots to everyone in the United States ages 6 months and older. Once Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Mandy Cohen signs off on the recommendations and the vaccines are shipped, people can start getting the boosters.

The recommendation is projected to prevent about 400,000 hospitalizations and 40,000 deaths over the next two years, according to data presented at the meeting by CDC epidemiologist Megan Wallace.

This year’s mRNA vaccines are different from the 2022 booster in a key way. Last year’s shot was a bivalent vaccine, meaning it covered two variants: the original one that emerged in China in 2019, plus the Omicron subvariant BA.5, which was circulating during much of 2022. This fall’s booster drops the original variant, which is no longer circulating and is unlikely to return. It targets just the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which was dominant throughout much of 2023.

Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines work by introducing a tiny piece of genetic material called messenger RNA, or mRNA, that carries instructions for making SARS-CoV-2’s characteristic spike protein. Once it is injected, cells in the body use those instructions to temporarily make the spike protein. The immune system recognizes the protein as foreign and generates antibodies against it. Those antibodies stick around so that if they encounter that foreign invader again, they will mount a response against it.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the virus has acquired new mutations in its spike protein and elsewhere. These mutations result in new variants and subvariants that diverge from the original virus. When enough mutations accumulate, these new versions can more easily evade the antibodies created by previous vaccine doses or infections.

The constantly evolving nature of the virus is the reason health regulators decided last year to update the original mRNA vaccines, which were designed against the version of the virus that first appeared in 2019. This year, once again, the virus has changed enough to warrant an updated booster.

In June, an advisory committee to the FDA recommended that this fall’s booster be a monovalent vaccine—targeting only the then-dominant XBB.1.5 subvariant.

At that meeting, committee members reviewed evidence suggesting that the inclusion of the original variant may hamper the booster’s effectiveness against newer offshoots. “The previous bivalent vaccine contained the ancestral spike and thus skewed immune responses to the old spike,” says David Ho, a professor of microbiology at Columbia University whose research, which is not yet peer-reviewed, was among the evidence the FDA panel reviewed. “This is what we call immunological imprinting, and it results in lack of immune responses to the new spike.” He thinks taking out the old variant should optimize the immune response.

But over the past few months, even newer Omicron offshoots have arrived. Currently, EG.5.1, or Eris, is the dominant one in the United States, United Kingdom, and China. Meanwhile, a variant called BA.2.86, or Pirola, has been detected in several countries. Pirola has raised alarm bells because it has more than 30 new mutations compared to XBB.1.5.

Even though the new boosters were formulated against XBB.1.5, they’re still expected to provide protection against these new variants. “The reason is, while antibodies are important in protection against mild disease, the critical part of the immune response that’s important for protecting against severe disease is T cells,” says Paul Offit, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Pennsylvania and member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee.

These cells are a different part of the immune response. Unlike antibodies, which neutralize a pathogen by preventing it from infecting cells, T cells work by eliminating the cells that have already been invaded and boosting creation of more antibodies. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccines produce long-lasting T cells in addition to antibodies.

It’s why, Offit says, when the Omicron wave hit in late 2021 and peaked in January 2022, the US didn’t see a dramatic increase in hospitalizations and deaths even as cases rose significantly: People’s T cells kicked into gear, even when their antibodies didn’t recognize the Omicron variant.

“In some ways,” says Offit, when it comes to vaccine booster development, “it almost doesn’t matter what we pick to target” because the coronavirus has yet to evolve away from T cell recognition. “Everything works.”

Scientists think T cells are able to protect against severe Covid because they’re recognizing parts of the virus that have remained unchanged throughout the pandemic. “I suspect that as we continue to vaccinate, there are some conserved regions [of the virus],” says Jacqueline Miller, Moderna’s head of infectious diseases. “So even with the accumulation of mutations, we’re still building on previous immunity.”

People who have hybrid immunity—that is, have had a Covid infection and have also been vaccinated—seem to have the best immune responses to new variants, she says, which suggests that previous exposure shapes and improves immune responses to new variants. Preliminary studies show that antibodies generated by previous infections and vaccinations should be capable of neutralizing Pirola.

Earlier this month, Moderna issued a press release saying that clinical trial data showed that its updated booster generated a strong immune response against Pirola, as well as the more prevalent Eris variant.

In a statement to WIRED, Pfizer spokesperson Jerica Pitts said the company continues to closely monitor emerging variants and conduct tests of its updated monovalent booster against them. Data presented at Tuesday’s CDC meeting showed that Pfizer-BioNTech’s updated booster elicited a strong neutralizing antibody response against both Eris and Pirola.

The FDA expects that Covid-19 vaccines will continue to be updated on an annual basis, unless a completely new variant emerges that requires a different approach. “We will always be a little behind the virus,” says Ho. “In this instance, we won’t suffer too much, but that might not be the case going forward. Surveillance is imperative.”

[schlattsdoll]

Schlatt from the otk iq test video with school girl reader (praise/corruption kink)🙈

mine. all mine. - jschlatt

fem/afab reader

minors dni

warnings: smut, oral (fem receiving), p in v, unprotected sex, schlatt calls himself daddy, rikki sucks at writing endings

notes: im thinking college au?? innocent!girly!reader x fratboy!schlatt??? inject it into my veins. i felt like a FUCKING GENIUS naming the frat hehe. also this is WAY LONGER than i wanted it to be, i got carried away again

it wasnt his fault you looked so good in your pastels and short skirts, paired excellently with knee high socks. your innocence adding to how badly he had wanted to corrupt you, to ruin you. truthfully, this was meant to be a study date, being paired with jay to do scene from romeo and juliet for an acting class. as you read the lines, your face flushed knowing what came next. sensing your nervousness, schlatt stopped you. "hey, you know we don't have to do this." his hand "unintentionally" on your thigh, rubbing soothing circles. you shook your head, "n-no. we're gonna have too. it's not that i don't want too, y-you're very attractive its just, i uh, i've never done this before."

bingo. something as small as taking your first kiss would be more than enough to satisfy him until he could fully ruin you, make you his.

