From Time to Time, we take a trip to the far reaches of what is in our mind. And at the very edge, something lies patiently in wait. It has always been there, filled with the Light of a bright sunny day, the Peace and quiet meant to stay, and the Love in our Hearts, come what may.
It is a Sacred Place, a very special space from which we will always long to return. And out of the Love that emanates from such precious memories, comes a feeling that cannot be described. and the Song that is our Life, is sung.
“A thing of beauty… is a joy forever!”
Sometimes, there are words spoken in haste, contributing nothing but waste, that we need to forget. They keep spinning around us. If we had the chance to say them again, would we? Could we? Should we?
The absence of desire to say anything to resurrect what should never be, feels like walking through the Meadow on a Beautiful morning, after a gentle evening rain the night before. The Beauty of forgiveness, lies in forgetting.
And removing such sad memories can bring tears of Thanksgiving to your very tired eyes.
“Love lost, such a cost, Give me thingsthat don’t get lost. Like a coin that won’t get tossed Rolling home to you.“ – Neil Percival Young
Yes, it is amazing what forgiveness can do to our emotions. You canbe taken back to your youth, when Life was so easy. Back to a time when you were surrounded by so much of so little to think of and do. A Child has only Heartfelt things to do. . The Spirit is resurrected, when our hatred and deep regret dies. Without the feeling of Forgiveness, Life is light years away, and all our tears turn to dust.
Remembering the Child once we were, is a reflection of how simple and Happy Life can be.
Yes – a real lizard. Life is Truly Beautiful.
It is easy, to have fun. Spend time with family and friends, and enjoy Life. None of us are here forever. So, make the very best of it. And the Light of Life becomes a Harvest Moon.
Deep regret finds you talking without speaking.
You are never done with the night, unless you turn on the Light, of Love.
When you listen to the Song of your Life, you remember how Beautiful it is to experience Love, and how Love can travel forward through time. Our precious Children enable us to do that. They are Biological Time Machines. They are the Infinity of Life. They are the Infinite Love of God that comes through YOU.
We are so very lucky to experience the Lives of our Children, and know the feeling and the power of Love.
Allow me to remind you of the fairy-tale that may come true. YOU cannot ask for a better ending than a new beginning! Just dance to the Beautiful Song of your Life in the moonlight – tonight.
The hollow Lives we live today, are the slamming of the doors to the Hope in our Hearts. . Look into the mirror that is your eyes. There you will see what Life means to you. . Look into your Heart, and you will see into your Soul. And what you will find, is there for all to see, and you will search no more.
There is no Love like YOUR Love, no one like you. And no one can give more Love, than all the Love locked into your Heart. Infinity is defined by the Love of God that lies buried deep within the Human Heart.
“So many Hearts I find broke like yours and mine Torn by what we’ve done and can’t undo. I just want to hold you Come on let me hold you like Bernadette would do.” – Jennifer Warnes, Leonard Cohen
The Beauty found in your very Human Heart, can exceed all the Love and affection of the whole Universe.
Life passes by in a flash – like a brilliant bolt of lightning. Live it to the fullest!
Our lack of Love builds a prison in the final act of Life. Without Love, we lose direction. If we leave no stone unturned in our search for ourselves, for the Love hidden deep in our Hearts, there will be no tears to damn you, when Time burns.
It’s a Human sign when things go wrong, when temptation’s strong and we wander into the outer boundary of negativity, and a cold, cold Heart leads our Lives into directions not found on any map.
Passing through such forsaken land, requires just a simple word of Prayer. Ask and you will receive. God will be there.
My Dear Friend, your song will always remain to be sung, until you sing it.
Goodnight.
“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. The Beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The Beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her Heart, the place where Love resides. The Beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true Beauty in a woman is reflected in her Soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives and the passion that she shows. The Beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.” “Beauty tips” – Audrey Hepburn
Did Albert Einstein Humiliate an Atheist Professor?
One of the most troubling conundrums is the question of how evil and suffering can survive in a universe created and managed by a loving Supreme Being.
Claim
While a college student, Albert Einstein humiliated an atheist professor by using the “Evil is the absence of God” argument on him.
Origin
Does evil exist?
The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, “Yes, he did!”
“God created everything? The professor asked.
“Yes sir”, the student replied.
The professor answered, “If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil”. The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, “Can I ask you a question professor?”
“Of course”, replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, “Professor, does cold exist?”
“What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?” The students snickered at the young man’s question.
The young man replied, “In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.”
The student continued, “Professor, does darkness exist?”
The professor responded, “Of course it does.”
The student replied, “Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.”
Finally the young man asked the professor, “Sir, does evil exist?”
Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.”
To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”
The professor sat down.
The young man’s name — Albert Einstein.
Dr. & Mrs. Anderson may schedule 2-5 additional days (to be announced later) for In-service Training. Visit our website at http://www.andersonschool.net for updated information.
The School Calendar is subject to change.
There are no make-up days if school is closed due to inclement weather.
Inclement Weather Policy: the school will close if Fort Worth I. S. D. is closed.
Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes.
Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.
Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.
A single thread weaves all of Life together, – Love.
There are many Spiritual Truths placed along the Pathway of Life, which pull at our Hearts. And the Beautiful feelings encircled by our Love for one another, provide an easy Path to the Magic found deeply embedded in the Human Heart.
It’s pull is deeply felt. It’s overwhelming sense of gratitude and Peace and release, cannot even be described.
The Human Heart is a Sanctuary tied to our very existence of Life on Earth.
My Dear Friends, it’s cold in the shadows of Life and Living.
But warm, in the Light and Grace of God, with crystal clear blue skies, set in the meadows and aglow with calm demeanor and perfect sounds of your precious beating Heart. . And, it beats in Union, with all the other Sacred Human Hearts, placed along the Trail we travel together on this fragile Earth.
This special place, with all it’s Natural Beauty, can have a strong emotional effect on YOU, if you simply let it be.
And what you will remember in a Communion with Nature, is a remarkable and very, very personal experience. A Communion with Nature, is a Communion with God. The Natural World is His World. The unnatural World is the one WE created. Dear Lord, please, please forgive us.
My Friends, we cannot stand alone to face the World on our own. We need the Love of God.
With the Flame of God’s Love in your Heart, you can almost see Eternity. The highlights in your Life, that catch your eyes filled with all the Beauty that is Love, are poof that we may have been blind, but now we can see.
Someday, somewhere We’ll find a new way of living, Will find a way of forgiving Somewhere… There’s a place for us Somewhere a place for us Peace and quiet and open air Wait for us Somewhere There’s a time for us Someday there’ll be a time for us, Time together with time to spare Time to learn, time to care Someday, somewhere We’ll find a new way of living Will find there’s a way of forgiving Somewhere… –Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim
There is a place that connects us to our Creator – a place of Infinite Beauty. In no other place is this feeling of Spirituality, of being connected to everything, more evident than in the Love we feel.
In the whisper of a Prayer, in the silence all around, in thedreams of far away, you may be touched with Love. Believing you are together, you and your Creator, shelters your Dream that is this Life.
The best hope for our troubled World, lies within the Warm Embrace of God.
We have placed ourselves on the weak and shifting sands of Time.
Maybe, it’s Time we got back . . . to the basics of Love.
If you want to know what Love is – open the precious Word of God. And there it is: “Love Is God.”
The Holy Bible teaches us that God Loves us, AND, teaches us that God is Love. . It reveals, “Beloved, let us Love one another, for Love is from God, and whoever Loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not Love does not know God, because God is Love. – 1 John 4:7-9
As you Pray, the deep Ocean of doubt and disbelief drains away, and the Beauty of God’s Love takes your breath away.
And what is it, Dear Lord, what is it that resurrects the Spirit of our Hearts? As your Heart whispers, in sounds rolling like thunder now from the Sacred Space above: “It is Love, that shelters your Heart.“ . Always know, it was God who breathed Flesh to your bones. And, as you stumble and fall, remember: In Love, there is no measure of Time at all. . For God proclaims: “YOU are Eternally Mine.” I am all that you need in every moment of this Life and the Life to come.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:1-3
There are Veils of Reality.
This moment isn’t very long. One deep breath, and it is gone. . Goodnight.
The 1918 flu pandemic led to hundreds of thousands of deaths
SARS, the 1918 flu pandemic, and Ebola have all helped public health officials prepare for major outbreaks.
Each major outbreak is different though, and experts have a hard time predicting how they will end.
The fallout of each disease largely depends on other circumstances — when we catch it, how contagious and fatal it is, how hygienic people are, and how quickly a vaccine or cure becomes available.
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 outbreak.
With new cases of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, growing day by day, it’s natural to compare the new disease to other outbreaks in recent history.
There was the 1918 influenza, for example, that infected nearly a thirdTrusted Source of the world’s population before it fizzled out.
Then came other threatening viruses that appeared out of nowhere: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the H1N1 influenza in 2009, and Ebola.
Eventually, we got a handle on all of them.
But the fallout of each disease largely depends on other circumstances — when we catch it, how contagious and fatal it is, how hygienic people are, and how quickly a vaccine or cure becomes available.
The death rate isn’t the only determining factor regarding how devastating and deadly a pandemic will be, according to Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson, a UC Davis professor of epidemiology and ecosystem health and researcher on USAID’s Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT project.
Here, we’ll take a look at how COVID-19 stacks up to other major outbreaks so far:
1918 influenza
The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic was the deadliest flu season we know of, infecting about one-third of the world’s population.
“The 1918 pandemic strain of influenza was new and novel for most people under the age of 40 or 50, but that’s where the death rate really was high — that’s different than the usual flu,” said Dr. Mark Schleiss, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the University of Minnesota.
Back then, scientists didn’t know viruses caused disease, and we didn’t yet have a vaccine or antivirals to help prevent or treat influenza, nor did we have antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections.
Life was also very different back then — for one, we were in the middle of a war and soldiers carried the virus with them all over the world. People were also living in very crowded conditions and had extremely poor hygiene — this helped the disease build and build, according to Johnson.
