Sunday, December 03, 2023

Forget the ‘tripledemic.’ The U.S. is headed for a ‘syndemic’ this winter—and experts warn we’re not prepared

“Strained hospital capacities, workforce exhaustion, burnout, a lack of effective therapeutic tools, poor communication, a lack of compliance [with COVID precautions], a lack of continuity planning, and the pervasive influence of social determinants of health” only make the nation’s delicate health infrastructure more fragile, he said.
COVID wastewater levels are “high” and again headed upwards, on track to surpass their 2023 peak, which occurred in September, according to wastewater data posted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID hospitalizations are up 10% week over week, according to the most recent data made available. And deaths, while not rising, are not receding, either. . .

Erin Prater

Fri, December 1, 2023 at 2:49 PM MST·8 min read

COVID will likely reach levels in December not yet seen this year, combining with surges of flu, RSV, and other pathogens for a winter not so different from last year’s “tripledemic,” experts say.

Raj Rajnarayanan, assistant dean of research and associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Ark., told Fortune that the U.S. is a “sitting duck” in the face of a “syndemic” winter.

Yahoo Finance

22 hours ago

Forget the 'tripledemic.' The U.S. is headed for a 'syndemic' this winter—and experts warn we're not prepared

It’s a term he prefers to “tripledemic,” as it acknowledges the impact of more than three pathogens on the healthcare system, and the need for policies to address the phenomenon, in addition to medical interventions.

Trump Goes Off On 'Birdbrain' Nikki Haley While Bragging About Polls At ...

RUMSFIELD WORD PLAY >> Known Unknowns, the Rolling Stones, and Karl Rove | GoodFellows

Hubble Space Telescope's Latest Malfunction ...Hubble Space Telescope enters 'safe mode' after software glitch. A software error prompted the telescope to enter "safe mode,"

Hubble Space Telescope's Latest Malfunction Sparks Private Sector Service Debate

Technical issues with the Hubble have intensified discussions on the feasibility of a privately-led repair mission, a concept gaining traction within aerospace circles.

Hubble glitch renews talk about private servicing mission

Jeff FoustDecember 2, 2023

WASHINGTON — A problem with the Hubble Space Telescope has renewed discussion about whether and how NASA might approve a private mission to reboost and potentially repair the spacecraft.
NASA announced Nov. 29 that Hubble was in a safe mode because of a problem with one of its three operational gyroscopes. That gyro first triggered a safe mode Nov. 19 when it provided what NASA described as faulty readings. Spacecraft controllers restored operations of Hubble, only to see problems again Nov. 21 and 23.
The agency said in the statement that engineers were studying the problem and did not estimate when science operations would resume. Hubble can operate with just a single gyro, although with some loss of productivity, such as the inability to perform some solar system observations.
Hubble has six gyros, which were installed on the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission in 2009. Three of the six have since malfunctioned.
The news of this latest, temporary problem with Hubble prompted a response from Jared Isaacman, the billionaire backing the Polaris program of SpaceX private astronaut missions. “Put us in coach,” he posted on social media.
That was a reference to a study announced in September 2022 involving Isaacman, SpaceX and NASA to study the feasibility of a private mission to reboost and possibly repair Hubble using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. At the time Isaacman suggested that a Hubble mission could be the second of three planned Polaris missions.
The study, performed under an unfunded Space Act Agreement, was completed earlier this year, but neither NASA nor SpaceX have provided any details about the results of the study or next steps.
Isaacman, in other social media posts, suggested the study concluded a reboost and servicing mission was feasible: “this should be an easy risk/reward decision.” However, he did not disclose details about how the mission would be conducted.
SpaceX is also not the only option for servicing Hubble. NASA issued a request for information last December seeking concepts for commercial missions to reboost Hubble. NASA said it would not fund such a mission, instead offering it as an opportunity for companies to demonstrate their satellite servicing capabilities.
The agency received eight responses, including one from satellite servicing company Astroscale in partnership with in-space transportation company Momentus. NASA said at the time it was evaluating them, but gave no timeline for completing that review. . .