"i'd be more than willing to help doll." he winked, causing your face to flush again, hiding behind your hands. "don't hide that pretty face from me. i mean it, i won't bite. unless ya ask me too." his hand coming up and holding your chin in his hand. he leans down and kisses you gingerly, a soft moment between you too. as you melt into the kiss, schlatt's hands make their way to your face, holding either side of your cheeks. "wow..." you whispered breathlessly after pulling away, smiling. jay smiled too, "how was that toots?"

"can we do that again?"

you two had practiced the kiss, several more times than needed, each time increasing in force and passion. hands wrapped in each others hair, at one point you wound up in his lap.

thats how you wound up in his bed at the omicron theta kappa (otk) house. your back against his pillows, legs spread and skirt hiked up while he sat between them. his large fingers tracing the wet patch in your pink panties, teasing your soaked core while you wriggled under his touch. "j-johnathan." you whined out breathlessly. "is all this from me kissing you baby? look at you, ever touched yourself before dolly?" you hid your face in your hands ashamed and his smirk grew. "nothing wrong with making yourself feel good baby, lemme make you feel good. can i toots?" he started to pull your underwear down as you nodded your head, words lost in your throat. "use your words doll. i won't do anything unless i hear you say it." you manage to choke out a yes, very weakly. schlatt helps you wiggle out out of the now drenched panties, and smiles down at you. "if it gets too much, let me know."

schlatt takes a headband off his nightstand and pushes his hair back, and tentatively licks your sopping cunt, causing you to bite back a moan. "doll, lemme hear you. wanna hear all the pretty sounds you're gonna make." his mouth returning to your pussy, giving little kitten licks to your clit. normally, he was a complete munch, but he has to hold himself back to not overstimulate you. he brings his hand down to slowly insert a finger into your wet heat. you squirm and a little moan escapes your lips as he smirks once again. "you're so tight baby, gonna have to stretch you out before i can make you mine. that's what you are right, my little dolly?" he leans up to kiss you while he fingers you, tasting yourself on his tongue. he deepens the kiss when he adds a second finger, loving the way you moaned into the kiss. he pulls away to instruct you, "grind your hips down baby. that's it, my good girl."

jay caught how you had reacted to being called that. "oh you liked that didn't you? my good girl, love this tight fuckin pussy. can't wait to taste more of you." his thumb reached up to up to rub your clit, his fingers curling and hitting that sweet spot you've never been able to hit. he felt your walls clench around his fingers and he sped up just a little, "gonna cum for me toots? go on, cum for daddy."

your orgasm hits you like a brick wall, cumming hard around him leaving you breathless. schlatt pulls out his fingers and licks them clean, "so fucking yummy. wanna taste you everyday."

you go to sit up and get on your knees, when he looks at you like a confused puppy. "whatcha doin toots?" you look up at him, "a-aren't i supposed to do something for you now?" his cock twitched in his pants at the thought of ruining your pretty makeup and your pretty glossed lips around his cock, but he was eager to have you a moaning mess under him again. "next time baby, right now it's all about making you feel good. lay back f'me." you listened to the bigger man, laying back down, legs spread again. "such a good girl, listening to me. bet if i asked you to you'd play with that puffy clit again." schlatt pulled down his gray sweatpants and boxers in one fell swoop, so ready to stretch and mold you to his dick. your eyes widened at the sight of him, it was bigger than anything you've seen before in videos. you audibly gasped, stroking his ego. "don't worry doll, i'll be gentle with you. don't wanna break you. not yet at least."

he stroked himself, getting his knees onto the bed and lining himself up with your entrance. he barely put his tip in before you were moaning and writhing under him. slowly, he went in inch by inch, letting out a few guttural grunts and moans himself. "fuckin hell, s'fuckin tight baby. his hand went down to rub your clit gently, and you relaxed a little, letting him slip inside you more. once you gave him the all clear to move, his hips slid back and forward, pulling out just enough to have you whining before sliding back in.

"so good f'me doll. such a good girl, best fuckin pussy i've ever had nd its all mine isnt it? say it. say who you belong to."

you whine at his words, managing a pathetic whine of "you, oh fuck." he smirks and knows what he wants out of you, "say my name baby. fucking say it."

"johnathan!" you borderline screamed as you felt your second orgasm of the night coming on. "that's it, my good girl, cum for me." he felt himself getting close, balls tightening. "fuck, 'm gonna cum." he pulled out and stroked himself until he finished on your thigh with a groan.

running to the bathroom, he grabs a clean washcloth to clean off his sperm and clean off himself. then, he lays down behind you, holding you by the waist close to him. "i wasn't kidding when i said i wanted to make you mine doll. i really do, so whaddya sa? will you be mine?"

"'m yours jay."

as always, my inbox is open!! send in requests 💚

[covid-safer-hotties]

New COVID Variant XEC May Outpace Others This Fall - Published Sept 18, 2024

"The virus is always going to be mutating away from what it was in order to get more efficient at infecting individuals," Adalja said. "So I think this really highlights the fact that a universal COVID vaccine, or some vaccine with different technologies, perhaps a nasal vaccine and using mucosal immunity, all of those things are important."

What if, get this, we prevented covid cases by improving ventilation, mandating air filtration, and wearing masks in public? Wouldn't that accomplish the same goal right now? Every mutation takes us further away from the current scientific fantasy of a universal covid vaccine. We have to stop cases to make this dream a reality.

by Sophie Putka

The new COVID-19 variant XEC may overtake others in circulation to become dominant in the coming months, experts said, but will not prompt a meaningful change in symptoms or vaccine response.

