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Abstract

d over the phone like I was?</p><p id="da3a" type="7">How about this: Try to picture Ivanka, the object of her creepy father’s even creepier lust, punching a time clock! That will happen around the same time I start flying jets.</p><p id="709d">Maybe I’m being overly sensitive. I mean, if I could make my own sea salt while basking under the Mediterranean sun, wouldn’t I bleat about it later? Shit, no. I would not.</p><p id="1c29">So you know, the column’s focus was on scent and how it evokes particular memories. Here is the passage that set me off:</p><p id="d741"><i>When I was in Spain this summer, we sun-dried our own sea salt in Majorca, then went to a little shop near where we ate dinner to buy flor de sal harvested from the same Ses Salines salt flats. When I popped open the can — later back at home, my kids shouted, “it smells like Majorca!”</i></p><p id="c3f4">“Gee, kids! How cool is that? Know what? Get outta here”</p><p id="d35c">For those of us who don’t vacation in Majora, <i>flor de sal</i> means Salt Flower. Now, is it me, or is this type of self-important strutting gag-worthy?</p><p id="0c73">I’m not so offended by the message as much as I am by the way it was conveyed. As if the messenger had no clue of the disparity around her and the reality that people are struggling to make ends meet, for God’s sake. Struggling to feed themselves and their families. Working for minimum wage.</p><p id="051d">I get that this magazine is about beauty, not our country’s economy but all I can say is, the salaries must be pretty damned good.</p><p id="22b4">We, as writers, understand that words are powerful and the <i>way</i> in which we say things is as important, or maybe more so, as <i>what</i> we’re putting out into the world. I’ve learned this particular lesson the hard way. More than once.</p><p id="d5bd">Admittedly, I’m particularly sensitive in that I haven’t received an actual paycheck in almost two years. And I’m better than that. Much better, yet I can’t seem to catch a break. So, where someone else might read the editorial and think of it as “aspirational,” I think, “WTF?” Just as I do when I see TV commercials touting luxury automobiles as holiday gifts. What world are we living in?</p><p id="8d58">This is what doesn’t compute: While the editor raves about her kids raving about Majorca, there are other, less privileged children starving in this country. Their parents would love to afford a bus ticket, let alone a first-class airline ticket to Spain.</p><p id="f2ee">A little empathy for others, folks. That’s all I’m asking.</p><p id="184a">According to <i>nokidhungry.org</i>, in the United States, one in seven children lives with hungry. The bigger picture: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than eleven hundred children in our country live in “food insecure homes,” which means the family members don’t get enough to eat in order to live in a manner that’s deemed “healthy.”</p><p id="7845">Maybe the editor should set her cannister of DIY sea salt aside and chew on these stats:</p><p id="1300"><b>Over 4.5 million U.S. kids live in food deserts and lack access to grocery stores with fresh fruits and vegetables.</b></p><p id="742e"><b>On average, children in rural areas are more likely to experience food insecurity and lack access to quality health services.</b></p><p id="7f6a"><b>Close to 1 in 3 American children are overweight or obese, and obesity in children has more than tripled over the past 35 years, putting children at higher risk for serious, even life-threatening health problems.</b></p><p id="a02e"><b>In communities where Save the Children works, an average of 59 percent of children do not have access to fresh, healthy foods; in some areas, it’s as much as 98 percent.</b></p><p id="bc2d">Here’s more self-satisfied bunk from the editorial:</p><p id="c1b6"><i>In (country), last summer, my daughter and I treated ourselves one afternoon to tea at the (uber-luxe) hotel. Now, the scent of not only jasmine tea but also jasmine fragrances brings me half a world away to that fancy dining room, nibbling on tiny sandwiches

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and cakes.</i></p><p id="0408">Again, maybe I’m being unfair and bristly. But the manner in which this was written is offensive, in my humble opinion. Plus, the older I get, the less idiocy I can tolerate.</p><p id="712b">Maybe if she’d included some type of giveaway to the first fifty readers who wrote back via email, describing their favorite scents and what they evoked for them. Jasmine fragrance oil could be the giveaway. I don’t know.</p><p id="7d81">Perhaps this editor should stick to writing about lip conditioners and designer perfumes and the wonders of glycolic acid. Meanwhile, if the craving for a “tiny cake” should come upon her, she could always shove a Twinkie up her bum.</p><p id="444c">I’d like to thank <a href="undefined">Helen Cassidy Page</a> for her input here. She gave me the virtual slap upside the head that I needed. But, sweetly.</p><p id="6d7e"><i>Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and numerous other publications. Sherry’s manager is currently pitching her newest screenplay, a drama with dark, comedic overtones and inspired by a true story.</i></p><p id="2284">As always, I appreciate your reading. If you’re up for more:</p><div id="974d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/haiku-how-to-51d0685c1ad6"> <div> <div> <h2>Haiku How-To</h2> <div><h3>A primer for the sexually inquisitive.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*yQwyx3SGkE3-oZlWW1dC9g.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="654f" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/did-i-fail-my-mother-3323d4907780"> <div> <div> <h2>Did I Fail My Mother?</h2> <div><h3>All the things I should have said, and didn’t.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*IBboE8lKu9O0Q4Ga0aEGhQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="9067" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-hot-women-of-medium-c66515ba6bbe"> <div> <div> <h2>The Hot Women of Medium</h2> <div><h3>Smart, funny, gutsy and SMOKIN’!</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*sUDy3LYDjjZKQqXsMfyptQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="1a63" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/ive-never-received-1k-claps-b1dd0d9c56b9"> <div> <div> <h2>I’ve Never Received 1K Claps</h2> <div><h3>Wounded…and wondering.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*zAfXUminR_ELCNKW8Ppsgw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="11fc" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/its-official-i-m-an-a-hole-347624d73cd7"> <div> <div> <h2>It’s Official: I’m an A-Hole</h2> <div><h3>“Medium Madness” has me by the throat.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*r4v7h4lCPyj7liblwp-GNQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