Key symptoms: fever, nausea, aches, diarrhea
First detection: March 1918
Global cases: 500 million
Global deaths: over 50 million (675,000 in the United States); the death rate was around 2 percent
Transmission: spread through respiratory droplets
Most affected groups: otherwise healthy adults ages 20 to 40
Treatments available: none; antibiotics or antivirals did not yet exist
Vaccines available: none
End of pandemic: summer 1919; mostly due to deaths and higher immunity levels
Seasonal flu
The flu strikes every year, but no two seasons are exactly the same.
Because strains mutate each year, it can be hard to predict what will hit. Unlike COVID-19, we have effective vaccines and antiviral medications that can help prevent and reduce the severity of the flu.
Additionally, many people have residual immunity to the flu from years past, as our bodies have seen the flu before.
We don’t have any immunity to COVID-19, and it appears to be more contagious and fatal than the flu so far, but this could very well change as we learn more.
Key symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue
Global cases annually:9 percentTrusted Source of the population, or about 1 billion infections (up to 5 million of which are severe)
Transmission: spreads through respiratory droplets; each diagnosed person passes it to 1.3 persons
Most affected groups: older adults and people with compromised immune systems
Treatment available: antiviral medications (Tamiflu, Relenza, Rapivab, Xofluza) to reduce duration and severity of flu
Vaccines available: there are many vaccine optionsTrusted Sourceavailable that provide immunity against multiple strains of influenza
2002–2004 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
SARS is another type of coronavirus that came out of China and spread quickly through respiratory droplets. Though the SARS death rate was higher than COVID-19, COVID-19 has already claimed more lives.
According to Johnson, contact tracingTrusted Source— or monitoring people in close contact with those who contracted it — was really effective with SARS, largely because symptoms were severe and therefore easier to identify and contain.
In addition, Schleiss said the SARS virus didn’t have the “fitness to persist in the human population,” which eventually led to its demise.
Schleiss added this doesn’t seem to be the case with COVID-19, which seems to be able to spread and thrive in the human body.
Overall, though SARS’ death rate was higher, COVID-19 has led to “more fatalities, more economic repercussions, more social repercussions than we [had] with SARS,” Johnson said.
Back in 2009, a new type of flu — an H1N1 strain — popped up and people panicked because we didn’t have a vaccine and the novel strain was spreading fast.
Like COVID-19, there was no immunity at the start of the outbreak. We did have antivirals to facilitate recovery, and by the end of 2009, we had a vaccine which — combined with higher levels of immunity — would provide protection in future flu seasons.
Still, it claimed over 12,000 lives in the United States.
Global cases: about 24 percent of global population; 60.8 million U.S. cases
Global deaths: over 284,000; 12,469 in the United States; death rate was .02 percent
Most affected groups: children had the highest rates; 47 percentTrusted Source of children between 5 and 19 developed symptoms compared to 11 percent of people ages 65 and up
Treatment available:antiviralsTrusted Source (oseltamivir and zanamivir); most people recovered without complications
Vaccine available: H1N1 vaccine research started April 2009 and a vaccine became available December 2009
End of pandemic: August 2010
2014–2016 Ebola
Ebolawas extremely deadly, killing up to 50 percent of those who got sick.But because it predominantly spread through bodily fluids like sweat and blood during the last stages of the disease, it wasn’t as contagious as COVID-19.
Plus, because symptoms were so severe, health officials were able to quickly identify those who’d been in contact with people who had it and isolate them.
“You don’t have relatively healthy people with the [Ebola] virus walking around shedding the virus — going on the bus, going shopping, going to work — like we do with this,” Johnson said.
Key symptoms: fever, aches and pains, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting
First detection: first patient identified December 2013 in Guinea; first outbreak March 2014Trusted Source
Early evidence shows COVID-19 may be more contagious than the flu.
And some early reports say COVID-19 may have a higher death rate than the seasonal flu. But we may soon find out it’s less deadly than initial reports since so many people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic and therefore don’t see a doctor and are largely unaccounted for.
“The death rate really is something we just have to take with a grain of salt until we have enough information,” Johnson said. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and numbers and estimates are likely to change as we learn more.
Key symptoms: cough, fever, shortness of breath; 80 percent of cases are mild
Global deaths to date: Over 4,700; the global death rate is estimated at 3.4 percentTrusted Source, but certain areas are seeing a death rate of just 0.4 percent
Transmission: spreads through respiratory droplets along with feces and other bodily secretions; each person passes it to 2.2 others which will likely fall as containment and quarantine efforts increase
Most affected groups: adults over 65 with underlying health conditions; children seem to be spared and are experiencing milder symptoms (in China, children account for just 2.4 percent of cases)
Treatments available: none; supportive care is provided, pain relievers and fever reducers can alleviate symptoms, and antibiotics can help treat secondary bacterial pneumonia and antivirals used with other viruses are being administered to help with recovery
Vaccines available: none yet; a vaccine will likely be ready in about one year
So, when will things calm down with COVID-19?