So far, the CDC's variant proportions tracker has not registered enough cases of XEC in the U.S. to report it. (The agency's projected estimates for the 2 weeks ending in September 14 currently show KP.3.1.1 and KP.2.3 as the leading variants, with 52.7% and 12.2% of national cases, respectively.) Another estimate using data from the variant tracker GISAID has XEC at 1.11% of U.S. cases as of September 15, with around 48 sequences reported.

First detected in Germany in June, it's been found mostly in Central Europe, representing 10% of cases, according to the U.K.'s Science Media Centre.

"XEC represents a fairly minor evolution relative to the SARS-CoV-2 diversity currently in circulation, and is not a highly derived novel variant such as those that were granted Greek letters," like Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, Francois Balloux, PhD, a computational biologist at University College London and director of the UCL Genetics Institute, said in a Science Media Centre statement.

Experts noted that while XEC may have a small advantage in transmission, available vaccines are still likely to provide protection from serious illness.

XEC is a "recombinant variant of some of the other Omicron lineages that have been around for a while, and it does appear to be more immune evasive, giving it a transmissibility advantage in the population with the immunity that it has," Amesh Adalja, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, told MedPage Today. "But it doesn't really change anything, just like the last variant didn't change anything, or the one before that, one before that, or the one before that."

Currently available COVID vaccines target slightly different subvariants. The updated mRNA shots aimed at KP.2 from Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax), as well as Novavax's vaccine targeting the JN.1 variant lineage, are still protective against the most serious consequences of COVID infections, experts said.

"If this becomes a dominant variant, it will decrease the efficacy against infection of the updated vaccines, but the updated vaccines will still be durable against severe disease [and] hospitalization, and that's what is really the primary function of our current, first-generation COVID vaccines," Adalja said.

Still, he emphasized, the rapid mutation of the virus underscores a need for a different kind of vaccine than those currently available if the goal is to protect against infection rather than just severe disease.

"The virus is always going to be mutating away from what it was in order to get more efficient at infecting individuals," Adalja said. "So I think this really highlights the fact that a universal COVID vaccine, or some vaccine with different technologies, perhaps a nasal vaccine and using mucosal immunity, all of those things are important."

[feminist-space]

"“It’s not your fault,” I told 16-year-old Cara, whose mother died of a SARS-CoV-2 infection [Cara] gave her. To be clear, the doctor confirmed Cara (not her real name) had passed on the virus and Covid was entered on the death certificate as the cause of death.

Cara’s mother had not been outside their home in the weeks preceding her death.

When masks were dropped in the “Omicron’s mild” phase of the pandemic, Cara continued as the lone masker at school to protect her immunocompromised mother, who was undergoing chemotherapy. It was tolerable until a child psychotherapist said on the national airwaves that some girls would continue to mask anyway “to hide their acne”.

His words were used to bully her. Cara left, but without support from teachers she strugg­led. Her parents pleaded with the school to use the Hepa filter they bought. The school refused.

Cara eventually returned to school unmasked, caught Covid and infected her mam. It killed her. Cara self-harms because she blames herself. She hasn’t been to school since.

Research shows that more than 70pc of Sars-CoV-2 transmission in households started with a child.

The incidence was highest during unmitigat­ed in-person schooling. In a recent paper, Dr Pantea Javidan, of Stanford’s Centre for Human Rights, described the ways children’s rights to life, health and safety during the ongoing pandemic have been falsely rendered oppositional to education and development.

Methods used to manufacture consent to forcibly, repeatedly infect children, according to Dr Javidan, include minimising harms to children (“kids don’t get it or spread it”, “it’s mild”) and moral panic around mental health and educational attainment.

Regarding mental health, in August a study looking at paediatric psychiatric emergencies found school openings – not lockdowns – were associated with an increase in the number of emergency psychiatric visits.

In May, a study found that children with and without congenital heart defects showed increased risks for a variety of cardiovascular outcomes (including cardiac arrest, clots, palpitations) after Sars-CoV-2 infection.

In July, a study found that children and teenagers experienced cognitive impairment 12 months post-Covid infection, consistently correlated with poorer sleep and behavioural and emotional functioning.

Last month alone, several studies were published documenting Covid paediatric harms.

One found that children and adolescents experience prolonged symptoms post-Sars-CoV-2 infection in almost every organ system.

Study co-author Professor Lawrence C Kleinman said: “We have convincing evidence that Covid is not just a mild, benign illness for children. This is a new chronic illness in children. We need to be prepared to deal with it for a generation.”

Another study analysing paediatric and adult hospitalisations found teenagers were at greatest risk of severe disease among all children. Yet another study showed compelling connections between viral infection and subsequent autoimmune disease. Early in the pandemic, some children showed negligible Covid symptoms, only to later develop organ failure.

Researchers found the children’s immune systems had latched on to a part of the coronavirus that closely resembles a protein found in the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes and GI tract and launched a catastrophic attack on their own tissues. “Experts” who claimed asymptomatic paediatric Sars2 infections equals mild were catastrophically wrong.

Covid is consistently a leading cause of US child mortality. Paediatric mortality has increased markedly with each year of the pandemic in the US, UK and elsewhere. In 2022, over six times as many children died from Covid than from flu in the US."

[pandemic-info]

I'm seeing information about the Novavax being formulated for the previous variant and the Moderna and Pfizer being for a more recent one. Is this true and if so, why are so many people trying to get the Novavax?

Hi, glad you asked! Here's a few posts on this:

Graphic (albeit from Novavax, no 3rd-party trials) showing broad neutralization:

Another, thread explaining the above. Particularly:

"Ultimately as the antigenic distance is very close for all major circulating variants, all vaccine options should be very good, and provide good protection against infection and severe disease (even when compared with infection-acquired/natural immunity)."

