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Sci-Tech

Health Canada- Covid Vaccination Is Safe But…

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COVID Vaccination Is ‘Safe’ but Remains Clinically Untested for Pregnant Women: Health Canada

COVID Vaccination Is ‘Safe’ but Remains Clinically Untested for Pregnant Women: Health Canada
A sign is displayed in front of Health Canada headquarters in Ottawa on Jan. 3, 2014. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Nearly four years after the launch of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which included mandates and passports, the safety of the products for pregnant women remains mostly untested clinically.

Health Canada answered a series of questions from Tory MP Colin Carrie in April about the issue.

“What specific research data supported the claims that … this product may be safely administered at any stage of pregnancy?” asked Mr. Carrie in an Inquiry of Ministry.

“Please note that the vaccine manufacturers did not seek an indication for use in pregnant and lactating women and the Product Monographs included statements about the uncertainty regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation,” answered Health Canada, which is responsible for authorizing vaccines in Canada.

The product monographs for the widely administered COVID-19 shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which describe the properties, claims, indications, and conditions of use for the drug, state the unavailability of data regarding use during pregnancy.

“No data are available yet regarding the use of COMIRNATY Omicron XBB.1.5 during pregnancy,” said Pfizer-BioNTech’s monographs, both for its updated Omicron injection and its original one.

Health Canada Asked Pfizer for DNA Fragments Size in COVID Shots, Linked to ‘Probability’ of Genomic ‘Integration’

“The safety and efficacy of SPIKEVAX XBB.1.5 in pregnant women have not yet been established,” similarly say Moderna’s monographs for its updated Omicron shots and its legacy product.

Pfizer-BioNTech’s initial clinical trial for pregnant women, announced publicly in February 2021, encountered recruitment problems.

A Pfizer Canada representative told a member of the National Advisory Committee for Immunization (NACI) in April 2022 that the trial had been stopped due to slow enrolment, according to internal emails seen by The Epoch Times.

Jelena Vojicic, vaccines medical lead at Pfizer Canada, also said “it became unreasonable/inappropriate to randomize pregnant women to placebo given the amount of observational evidence that the vaccine is safe and effective, coupled with increasing number of technical committees supporting immunization of pregnant women.”

Despite hurdles, Pfizer-BionTech submitted results for a small clinical trial with 348 participants in July 2023, according to the U.S. government website ClinicalTrials.gov.

Moderna’s observational pregnancy outcome study was terminated in the fall of 2023 due to low enrolment, with ClinicalTrials.gov noting 20 enrolled participants.

Neither Pfizer nor Moderna responded to a request for comment.

While confirming there is little to no clinical trial data, Health Canada said vaccination for pregnant women was recommended based on evidence of safety and effectiveness growing from “real-world use.”

“Analysis of the data show that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.”

Dr. Bernard Massie, a virologist and former National Research Council acting director general of the Human Health Therapeutic Research Center, raised doubts about the reliability of data obtained outside clinical trials, calling them “very incomplete and often biased.”

“We won’t find what we’re not looking for,” noting that real-world passive surveillance of side effects can be underrepresented by a factor of 10 and up to a 100 for lax systems.

‘Off-Label’

While Health Canada authorizes vaccines, the regulator said that NACI is responsible for formulating recommendations for public use.

“This means that NACI may provide recommendations that are broader or narrower than the conditions of use approved by Health Canada, often referred to as ‘off-label’ recommendations,” said spokesperson Anna Maddison, adding such a practice by NACI is ”not uncommon.” Ms. Maddison also noted the COVID-19 vaccines are not contraindicated in pregnant or lactating women.

At the beginning of the vaccine rollout, NACI said in December 2020 that pregnant or breastfeeding mothers “should not” in most circumstances be offered the vaccine “until further evidence is available.”

The recommendation was changed in January 2021 to “may be offered” following a risk assessment.

By May 2021, NACI had updated its recommendation for pregnant women that they “should be offered” COVID-19 mRNA shots.

To back its recommendation, NACI cited a U.S. government study of 35,000 pregnant women using data from December 2020 to February 2021.

“Preliminary findings did not show obvious safety signals among pregnant persons who received mRNA Covid-19 vaccines,” said the study. It noted, however, that “more longitudinal follow-up, including follow-up of large numbers of women vaccinated earlier in pregnancy, is necessary to inform maternal, pregnancy, and infant outcomes.”

Dr. Massie questioned whether the study by government scientists was interested in finding issues with vaccination and pregnancy given that the government was promoting mass vaccination.

After the results of the study were published on April 21, 2021 in the New England Journal of Medicine, other government advisory bodies recommended COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women.

Quebec’s government announced vaccination would be offered to pregnant women on April 27 of that year, citing a recommendation from its immunization committee which “analyzed the evolution of scientific data and recommendations in different countries.”

B.C.’s government recommendation came on May 4, 2021. “All Health Canada-approved vaccines are safe and effective, and I encourage everyone to register and receive their vaccine as soon as they are eligible. Today, this includes people who are pregnant,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer.

‘Not’ Advertising

Dr. Philip Oldfield, who has more than three decades of experience specializing in the bioanalysis of protein/nucleic acid therapeutics and regulatory affairs, raised questions about the product monographs for vaccines saying effects on pregnancy were not tested while government bodies encourage pregnant women to be vaccinated. 

He also points to passive surveillance data on vaccine adverse events collected in the United States showing over 2,000 miscarriages following COVID-19 vaccination. While this data doesn’t prove causality, it is considered largely underreported.

Dr. Oldfield said Health Canada encouraging pregnant women to get vaccinated for COVID-19 could contradict “both the law with respect to false and misleading advertisements of a drug, and contradicts the safety data found on both the Moderna and Pfizer monographs.”

The Epoch Times asked Health Canada if it is allowed by law to make recommendations about the use of products for certain populations for which the products’ monographs do not indicate safety information. The Foods and Drugs Act states that “No person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any drug in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety.”

Health Canada spokesperson Anna Madison responded that “public health messages from a government authority that promote vaccination would not qualify as advertising of a health product.”

Despite different bodies’ recommendations for pregnant woman, NACI noted in a summer 2022 report that “uptake of COVID-19 vaccine has been lower among pregnant people compared to non-pregnant people in Canada.”