According to Schleiss, it’s going to take herd immunity — which basically blocks out the virus when a large chunk of the population is immune from already being sick — along with an effective vaccine.
“We really, really need a vaccine,” he said, adding that because the Food and Drug Administration will need to prove a vaccine is safe, it could take a year or two — best case scenario.
We also have a lot more we need to learn: the prevalence of the infection along with how you contract the virus and all the different roads of transmission.
Until then, we’re going to need to practice social distancing to help minimize the number of people who contract it, says Johnson.
We’ll need to work together to limit exposure to one another — especially with older adults and people with underlying illness who have the greatest risk of developing severe symptoms.
We don’t need to panic. Remember: The vast majority of COVID-19 cases are mild. But we do need to take action to contain the spread and protect those who are most vulnerable.
The bottom line
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, isn’t the first threatening disease that’s surged around the world — nor will it be the last.
Dr. & Mrs. Anderson may schedule 2-5 additional days (to be announced later) for In-service Training. Visit our website at http://www.andersonschool.net for updated information.
The School Calendar is subject to change.
There are no make-up days if school is closed due to inclement weather.
Inclement Weather Policy: the school will close if Fort Worth I. S. D. is closed.
Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes.
Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.
Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.
A Journey of self-awareness can lead you to the freedom of a Spiritual Life.
Many people feel that they do not really know themselves. The very hectic pace of our Lives does not allow us to listen to our Hearts.
We suffer from an enormous sense of emptiness and loss, without knowing that these feelings generate such darkness.
But, if we do decide to Journey forth in order to find ourselves and re-discover who we really are, we can learn many things. Spiritual Peace can be found.
And it may be found in the silence that is necessary to reflect and meditate and listen to our inner Being.
Disconnecting from the stresses of work and Living and the intrusion of technology is very difficult for many people. And, it is becoming more difficult with the passage of each day.
Reconnecting with your real and Loving emotions, is vital to your recovery.
Dare to leave mobile and social network devices at home during your journey to recovery. You lived without them for many years.
Disconnecting from technical devices is important, while you are on a pilgrimage to recovery.
They are, in part, what you are recovering from.
“We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us” – Walt Kelly
During the War of 1812, the United States Navy defeated the British Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie. Master Commandant Oliver Perry wrote to Major General William Henry Harrison, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” Kelly’s parody of this famous battle report perfectly summarizes mankind’s tendency to create our own problems.
My Dear Friends, the overwhelming number of distractive and meaningless things to think about and unnecessarily worry about, have brought us much grief. As part of our emotional recovery, we must experience a renewed simplicity and a profound sense of Joy we experienced earlier in Life.
The deadly degree of worries and the amount of stress emanating from so much technology and other stress factors is a relatively new phenomenon. But, reconnecting with our Loving and Happy emotions is the solution.
Yes. Welcome to our true reality. We are all bathed in discordant worries and stresses. This is how we Humans truly are. But, take away the causes of such distress, and the diseases of despair will disappear.
Folks, we need to feel alive again. We fragile Human Beings simply cannot be subjected to constant and penetrating stress.
Traveling on foot, or by bike or even on horseback (stop laughing – you will LOVE it), makes Life different. It puts us much more in touch with everything around us. We simply MUST think outside the box, regarding everything.
Life is a Journey that hides endless wonders to enjoy.
So many people become unaware that their sensitivity to the Beauty of Life, found all around, is totally blocked. And, if there’s anything worse than suffering emotionally from such lack of awareness, it is not feeling anything at all.
How many people have lived far too long without shedding a tear of JOY?
My Friends, it is possible to rediscover what has been of great value and of enormous Beauty in the past. Reconnecting with the simple Joys in Life, allows us to enJOY our Journey through different currents of thought that have flooded our path over time.
Many people make a conscious decision to do what must be done as a part of their emotional recovery.
Make a vital decision to liberate your mind and enable your Heart, and experience the unbelievable sense of freedom and the exhilarating JOY on the road to a Life, reborn.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it!” – Dennis Gabor
There are many different paths to the Beauty and Joy that run through the Human Heart. Many of us have been fortunate enough to fall in Love on the Journey of Life and spend the rest of our Time on this precious Earth in Love with Life.
Some of Life’s pilgrims discover the way to overcome themselves.
To listen to the Voice of GOD that resides within, gives us the strength to persevere. In the depths of our sorrow, we can find the LOVE of God. Through the bitter taste of defeat, are rewards rich and sweet, at the end of pathways filled with our forgiveness and Love.
The Time we travel down such paths, perfects the opportunity to share with others and experience the Joy found in our concern and compassion.
Traveling down Pathways Graced to us in the Holy Word of God, gives us an appetite for the Freedom to do what is right.
The distance we travel in the cause of doing what is good, contributes to the strengthening of our Sacred Heart.
There are so very many others who have no one, and no where to go.
Alone, they travel through the trials and travails of a Life we do not know. Arduous and in anguish, such streams of agony never ceasing, cannot be defined as Life.
