Vaccine Headaches

 March 19, 2021

A return to Daylight Saving Time is a mood-booster. Spring has arrived. The garden, after a most welcome rainy spell, looks vibrant, blooms and blossoms releasing heady fragrances. 

Such exquisite beauty and scents despite no fussing from us

Emerald slopes and fields in our area make pre-dinner strolls especially pleasurable. We know a dry April would quickly transform the lushness to tans and browns, so we revel in this ephemeral luxury. 

The Covid landscape has changed remarkably since the arrival of vaccines and President Biden. Now the USA appears better poised to overcome Covid than Canada and Europe. Given America's economy and vast resources, coupled with proper leadership, this shouldn't be surprising. We're still at the high plateau of close to 60,000 new daily infections. The B117 and a New York variant threaten progress. In fact, some states (like Michigan and New Jersey) are seeing an increase in daily new infections. As more and more states loosen Covid protocols, the CDC and health experts urge caution. We are neck and neck in the race between variants and vaccines. Look at Europe, they warn.

Europe's third wave is alarming. Germany, France, Italy battle with staggering new infections. Ongoing issues with AstraZeneca hampers progress. After a weeklong pause in vaccination due to reports of blood clotting in a handful of patients, Europe has resumed the process. Paris is in lockdown again, as is all of Italy and parts of Germany. With the B117 variant on a rampage and a sluggish vaccination pace it may take many months before the tide turns.

Meanwhile, here in Southern California, we inch toward normal everyday. Last Saturday we enjoyed a superb dinner with our friends Marty and Barb on their back terrace. Though each couple sat at a separate table, it was a far more relaxed and enjoyable social evening than we'd had in a year. On Sunday morning, after an invigorating walk across More Mesa and down to the beach, then back up the many steps, we shopped at the Goleta farmer's market. It's asparagus season and locally grown, freshly picked spears are the best! We picked up early season strawberries too. Out in public like that, interacting with vendors, gave Daryl a high. Much deserved too. He's been ultra disciplined with Covid protocols in the past year. Plus he's online teaching required much effort and time. Now it's exam week of winter quarter and after that a teaching free spring quarter.

A week ago Governor Andrew Cuomo was under the media spotlight due to complaints from several women of sexual harassment. Coupled with his fudging data about Covid deaths at nursing homes in New York state, it seemed likely that he would resign. This week, while an impeachment investigation is in the works, I haven't seen any coverage of Cuomo. Our governor, Gavin Newsom, is in trouble too. A recall petition has been filed by right wing idiots angry at him for shutting down the economy when the coronavirus was widely spread in California. This petition would've fizzled out, but for the unfortunate Laundry House dinner that Newsom attended, which became ammunition and helped them gather the requisite number of signatures. I am infuriated that the recall process is now on its way to becoming official. A costly process, unnecessary, and I believe there are enough sane Californians to ensure that our governor keeps this job. 

But let me just state that the main question on my mind everyday is: Will I be vaccinated in April?

Covid News Increasingly Upbeat in the USA

 March 3, 2020

Late yesterday (Mar 2) President Biden announced an assurance that there will be sufficient vaccines for every American by the end of May. A total mood booster. We can look forward to a somewhat normal summer that involves travel.

But the CDC has again reminded the public and state leaders to be mindful of the variants of concern. The governor of Texas - Greg Abbot - in open defiance of the warning lifted the mask mandate of a state still seeing high new daily infections. This pandemic has certainly been an education on human behavior.

March 8

According to Michael Osterholm, a leading infectious disease expert, we are now in the eye of the hurricane. A month ago the B117 variant comprised 1 - 4% of Covid cases. It's now the virus strain in 30-40% of cases. The turning point, he says, is 50% and then cases could shoot up again, like it did in Europe. France and Italy continue to battle with a stubborn plateau of over 20,000 new daily cases. The race is on between vaccinating and worrisome virus mutants. New York's newly sequenced mutant is cause for concern too. Meanwhile, more states are loosening restrictions. People are letting down their guard. On a hike up the Bill Wallace trail on Saturday late afternoon we were astonished at the fully occupied campground and RV Park at the trailhead. Multifamily groups, unmasked, gathered close together, totally ignoring the pandemic! Annoyingly, one such cluster (covidiots!) hung out on a section of the trail, oblivious to our need to get past them safely! Is it any wonder that suppression of the virus has been such a struggle!