“Preliminary unpublished evidence in Ontario indicates that primary series vaccine coverage among pregnant people (71 percent) was 16 percentage points lower than in the general female population of reproductive age in Ontario by the end of 2021.”

Animal Studies

Outside of emerging real-word evidence, regulators and advisory bodies have also cited studies conducted on animals to determine the safety for pregnant women and their babies.

“Animal studies do not indicate direct or indirect harmful effects with respect to pregnancy, embryo/fetal development, parturition, or post-natal development, and human randomized clinical trials were not submitted for regulatory evaluation,” said Health Canada in responding to MP Carrie.

The NACI also cited a study conducted on rats with Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine to back its recommendation, saying no issues were encountered.

A Moderna nonclinical overview submitted to the U.S. government and obtained by legal advocacy group Judicial Watch through a lawsuit indicates the presence of “statistically significant increases” in rat offsprings with “wavy ribs and 1 or more rib nodules.” 

“There were no other indicators of mRNA-1273-related developmental toxicity observed, including delayed ossification; therefore, these common skeletal variations were not considered adverse,” concluded the manufacturer.

Both Dr. Oldfield and Dr. Massie said the animal studies conducted are not proper to assess risk in humans. “Using an inappropriate species in the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity (DART) studies would never pick up the toxic effects due to the spike protein,” said Dr. Oldfield. “The animal studies were performed using an inappropriate species (rat) which unlike humans, their ACE receptors does not bind to the vaccine generated spike protein.”

Breastfeeding

MP Carrie also raised the issue of breastfeeding in his request for information to the government, asking what specific research data there is to say that “modRNA vaccine, and consequently the spike protein, do not excrete into breast milk.”

Health Canada responded that the product monographs for authorized COVID-19 vaccines “include a statement that it is unknown whether the COVID-19 vaccine is excreted in human milk.”

“A risk to newborns/infants cannot be excluded,” it adds.

Studies have found mRNA from COVID shots does end up in breast milk, with a recent one published in the medical journal Lancet in September.

In response to previous questions, Health Canada told Mr. Carrie last year that “mRNA-encoded spike protein is only expressed transiently and at the injection site and the liver, then declines over time.”

Authors of the study published in the Lancet noted their “findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 vaccine mRNA is not confined to the injection site but spreads systemically and is packaged into [breast extracellular vesicles].”

The scientists said that since only “trace quantities” are present and a “clear translational activity is absent, we believe breastfeeding post-vaccination is safe, especially 48 h after vaccination.” They specified that since the minimum mRNA dose to elicit an immune reaction in young infants is unknown, breastfeeding mothers should consult with a health-care provider to discuss risks and benefits in the first two days after vaccination. For the Silo, Noé Chartier/Epoch Times.

Noé Chartier
Finance

International Monetary Fund- World Economy Still Recovering

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The IMF announced today (Tuesday, April 11, 2023) in the World Economic Outlook’s press briefing that the baseline forecast for global output growth is 0.1 percentage point lower than predicted in the January 2023 WEO Update, before rising to 3.0 percent in 2024.

“The world economy is still recovering from the unprecedented upheavals of the last three years, and the recent banking turmoil has increased uncertainties.”

“We expect global output growth to fall from 3.4% last year to 2.8% in 2023, before rising to 3% in 2024, mostly unchanged from our January projections. Advanced economies are expected to see an especially pronounced growth slowdown from 2.7% in 2022 to 1.3% in 2023. Global headline inflation is set to fall from 8.7% in 2022 to 7% in 2023 on the back of lower commodity prices but underlying core inflation is proving to be stickier. Importantly, this outlook assumes that recent financial stresses remain contained,” said Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the IMF’s Chief Economist.

Much uncertainty clouds the short- and medium-term outlook as the global economy adjusts to the shocks of 2020–22 and the recent financial sector turmoil. Recession concerns have gained prominence, while worries about stubbornly high inflation persist.

Chart- world economic outlook projections including Canada.

“Once again, risks are heavily tilted to the downside, they have risen with the recent financial turmoil. Most prominently, recent banking system turbulence could result in a sharper and more persistent tightening of global financial conditions. The simultaneous rate hikes across countries could have more contractionary effects than expected, especially as debt levels are at historical highs. There might be a need for more monetary tightening if inflation remains stickier than expected. These risks and more could all materialize at a time when policymakers face much more limited policy space to offset negative shocks, especially in low-income countries,” added Gourinchas.

With the fog around current and prospective economic conditions thickening, policymakers have a narrow path to walk towards restoring price stability while avoiding a recession and maintaining financial stability. Achieving strong, sustainable, and inclusive growth will require policymakers to stay agile and be ready to adjust as information becomes available.

“First, as long as financial stress is not systemic as it is now, the fight against inflation should remain the priority for central banks. Second, to safeguard financial stability, central banks should use separate tools and communicate their objectives clearly to avoid unwarranted volatility. Financial policies should remain laser focused on preserving financial stability and watch for any buildup of risks in banks, non-banks, and the real estate sectors. Third, in many countries fiscal policy should tighten to ease inflation pressures, restore debt sustainability, and rebuild fiscal buffers. Finally, in the event of capital outflows that raise financial stability risks, emerging market and developing economies should use the integrated Policy framework, combining temporary targeted foreign exchange interventions and capital flow measures where appropriate,” said Gourinchas.

Gaming

Gaming And Exercise Reduced Pandemic Stress In These Countries

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  • Nearly six out of 10 adults have suffered mental health problems during the pandemic
  • Stress and anxiety are the biggest concerns, international research shows

Taking more exercise and online gaming are the two main ways people globally are tackling mental health issues driven by the pandemic, new international research* from the leading digital board game publisher Marmalade Game Studio shows.

Its study across the US, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore found nearly two out of five people (38%) have turned to exercise to address mental health concerns while 30% are using online gaming to relieve stress and anxiety.

Marmalade Game Studio’s research found mental health issues have soared across all countries during the pandemic with nearly six out of 10 (57%) saying they have developed mental health concerns during the pandemic and the same number say they are currently suffering from a range of issues. People in Singapore (65%) and Hong Kong (64%) are the worst affected followed by France (57%), Germany (56%) and the US (52%).

The biggest issues internationally are stress and anxiety with 38% saying they are currently affected by stress while 30% say they are suffering from anxiety.