But here, in this brief moment in Time, WE may raise a banner of Hope, to find a Home in our Heart with streams of mercy, never ceasing, giving Praise to God Above. With the Song of our Life now Sung by Tongues from Above.
Bind your Sacred Heart to our Lord. And by your help, by your good words and deeds, safely arrive at Home. Through all Eternity, Blessings will there be, embraced by the Love of God, YOU and He.
Goodnight.
UK doctors will finally trial whether vitamin D can protect people from Covid-19 after months of mounting evidence the cheap supplement could be a life-saver.
Queen Mary University is recruiting 5,000 people for its Vitamin D study
Volunteers will be given either 3,200, 800 or 400 international units a day
Government says 400 a day is enough, but taking more won’t have bad impacts
Doctors will finally trial whether vitamin Dcan actually protect people from Covid-19 amid mounting evidence the 3p-a-day supplement could be a life-saver.
Researchers from Queen Mary Universityof Londonwill recruit 5,000 volunteers to take the vitamin for six months if they do not already take high doses.
Experts will then assess whether participants are at less risk of catching the virus and developing a severe bout of the disease over the winter months.
A mountain of studies have found an overwhelming amount of people who test positive for Covid-19 do not have enough vitamin D in their bodies and the sickest of patients are often deficient.
Britons are most at risk of being vitamin D deficient between October and April when sunlight levels are too low for the body to make the vitamin — with those with darker skin at even higher risk.
Around two in five Brits are deficient during the winter, when respiratory infections are most common. In the US, at least two in five citizens also lack sufficient levels of the vitamin.
It has led to calls for doctors to dish out cheap vitamin D supplements — which cost little and have no dangerous side effects — to fight the disease, rather than waiting for a vaccine which may never be found.
It comes as researchers from University of Brighton have today called for care home residents to be given the ‘sunshine vitamin’.
Vitamin D supplements are safe, cheapand readily available – sold in most pharmacies, supermarkets and health shops
As well as in supplements, vitamin D is also available through foods, including oily fish, red meat and eggs (right). A Singaporean study earlier in the year of nearly 800 people found almost 99% of Covid-19 patients who died had vitamin D deficiency
CARE HOME RESIDENTS SHOULD BE GIVEN VITAMIN D
Care home residents are not being given vitamin D, which may be protective against Covid-19, despite Government guidance, researchers say.
Advice from Public Health England from before the pandemic states: ‘People whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun, like those in institutions such as care homes, or who always cover their skin when outside, risk vitamin D deficiency and need to take a supplement throughout the year.‘
They should take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms all year round, and not just in the winter when there is less sunlight.
However, interviews with people involved in elderly residential care, such as GPs and care home managers in southeast England, found that none was aware of any care home routinely offering the supplement, The Times reported.
Only a dietitian seemed aware of the guidance, according to the findings in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
Despite health chiefs advising residents should be given supplements all year round because they rarely go outside, academics found this was not happening in care homes in the south east of England.
Trial volunteers will receive tablets containing either 800 IU or 3,200 IU a day of the vitamin, which they will be asked to take for six months.
There will also be a control group taking the NHS recommended amount of 400IU a day.
Although this level is advised for the winter months, experts said taking more wouldn’t pose a risk as the vitamin is harmless and the body simply removes any excess levels.
But there is no group not taking a vitamin supplement in the trial, meaning it is impossible for the experts to accurately compare differences between the groups.
Researchers will track the incidence of doctor-diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed acute respiratory infections in participants during the trial, to see whether the supplements have affected their risk or severity of infection.
Volunteers will also be required to do a finger-prick test to check their vitamin D levels.
Dr David Jolliffe, from Queen Mary University of London, said the study had the potential to give a ‘definitive answer’ on whether vitamin D could protect against coronavirus.
‘Vitamin D supplements are low in cost, low in risk and widely accessible;if proven effective, they could significantly aid in our global fight against the virus,’ he said.
Professor Adrian Martineau, who is also involved in the study, said: ‘There is mounting evidence that vitamin D might reduce the risk of respiratory infections, with some recent studies suggesting that people with lower vitamin D levels may be more susceptible to coronavirus.
A study by Tehran University, in Iran, and Boston University analysed data from 235 hospitalised patients with Covid-19. Patients who had sufficient vitamin D – of at least 30 ng/mL— were 51.5 per cent less likely to die from the disease. Although no one in the study under age 40 died, fatalities (red) were more common among vitamin D deficient people (under the black line) of all ages
A correlation graph showing the relationship between levels of viamin D (bottom, measured in nmol/l) compared to infection numbers of coronavirus by the University of East Anglia. Countries with low vitamin D levels tend to have the highest case rates per million – but the graph was from a study in May, when outbreaks looked very different to how they do now and testing was patchy in most countries.
University of Chicagoresearchers studying 500 Americans’ vitamin D levels found 60 per cent higher rates of Covid-19 among people with low levels of the ‘sunshine vitamin’.
What have just some of the DOZENS of studies into vitamin D and Covid-19 shown?