Air travel is on the increase Schools in our area are now open (within CDC guidelines). This morning I saw kids with their bouncing backpacks on the school campus across Stow Grove Park. A strange and beautiful sight. The roads are full of traffic like normal times. People keep asking when will life return to normal. Obviously, it'll be a gradual process. And each new day I'm seeing it in action. If vaccination wins over the variants - to be revealed in 3 weeks - then we are surely on a one way road to normal times. Amazingly, the USA for the first time since last summer, isn't the worst performing country. Brazil is currently the global epicenter and yesterday recorded twice as many daily new cases (80,000) as the USA. California continues to improve, now in 4th position of new daily infections. New York has become the US epicenter again and their numbers are worrying.

The CDC has issued guidelines for fully vaccinated people. They can now mix with other fully vaccinated people indoors, unmasked. Makes me even more impatient for my vaccine shots! Currently, essential workers - educators and those in the food industry - are receiving their shots. Next will be below 65's with health issues. My age group will follow. That could happen by the end of this month.

March 11

How wonderful it is to wake up to uplifting events and news! A storm system in our area has dumped over an inch of rain in the last couple days. After 5 dry weeks of springlike temperatures at a critical part of our rainy season, it's a thrill to see, smell and hear precious rain. Fruit trees, about to burst into blossom, have a shot at a healthy spring growth. Our garden is suffused with spring scents - citrus blossoms, wisteria, lavender, jasmine. How lucky we are to step out the house and into such beauty everyday!

President Biden scored a huge win with the American Rescue Plan signed into law. Republicans obstinately refused to vote for it so it past Congress on strict party lines. Sigh! An infusion of close to $2 trillion into the economy is geared toward special programs to rescue low income communities. More ambitious and far reaching than previous relief programs, this law could well seal Biden's legacy.

It's been a year since the WHO declared Covid 19 a pandemic. A year since worldwide lockdowns. A year since I've eaten at a restaurant and swam at the gym pool. It's a great feeling to know that we're inching closer to the end. Dr. Fauci et al still express concern at the high daily infections, with only a slight drop from the previous week. Travel over Spring break is discouraged. The potential for another surge exists. Europe appears to be in worse shape than us. Parts of Italy will go into lockdown over Easter weekend. Germany's case numbers appear to fluctuate. Vaccination obstacles continue. Latin America is currently the hardest hit part of the world. They need help. We need to fix our situation and then send resources to the developing world urgently.

President Biden commemorated the pandemic's sombre anniversary by delivering his first prime time address to the nation since inauguration day. Hope was the theme on this 50th day of his presidency. Pleas for unity, patience, and vigilance were accompanied by assurances of vaccine availability. He has ordered states to open up the vaccination queue to every American adult by May 1. Yippee! He set July 4 as a goal when families can gather together and celebrate. Biden's agenda has been surprisingly progressive and courageous. A glorious end to one of the best days in a year.

Vaccines and the Covid Trajectory

 02/22/2021

The date looks pretty today!

On this spring-like day (still no sign of rain) the mood out here in California is positive. A 5 week decline of new Covid infections fills us with hope. As increasing numbers are vaccinated - farm workers in our area have started receiving their shots - another surge appears unlikely. Much of California is still in the purple tier. Our county hasn't yet met the criteria for entry into a less restrictive tier. We're sure to get there soon. 

Today, President Biden paid respects to the 500,000 lives lost to the pandemic. He's such a decent gentleman. It's clear that his daily calendar is crammed with actions addressing the nation's problems.