However more than one in five (22%) say they are depressed and 4% say they have suicidal thoughts.

Marmalade Game Studio has recently introduced a new feature on its games in response to demand from customers for more ways to stay connected with family and friends – its Bubble in-game video chat allows gamers to add friends and family to group chats, start games from these, and video chat whilst playing.

Cristina Mereuta, co-CEO at Marmalade Game Studio, said: “The pandemic has had a huge effect on mental health globally and millions have at points suffered from a range of conditions caused by worries about their own and others physical health as well as financial worries.

“Many people are clearly taking action with increased exercise and online gaming appearing to be the most popular ways of relieving stress and anxiety.

“It is important however that people seek professional help where appropriate and it’s worrying to see that some people are doing nothing.”

The mental health impact has not all been negative – around 7% of French people say their mental health has improved during the pandemic followed by 6% of Americans, 5% of people in Hong Kong, 4% of Germans and 2% of people in Singapore.

The table below shows the ways people across all countries are addressing mental health issues.

ACTION TAKEN?PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHO HAVE TAKEN THESE STEPS
Doing more exercise38%
Playing online games30%
Trying to see friends and family more29%
Getting help from my doctor27%
 Talking to loved ones26%
Getting help from mental health professionals25%
 Talking to close friends19%
 Doing nothing14%

Digital gaming has proved to be important for mental health – 16%** of European Union gamers say being able to play games online and connect with others particularly families helped during lockdowns and 42% say playing multiplayer games during lockdown made them happier.

* Marmalade Game Studio commissioned independent research company PureProfile to interview 1,000 adults aged 18-plus across the US, France, Germany, Singapore, and Hong Kong in November 2021 using an online methodology. 

**  https://www.statista.com/topics/8016/covid-19-impact-on-the-gaming-industry-worldwide/#dossierKeyfigures

Finance

Influence of COVID-19 on luxury refurbished market

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The luxury market was one of the most adversely affected industries during the pandemic.

Between 2020 and 2021, people were stuck in lockdown to help prevent the spread, and as a result did not have a reason to go out purchasing luxury products.

Tax Implications if you are an NRI stuck in India due to COVID Lockdown - Tax and accounting services for domestic and overseas Indians | GKMTax.in

This naturally affected the sales of the luxury market, as jobs were being lost and the priority shifting from spending money to saving money. Luxury products are still desired, however getting access to brand new products was not manageable for the vast majority. This is where the business model, coined by Simon Kronenfeld came into play, which helped more individuals get access to luxury products.   

If you’re wondering who Simion Kronenfeld is, he is a business expert known for his revolutionary approach of re-selling refurbished products.

His business model had a strong impact towards the luxury market. Prior to 2001, consumers were only able to gain access to new luxury products and if the products had any damages they would be returned to the company. This created a problem as the company could no longer sell these unpackaged products. Nevertheless, Simon Kronenfeld found a solution. (Kronenfeld is a man with humble beginnings, who came from Israel to Canada and started off as a dishwasher.) In 2001, Kronenfeld founded Electronic Liquidators, which not only revolutionized the electronics market, but the entire resale market, which had a tremendous impact on the luxury market. 

Kronenfeld.

Simon Kronenfeld discovered that up until 2001, nobody was working on repackaging the products that were returned to a company.

Recognizing this gap in the market, Kronenfeld started his very own business focusing on this sector specifically. Simon Kronenfeld started repackaging the products that were returned to a company labeling them as refurbished products. These refurbished products were then sold at the second-tier shops, transforming these financially burdened products into a multi million dollar business in just the span of two years. This same business model was replicated by many other companies following the positive impact this model brought both on a financial level and on an environmental level. In this day and age, sustainability is everything, so this concept has become a multi million-dollar formula for businesses. In fact, most companies are now earning billions of dollars annually by repackaging the return products and selling these refurbished products. 

This had a massive positive effect on the luxury market, as the luxury market was losing millions of dollars every year because of returned products.

Now, however, revenue could be generated from refurbished products, and turn a profit.  There are a lot of platforms online that promote luxury resale at much more affordable costs, benefiting all parties involved, especially now during the pandemic where people are not actively buying new luxury products, opting for refurbished products seems to be the best solution since they come at more affordable prices yet still offer the practicality.  

While a number of industries were negatively impacted, the refurbished market mitigated the losses in the luxury market while also offering sustainability. The refurbished market focuses on a big portion of the population in virtually any country, as in reality a tiny percentage of the population is able to indulge in these luxuries. This model gives more people access to a higher lifestyle for less, while still expanding the business market and creating more jobs as a result of this niche. These refurbished products are much more appreciated in common households and provide a good source of revenue to the sellers capitalizing on this market and offering a win-win situation.  For the Silo, Michael Adams.

Culture

Africa without vaccines while Canada doses are wasted

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Canada just moved from having enough doses to vaccinate every Canadian, into a surplus position.

This also means that Canada reached a new very problematic milestone. Doses are going bad in Canada, while desperate people, including frontline health workers in Africa, are still struggling to get access to vaccines.

None of us are safe until all of us are safe. We know this pandemic isn’t truly over until it is over everywhere. Canada MUST share more of our excess doses now. Canada MUST resist the urge to offer 3rd dose “boosters” to healthy Canadians (some of whom are getting them in order to vacation in the Caribbean) while nurses in Senegal are still unprotected.

We have more than enough vaccines, others don’t.

Africa is facing a COVID-19 crisis, cases are surging and the continent is heading towards a global catastrophe. Over the last month deaths from COVID in Africa have increased 80%. Only roughly 3% of Africans have received the first shot, and the continent is not on track to vaccinate 10% of its population by the end of the year. The WHO’s Bruce Aylward said this should be “a scar on all of our consciences.”

What can Canada do?

Meanwhile in Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau announced on July 27th that with 66 million doses received, we have enough to fully vaccinate every eligible Canadian. We have now reached a point where the supply of vaccine exceeds demand, and already Astra Zeneca doses have been thrown away and Moderna vaccines are sitting in freezers nearing their expiry dates.

Canada is the country that has ordered the most vaccines per person: counting optional purchases, enough to vaccinate each Canadian 5 times. Unless the excess doses are shared right now, we could end-up throwing away millions of doses while most of the rest of the world remains unvaccinated. This is a scandal that we cannot let happen.