When? September.
By who?Cordoba University in Spain.
What did scientists study? 50 Covid-19 hospital patients with Covid-19 were given vitamin D. Their health outcomes were compared with 26 volunteers in a control group who were not given the tablets.
What did they find? Only one of the 50 patients needed intensive care and none died. Half of 26 virus sufferers who did not take vitamin D were later admitted to intensive care and two died.
What were the study’s limitations? Small pool of volunteers. Patients’ vitamin D levels were not checked before admission. Comorbidities were not taken into consideration.
When? September.
By Who? University of Chicago.
What did scientists study? 500 Americans’ vitamin D levels were tested. Researchers then compared volunteers’ levels with how many caught coronavirus.
What did they find?60 per cent higher rates of Covid-19 among people with low levels of the ‘sunshine vitamin’.
What were the study’s limitations?
Researchers did not check for other compounding factors. Unclear whether or not volunteers were vitamin D deficient at the time of their coronavirus tests. People’s age, job and where they lived – factors which greatly increase the chance of contracting the virus – were not considered.
When? September.
By Who? Tehran University, in Iran, and Boston University.
What did scientists study? Analysed data from 235 hospitalized patients with Covid-19.
What did they find?Patients who had sufficient vitamin D – of at least 30 ng/mL— were 51.5 per cent less likely to die from the disease. They also had a significantly lower risk of falling seriously ill or needing ventilation. Patients who had plenty of the nutrient also had less inflammation – often a deadly side effect of Covid-19.
What were the study’s limitations? Confounding factors, such as smoking, and social economic status were not recorded for all patients and could have an impact on illness severity.
When? July.
By Who? Tel Aviv University, Israel.
What did scientists study? 782 people who tested positive for coronavirus had their vitamin d levels prior to infection assessed retrospectively and compared to healthy people.
What did they find? People with vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml – optimal – were 45 per cent more likely to test positive and 95 per cent more likely to be hospitalised.
What were the study’s limitations? Did not look at underlying health conditions and did not check vitamin D levels at the time of infection.
When? June.
By Who? Brussels Free University.
What did scientists study? Compared vitamin D levels in almost 200 Covid-19 hospital patients with a control group of more than 2,000 healthy people.
What did they find? Men who were hospitalised with the infection were significantly more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency than healthy men of the same age. Deficiency rates were 67 per cent in the COVID-19 patient group, and 49 per cent in the control group. The same was not found for women.
What were the study’s limitations? Independent scientists say blood vitamin D levels go down when people develop serious illness, which the study did not take into consideration. This suggests that it is the illness that is leading to lower blood vitamin D levels in this study, and not the other way around.
When? June.
By who? Inha Universityin Incheon, South Korea.
What did scientists study? 50 hospital patients with Covid-19 were checked for levels of all vital vitamins and compared to a control group.
What did they find? 76 per cent of them were deficient in vitamin D, and a severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/dl) was found in 24 per cent of Covid-19 patients and just 7 per cent in the control group.
What were the study’s limitations?
Small sample size and researchers never accounted for vitamin levels dropping when they fall ill.
When? June.
By Who?. Independent scientists in Indonesia.
What did scientists study? Checked vitamin D levels in 780 Covid-19 hospital patients.
What did they find?Almost 99% of patients who died had vitamin D deficiency.Of patients with vitamin D levels higher than 30 ng/ml – considered optimal – only per cent died.
What were the study’s limitations? It was not peer-reviewed by fellow scientists, a process that often uncovers flaws in studies.
When? May.
By Who? University of Glasgow.
What did scientists study? Vitamin D levels in 449 people from the UK Biobank who had confirmed Covid-19 infection.
What did they find?Vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk in infection – but not after adjustment for con-founders such as ethnicity. It led to the team to conclude their ‘findings do not support a potential link between vitamin D concentrations and risk of Covid-19 infection.’
What were the study’s limitations? Vitamin D levels were taken 10 to 14 years beforehand.
When? May.
By Who? University of East Anglia.
What did scientists study? Average levels of vitamin D in populations of 20 European countries were compared with Covid-19 infection and death rates at the time.
What did they find? The mean level of vitamin D in each country was ‘strongly associated’ with higher levels of Covid-19 casesand deaths. The authors said at the time: ‘The most vulnerable group of population for Covid-19 is also the one that has the most deficit in vitamin D.‘
What were the study’s limitations? The number of cases in each country was affected by the number of tests performed, as well as the different measures taken by each country to prevent the spread of infection. And it only looked at correlation, not causation.
When? May.
By Who? Northwestern University.
What did scientists study? Crunched data from dozens of studies around the world that included vitamin D levels among Covid-19 patients.
What did they find?Patients with a severe deficiency are twice as likely to experience major complications and die.
What were the study’s limitations? Cases and deaths in each country was affected by the number of tests performed.
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‘Vitamin D deficiency is more common in older people, in people who are overweight, and in Black and Asian people – all of the groups who are at increased risk of becoming very ill with Covid-19.