The topic of opening up schools in California is being hotly debated. Both the left and the right are pressuring Gavin Newsom. The right are using school closures to strengthen their argument to recall the governor. But teachers' unions are sticking to their demands that teachers should be prioritized for vaccination and school campuses need to comply with Covid safety measures. The CDC has issued guidelines on safely opening up schools. Low case numbers are a criterion and our state isn't there yet. Newsom has expanded opportunity for teachers to be vaccinated. However, vaccine inventory is low so there's only so much he can do! In another 2 months vaccine supply is expected to be robust. By then the school year will be almost over. Hence the urgency.

Feb 23

When I opened my eyes this morning the bedroom was bright. Winter is definitely out the door. A spell of summer temperatures is unnerving. Rain, please!

When I looked at CNN's live updates (as I do every morning and periodically through the day) gloomy coronavirus forecasts were replaced by vaccination progress around the globe. Each new day, another country begins its vaccination program. Companies have committed to production levels that more or less guarantees summer travel. At this point international travel is still uncertain. Boris Johnson predicts the UK could see a return to normal life by the end of June. We hope to visit family in England in August, but if things go wrong, we are sure we'll be able to go on a car trip up north into Oregon, visiting and staying with friends along the way. We'll be in Berkeley on Sabbatical in the fall and we're very excited about that. That we can even entertain these prospects says a lot about where we are in the pandemic.

Compared to December/January numbers, the steep decline is most heartening. New covid infections today: USA 59,000; California 5,000; South Africa 800

February 26

Currently, there's much media discussion about the pandemic's trajectory. What will spring, summer and fall look like? Spring appears to be the big question mark, mainly due to variants of concern. The California variant has troubling mutations. It was this variant that drove our horrendous November/December surge. Since genomic surveillance has been minimal, it was only after the UK and South Africa sounded alarm bells over their variants of concern that domestic mutations were observed. These mutants have spread nationwide. Experts are worried that the Covid picture could change in March as a result. So, of course we can't sit back and relax and believe current trends will hold. In fact, this week new daily infections nationwide have hit a plateau of around 72,000. Still a frightening number. In California our downward trend continues and our 14 day positivity rate is 2.9%. That elicits a huge sigh of relief. We are sure to move to the red tier soon. In fact, Santa Barbara elementary schools are opening up for in person teaching on March 1. Huge step.

The good news could continue, or the variants could play havoc with us for a while until vaccinations ramp up.

Summer, according to pieces I've read in The Atlantic and The New York Times, is likely to be normal. Herd immunity through vaccinations is expected by July if the vaccine companies stick to their commitments.

Fall is expected to be largely normal. Winter could be like pre-pandemic times. But since children won't be inoculated until late in the year, an optimistic scenario can't be guaranteed. Also, other countries may experience vaccine shortages and as long as the virus is still out there question marks will remain.

The situation in the EU block looks surprisingly worrisome. France leveled off at 20,000 new daily infections (too high) and then in the last day or two are seeing a rise. Germans aren't flocking to their vaccination centers for the AstraZeneca jabs. Bad press in January is blamed. More surprising, Angela Merkel is declining this vaccine, citing her age. What is going on? Germans are demanding their homegrown Pfizer vaccine and are asking why it isn't available to them?

Nobody in the US is talking about the AstraZeneca vaccine. What's the status of our trials? Have we ruled it out?

March 1

The ongoing warm spell has us convinced that spring is here - too early. Our patio furniture is out of storage. Premi and Sri joined us for dinner which they provided (exquisite curries, methi roti, dhal makni) and it definitely felt like we were at a new stage of the pandemic. I was the only one of the 4 of us not yet vaccinated. This could change in another 2 months. Not wishful thinking according to the news articles about companies promising deliveries in the next weeks and months. The Johnson and Johnson vaccines are on trucks today on their way to vaccination sites all over the country. In California it's likely that teachers will be vaccinated before the end of March.

It's gratifying to wake up to sunny news and positive assurances each new day. However, the CDC has been expressing concern at the leveling off of Covid trends nationwide. Of greater concern is that the daily new infections are still too high - close to 70,000 - which back in the fall had us freaking out. In fact, new infections in New York, Texas and Florida are rising. This is the month that will determine the impact of the variants with concerning mutations. Epidemiologists are expecting a surge. But it won't be like winter. The worst is behind us. Many of the most vulnerable are now vaccinated and another large number have natural immunity. A month from now a bigger chunk of the population will be vaccinated.