Vaccines being discarded is not a theoretical concern. In addition to the 300,000 doses from Johnson and Johnson that were discarded due to a manufacturing issue, thousands of Astra Zeneca doses have already been wasted in Canada because they could not be used before their expiry dates. With this vaccine barely been used in anymore, there may be thousands more sitting in freezers or the garbage, and provinces are coy about how many they may be throwing away.  The same is starting to happen with Moderna, with pharmacists unable to put some of the doses they have in arms.

Figure 1: A tale of two pandemics
While Canada is in a very good position, some African countries are seeing an increase in cases with a very small share of their population vaccinated.


Canada has so far committed to share 30.7 million doses with COVAX, the global vaccine distribution mechanism, including a recent pledge to donate the remainder of our Astra Zeneca orders. But there has been no confirmation of when these donated vaccines might reach countries in need.

In addition, new analysis by the ONE Campaign based on data from analytics firm AirFinity shows that at the current rate, Canada will end-up with between 16 and 42 million more vaccines piling up in freezers or thrown away by Christmas, while the pandemic continues raging on in Africa and the developing world.

We not only have a moral obligation to share doses, it is in our own best interest to stop the global spread and emergence of new variants. Until then, more preventable deaths will occur and Canada’s own recovery will be threatened by a shaky global economy. According to the IMF, failing to help the developing world defeat Covid-19 could cost the global economy US$4.5 trillion.

The time to donate more doses is now. Lives depend on it.

Africa is experiencing an increasingly urgent COVID crisis and needs at least 200 million vaccine doses by the end of September to slow the spread and prevent more needless deaths. Canada should immediately transfer all incoming vaccine orders to COVAX, beyond ensuring that there are enough for every Canadians to be fully vaccinated. This should mean at least 12 million more doses shared before the end of September, and in total 16-42 million vaccines donated before the end of the year if we want to end the pandemic and avoid unimaginable waste.

Vaccines being discarded is not a theoretical concern. In addition to the 300,000 doses from Johnson and Johnson that were discarded due to a manufacturing issue, thousands of Astra Zeneca doses have already been wasted in Canada because they could not be used before their expiry dates. With this vaccine barely been used in anymore, there may be thousands more sitting in freezers or the garbage, and provinces are coy about how many they may be throwing away.  The same is starting to happen with Moderna, with pharmacists unable to put some of the doses they have in arms.

It may be tempting for the Government to keep vaccines stockpiled just in case boosters may be needed. But the evidence so far on the need for boosters is far from conclusive, and many experts have warned that it would be counterproductive to start giving third doses to healthy people in rich countries while at-risk populations have not yet had their first shot in developing countries. Stockpiling a product with a short shelf life will inevitably lead to a lot of waste. In any case, Canada has already ordered up to 60 million more doses of Pfizer a year for the next 3 years in case boosters are needed.

The excess doses we have coming in the next 5 months must urgently be shared with countries in need to stem the pandemic globally. Variants spreading around the world pose a threat to Canadians. The longer we wait to vaccinate the world, the more variants we will see and the longer this vicious cycle will continue. The time to donating more doses is now. Lives depend on it.

Up to 42 million doses could go unused in Canada by Christmas

By December 2021, Canada will have received at least 92 million doses of the four vaccines currently approved by Health Canada (Moderna, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson). If Medicago and Novavax post positive Phase 3 results and are also approved, total supply could increase to 117 million doses. [1]

To fully vaccinate every Canadian, including children under 12 should vaccines be approved for them, 76 million doses will be required in total. These are highly optimistic projections of actual demand, since it is unlikely that 100% of the population will want to be vaccinated.

This means that between 16 and 42 million excess vaccines risk being stockpiled or wasted in Canada by the end of the year. The higher scenario means our excess vaccines would be enough to fully vaccinate everyone in a country like Burkina Faso this year. Right now, 0.01% of people are fully vaccinated in Burkina Faso. For the Silo, Justin McAuley.

Figure 2: A growing stockpile
Even accounting for the already-announced donations, Canada will have millions of excess vaccines

[1] This excludes the 30 million doses already donated to Covax.

Politics

How Covid Affects Ontario Legislature

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The past week has been a whirlwind of activity in Ontario politics.    Some have asked about my absence from the Legislature for the vote on May 31.    

With the advent of COVID-19, all political parties decided to divide the sitting members of the Legislature into two groups with equal representation from all parties. 

Separate groups in the Legislature are an attempt to diminish the spread of COVID-19.  

The Legislature is divided into two groups or cohorts in case COVID-19 swept through the sitting members, which could result in all members being in quarantine and the Legislature grinding to a halt. Instead, with two groups, only part of the Legislature would end up in quarantine and the other half could take over.   

My group was not designated to be in the Legislature May 31. For this reason, I was not present in the House. All parties agreed to not have remote voting in the Ontario Legislature. I am presently working from home, including serving virtually on Standing Committees.    

The motion passed on Monday relates to the ability to extend and amend existing orders under the Reopening Ontario Act. Orders made under the Act’s authority have always been, and will continue to be, required to be extended in 30-day increments by Cabinet. All orders may also be amended by Cabinet at any time to loosen or tighten restrictions as necessary. These Orders have been the mechanism that we use to implement the COVID-19 response since last July, including the colour-coded framework, the shutdown, and now the roadmap to reopening.   

Please note that the declaration of emergency and Stay-at-Home orders have expired as a result of key indicators for COVID-19 trending in the right direction and significant progress being made in vaccinations.   

However, because of the new, fast-growing Indian B.1.617.2 and to allow for higher vaccination rates, our government made the difficult decision to continue with remote learning for all elementary and secondary students across the province for the remainder of this school year. This will allow the province to continue its focus on accelerating COVID-19 vaccinations to support a safe summer and return to in-person learning in September for the 2021-22 school year.   

The health and safety of Ontario students, staff, educators and families remains a top priority.  

On a personal note, my wife Cari and I both contracted COVID-19 and have completely recovered.  Cari is home from Joseph Brant Hospital and is doing very well after a week-and-a-half there, including one week in Intensive Care. We have ended our self-isolation, although we continue to follow public health guidelines.     

