As the world approaches 250MM confirmed cases of Covid-19 and surpasses 5 million confirmed dead, a new wave of coronavirus hits Europe. The COP 26 conference in Scotland is hosting more than 30,000 delegates to the convention on climate change, and it will probably precipitate another global outbreak. An article in the Guardian predicts 500,000 more deaths by January.
The Mu variant, first identified in Colombia, has now been shown in a paper in the NEJM to be 1.5 times more resistant to vaccine-induced antibody neutralization and 2.0 times more resistant to convalescent serum. This is worrying. We are scheduled to receive booster doses of vaccine, but that won't happen until 6 months post-vaccination; mine was June 23 so I have to wait until Christmas.
Meanwhile, our sweet kitty Cinquo has squamous cell carcinoma in his jaw. Today he couldn't eat much anymore. He just cannot chew. He cannot clean himself and he has been stumbling. Today, he kept coming to my office and asking me to help him. This is his last day before crossing that rainbow bridge. That's probably why I saw so many rainbows while out walking today. My little loverboy will be no more. RIP Cinquo. The gentlest cat I ever knew. I will miss you sorely.