In summary, one more month of either uncertainty or gloom, before the picture brightens. I can do it!

Covid Trends Looking Hopeful

February 15, 2021

Though we aren't into fluffy holidays like Valentine's Day we actually had a beautiful day with minimal effort. Sunny, mild weather was ideal for a long beach stroll. Refugio Beach has become our favorite choice because it's never busy and we can completely relax. The tide was at its lowest when we arrived late in the day and this allowed us to walk further than we'd ever done. A massive dolphin pod put on a show, enhancing the glorious setting. We could've walked all the way to El Capitan, but daylight was rapidly fading. Sunset at around 5:50 was magnificently romantic, capping a memorable 5 mile stroll.

At home we drank chilled, fizzy Crémant with a meal of plant based cutlets, roasted broccolini, and pasta tossed in sautéed leeks and spinach. The dessert was decent too - apple pie and ice cream. For evening entertainment we started Season 2 of "My Brilliant Friend". Season 1 made a huge impression on us. Such an exquisite execution with a stellar cast.

I shopped at Trader Joe's a few days ago for the first time in two months. What a thrill to glide up and down aisles and re-acquaint myself with old favorites! Made me realize that a return to normal life, when we're able to go wherever we want, will more than make up for sacrificing international travel for another year.

Everyday I browse the latest articles in The Atlantic. There's always so much good stuff available. Yesterday I enjoyed reading a discussion held by a group who've been reporting on Covid for the magazine. The theme was whether we can now be optimistic that things will keep improving. The takeaway was that if current safety protocols remained there will be dramatic improvement toward a post-pandemic future. However, red state governors are already loosening restrictions and removing mask mandates. Then, there are the variants. Some experts are predicting the B117 will become dominant in the USA in March.

We'll know much more in March.

Mum updated me this morning on South Africa's vaccine handwringing. They're attempting to sell the AstroZeneca supply they'd received from India, an April expiry date lending urgency. They will roll out the Johnson and Johnson candidate next week and are hopeful about continued new supplies to allow them to vaccinate everyone before the end of the year. Their protocols during the December surge appear effective gauging from continued positive trend lines.

Mum also remarked on a spike in the price of ginger and garlic. Everyone there believes these condiments offer Covid protection causing a capitalistic supply/demand situation. Mum was pleased to have acquired a bulk amount of ginger from a door to door vendor from the farming area of Weenen. She's been drinking turmeric stirred into diluted milk everyday too.

There's been much media hype in South Africa around Ivermectin for treating Covid. Here, in the US, nobody is saying much about this drug due to a lack of conclusive or compelling studies. Licensing and patenting laws have prevented production of Ivermectin in South Africa and this has led to a blackmarket. Now they are being warned of probable harmful ingredients in the products acquired via the blackmarket.

February 17

This pandemic period is unfolding like a suspenseful plot driven novel. Tension never lets up. Good news always accompanied by some new stressful development. This week, as our Covid infections decline and increasing numbers of people are receiving their vaccine shots, a severe snowstorm has crippled a large swathe of the country. Texas is especially badly hit, due to damage to its power grid. Much of the state is without power right when they are in the midst of freezing and below freezing temperatures. Vaccinations have to be halted. Vaccine deliveries have also been hampered, slowing down the process nationwide.

The West Coast has been spared from that nasty storm system. Instead, our days are warm and sunny. The air is infused with spring scents - blossoms and blooms typical of late February. Asparagus season has just started and it's on our menu tonight. 

No sign of rain, though, and that is dispiriting. We'll have to accept that this will be another dry winter. Five of the last 20 winters have been dry. We ought to reconcile ourselves to the unpleasant reality that this part of California is more desert than we'd like to admit.