We can’t begin to express our appreciation for all the messages of support and concern – thank you everyone!!    

My positive test for the N501Y mutation of the UK B.1.1.7 variant was a result of picking up the virus just prior to my vaccination.

The changing face of the pandemic: New COVID-19 variants spark concern

We must also be vigilant as the new B.1.617.2 variant, which was first identified in India and entered the province through Canada’s international borders, grew in Ontario by 600 per cent from May 12 to May 19.  

The threat of new variants reinforces my belief that we all must continue to be cautious because of this highly transmissible disease.    For the Silo, Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk.   

Culture

UK PM Johnson: You May Need Vaccination Proof To Enter Pubs

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51%

Only days after it was announced that 51% of British adults have received at least one doses of their COVID vaccine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that people may need to present a vaccination certificate in order to go to the pub. One month ago, Johnson had said that this would not be the case.

One Year Later

When the UK first entered lockdown one year ago, Johnson recognized he was “taking away the ancient, inalienable right of free-born people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub” but now he is suggesting limits on how many of them will be given back that right.

British political analyst and commentator Jonathan Sacerdoti says the UK’s vaccination program has been impressive, beating the rest of Europe by far. “This has been for three main reasons,” he explains. “Firstly, the UK implemented skillful procurement of vaccines, which enabled the country to ensure a plentiful if varying supply level of the newly developed vaccines. Having finally broken free of the European Union after years of Brexit back-and-forth, the UK was able to make its own decisions just in time, and signed early and favorable contracts with vaccine manufacturers.”

AstraZeneca

“Secondly, the UK also invested in developing its own vaccine, the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. This has offered a far cheaper alternative to the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine which the UK is also using, and is far easier to transport. It does not require the deep refrigeration that some other vaccines do, and it can therefore also be administered in pharmacists and smaller medical practices, or even in old age homes, rather than only in mass vaccination centers. Despite some concerns over possible blood clots as a side effect, the vaccine is widely accepted to be safe and effective. It has enabled the UK to make progress with vaccinating its population quickly, and promises to help vaccinate poorer countries around the world.”

Extended Dosage Gap

“Thirdly, the UK made the controversial decision to extend the gap between the two vaccine doses each person needs, from 21 days to 12 weeks. This was not backed up but he vaccine makers’ research, but was based on wider knowledge of immunology and how other vaccines have been developed. At the time it was seen as highly controversial and even risky. But ongoing testing for antibodies has shown a continued, strong immune response even with the prolonged gap. This single decision has enabled the country to effectively provide a high level of protection to double the number of people in the same time. As long as vaccine supply and availability continue uninterrupted, the second doses will be given within 12 weeks and the population will continue to benefit both individually and as a whole.”

EU Lags

Meanwhile, the European Union is lagging far behind in its rate of vaccination, causing a rift between the bloc and its recent ex-member state the UK. Threats of banning or controlling exports of vaccines manufactured in the EU to countries which are far ahead in their programs has caused a diplomatic war of words. The UK determined to have its commercial contracts fulfilled regardless of the EU’s weak performance in acquiring and administering vaccines. The EU is desperate to claw back more vaccines for use in its own countries, despite slow progress in administering them.

Jonathan Sacerdoti is a British broadcaster and social commentator, widely featured on British and international television and media. He provides commentary for a wide range of TV stations including regular appearances on the BBC (including on their international show Dateline London) and the UK’s Sky News. He also appears on Channel 4 News, Al Jazeera English, NDTV in India, France 24, i24News Cheddar News and others. He has been published by the Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, the New Statesman and Jewish Chronicle. He is also a well-known campaigner on racism issues. 

Sci-Tech

Whole City COVID Testing Will Begin In Liverpool UK

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Pasadena, Calif. (November, 2020) – Innova Medical Group, Inc. (IMG) has partnered with the UK Government in its roll out of whole city screening and testing, beginning in Liverpool, with its INNOVA SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test Kits. 

Innova Medical’s lateral flow antigen test uses nasal and throat swab samples to screen for infection, with highly accurate results in as little as 15-minutes. This test can be easily and safely administered anywhere, on both asymptomatic and symptomatic people, without costly delays and the need for a full-scale laboratory. With its low cost per test, about the same as a coffee and biscuit in London, at-risk populations and many with inequitable access to healthcare, can achieve peace-of-mind with a negative result. U.K. Government data showed the IMG rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test screened asymptomatic individuals with 98.98 percent accuracy.

https://youtu.be/S2qRibNrBPs

Dr. Susan Hopkins, Incident Director at Public Health England, said, “The tests we are using in Liverpool are accurate, especially in finding people who are infectious at that moment in time and so are more likely to pass it on to others. Part of the purpose of working with Liverpool to roll out whole city testing is to better understand how these tests work in the field, improve understanding of why people get tested, and the impact of this approach on reducing the transmission rate.”

Using the National Health Service (NHS COVID-19) app, people can book a test and later input their test results.

Individuals taking part in the roll out of Operation Moonshot will be notified of positive or negative results by text or email. With this important test-and-trace system in place, public health authorities can diagnose cases, isolate infected patients, trace their contacts, and implement stringent infection control policies to reduce outbreaks.

With colder months and the holiday season ahead, the risk of virus transmission accelerates with more indoor gatherings and travel. If people do not know they have COVID-19, it is unlikely they will take precautions to prevent virus spread. Research studies show that to achieve disease control both asymptomatic, people who are infected but never develop symptoms, and pre-symptomatic, infected people who develop symptoms later, must be isolated.

Under Operation Moonshot, the UK Government hopes to flatten the curve by employing proactive, rather than reactive, measures in its COVID-19 response. Up to 1-in-5 United Kingdom coronavirus infections present with no symptoms, but they are still contagious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says up to 40 percent of infected people are asymptomatic and should be tested if they have been exposed. Typically, a person develops symptoms 5 days after being infected; however, infectivity was found to be highest a day before symptom onset. After symptoms, such as a cough, fever, and shortness of breath, first appear, a person can remain contagious for at least ten days.