One more, from NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/08/22/nx-s1-5082372/updated-covid-vaccines-fda-approved

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna ... now target the KP.2 variant ... The Novavax vaccine, which is based on an older technology, targets an earlier strain of the virus called JN.1. As many of us know by now, the virus continues evolving to better evade our immune defense, which means regularly updating the vaccines to keep up with the latest strain. It turns out the KP.2 and JN.1 variants have already been overtaken by newer variants. Because those are also descendants of omicron, the hope is that the new vaccines are close enough matches that they can still boost immunity and protect people in the coming months – ideally reducing the chances of a big winter wave. “The vaccine is not intended to be perfect. It’s not going to absolutely prevent COVID-19," Dr. Peter Marks from the FDA told NPR in an interview. "But if we can prevent people from getting serious cases that end up in emergency rooms, hospitals or worse — dead — that’s what we’re trying to do with these vaccines.”

There's a couple of other points I do not have sources for right now; if anyone would like to reblog and add some or correct this, please do!:

I've read that in the past, for example, flu vaccine efficacy was not necessarily dampened when the vax targeted a "parent". They are in the same lineage, so efficacy should be good.

Analogy (albeit imperfect): using a net vs a spear.

Of course, without more data, we don't know. I would wager that people who choose Novavax nowadays may also be informed on #Layered Protection and prioritize physical barriers (N95 masking) as the first line of defense, with vaccine as secondary bonus, since any of them have a non-negligible % of breakthroughs at this point.

It was different in 2021 when they were first released and showed high efficacy; ~3% breakthrough, if that. Now, I would not in any case rely on Pfizer or Moderna alone, so there's not much of a reason to suffer their ill effects for days.

But bodies are all different. Some people tolerate them well. Some have no other choice. As always, get the one you can, that works for you!

[yoitsjay]

Bestie when I tell you your fast and for what Tech got me feelin some kind of way 😳🫣🤤 like girl please the Tech community is T H I R S T Y!!!! Anyway love your work 💕💗💘 if your not doing anything could I request a Crosshair x y/n who is a former Jedi experiencing love for the first time? Hope you have a good day or night 👋🏼

Omg thank you! So nice to hear good feedback on the fics I write 🤭 I absolutely love your idea, so here we go! Hopefully I did ok, this one kind of stumped me

Yeah?... Good

Pairings: Crosshair x gn jedi! Reader

Summary: you had left the order when you realized how corrupt it became. But your past keeps chasing you and now you find yourself feeling things you've never felt before for a certain clone who doesn't even know you were a jedi... or does he?

Warnings: crosshair kinda loves u right away cuz your so awesome. Yoda is your previous master, white lightsaber, crystal cleansing, italics is a flashback

Word count: 2099

“The Jedi had become so corrupt! We used to be peacekeepers! Now all we do is fight in wars and lead good men to their deaths! I will not be a part of an order that partakes in such violence!”

Those were the last words you had said to the jedi council, before leaving. You left your whole life behind, and had to pick up a new life and build it from scraps.

You tried many things, regular jobs in the city, mechanical work, ship maintenance. Eventually you had saved up enough credits to leave Coruscant and you did, and you had hoped you would never return but you had picked up bounty work, as much as you hated it, and it was bringing you back to Coruscant.

The bounty was actually put up by the republic, a call for extra aid. You were to meet a small batch of elite clones, complete a retrieval mission in separatist space, and return to Coruscant. Returning to this dreaded planet, but as long as nobody recognized you, you would be fine.

You were wearing a decent amount of armor, and a helmet that covered your entire head. It had a voice modulator so if you needed to speak your voice would be distorted. But your end goal was to say as little words as possible.

When you arrived in front of the GAR, you noticed several different ships but one really stood out. It was an omicron class attack shuttle but it looked modified. It was interesting since you had never seen a ship like that before when you were a jedi.

You continued analyzing the exterior of the ship, keeping a decent distance as you were still waiting on a pickup or for someone to come greet you.

“Ain’t she pretty?” A voice called out, and you turned your head slightly. You noticed this man was a clone, but with several different cybernetics, and a scomp on his left arm. You nodded, turning away from the ship to face the man, realizing that more people, helmeted and in clone armor, were standing behind him.

This must have been the elite clone squad.

“You must be the bounty-”

“mercenary.” You cut off, your modulator transforming your voice as it spoke, making it deeper, and more crackly. The cyber man nodded, turning to look at his brothers. “This is the rest of clone force 99, our leader is Sergeant Hunter, and beside him are Tech, Crosshair and Wrecker.” He introduced, pointing to each individual as he said their names.

You nodded again. stepping forward to extend your hand. The men had removed their helmets, and you could see their brief surprise before Hunter shook your hand. And then you extended your hand to Crosshair, who stared at you before scoffing.

You rolled your eyes but lowered your hand. “Y- Spectre.” You spoke up, almost using your name instead of your codename, which you had quickly corrected.

You had picked the name specter since as a mercenary or bounty hunter, you tended to disappear in plain sight, and stir chaos without being seen.

It was probably because of the modifications in your armor, you had a device built into your suit that allowed you to camoflauge no matter where you went,so you basically became invisible when you needed too

“Alright Spectre… We’ll brief you on the mission on the Marauder.” Hunter spoke up and you nodded, staying behind for only a few seconds as they walked forward. Crosshair roughly shoulder checked you as he walked past, but you only glared, giving him no satisfaction of seeing a reaction.

The ship was smaller than any ship you’ve been on, but it seemed to hold five people nicely enough. Once the ship lifted off, Echo had informed the council that they picked up the aid. Yoda was on the transmission, and he stared at you, despite not seeing you… like he could sense your presence.

“Sense something familiar I do… trust the operative, i suggest.” Ypda stated, looking back at Echo. “May the force be with you. Echo.” Yoda finished before the transmission ended. A sigh escaped your lips, but was not heard by the others.

Soon everyone was called into the cockpit, and Hunter pulled up a hologram of… your planet?

You were born on an outer rim separatist planet, your family knew how strong with the force you were, so they had smuggled you off world and basically shipped you to Coruscant and to the Jedi temple. You were only a child, but you always remembered where you came from… But at the time you didn’t understand why they just gave you up. Until you saw the war first hand with your master.

