December 5, 2021

A family gathering — Riverdale — Mysterious deaths of hikers explained — Mount Semeru — Possible optimism about the omicron virus — Definite pessimism about the IQ of our national representatives — Evening statistics

My aunt, brother, and I spent the afternoon with my cousin and his family in Riverdale.  Ostensibly it was an afternoon of football watching, for which my cousin ordinarily prepares chicken wings and chili, but on account the fact that we had missed having Thanksgiving together and also because it was Hanukkah, my cousin provided somewhat more elaboration fare, which included braised beef, roasted chicken, and potato latkes.  He had been a professional chef previously and still teaches cooking classes, so it is not surprising that the food was of top quality.  At one point my aunt, my cousin-in-law, and I took a stroll to take in the beautiful weather and to exercise the dog.  Riverdale has a very different character from Manhattan, almost suburban in comparison, and it is a good pleasanter to walk in:  groups of two or three people do not sprawl over the entire width of the sidewalk and dog owners do not block the way for other pedestrians.  At one point we passed the site of a new store that is planned to open in January and we chatted briefly with the owners, who happened to be on the premises at the way and were busily making preparations for the new business.  It is part of the economic rebound that has been occurring generally:  at this point the unemployment rate is lower than that of February, 2020, just before the pandemic began.

The mystery of the hikers who died in the Sierra National Forest in Mariposa County has been solved.  At one point it was thought that they had succumbed to a variety of toxic algae in the water, but that would not explain why all of them died at approximately the same time.  It now appears that it was an ordinary case of hyperthermia and dehydration.  The family (a married couple with a young child, plus one dog) began their 8-mile hike on a day in August when the temperatures were in the low 70s.  But in mountainous regions, temperatures can change with astonishing speed.  In this case the temperatures soared to well over 100 degrees (nearly 40 degrees Celsius) and the family began to get dehydrated before completing three-quarters of the hike.  Apparently the couple went to search — vainly — for water and for medical help when their child began show disturbing symptoms.  In such temperatures even the ground can be painfully hot to sit upon, and in that area there are not many trees to provide shade.  The couple had brought only 85 ounces for a hike that, when undertaken in the summer, carries a recommendation from the Forest Service of 160 ounces for each adult, with additional water supplies for any infant and pet included in the group. 

Nature showed her deadlier aspect on the other side of the globe as well, when Mount Semeru in Lumajang district of the East Java province erupted, killing at least 13 people and covering dozens of villages with thick layers of ash. A thunderstorm followed by days of rain eroded and finally collapsed the lava dome atop the mountain, evetually triggering the eruption.  In addition to the fatalities, 57 people have been hospitalized, including 16 in critical condition with burn injuries. Rescuers were still searching for seven residents and sand miners along a river in Curah Kobokan village who were reported missing. Entire houses in the village were damaged by volcanic debris and more than 900 people fled to temporary government shelters.  

Dr. Fauci has sounded an encouraging note about the omicron virus, saying that at this point it does not appear to carry a high degree of severity.  It is still too early to make a definite judgment to this effect, but Fauci has said that the travel restrictions recently imposed against several countries may be lifted.  At this point the delta variant remains the dominant one, accounting for more than 99% of cases and driving a surge of hospitalizations in the north. National Guard teams have been sent to help overwhelmed hospitals in western New York, while Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has issued an emergency order requiring any hospitals facing limited patient capacity to reduce scheduled procedures that are not urgent.

We shall never know, I suppose, why the far right continues to urge a policy that kills off its own base.  Representative Matt Goetz has gone on record as saying “The best vaccine is Mother Nature’s vaccine.  It’s contracting the virus.”  I must admire his dedication in taking the time from his busy schedule — he is currently under investigation for his alleged ties to a sex trafficking ring, which must be admitted to be something of a distraction — to make this claim, particularly in light the fact that the COVID virus has already infected 50 million in the country and has killed over 800,000.  However, there is no disputing about tastes; if he and his followers wish to contract the virus, one can only wish them success in their quest.  His medical knowledge appears to be on a par with that of his colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently argued that 600,000 Americans succumb to cancer annually without triggering any lockdowns — seemingly unaware that cancer, unlike the COVID virus, is not contagious.

Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 266,123,730; # of deaths worldwide: 5,270,662; # of cases U.S.: 49,969,856; # of deaths; U.S.:  808,763.