The Innova Rapid Antigen Test quickly identifies infectiousness. The lateral flow test can identify people with a high viral load who are the most likely to spread the virus. Daniel Elliott, President of Innova Medical Group, Inc., said, “Our lateral flow device incorporates a German nitrocellulose membrane partially composed of nanoparticles of colloidal gold. [ Colloidal gold is nanoparticles of gold in a liquid solution. These gold nanoparticles are coated in such a way that they detect Covid antibodies. CP ] This advanced, proprietary technology combined with our room temperature reagent, allows testing at point-of-care settings such as workplaces, universities, and airports.”

GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN AND PRODUCTION

Innova Medical Group Inc. offers a global supply chain including the innovative and respected firms, GE Healthcare (USA) and Sartorius (Germany). IMG secured exclusive manufacturing and distribution agreements for its best-in-class portfolio of screening and diagnostic tests. By the end of November 2020, IMG will produce millions of kits per day in its Brea, California plant, combined with activity from plants in other global locations. After being selected over a large number of submissions to take part in Operation Moonshot, IMG is also exploring options for production in the United Kingdom.

The Innova test carries a CE Marking indicating that this IVD device complies with the European In-Vitro Diagnostic Devices Directive (98/79/EC). This device may be legally commercialized in the European Union (EU). For the Silo, Julie R. Manley.

About Innova Medical Group

Innova Medical Group, Inc. (IMG), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pasaca Capital (Pasadena, Calif.). IMG strategically pivoted and leveraged its expertise in Healthcare and Medical Devices to create an ecosystem to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Innova Medical Ecosystem is delivering millions of tests every day to satisfy the diverse, point-of-care requirements of the world’s governments, large corporations, and institutions. IMG offers a global supply chain including the innovative and respected firms, GE Healthcare (USA), and Sartorius (Germany). IMG secured exclusive manufacturing and distribution agreements for its best-in-class portfolio of screening and diagnostic tests. For more information, visit www.innovamedgroup.com.

Finance

How Sixty Percent Of Consumers Have Changed Shopping Behaviors Due To Covid

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Global Consumer Spending to Plunge by 8.6% to $44.3trn by end of 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has changed almost every aspect of people’s daily lives, and consumer spending is no exception. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis caused considerable changes in consumer habits, forcing them to cut down their budgets and prioritize spending.

According to data presented by StockApps.com, the coronavirus outbreak is expected to cut global consumer spending to $44.3trn in 2020, an 8.6% plunge year-over-year.

$4.2trn Drop in Spending Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Falling consumer spending has significant effects on overall Gross domestic product (GDP) growth, considering it accounts for almost 70% of GDP.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, global consumer spending has witnessed steady growth for five years in a row, revealed Statista, IMF, United Nations, World Bank, and Eurostat data. In 2015, it amounted to over $41.5trn. Over the next twelve months, this figure rose to $42.5trn and continued growing. Statistics show that in 2019, consumers worldwide spent a total of $48.5trn, the highest amount in a decade.

However, the coronavirus crisis triggered a sharp fall in 2020, with global consumer spending expected to plunge by $4.2trn year-over-year. Nevertheless, statistics show the following years are set to witness a recovery, with consumer spending growing by 20% to $53.5bn in 2022.

Statista data also revealed that Switzerland represents the leading country globally, with over $40,000 in consumer spending per capita in 2020. Luxembourg ranked second with around $5,000 less than that. Iceland, Denmark, and Norway follow, with $34,300, $25,800, and $25,600, respectively.

60% of Consumers Changed their Shopping Behavior

The Mc Kinsey & Company survey showed consumers became increasingly cautious with their spending in 2020. Even after countries lifted lock-downs, many consumers still see their incomes fall, forcing them to reduce budgets and change shopping habits.

Statistics show that increased time spent indoors led to significant growth in consumer spending on groceries, household, and home entertainment. Brazil, South Africa, and India lead in this category, with up to 30% consumer spending growth. Major consumer markets like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and China witnessed around 15% grocery shopping growth in the first half of the year.

However, with consumers being mindful of their spending and turning to less expensive products, 2020 has witnessed a plunge in clothes and accessories, outside entertainment, services, travel, and transportation spending. Respondents in all countries said they cut down spending in these categories between 20% and 50%.

The McKinsey survey also revealed the COVID-19 outbreak triggered a significant change in the shopping mindset. More than 60% of consumers globally have tried a different brand or shopped at another retailer during the crisis, mostly for convenience, value, and quality.

In China and the United States, over 75% of consumers reported trying a new shopping method, and 60% plan to stick with it post-crisis. The United Kingdom and Germany follow with 71% and 54% of consumers who practiced new shopping behavior. In Japan, where lockdowns weren’t imposed, only 33% of consumers changed their shopping mindset. For the Silo by Jastra Kranjec.

Featured image- Wicker basket by George’s Baskets.

Sci-Tech

Unusual Features Of SARS Covid Genome Suggest Laboratory Creation Not Nature

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The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has led to over 910,000 deaths worldwide and unprecedented decimation of the global economy. Despite its tremendous impact, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has remained mysterious and controversial. The natural origin theory, although widely accepted, lacks substantial support.

Censorship Of Alternative Theory

A recent Reddit page

The alternative theory that the virus may have come from a research laboratory is, however, strictly censored on peer-reviewed scientific journals. Nonetheless, SARS-CoV-2 shows biological characteristics that are inconsistent with a naturally occurring, zoonotic virus.

Dr. Li-Meng Yan, one of the key authors of the report has been labeled as a whistle blower by Western media.

In this report, the authors describe the genomic, structural, medical, and literature evidence, which, when considered together, strongly contradicts the natural origin theory. The evidence shows that SARS-CoV2 should be a laboratory product created by using bat coronaviruses ZC45 and/or ZXC21 as a template and/or backbone. Building upon the evidence, we further postulate a synthetic route for SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating that the laboratory-creation of this coronavirus is convenient and can be accomplished in approximately six months.

Our work emphasizes the need for an independent investigation into the relevant research laboratories. It also argues for a critical look into certain recently published data, which, albeit problematic, was used to support and claim a natural origin of SARS-CoV-2.

From a public health perspective, these actions are necessary as knowledge of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and of how the virus entered the human population are of pivotal importance in the fundamental control of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as in preventing similar, future pandemics.

