Heart Attacks and COVID-19

From just the last few days, either heart attacks have completely disappeared, or are 20x more common in New York City?  Sounds like people are having more heart attacks and they are all dying.

First, from Salon:

First responders suspect “crazy increase in cardiac deaths” in NYC is linked to COVID-19

Emergency responders say the poor are dying of COVID-19 in their homes, and appear to be missed in pandemic tallies

And from the New York Times:

Where Have All the Heart Attacks Gone?

 

New Orleans and COVID-19

I’m with the author on this.  I consider myself way ahead of the curve (I like to panic early and get it over with) but I never thought Mardi Gras would be a problem at the time.  I do remember St Patrick’s Day parade gatherings (the parades were cancelled) looking like a bad idea, but that was individuals.  But hey, we still have people in my neighborhood who clearly don’t understand Social Distancing, even today.

New Orleans’ Vibe Mid-Coronavirus, Post Mardi Gras

 

Asimov Quote

I met Asimov when I was an undergraduate.  The thing I remember most about him was his crazy sideburns and his trying (unsuccessfully) to make off with my girlfriend.  Maybe because of that unfortunate encounter I never read any of his books.  I keep thinking of one of his quotes today.  Didn’t realize it was his but I will give credit where credit is due.

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.

Isaac Asimov

The Revolution

This turned up in my feed a few days ago and I ignored it.  I don’t click on click bait articles (well,  I try not to) and lately I ignore articles with my sort of prediction for the future.  This one felt very ignorable.  But out of boredom I gave it a click.  A good read. Taught me a lot about the French Revolution, something that has always interested me but that seemed too complicated to get a grip on without reading one of those thick history tomes. Hmm. Maybe my next book will be a history book on the French Revolution.

The Revolution Is Under Way Already

Far from making Americans crave stability, the pandemic underscores how everything is up for grabs.