A happy news item today was the smooth landing of a news Mars rover called Perseverance. We watched the live reactions of the NASA/JPL team while it happened and their joy boosted our moods. A reminder of what life is like when it isn't dominated by the pandemic or by politics. 

South Africa received its shipment of Johnson and Johnson vaccine and immediately went to work jabbing health care workers. Because it's officially a trial they didn't have to wait for approval from government regulators. If the researchers are satisfied with this candidate they'll move forward with full implementation of their phased program.

It's a great feeling to be on the other side of our 2nd wave, to see infection rates drop to manageable numbers. A practical effect is that I can shop at grocery stores in person again. I'll still choose to go at opening time when it's quiet. I'll still be cautious in my daily activities. A month from now life may be a whole lot better. But it could well be worse. Lower numbers lead to loosening of protocols which quickly returns us to an unsafe state.

There's discussion about opening up schools. Such a tricky issue. Of course it's best for kids and for parents and for society for schools to open up. Teachers ought to have inoculation priority over the 65 to 75 year olds. That demographic is retired and can stay home safely. I guess it will be ongoing battle to determine how to prioritize who gets the vaccine next.

Pandemic Woes

 02/02/21

Browsing the headlines every morning bestows little assurance of an imminent rosy scenario. Vaccine hiccups and more transmissible mutants dominate Covid news. Meanwhile daily new infections everywhere are on a decline and restrictions are loosening. The peaks in California and the USA had been so high that we still have a long way to go to return to pre November numbers. In January we recorded the highest number of Covid deaths than any other month. Not a great start to 2021, but unlike a year ago, we can justifiably expect things to get better. More vaccines will soon be authorized for use and production of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are ramping up. The Biden administration is hard at work addressing the issues.

South Africa received its first vaccine shipment yesterday (Feb 1, 2021). A million doses of the AstroZeneca vaccine from India which has one of the world's biggest vaccine manufacturing facilities. There was much excitement in the country with this news dominating the headlines and conversations. The country's declining new Covid infections has been heartening and has led to a loosening of restrictions.

In other news, the Republican party is wrestling with their identity. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a newly elected Congresswoman, has been making bizarre assertions about 9/11, school shootings and the Clintons and Mitch McConnnell was forced to condemn her. Now the Senate is getting ready for Trump's impeachment trial. It's been blissful not hearing from Trump, but the trial next week will, unfortunately, return him to the spotlight.

Feb 7, 2021

Disappointing news from South Africa. Results from an AstroZeneca trial conducted by Wits University show that this vaccine is ineffective in preventing mild to moderate infection against the B.1.351 variant which is now dominant in the country. Rollout of this vaccine now has to be halted while the country's experts figure out next steps. In a live Webinar broadcast on national TV a panel of experts provided information about the latest findings of current vaccine candidates, which, on the whole, aren't great. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine appears to prevent serious illness and will be rolled out to healthcare workers in a controlled measure. While the vaccine companies have provided assurances that booster shots will be available by the fall, the delay is a downer.

Here, in California, hospital and ICU capacity is no longer a concern. It's such a relief to be past our peak. I haven't been inside a grocery store for 2 months now. We're managing pretty well. Sprouts, Albertsons and Ralphs all have convenient online shopping portals and deliver to your car at a scheduled time. But I can't wait for a stable phase when I can physically enter Trader Joe's and select items. Don't know if that will happen before I get vaccinated. Variants of concern could gain a foothold here and mess up our trend lines. The March to May period is uncertain. Vaccine manufacturing can only occur at a certain speed and it'll be late spring before many of us will be offered our first shot. 

Covid has hijacked my dreams at night. Once I dreamt I was in a crowd where everyone was masked except me and they were all giving me nasty looks. In a different dream I was masked in a public area close to people who were totally oblivious of safety measures. The latest vaccine news and other Covid data gets incorporated into my dreams. Always, there's anxiety. So even though daily life is smooth the unstable state of the world is very much in my consciousness.