Yoda.

Of course he could sense you, even through a damn hologram. And now you were returning home, to a planet under heavy siege.

You clenched your fists, but zoned into the briefing, not knowing that Crosshair was examining you, seeing you tense up, and breathe a little heavier before clenching your hands and calming down.

There was something about you, something that he couldn’t place.

“So our mission is to destroy the droid factories to limit their creation so Yoda’s battalion can swoop in and take Rystone for the republic. Specter, we’ve been told you can camouflage, and you're highly trained in stealth. So you and Crosshair will be a team and will sneak inside the factory to plant charges along the main support columns.” Hunter explained, and you nodded briefly.

He then went on to task the others, and soon you were readying your weapons. You carried a blaster, and a longer vibroblade that wasn't quite a sword, but wasn’t a standard knife either. You also placed several throwing knives on different points of your armor, having mini knife holsters strapped pretty much between every armor plate.

Crosshair watched you while cleaning his rifle. He couldn’t tell if you were male, or female. Not like it mattered he liked both. But the way your aura had been drawing him in, he almost felt bad shoulder checking you earlier.

Almost.

Once you were done you turned to look at him, tilting your head. “Will you take that helmet off?” He asked, and you shook your head. “No.” You replied swiftly, and Crosshair hummed. “You like knives?” He then asked, and you nodded. “Easier to use than a blaster.” You huffed.

In truth you would much rather use lightsabers. But that was a luxury you couldn’t have any longer.

Soon the Marauder landed on Rystone, and you all made your way to the city, splitting up into groups once you breached the wall. Crosshair led the way to the droid factory, and you did your best to ignore the surroundings of your home planet. But it felt like the force was trying to pull you in a specific direction.

You pushed it away, focusing on the mission as a grunt left your lips. Now comes your part in the mission. You grabbed several charges, leaving the rest with crosshair as your armor and weapons camouflaged and blended in with your surroundings.

You ran, slightly crouched, placing a charge and setting it at every column like you were instructed to Crosshair did what he needed too, and eventually you ran into him again. You disabled the camo and followed him up to a safe vantage point.

Crosshair commed Hunter and told him the charges were set before he turned to look at you, crouched and studying the area. “Why’d you become a mercenary?” He drawled out, and you glanced at him before mulling over your answers.

“Money.” You settled, it was a typical answer, not entirely a lie but not a full truth either. And even with the modulator-

“Hey! intruders!” A droid suddenly shouted, breaking you and Crosshair from what you could assume was a conversation. You grabbed a throwing knife, jumping to avoid blaster fire as you twisted in the air, throwing your knife towards the droid, subtly using the force to direct the blade which landed right into the droid's head. But the alarms were already pulled.

You ran towards the other droids,picking up the knife from the dead droid as you started slicing the other ones. Crosshair laid cover fire if you needed it, but the way you were cutting the droids like butter?

He was kind of in awe of your skill.

Until a droid had grabbed you by your neck, its punch knocking your helmet off your head and onto the ground. Crosshair was too occupied shooting at the droids advancing towards him, but you managed to get out of the droid's grip, slicing its wiring with a secret blade on your wrist.

You fell to the ground, gasping for air as you gripped your throat. The explosions then went off and you winced, But Crosshair was by your side and he was gently helping you to your feet. “I’m okay.” You choked out, ignoring the look he gave you. “yeah?... good.” He muttered, keeping his hand on the small of your back just for a moment before he pulled away.

Hunter then came over the coms and told Crosshair and you to meet at the rondevu point. So from there Crosshair led you out of the droid factory, taking out whatever droids remained from the explosions.

You had tried looking for your helmet but it was knocked over the edge when you were fighting that bigger droid. Crosshair had been… admiring? no, but he was definitely staring at you, analyzing your features that had now been revealed to him.

He thought you were gorgeous. You had a few scars littered across your face but he liked that, he prefered people who weren't afraid to take hits and then wore their scars without being ashamed.

Soon you reached the rondevu point, and the other clones’ eyes widened when they saw you without your helmet, but what was most surprising was that Yoda was standing beside them, a smile on his face almost.

“Ah, I had a feeling it was you, I did… Young one.” Yoda spoke up. You glanced around nervously before allowing yourself to one knee. “Master…” You trailed off, but his tiny hand reached out, and rested on yours. He comforted you, with such a simple gesture. “Strong with the force, you still are. Practicing, have you?” He asked, and you chuckled, nodding with a smile.

Hearing this, Crosshair and the rest of the bad batch were flabbergasted. You were once a jedi, let alone Yoda’s padawan?

regardless they didn’t interrupt, just staring, waiting.

Just then, Yoda pulled out your lightsaber, a dual saber which was your preferred stance. But something was wrong…

“So much anger, you had for the council. Your saber, connected to you it was. For years, it fed on your hate.” Today explained, opening the saber to reveal a red Kyber crystal.

“No longer a jedi, perhaps. But a peacekeeper, you are.” He stated, and you used the force to hold the lightsaber. You closed your eyes, and sighed.

The red of your once vibrant blue crystal started fading, as you let go… of all that sadness and frustration that you held. You cleansed the crystal, until it was white. You then closed up the saber, and it landed in your hands.

“Right you were, always… young padawan.”Yoda spoke up, looking around. “Sense something evil, i do. Trust in the force, and in your new friends, yes?” Yoda asked, and you nodded, standing up to your feet before looking at Crosshair, who had a light smirk playing on his face.

“hell yeah! Do we get a jedi?!” Wrecker exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air with a grin. You looked down at Yoda, who chuckled. You spoke up. “Not quite, but if you’ll have me… i would love to stay.” You stated, and Hunter nodded slowly. “With the way Crosshair looks at you like a piece of candy that should be no problem.” He teased his brother, and you smiled, nodding to Yoda.

“Take back your home, we will.” he stated, and walked away. You sighed, staring down at the lightsaber before you ignited it. one blade at a time.