Introduction

COVID-19 has caused a world-wide pandemic, the scale and severity of which are unprecedented. Despite the tremendous efforts taken by the global community, management and control of this pandemic remains difficult and challenging. As a coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 differs significantly from other respiratory and/or zoonotic viruses: it attacks multiple organs; it is capable of undergoing a long period of asymptomatic infection; it is highly transmissible and significantly lethal in high-risk populations; it is well-adapted to humans since the very start of its emergence ; it is highly efficient in binding the human ACE2 receptor (hACE2), the affinity of which is greater than that associated with the ACE2 of any other potential host.

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 is still the subject of much debate.

A widely cited Nature Medicine publication has claimed that SARS-CoV-2 most likely came from nature. However, the article and its central conclusion are now being challenged by scientists from all over the world.

Continuing Reading The Full Paper

Click here to continuing reading and for citation listings. Li-Meng Yan (MD, PhD) , Shu Kang (PhD) , Jie Guan (PhD) , Shanchang Hu (PhD) & Rule of Law Society & Rule of Law Foundation, New York, NY, USA.

Culture

Invest In eSports- Ministers Welcome Commonwealth Interventions To Rebuild Hard Hit Sport Sector

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Commonwealth collaboration is vital to the recovery of the sport sector which has suffered a crushing blow from essential measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. This was the recurring theme as sports ministers from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific met at a landmark forum on the impact of the pandemic on their sector.

Countries spoke about the deep health and economic scars left by the closure of community sport, gyms and exercise facilities, the decimation of the local and international sporting calendar, and the loss of revenue from broadcasting and sponsorship deals.

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According to a recent Commonwealth study, while the overall economy of the 54 member countries would contract on average by 3.2 per cent in 2020, the contribution of sport sectors to GDP could drop by well over 20 per cent in several states.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “Our countries are shouldering many very heavy burdens as a result of the pandemic. Among these, necessary restrictions affecting the sport sector make much of its future is uncertain and are preventing it from making its much-needed contributions to physical well-being, mental health and economic activity. So it was really encouraging to see how Sports Ministers in our member countries are responding to the effects of COVID-19 with powerful and imaginative initiatives. Return-to-play tool kits, grants for community clubs and virtual programs to help people of all ages to be physically active were among examples shared at the forum. What also came through loud and clear is that by continuing to work together our chances of success in overcoming the impacts of the pandemic are greater, and our recovery will be swifter and more sustainable. Building on existing cooperation and momentum already achieved, the Commonwealth Secretariat has launched a range of innovative projects and programs, based on careful research and analysis, so that in all our member countries sport can be used more effectively to build communities that are socially and economically more resilient with healthier populations”

Resources such as the new Commonwealth Moves program was shared with ministers to support efforts to get more people active while complying with the rules imposed to suppress the pandemic. The online tool is tailored to tackle the ongoing ‘pandemic’ of immobility, exacerbated by COVID-19 disruptions. It includes activities for all demographics, including young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Forum participants expressed strong support for the Secretariat’s initiatives.

This includes its program on measuring sport’s contribution to the sustainable development goals and its recent online course on designing effective policies and programs.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage, Amina Mohamed chaired the forum. She said: “This forum was timely and critical for many governments still working very hard to fight the devastating pandemic that ambushed the globe early this year. The forum confirmed an unmistakable desire among Commonwealth Sport Ministers to collaborate, share solutions and pool their collective knowledge aided by the Commonwealth Secretariat including a newly developed pool of resources, carefully crafted to support countries resuscitate sport sectors choked by COVID-19, and ensure that we re-build healthier, more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies and populations. “

Ministers at the forum presented how they are responding to the current challenges and planning the safe and staged return-to-sport.

These range from guidelines for cross border competitions and provisions of economic support for grassroots clubs to investment in the e-sport sector and helplines to address abuse in sport. In a statement released after the forum, sports ministers agreed that future policies, programs and competitions should integrate delivery modifications and virus suppression measures, and that the sector should be a focus of recovery and rebuilding efforts. 
For the Silo, Snober Abbasi.

Culture

Wildlife Supply Chains for Human Consumption High In Coronaviruses

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HA NOI (June, 2020) – A new study found that animals sampled in the wildlife-trade supply chain bound for human consumption had high proportions of coronaviruses, and that the proportion of positives significantly increases as animals travel from traders, to large markets, to restaurants.

The study, which appears in the pre-print journal bioRxiv, is by a team of scientists from WCS, the Department of Animal Health of the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam National University of Agriculture, EcoHealth Alliance, and One Health Institute of the University of California, Davis.

Wildlife in the trade supply chain are often under stress and confined at high densities with other animals from multiple sources which likely results in increased shedding of coronaviruses. The authors forewarn of the potential risk of viral spillover into people through the wildlife trade.

The authors indicate that stress and poor nutrition likely contribute to decreasing animal immune functions resulting in increased shedding and amplification of coronaviruses along the supply chain. The findings in rodents illuminate the potential for coronavirus shedding in other wildlife supply chains (e.g. civets, pangolins) where similarly large numbers of animals are collected, transported, and confined.

The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of coronavirus presence and diversity in wildlife at three wildlife-human interfaces including live wildlife trade chains, wildlife farming, and bat-human interfaces. This work represents an important demonstration of capacity and a significant contribution from Viet Nam to the field, laboratory, and scientific approaches critical to understanding and addressing zoonotic disease threats. The consensus PCR approach for viral detection is a cost-effective tool for detecting both known and novel viruses and co-infections in a variety of taxa, sample types, and interfaces.

Researchers collected samples at 70 sites in Viet Nam, and detected six distinct taxonomic units of known coronaviruses. There is no current evidence to suggest these particular viruses were a human-health threat, but the laboratory techniques used in the study can be utilized to detect important emerging or unknown viruses in humans, wildlife, and livestock in the future.

The team found high proportions of positive samples among field rats destined for human consumption. The proportion of positives significantly increased along the supply chain from traders (21 percent), to large markets (32 percent) to restaurants (56 percent). Coronaviruses were detected on two-thirds of the surveyed wildlife farms, and six percent of rodents raised on the farms were positive. A bat and a bird coronavirus were found in rodent fecal samples collected from wildlife farms suggesting either environmental mixing or viral sharing among species. Coronavirus detection rates in rodent populations sampled in their ‘natural’ habitat are closer to 0-2 percent.