Last March when we first went into lockdown we upgraded our home entertainment, adding Acorn TV to our streaming menu. We've seen some excellent series produced and set all over the globe. We just finished Season 2 of a heartwarming BBC series called "The Indian Doctor". Uncannily, the 5 episodes which were made about 10 years ago, brought up the very issues we are currently dealing with and it's like watching a microcosm of today's Covid world. A smallpox outbreak in the Welsh village where the story is set places the doctor in the role of Cassandra. The resistance he faces, especially from the newly arrived priest, mirrors current challenges thrown at government leaders and health experts. Interesting! 

Meanwhile, the days are lengthening and the recent storm has livened up the garden and mountain slopes. The worst of winter is behind us. 

Feb 9, 2021

Today's news dominated by the start of Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. Trying to tune it out. His absence from our lives has been blissful but in the next 2 weeks reminders of his toxicity will be forced on us. The Senate has no choice but to hold him accountable even though everyone knows there won't be a conviction. Perhaps there will be good long term outcomes nevertheless.

A year ago I was paying close attention to Wuhan under lockdown. I was impressed at the strict measures taken by the Chinese government, but at the same time shuddered at the authoritarian approach. While I felt terrible for the residents imprisoned in their homes, I felt that these containment measures were benefitting the rest of the world. What naïveté! Today, Wuhan's residents are living pretty normal lives and have been since they came out of their lockdown in April last year. Apart from random outbreaks that were instantly dealt with, China didn't experience waves of disease surge like much of the world. Everyday I pore through the numbers of Covid infections on the Worldometers website. It's a good feeling to be in a downward slide. The US for the first time since November 2020 has dropped to below 100,000 new daily infections. Yesterday California recorded under 10,000 new cases. We've finally returned to a number we saw back during the summer surge. But these encouraging numbers by no means eases my anxiety. The past ten months have taught us that trends are ephemeral. 

Currently, 2 phenomena are of concern. The sluggish pace of vaccinations and variants of concern which may resist vaccines. South Africans are nursing the big blow from the results of the small AstraZeneca study. The shipment that arrived last week has to be used by April. The current plan is a staggered approach in which they'll vaccinate 100,000 older nurses and monitor outcomes. If the vaccine prevents severe disease then everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn't expect the ending phase of the pandemic to be this distressing. It's astonishing that so many things can go wrong.

Covid Winter of our Discontent

January 25, 2021

Giddy times. President Joe Biden in his first week in office working tirelessly to stop the bleeding. Over 30 executive orders have been signed already to reverse Trump era policy. A reboot, a reset. Covers of news magazines have exploited the metaphor. Biden pushing a lawnmower over the Capitol, transforming drabness to brightness. Biden with a broom in a disastrously messy oval office. But the overwhelming concern is getting the nation vaccinated against Covid. The experts are hard at work. We can be assured that we'll arrive at success in the most efficient manner possible.

I woke up with a smile today for lots of reasons. A series of storms are sweeping through California, the effects of an atmospheric river. Finally. The stubborn high pressure system that gave us warm, dry weather most of January has disappeared. It rained yesterday and this morning. And heavy rain is forecast for much of the week. Yippee!!! Ferocious winds whipped through the night, rattling our bedroom window pane, torturing our trees. Temperatures dipped. We heard there's snow on mountain passes in Ojai. Thick snow blankets the Sierras.

Covid data has been promising too. Daily new infections and deaths have continued to decline nationwide and statewide. The trends are looking good in South Africa too. Experts warn against complacency. The UK and much of Europe, under a stricter lockdown, are struggling with their situation due to the UK variant (B.1.1.7) and since this variant is present in the US our numbers could suddenly spike too. Yikes! Active research is being conducted on the South African variant against the Moderna vaccine. The current belief is that this variant will have a weakened response. Fast action has never felt more urgent. It appears, thankfully, that optimism isn't entirely a fantasy.

