COVID-19: Wednesday July 8th

Brazil's president, positivity rates, withdrawing from the WHO, Vitamin D, Excess deaths and numbers.

1. The president of Brazil has tested positive for COVID.

2. Miami-Dade has reported a 26% positivity rate in COVID testing. Meaning 26 out of every 100 people they tested are positive. That is a high number.

3. The US has begun withdrawing from the WHO. This process will take a year.

4. Another Vitamin D study has come out and this one says a deficiency of Vitamin D may cause more severe outcomes. You may recall the last one said there was no evidence taking Vitamin D helped. While these seem to contradict each other they really don't. Taking it won't help...unless you are deficient. However, this study too wasn't a clinical trial and there were some variables that could impact the results. The truth is we need to continue studying what, if any, role vitamin D has. In the mean time, getting enough vitamin D is always a good idea.

5. Excess deaths (the number of deaths above what we expect to see) in the US is being monitored (this is normal) and early findings are that 35% of excess deaths are not from COVID although some of them maybe indirectly related - for example, a rise in heart attack deaths due to people not seeking medical care due to COVID fears. Please don't skip out on pertinent medical care.

6. Globally we will hit 12 million total cases, quite possibly by noon CT. That will mean a global increase of 1 million cases in 5 days. The US hit 3 million total cases - which means a 200k case increase in 4 days. Our pace is increasing.

FINAL THOUGHTS: There are days and moments when I want to throw my hands up and just leave people to their own devices. I want to say, "Ok. Let's try it your way and see how that works out." And then sit back with a bowl of popcorn and watch the disaster unfold. Those are the dark moments. Those are the moments I am reminded to walk away and take a break from it. Because we have an obligation to each other, an obligation to build each other up. To stay in the fight and drag people to the finish line, even those who fight against us. Anyone can do the right thing for those who welcome it. But the true test comes in when you work hard doing the right thing for those who work against you every step of the way. The ones who frustrate you, the ones who tempt you to leave them behind to suffer the consequences of their own folly. We have an obligation to them all. So rest, recover, take breaks, watch funny videos, learn to box, paint, read, dance - do whatever it is that renews you. Because this is a long and treacherous journey fraught with frustration and people are depending on you. But remember, there are also people holding you up, covering your back and supporting you along the way.