Said Amanda Fine, WCS Health Program Associate Director, Asia, and a co-author of the study: “Wildlife supply chains, and the conditions the animals experience while in the supply chain, appear to greatly amplify the prevalence of coronaviruses. In addition, we documented exposure of rodents on wildlife farms to both bat and bird coronaviruses. These high prevalence rates and diversity of coronaviruses, added to the species mixing we see in the wildlife trade, creates more opportunities for coronavirus recombination events as well as spillover.”

The authors warn that the trade in wildlife facilitates close contact between people and multiple species of wildlife taxa shedding coronaviruses. This provides opportunities for intra- and inter-species transmission and potential recombination of coronaviruses.

The wildlife supply chain from the field to the restaurant provides multiple opportunities for such spillover events to occur. To minimize the public health risks of viral disease emergence from wildlife and to safeguard livestock-based production systems, the authors recommend precautionary measures that restrict the killing, commercial breeding, transport, buying, selling, storage, processing, and consuming of wild animals.

The emergence of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and now SARS-CoV-2 highlight the importance of the coronavirus viral family to affect global public health. The world must increase vigilance through building and improving detection capacity; actively conducting surveillance to detect and characterize coronaviruses in humans, wildlife, and livestock; and to inform human behaviors in order to reduce zoonotic viral transmission to humans. 


Hoang Bich Thuy, WCS Viet Nam Country Program Director and co-author explains: “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Government of Viet Nam has been taking strong actions to enforce wildlife trade laws and is considering the prohibition of wildlife trade and consumption as directed by the Prime Minister in his Official Letter No. 1744/VPCP-KGVX dated 6 March 2020 of the Government Office. This research provides important baseline information and suggests areas for targeted studies to provide more evidence for the development of new policies and/or revision of the legal framework in Viet Nam to prevent future pandemics by mitigating risks of transmitting pathogens from animals to humans at key nodes along the wildlife supply chain. Successful interventions will be those that support a significant reduction in the volume and diversity of species traded, and the number of people involved in the trade of wildlife.”

This study was made possible USAID’s Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT project with cooperation from the government of Viet Nam.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. For the Silo, Stephen Sautner, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo, New York.

Featured image- Civet in a farm in Dong Thap, Viet Nam.  CREDIT: ©WCS Vietnam

Culture

Fear & Illness: In Wake Of COVID-19, Faith And Support Matter

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As the U.S. prepares do deal with the feared Corona Virus, this potential crisis presents a great opportunity to be a source of strength and support for one another. Patti Garibay, Cofounder of American Heritage Girls, is available to discuss her wonderful organization and how they could help deal with fear and anxiety caused by COVID-19, as well as ways their members can serve others in this time of crisis.

Patti Garibay, Founder & Executive Director of American Heritage Girls (AHG)

Q&A:

Amidst the rapid-spreading Coronavirus, and the anxiety that it is causing so many, how does the American Heritage Girls Program (AHG) help girls overcome feelings of fear and anxiety?

The American Heritage Girls Program enables a girl to grow in her FAITH – in every sense of the word – instead of increasing in panic, fear, and anxiety. The AHG Program helps girls fortify and strengthen their faith as it pertains to believing and serving Christ, and being confident and assured that God cares and protects them. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, AHG is equipping girls to act from a place of both faith and preparation, by adhering to the safety precautions and suggestions for disease prevention laid out by the CDC. 

Girls today are experiencing heightened rates of diagnosed anxiety and depression disorders. How do you think information about the Coronavirus plays into their fears and disorders?

Information about the Coronavirus is accessible everywhere. It’s nearly impossible to step into your car without hearing the Coronavirus as the topic of the hour on every radio station or scroll through your social media newsfeed without seeing countless posts about it. Coronavirus conversations are in classrooms, the workplace, the grocery store. There is no escaping Coronavirus information. Because of the nature of how we consume information in today’s world, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and even bogged down with the information which can quickly lead to fear and terror. I believe the speed of information sharing about the Coronavirus is significantly contributing to the rise of anxiety we are seeing all around us.

How does AHG equip its adult volunteers to engage in informed and faith-filled conversations with Girl Members and families about safety precautions to protect against the Coronavirus?

AHG has an incredible team of staff members who work to support all of our ministry’s members. We are consistently monitoring how the Coronavirus could affect the everyday operations of Troops, and we have communicated to Troop leaders how to take the necessary preventative measures to stay safe while giving their Troops messages of faith and encouragement amidst this time of uncertainty. AHG leaders are calmly and carefully explaining any changes or adjustments to meetings and activities to girls and families. We are encouraging our leaders with scripture and diligently praying for them.

AHG’s mission is Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. With the rapid-spreading Coronavirus, what are the ways AHG Members reach out to help and serve others?

Prayer is the first and foremost way we are serving others during this time. AHG Members are praying for those currently ill with the disease and praying that others continue to be protected. Troops are also encouraged to think of ways to help support community efforts. In the coming weeks, I know we will be receiving stories of how girls and Troops have stepped up to be a beacon of light during this time.

What is the number one message you want girls and families to know in light of having faith and letting go of fear surrounding the Coronavirus?

I want families to know and believe in 2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV, that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Connect with your family by being fully present, limiting your media consumption, and maintaining as much routine as safely possible. We, as a community, will get through this in time. Join us in prayer for wisdom and the healing of all affected by COVID-19.

About Patti Garibay, Founder & Executive Director of American Heritage Girls (AHG)

Patti Garibay with her husband are co-founders of American Heritage Girls, a wholesome scouting alternative for girls. Patti is a featured speaker nationally on the topic raising Godly girls (RGG). Along with her blog posts, Patti is a popular guest on talk shows on relevant girl-centric topics ranging from body image to bullying.

In her upcoming autobiography, Patti gives readers a glimpse into her journey from the humble beginnings of American Heritage Girls around her kitchen table in Cincinnati, to where it is today, a formidable national organization offering a positive environment in a largely Godless culture.

Patti Garibay is a living tribute to traditional values of old, offering an alternative to a lonesome online world. In Patti’s word of American Heritage Girls, she delights in her mission to help raise Godly girls, helping girls make real friends, who really chat, who also happen to enjoy camping and other outdoor adventures in a real world.

CONTACT: Rachel Ford or Jerry McGlothlin. Visit our website to view a wide variety of interview guests and topics in the news at: https://SpecialGuests.com/guests-topics/