In the afternoon Governor Newsom announced the removal of the "Stay At Home" order issued in early December. Based on current trends the state is no longer in danger of running out of hospital beds. Our daily new cases are still twice as high as the peak of the 2nd wave back in August, but Newsom has obviously bowed to pressure from businesses, especially restaurant owners who were threatening to sue him. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! In any case the color coded tier system will resume in California and much of the state will continue to be in the stricter purple tier. Outdoor dining will resume and retail will open up with safety measures. Combined with a greater focus on vaccination there's reason to feel hopeful about the near future. I can't wait to be in a crowded place again! I'm impatient for the freedom to enter a random store, unmasked, and fearlessly wander up and down the aisles.

For the first time since March 2020 when we went into lockdown the weather prevented me from outdoor exercise. Cold, breezy, with intermittent showers - a typical winter day to be spent indoors by the fire. 

January 29

Elevated levels of endorphins flow in my veins. The result of my morning run in Stow Park after a 3 day pause due to a massive storm dumping heavy rain intermittently. Over a 3 day period we were blessed with 6 inches of rain. Heavy winds, off and on, resulted in tree branches scattered everywhere, but other than that our area hasn't suffered much damage.

Covid dominates the news. Daily case numbers are on a decline in California and the US, as well as in South Africa and much of Europe. This helps quell my anxiety. Also, it's an immense comfort to know that we now have strong leadership and competent people in charge of addressing our crisis. The news of another successful vaccine candidate has been uplifting too. This vaccine, by Johnson and Johnson, is less effective than the mRNA candidates, demonstrating 72% success in the USA and just under 60% in South Africa (the mutant there affirming concerns of its resistance) but provides an additional tool in the fight. It requires one shot only and its easier to store.

These positive developments make it easier to face the grim new challenges of emerging variants of concern. The SA variant has been detected in the USA now - a result of community transmission - so experts are warning of setbacks. We are in a race against rising infections driven by variants of concern and vaccine production which is woefully slow.

EU countries are in despair because AstroZeneca isn't delivering on their promise - likely due to hurdles at their Belgium manufacturing plant.

It's clear that the challenges of vaccine production and administration on a global scale is what 2021 is going to be all about.

Chapter One, Page One of the Biden-Harris Era

 01/21/2021

On January 20, 2021 President Joe Biden, after taking the oath of office, delivered an impeccable inaugural speech and gave the nation and the world a reason to exhale and rejoice. The nation's capital, now cleansed, was about to be renewed. There was bleakness from the absence of traditional crowds and the heavy presence of military troops. In the days leading up to 01/20/2021 threats of violence nationwide had to be taken seriously. All 50 state capitols had to be fortified. The National Mall and Capitol more so. Of course, the pandemic too, ruled out tradition. But creative minds produced a patriotic substitution of adequate compensation and as we watched the "coronation" of the new leadership we couldn't miss the beauty of it all. Physically, emotionally, conceptually. The sea of flags to represent absent citizens, aerial visuals of vibrant patriotic displays in front of the Capitol, and the solemn audience of members of Congress, Biden/Harris extended family and past presidents (minus the most recent) succeeded in marking the beginning of a bright and hopeful chapter.

The next day everyone was talking about Amanda Gorman. The 22 year old spirited young poet dressed in bright yellow who delivered a heartfelt original poem titled "The Hill We Climb".

When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

From those first lines she mesmerized us, gave us all goosebumps.

Everyone also gushed about the fireworks that brought the historic day to a close. President Joe Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris. Change is upon us. A peaceful transition was accomplished.

How sweet it is to wake up to the words "President Biden ..." on NPR's Morning Edition. Today, his first full day at work the new president signed executive orders to undo Trump era laws. And as the day progressed it was the Covid situation that took center stage. The best minds, the most respected experts are on the team that will steer the Biden/Harris pandemic approach. Dr. Fauci is back at the lead with a platform at the government level to address the nation's concerns.

That's not the only good news on this topic. New infections in the nation and our state have been declining in the past week. Kinks and hurdles regarding administering of vaccinations are being addressed. Biden's goal of 100 million doses in a 100 days is now viewed as modest. There's talk of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which is likely to become available in a month or so. Today, Daryl will get his first shot of the Moderna vaccine. As an educator he is part of the essential work force. UCSB has its own clinic to administer shots for its employees. A big day for us!