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Saturday US COVID News

“Long Covid” Makes the Pandemic Even Scarier. It’s becoming clear that the coronavirus can do lasting damage to our organs. The realization that Covid-19 can be a chronic disease adds another risk conundrum. We now have to weigh the dangers not only of lives ended but also of lives permanently limited.” Bloomburg News

“Nine people who attended a campaign rally for President Trump in Bemidji, Minn., last month have tested positive for the coronavirus. Health officials confirmed to MPR News that of the nine who contracted COVID-19, two have been hospitalized, one of whom required intensive care." The Hill

“Fauci says White House had superspreader event as Trump to resume public events"

“Trump supporters arrive for his first event since COVID diagnosis. More than 2,000 invitations were sent out to Trump supporters requesting their attendance at the White House event, fueling concerns over yet another coronavirus outbreak originating at the seat of the US government. Trump vowed to get back to business as usual after being hospitalized last week for COVID-19, in defiance of social distancing and quarantine rules. Infected individuals are also told to quarantine for 14 days after testing positive. Saturday marks day nine since Trump was diagnosed with the virus. The Trump Campaign also announced Saturday the president will hold two more MAGA rallies next week.” Daily Mail

“As President Donald Trump stood on a White House balcony Saturday — spewing mistruths about his opponent's plan for policing and claiming the coronavirus is "disappearing" while hundreds of people watched from below — it was clear that his illness has taught him very little and he will continue to endanger Americans until Election Day.” CNN

“Florida will be ‘like a house on fire’ in a matter of weeks because the state has dropped coronavirus precautions, and President Donald Trump probably should not hold a rally there right now, infectious disease specialist Mike Osterholm said Friday. Trump, who has been battling Covid-19 for the past week, is heading to Florida Monday for a campaign rally.” CNN

“Like his role model in the White House, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has, through sheer determination, learned nothing from his own experience with a virus that has already killed more than 211,000 Americans. After 10 days in isolation, Parson has returned to public life unchanged by COVID-19 and uninterested even now in the kind of statewide mask mandate that public health authorities have said would significantly curtail its spread. Missouri remains in the red zone for cases. St. Joseph is on the list of the 20 worst hotspots in the country right now.” KC Star

“Trump Campaign Ad Uses Quote Misleadingly to Suggest Fauci Endorses WH Pandemic Response” Newsweek

“White House Blocked C.D.C. From Requiring Masks on Public Transportation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drafted a sweeping order last month requiring all passengers and employees to wear masks on all forms of public and commercial transportation in the United States, but it was blocked by the White House, according to two federal health officials.” NY Times

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I’ll be so happy when there is no COVID news left to report & the World can return to normal. I’m talking about a version of the “old” normal; not this horrible “new” normal… Unfortunately, that won’t be in 2020.

The scene above is another corner of our yard where it touches the property of our neighbors behind our next door neighbors. All the vegetation in the photo (except for our lawn & the Bradford Pear on the left) is native, wild. We live on 3 1/2 acres. Three of the 4 touching property lines have wild, native plants as natural borders.

Because I usually photograph Fall Color away from home, I never really noticed the change in our own yard before this year. Previously, it never seemed like much. But I guess “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side”. Or in this case, Fall Color isn’t always more interesting somewhere else.

I feel very lucky to be able to photograph all the interesting things I can without having to leave our own home and yard. At the same time, I long to be a world traveler again…