NOT Covid - but still important.

I wanted to share some non-Covid, news from the public health world that I think could have an impact on you. There is a bird flu outbreak among the commercial bird stock in the United States. Specifically, in Indiana. This increases the risk of a widespread outbreak, most concerningly in Iowa, the nation's top producer of poultry and eggs. The last commercial outbreak was in 2015 and resulted in the death of millions of chickens, and turkeys and the destruction of lots of eggs. At a time when meat is already difficult to get, particularly in some parts of the country, an outbreak of bird flu in Iowa would result in much higher prices and a significant shortage of poultry and eggs.

The variant now circulating is carried by wild birds and transmitted through their droppings. It is also often brought into commercial areas on the bottoms of the shoes of workers and spreads quickly and easily among the birds. It has been found in birds across the country but so far only in commercial birds in Indiana. Poultry farmers are on high alert.

In actual COVID news, expect some changes to the mask mandates to come out from the CDC as soon as today. The current expectation is a loosening of mask requirements for indoor locations.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Rough mornings happen. Sometimes you just get grouchy...but you don't have to stay there. Remind yourself that emotions are fleeting, chemical, and not necessarily a reflection of facts. They are feelings. Acknowledge the feelings and then set your mind to moving forward, out of the grumpy place into a better one, you and those around you will be better for it.