‘The UK government already recommends that people take a low-dose vitamin D supplement over the winter to protect their bone health, but we do not know if this will have an effect on Covid-19 or if higher doses might be able to provide protection against the virus.
‘The CORONAVIT trial will test whether higher doses of vitamin D might offer protection against winter respiratory infections including Covid-19.’
Arguments on the link between Vitamin D deficiency and its observed link with poor Covid-19 outcomes started to gather pace as early as May.
The problem lies in the fact there is a lack of gold-standard medical research – the randomised controlled trials which compare people who are given the supplement with those who are not to see which group fares better.
Only one study has done this so far, conducted by the University of Cordoba in Spain and published last month.
Researchers gave high doses of calcifediol – a type of vitamin D supplement – to 50 patients hospitalised with the disease.
There were no deaths among volunteers receiving the vitamin and all 50 patients were eventually discharged by the end of the study. But two of the 26 patients in a control group, who were not given the tablets, died.
Just one patient given calcifediol felt ill enough to be admitted to intensive care, whereas half of the participants in the control group were taken to ICU and two died.
But many scientists have criticised the study, saying its sample size is too small for any firm conclusions to be drawn about the impact of Vitamin D.
Nonetheless, it was the most promising result for trials of the vitamin so far, and corresponds to earlier research that fixing vitamin deficiency might cut mortality rates by half.
A Northwestern University study, published in May, found Covid-19 patients with a severe Vitamin D deficiency are twice as likely to experience major complications and die.
Nearly 99 per cent of Covid-19 patients who are vitamin D deficient die, according to a study from Indonesian researchers who analyzed hospital records of 780 people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Results revealed 98.9 per cent of infected patients defined as vitamin D deficient — below 20ng/ml — died. Yet this fell to just 4.1 per cent for patients who had enough of the nutrient.
Researchers warned the study was not definitive, however, because the patients with high vitamin D levels were healthier and younger.
Another study by Tehran University, in Iran, and Boston University, found hospital Covid-19 patients who had sufficient vitamin D – of at least 30 ng/mL— were 51.5 per cent less likely to die from the disease.
The study of 235 hospitalized patients with Covid-19 also showed those with enough vitamin Dhad a significantly lower risk of falling seriously ill or needing ventilation.
Patients who had plenty of the nutrient also had less inflammation – often a deadly side effect of Covid-19.
However, there were flaws in these studies, such as a lack of acknowledgement of confounding factors, such as smoking, and social economic status, which were were not recorded for all patients but could have an impact on illness severity.
Some participants’ underlying health conditions were not defined, despite having a major impact on disease severity.
There have also been at least three studies which have suggested those who have enough vitamin D are less likely to catch the coronavirus in the first place.
But Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: ‘My general view is that if there is no clear cut view on vitamin D after six months of debate then there is nothing in it.’
But given the findings so far, it astonished scientists that Mr Hancock was so quick to throw out the ‘sunshine vitamin’ as a potential treatment.
He was told to ‘get his facts straight’ in September after shooting down vitamin D as a potential coronavirus treatment despite a growing body of evidence from around the world suggesting it works.
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Morgan told MailOnline the secretary of state ‘needs to be listening, not dismissing’.
She added: ‘I hope Matt Hancock will take a less flippant approach to potential treatments in future and get his facts straight before making such comments. We’re in a crisis, it’s time for politicians to stop playing science and listen to the experts.’
Chris Chapman, chief executive officer of manufacturer YPV, which offers a home vitamin D test kit, said the company was ‘deeply disappointed’ about Mr Hancock’s comments.
He said: ‘We have seen a mountain of evidence that vitamin D has a positive, and at times life-saving, impact on people suffering with severe symptoms of coronavirus.
‘We fundamentally disagree with the Health Secretary on this matter, his comments display incredible ignorance.
‘We urge him to practice his well-trodden mantra by following the science, which overwhelmingly points to the benefits of vitamin D when it comes tackling coronavirus.‘
The ‘sunshine vitamin’ – nicknamed because it is acquired by spending time in the sun – is postulated to protect against Covid-19.
A number of studies have suggested the immune-boosting vitamin could protect people from coronavirus after finding adults deficient in the nutrient are more at risk of catching the disease.
And those who spend more time indoors – such as in a care home – or who have darker skin – those of a Black, Asian or ethnic minority (BAME) background – are also at greater risk of Covid-19.
Officials estimate one in five Britons are deficient in vitamin D — the equivalent of 13million Britons.
But some people are more at risk than others; the rate is up to 90 per cent in people with darker skin who find it harder to obtain the vitamin from the sun.
Advice from PHE states: ‘People whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun, like those in institutions such as care homes, or who always cover their skin when outside, risk vitamin D deficiency and need to take a supplement throughout the year.‘
But a recent University of Brighton study suggests care home residents are not being given the supplement.
The article was written by BSMS MSc Public Health graduate Joe Williams and the university’s Principal Lecturer for Health Promotion and Public Health, Carol Williams.
The team interviewed four GPs four care home managers, a dietitian, a falls specialist, two public health practitioners and a senior doctor in elderly care, The Times reported.