The white blades hummed with emotion, emotion you channeled and let go as needed.

Not a jedi, not anymore… But a protector of the light. A lover, a fighter, a person.

With a family…

and boy did Crosshair ever make your life exciting.

Even as he tried to kill you on Kaller, now that was fun.

➺

Tag list:

Crosshair:

@nyctophobiart

Tbb:

@moomoog017 @only-my-unexistent-fiances

[mengjue]

What's Happening in China? The November 2022 Protests

Hello! I know that there's so much going on in the world right now, so not everyone may be aware of what is happening in China right now. I thought that I would try to write a brief explainer, because the current wave of protests is truly unprecedented in the past 30+ years, and there is a lot of fear over what may happen next. For context, I'm doing this as someone who has a PhD in Asian Studies specialising in contemporary Chinese politics, so I don't know everything but I have researched China for many years.

I'll post some decent links at the end along with some China specialists & journalists I follow on Twitter (yeah I know, but it's still the place for the stuff at the moment). Here are the bullet points for those who just want a brief update:

Xi Jinping's government is still enacting a strict Zero Covid policy enforced by state surveillance and strict lockdowns.

On 24 November a fire in an apartment in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, killed 10. Many blamed strict quarantine policies on preventing evacuation.

Protests followed and have since spread nationwide.

Protesters are taking steps not seen since Tiananmen in 1989, including public chants for Xi and the CCP to step down.

Everyone is currently unsure how the government will respond.

More in-depth discussion and links under the cut:

First a caveat: this is my own analysis/explanation as a Chinese politics specialist. I will include links to read further from other experts and journalists. Also, this will be quite long, so sorry about that!

China's (aka Xi Jinping's) Covid Policy:

The first and most important context: Xi has committed to a strict Zero Covid policy in China, and has refused to change course. Now, other countries have had similar approaches and they undoubtedly saved lives - I was fortunate to live in New Zealand until this year, and Prime Minister Ardern's Zero Covid approach in 2020-2021 helped protect many. The difference is in the style/scope of enforcement, the use of vaccines, and the variant at play. China has stepped up its control on public life over the past 10 years, and has used this to enforce strict quarantine measures without full regard to the impact on people's lives - stories of people not getting food were common. Quarantine has also become a feared situation, as China moves people to facilities often little better than prisons and allegedly without much protection from catching Covid within. A personal friend in Zhengzhou went through national, then provincial, then local quarantines when moving back from NZ, and she has since done her best to avoid going back for her own mental and physical health. Xi has also committed China to its two home-grown vaccines, Sinovac and Sinopharm, both of which have low/dubious efficacy and are considered ineffective against new variants. Finally, with delta and then omicron most of the Zero-Covid countries have modified their approach due to the inability to maintain zero cases. China remains the only country still enacting whole-city eradication lockdowns, and they have become more frequent to the point that several are happening at any given time. The result is a population that is incredibly frustrated and losing hope amidst endless lockdowns and perceived ineffectiveness to address the pandemic.

Other Issues at Play:

Beyond the Covid situation, China is also wrestling with the continued slowdown in its economic growth. While its economic rise and annual GDP growth was nigh meteoric from the 80s to the 00s, it has been slowing over the past ten years, and the government is attempting to manage the transition away from an export-oriented economy to a more fully developed one. However, things are still uncertain, and Covid has taken its toll as it has elsewhere the past couple of years. Youth unemployment in particular is reaching new highs at around 20%, and Xi largely ignored this in his speech at the Party Congress in October (where he entered an unprecedented third term). As a result of the perceived uselessness of China's harsh work culture and its failure to result in a better life, many young Chinese have been promoting 躺平 tǎng píng or "lying flat", aka doing the bare minimum just to get by (similar to the English "quiet quitting"). The combination of economic issues and a botched Covid approach is important, as these directly affect the lives of ordinary middle-class Chinese, and historical it has only been when this occurred that mass movements really took off. The most famous, Tiananmen in 1989, followed China's opening up economic reforms and the dismantling of many economic safety nets allowing for growing inequality. While movements in China often grow to include other topics, having a foundation in something negatively impacting the average Han Chinese person's livelihood is important.

The Spark - 24 Nov 2022 Urumqi Apartment Fire:

The current protests were sparked by a recent fire that broke out in a flat in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang province. (This is the same Xinjiang that is home to the Uighur people, against whom China has enacted a campaign of genocide and cultural destruction.) The fire occurred in the evening and resulted in 10 deaths, which many online blamed on the strict lockdown measures imposed by officials, who prevented people from leaving their homes. It even resulted in a rare public apology by city officials. However, with anger being so high nationwide, in addition to many smaller protests that have occurred over the past two years, this incident has ignited a nationwide movement.

The Protests and Their Significance:

The protests that have broken out over the past couple of days representing the largest and most significant challenge to the leadership since the 1989 Tiananmen movement. Similar to that movement, these protests have occurred at universities and cities across the country, with many students taking part openly. This scale is almost unseen in China, particularly for an anti-government protest. Other than Tiananmen in 1989, the most widespread movements that have occurred have been incidents such as the protest of the 1999 Belgrade bombings or the 2005 and then 2012 anti-Japanese protests, all of which were about anger toward a foreign country.

Beyond the scale the protests are hugely significant in their message as well. Protesters are publicly shouting the phrases "习近平下台 Xí Jìnpíng xiàtái!" and "共产党 下台 Gòngchǎndǎng xiàtái!", which mean "Xi Jinping, step down/resign!" and "CCP, step down/resign!" respectively. To shout a direct slogan for the government to resign is unheard of in China, particularly as Xi has tightened control of civil society. And people are doing this across the country in the thousands, openly and in front of police. This is a major challenge for a leader and party who have prioritised regime stability as a core interest for the majority of their history.