How Much Do You Know About Viruses?

These biological zombies love humans

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Viruses have one mission in life: to find a host and replicate. They have their own genes and are capable of multiplying and evolving.

But they don't have cells and can’t convert food into energy, meaning they can’t survive on their own. They’re sort of like zombies . . . biological zombies.

In order to survive and replicate, viruses need to hijack the host’s cells, often causing them to burst and die. That’s why viruses almost always inflict illness when they infect humans. Ouch!

The good news is that we know a lot about viruses: how they wreak havoc and damage humans, but we also know how to fend off their wily ways.

Here are some facts about viruses that can help keep you safe and a few that will make you sound really smart on your next Zoom call.

1. Viruses are the most plentiful microbes on earth. You’ve probably heard of HIV, influenza, and coronaviruses, but there are plenty more. Out of about 320,000 known types of viruses that infect mammals, there are only 219 that infect humans.

2. Viruses can spread without anyone knowing. They’re sneaky alright. Scientists know that the viruses that cause herpes, COVID-19, and AIDS can be spread from contagious persons who never show symptoms. This means people who never had any signs of illness (even those who don’t have symptoms yet!) are unknowingly infecting others.

Also, some people have been known to be “superspreaders,” who infect several to hundreds of persons without ever knowing. This is why washing hands, covering mouths when sneezing/coughing, and just plain taking precautions is so important even when you’re not feeling sick.

3. Some viruses can infect us more than once. It’s not true that once you’ve been infected with a virus, you’re immune for life. Your immune system plays a crucial role in spreading this myth. When your immune system sees a virus, it builds up antibodies to fight it.

This is how vaccines work, by allowing your immune system to create the antibodies to a virus before actually having to battle the virus. The antibodies remain in your body to help fight off these viruses in the future; however, these antibodies can wain over time. That’s why you’re not immune, and that’s why some vaccines need booster shots.

Also, viruses have a mind of their own and can mutate, meaning the antibodies your immune system has in reserve are useless against the new strain.

4. Viruses can hide just about anywhere. Different viruses survive for different periods of time on surfaces outside the body. And how long they remain infective on those surfaces is a matter of debate, especially for the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2).

In a study found in the New England Journal of Medicine, the survival rate outside of humans of SARS-CoV-2 depends on the surface and the environment. In studies, SARS-CoV-2 remained active for 2–3 days on metal and plastic surfaces but only 24 hours on cardboard or paper.

Sneaky places many viruses can hide include railings, remotes, phones, keyboards, door and cabinet handles, sheets, blankets, and pillowcases, faucets, gas-pump handles, equipment at the gym, or utensils at salad bars buffets.

5. The most lethal virus to humans is the rabies virus. Rabies is deadly in about 100% of infected people. To date, only 14 people have survived rabies after showing symptoms. But the good news is that it is 100% preventable thanks to vaccines! Getting a rabies vaccine before exposure or soon after exposure can prevent the infection. Typically, rabies are spread through animal bites, so it’s crucial to see a medical provider for all animal bites; it doesn’t matter the size.

6. There is no cure for viruses. We can’t cure viruses when we get infected with them. There are antiviral medications that help make symptoms less severe, but they are not a cure. The only treatment for viruses is prevention. And the best prevention against viruses are vaccines and lifestyle alterations.

7. The best defense against viruses: soap and water. Nope, your mother didn’t just make this up. Simply washing your hands with soap and water is actually the best defense against viruses. The soap pries apart most protein-wrapped viruses, causing them to rupture. That’s why a critical part of handwashing includes soap and scrubbing (at least 20 seconds).

8. Antibiotics won’t help viral infections. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. So, when you get a cold (viruses cause colds) or the flu (also causes by viruses), don’t ask for an antibiotic. It won’t help.

Sometimes a prolonged viral infection can open the door for a bacterial infection to set in; that’s when antibiotics can be helpful. But you’ll need to discuss the symptoms you have with your medical provider, who has been trained to know when antibiotics are helpful and when they are not.

Want to learn more? Start here:

If you found this article helpful, I accept hugs in the form of

— Generous highlighting and applause

— Copious comments spilling with gratitude and deep-thoughts

— Scads of followers Julie Nyhus MSN, FNP-BC

— Positive thoughts directed my way

In peace and light,

Joolz

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The persistent questions I face from others will outlast my sore arm

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Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine?

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