A report from the Academy of Medical Sciences in July said: ‘It has been suggested that low levels of vitamin D — endemic within the UK, exacerbated by lockdown and which worsen over winter — may contribute to susceptibility to Covid-19.‘
Dr. & Mrs. Anderson may schedule 2-5 additional days (to be announced later) for In-service Training. Visit our website at http://www.andersonschool.net for updated information.
The School Calendar is subject to change.
There are no make-up days if school is closed due to inclement weather.
Inclement Weather Policy: the school will close if Fort Worth I. S. D. is closed.
Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes.
Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.
Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.
We don’t have to control our thoughts.
We just have to stop
letting them control us.
Look into a mirror.
Look closely at your image
– you meeting you –
the Child and the older Soul,
one and the same,
but different in Time.
You can meet the same person –
for the first time.
Yes,
you can finally come to understand
the Cycle of Life –
a cycle that is like Fractal Art,
repeating and repeating,
with so much Beauty
among the shadow and light.
We are the Sun that shines
at noon,
and
the dark side of the Moon.
We are the beginning and the end,
the breath of Life,
and the beating Heart.
We are one,
an expression of the Divine –
Infinite in Beauty,
and deeply Loved
by God.
We can start a brand-new Life.
We CAN find deep Peace in our Heart.
Please know that there will be a pathway
leading to true Happiness.
Then,
we will no longer feel
the anxiety and frustration and depths of depression
we have known.
Every day can become meaningful.
The past need no longer possess the power
to control you and your emotions. Through Prayer,
you are powerful enough to overcome
the past and truly Live in the present.
You can easily be on your way
to becoming fully aware
and awake. Nothing will stop you
from moving forward.
Everyone can truly Live the Life
they want.
We just need to Believe in ourselves,
Believe the Universe,
Believe in God,
and Believe in Love.
Look for the deepest Peace
in you Heart.
Try Living for Tomorrow,
not yesterday.
And all the things we left behind,
the words we did not say,
do not need to exist Tomorrow,
they are not here Today.
Your Life
is all you have
to give.
Dare to Live,
and truly be alive,
until the very last day.
And Love
in the very same
way.
Goodnight.
“Sometimes
the pandemonium of Life’s imperfections
leads you to the perfect peace
of your own unconditional acceptance.”
In this new year, why not resolve to find more joy in your everyday life? Joy is what makes life beautiful. It’s what gets us through challenges and allows light in to illuminate the shadows. Joy heals our wounds, inspires us to greatness, and fills our souls with goodness.
Here are 40 simple ways I’ve come up with for accessing joy on a daily basis, with photos by my talented husband, Kiran Ramchandran. I’d love for you to share your ideas and pictures with me.
1. Play with kids.
2. Play like a kid.
3. Learn something new (play a new sport or game, learn how to cook a new dish).
4. Get out in Nature.
5. Help someone in a small way (by carrying their groceries or paying their toll on the highway).
6. Count your Blessings.
7. Spend time with your pet.
8. Travel.
9. Nurture romance (spend time just kissing your partner, buy a surprise gift, write a love letter).
10. Dress up in costume for no reason.
11. Lose yourself in a great book.
12. Laugh and smile, no matter how you’re feeling.
13. Sing out loud.
14. Connect authentically with friends and family, sharing your vulnerabilities.
15. Dance. If you can’t dance, just skip.
16. Pay a compliment to a total stranger.
17. Listen to uplifting music.
18. Serve others. Volunteer.
19. Exercise.
20. Set a goal, then reach it (run that marathon, pass that test, lose those five pounds).
21. Meditate and enjoy the silence.
22. Write a thank you letter or post to someone for no particular reason other than just to say “I appreciate you.”
23. Get messy (go barefoot, play in the mud).
24. Prepare and slowly eat a healthy meal.
25. Offer to teach someone a new skill.
26. Memorize a poem.
27. Turn your errands into an adventure (by making a game out of finding certain items at the store or spotting yellow cars while driving there).
28. Take a nap.
29. Ask someone for help (and express appreciation for their guidance).
30. Watch a favorite old movie for the hundredth time.
31. Discover a new smell (in the form of a candle, flower, or massage oil).
32. Snuggle.
33. Get rid of stuff. (Take it to a homeless shelter. Lighten your load and make someone else’s life better at the same time.)
34. Watch a sunrise or sunset.
35. Make a commitment to change a bad habit, then do it.
Dr. & Mrs. Anderson may schedule 2-5 additional days
(to be announced later) for In-service Training.
Visit our website at http://www.andersonschool.net
for updated information.
The School Calendar is subject to change.
There are no make-up days
if school is closed due to inclement weather.
Inclement Weather Policy:
the school will close if Fort Worth I. S. D. is closed.
Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes.
Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976,
allowance is made for “fair use”
for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research.
Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.
Non-profit, educational or personal use
tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.
There is
During the War of 1812,
How many people
The Time we travel
William's Weblog - Anderson Private School for the Gifted, Talented and Creative 