Looking Ahead:

Right now, as of 15:00 Australian Eastern time on Monday, 28 November 2022, the protests are only in their first couple of days and we are unsure as to how the government will respond. Police have already been seen beating protesters and journalists and dragging them away in vehicles. However, in many cases the protests have largely been monitored by police but still permitted to occur. There seems to be uncertainty as to how they want to respond just yet, and as such no unified approach.

Many potential outcomes exist, and I would warn everyone to be careful in overplaying what can be achieved. Most experts I have read are not really expecting this to result in Xi's resignation or regime change - these things are possible, surely, but it is a major task to achieve and the unity & scale of the protest movement remains to be fully seen. The government may retaliate with a hard crackdown as it has done with Tiananmen and other protests throughout the years. It may also quietly revamp some policies without publicly admitting a change in order to both pacify protesters and save face. The CCP often uses mixed tactics, both coopting and suppressing protest movements over the years depending on the situation. Changing from Zero Covid may prove more challenging though, given how much Xi has staked his political reputation on enforcing it.

What is important for everyone online, especially those of us abroad, is to watch out for the misinformation campaign the government will launch to counter these protests. Already twitter is reportedly seeing hundreds of Chinese bot accounts mass post escort advertisements using various city names in order to drown out protest results in the site's search engine. Chinese officials will also likely invoke the standard narrative of Western influence and CIA tactics as the reason behind the protests, as they did during the Hong Kong protests.

Finally, there will be a new surge of misinformation and bad takes from tankies, or leftists who uncritically support authoritarian regimes so long as they are anti-US. An infamous one, the Qiao Collective, has already worked to shift the narrative away from the protests and onto debating the merits of Zero Covid. This is largely similar to pro-Putin leftists attempting the justify his invasion of Ukraine. Always remember that the same values that you use to criticise Western countries should be used to criticise authoritarian regimes as well - opposing US militarism and racism, for example, is not incompatible with opposing China's acts of genocide and state suppression. If you want further info (and some good sardonic humour) on the absurd takes and misinfo from pro-China tankies, I would recommend checking out Brian Hioe in the links below.

Finally, keep in mind that this is a grass-roots protest made by people in China, who are putting their own lives at risk to demonstrate openly like this. There have already been so many acts of bravery by those who just want a better future for themselves and their country, and it is belittling and disingenuous to wave away everything they are doing as being just a "Western front" or a few "fringe extremists".

Links:

BBC live coverage page with links to analysis and articles

ABC (Australia) analysis

South China Morning Post analysis

Experts & Journalists to Check Out:

Brian Hioe - Journalist & China writer, New Bloom Magazine

Bonnie Glaser - China scholar, German Marshall Fund

Vicky Xu - Journalist & researcher, Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Stephen McDonnell - Journalist, BBC

M Taylor Fravel - China scholar, MIT

New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre - NZ's hub of China scholarship (I was fortunate to attend their conferences during my PhD there, they do great work!)

If you've reached the end I hope this helps with understanding what's going on right now! A lot of us who know friends and whanau in China are worried for their safety, so please spread the word and let's hope that there is something of a positive outcome ahead.

[indigofyrebird]

Fresh Ink

word count: 1,035

rated G

for the @summer-of-bad-batch prompt "just when were you planning on telling us that?"

The tightly knit batch of brothers sat together over dinner. Wrecker and Hunter and Crosshair and Tech. Wrecker sat on the outside acting as protection from any bullies that might prod at them. Tech was the smallest, large eyes behind even larger goggles. He sat on the inside. Tech was the smallest and Wrecker was the biggest. Biggest in stature with a loud booming voice. Yesterday, one of the reg cadets had tried to steal a bran muffin straight off Crosshair's tray, and Wrecker had stood up, flexing his large biceps, looming over the thief until he backed down. Next to Tech, Crosshair was the smallest. A skinny boy, his legs had begun to grow longer recently, and he was taller than his littlest brother now. Hunter was somewhere in the middle. Hunter, who had started growing his hair out and had somehow gotten away with it, so far. 

They had graduated from Advanced last week and had been given their own ship. Tech had, of course received top marks in flight and had immediately claimed the ship as his own. He would be their pilot, it was his ship. None of his brothers argued with him, happy to let him take charge in that area. 

He had flown it twice now, and the total exhilaration he had felt behind the controls had been unmatched. After flying it for the first time, Hunter had had to order him to bed. He was so excited after that he had paced their small barracks, string of words going a mile a minute. Even after lying in bed, he stared wide eyed at the bunk above him. His heart felt like it was going to come out of his chest with the excitement of it. 

"Tech." Hunter said from the top bunk. "I can hear you thinking. Go. To. Sleep." 

"I am sorry, Hunter, but I cannot shut off my brain that easily. I want to fly it again. It was amazing, wasn't it? Did you see how it responded to the slightest pull? She is a beautiful ship. Don't you think? I have chosen a name for her. The Marauder. The Havoc Marauder. She will take us to so many new places. She will broaden our world." 

Hunter sighed. "It is a nice ship."

"Hunter, nice does not even begin to describe it. She is a modified Omicron class attack shuttle. The finest I have ever flown. Well, the only one I have ever flown...but most definitely the finest."

"Goodnight, Tech."

"Goodnight, Hunter." When Tech finally fell asleep, he dreamed of flying. 

****

Their very first mission had been a success. Tech had expertly piloted their escape, his skills already becoming fine-tuned. After a scheduled medical examination, he had taken a detour before dinner. His brothers didn't question him, but they had all noticed his delay. 

Crosshair watched him closely the rest of the night, attempting to figure out what he had been up to. 

Dinner had been the same. Same food, same bullies. Tonight, one of their main antagonists had grabbed for Tech's goggles. The regs all knew about their recent acquisition and were obviously jealous. "Heard you got your own ship, Four Eyes." He pulled the strap holding his goggles in place, snapping it against Tech's head while they stood in line for food. Crosshair stepped in front of Tech with a snarl, his lips open, showing teeth. Hunter attempted to lower his voice to a raspy gravel. "Kriff off." Wrecker was the deciding vote, his size and intense stare causing the smaller cadet to back down. 

"Whatever. No one cares about your stupid ship anyway." 

Tech rubbed the back of his head where the strap had stung. 

After dinner, he lounged quietly in his bunk. He caught Crosshair's eyes on him several times, and he pretended to ignore him, scrolling through his datapad. When it was time for bed, he changed in the 'fresher instead of in their barracks as they usually did. Crosshair noticed right away and cornered him. "What is going on? I know you're hiding something." Hunter and Wrecker turned to watch. 

"It's nothing, leave me alone, Cross." Tech folded his arms over his chest. 

"No." Their sniper said. "Come on, give it up, Tech. You can tell us."

"Yeah, you can tell us!" Wrecker joined in. 

Hunter stood. He was torn between curiosity and defending his littlest brother. Curiosity won. "Ok, Tech, what's up? That's an order." He used his Sergeant voice. 

Tech looked up at his brothers, his expression behind his large goggles distressed. He set down his datapad and lifted his top slowly. "I just love her so much..." he trailed off. 

His brothers stared at his bare chest. On his left pectoral muscle, above his heart was inked the words H A V I C  M A R A D E R. His skin around the fresh tattoo was red. 

"Just when were you planning on telling us? Hmm?" Crosshair asked.

"That..that's not how you spell..." Hunter's mouth fell open. 

"I KNOW!" Tech shouted, pulling his top back down quickly. He threw himself onto his bunk, face burrowing into his pillow. 

Wrecker wanted to sit by him but Hunter tapped his shoulder, nodding his head in the opposite direction. "Let's give him a minute," he said. 

****

Weeks had passed, and one day, Crosshair brought back a small kit from another successful mission. Opening it on the work bench, he began taking the tools out, laying them beside the case. His brothers crowded around to see what it was. Crosshair picked up what looked like a miniature blaster. "It's a tattoo gun," he said. It came with one color ink: black. 

"So I can fix that" he indicated Tech's chest. 

When he was finished, the tattoo looked good. He had been able to fix the spelling and had added a little outline of a heart at the end of the words. 

Tech admired it in the mirror. "Thank you, Crosshair. It looks very good." 

Hunter cleared his throat. "How much ink is in that thing?" He ran his fingers over the left side of his face. "I was thinking maybe you could do one on me..."

For the @summer-of-bad-batch prompt "just when were you planning on telling us that?"

I'm sorry for the weird font. I copy/pasted from ao3 and this is how it comes out. I am not skilled enough to fix it without screwing it up!

[probablyasocialecologist]

There is an assumption made, particularly reinforced by the media, that Long Covid is a temporary illness for most. There is no evidence to support this. Some improve and some show little or no sign of improvement, years later. Part of the confusion with Long Covid is definitional. It ranges from post-viral syndrome that clears up after a period of months to severe disability and serious health complications. Roulette is being played with the health of millions. It’s also a lonely experience that isolates you from loved ones and the rest of society, where you face persistent gaslighting and little medical support.

In the UK, 2,300,000 people have Long Covid with 514,000 people reporting Long Covid for more than two years, and 1,100,000 for more than a year, according to the latest ONS data. 438,000 people have developed Long Covid since Omicron so far, representing 24% of total Long Covid patients. Unsurprisingly, this is fuelling labour shortages. Currently around 32,000 children have had it for at least twelve months. In the US, since Omicron, infants are now being hospitalised at a higher rate than the over 75s. Globally, 144 million are conservatively expected to have Long Covid. This is a mass disabling event with multiple unknown long term consequences. These people are now deemed surplus, as so many disabled people are by capitalist society. As of June there were 10,000 NHS staff off sick with Long Covid for more than 3 months and many others burnt out. The NHS in England, Scotland and Wales has also recently decided to end indefinite sick pay for healthcare workers suffering from Long Covid. Healthcare workers with Long Covid have been abandoned.

Alex Heffron, Covid is dead! Long live Covid!

[turtlesandfrogs]

Hopeful covid news for once!

"In total, the team obtained six antibodies that could neutralize multiple coronaviruses, including COVID-19, its variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, the original SARS virus, along with multiple other animal coronaviruses transmitted from bats and pangolins...

The researchers found that the most powerful antibody, named E7, was able to neutralize both SARS and COVID-19, animal sarbecoviruses, as well as new COVID-19 variants, such as Omicron XBB.1.16.

E7 was shown to target a region of the coronavirus’ spike protein and blocked the shape-shifting process the virus requires to infect cells and cause illness, the study notes.

“The (neutralizing) potency and breadth of the E7 antibody exceeded any other SARS-related coronavirus antibodies we’ve come across,” said Chia.

“It maintained activity against even the newest Omicron subvariants, while most other antibodies lose effectiveness.”The researchers found that the most powerful antibody, named E7, was able to neutralize both SARS and COVID-19, animal sarbecoviruses, as well as new COVID-19 variants, such as Omicron XBB.1.16.

E7 was shown to target a region of the coronavirus’ spike protein and blocked the shape-shifting process the virus requires to infect cells and cause illness, the study notes.

“The (neutralizing) potency and breadth of the E7 antibody exceeded any other SARS-related coronavirus antibodies we’ve come across,” said Chia.

“It maintained activity against even the newest Omicron subvariants, while most other antibodies lose effectiveness.”

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Health Canada has authorized an adapted vaccine from Novavax to prevent COVID-19 in people age 12 and older.

Novavax's product — Nuvaxovid XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant COVID-19 vaccine — uses a more traditional approach to defend the body against severe infection, hospitalization and death.

It is also authorized as a booster for those 18 and older, according to Health Canada's webpage.

Novavax said it expects to have doses available across the country. 

Novavax's first vaccine to protect against COVID-19, known as Nuvaxovid, was authorized for use in Canadians 18 and over by Health Canada in February 2022. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada