(WXIN) – Doctors across the U.S. have seen an increase among children of a respiratory virus that can cause polio-like muscle weakness.

In most cases, enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) causes a respiratory illness with mild symptoms. It can, however, result in a condition called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) that can cause inflammation of the spinal cord. Those suffering from AFM can have trouble moving their arms while others experience muscle weakness. In severe cases, it can lead to respiratory failure or life-threatening neurologic complications.

These 10 states still have COVID emergency orders in place

According to an alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, pediatric hospitalizations are on the rise among patients with severe respiratory illness who tested positive for rhinovirus (RV) and/or enterovirus (EV). Some of the patients have also tested positive for EV-D68 — and hospital sites are reporting a higher proportion of EV-D68 patients compared to previous years.

This isn’t the first time EV-D68 has caused problems. In 2014, an outbreak of enterovirus D68 was reported in multiple states. The outbreak involved nearly 1,400 people, although an undercount is very likely because many who experienced mild symptoms didn’t get tested.

Increased activity was also reported in 2016 and 2018, with lower circulation in 2020 likely due to COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Between July 2022 and August 2022, the number of detected EV-D68 cases was greater than the period from the three previous years (2019, 2020 and 2021). While the CDC hasn’t seen increased reports of AFM, an increase in AFM cases generally follows an increase in EV-D68 cases, the agency said.

Omicron-specific COVID boosters are here – how you can get one

The CDC alert asks providers to consider EV-D68 as a possible cause of respiratory illnesses among children and warns of a potential increase in cases in the weeks to come. Common symptoms for EV-D68 include cough, shortness of breath and wheezing. Fever is present in about half of known cases.

“On rare occasions, EV-D68 may cause AFM,” the CDC noted in its alert. “This rare but serious neurologic condition primarily affects children and typically presents with sudden limb weakness.”

According to the CDC, signs of AFM include:

• arm or leg weakness
• pain in the neck, back, arms, or legs
• difficulty swallowing or slurred speech
• difficulty moving the eyes or drooping eyelids
• facial droop or weakness

The agency noted that there are no available vaccines or specific treatments.

Florida boy in months-long battle against rare brain-eating amoeba

Infants, children and teenagers are most likely to get infected. Those who suffer from asthma may be at greater risk for severe cases of EV-D68.

The CDC urges the public to follow typical prevention measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick, and when you are sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick
• Stay home when you are sick
• Consider wearing a mask around other people if you have respiratory symptoms
• Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you or your child has trouble breathing or has a sudden onset of limb weakness
• Ensure you or your child are following an up-to-date asthma action plan if you or your child have asthma
• Stay up-to-date with all recommended vaccines

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Originally Appeared Here

Dear Amy: My son has just started his junior year of college. I never thought he was the neatest person.

My view on this changed when he went away to college and shared a two-bedroom suite with others.

Compared to his suitemates, my son is neat, clean, and considerate of the shared space.

I am appalled by what I have seen: Beds are not made, clothes are strewn everywhere, dirty dishes are left in the sink, plates and cups are left everywhere, the table is not wiped clean, multiple pairs of shoes in the bathroom, and counter space all cluttered with everyone’s personal items, etc.

Is this the way people are living?

Are parents not teaching their children some basic level of cleanliness and how to share space?

I sent my son with cleaning supplies and showed him how to clean a bathroom.

He knows how to clean a kitchen because he has been helping me clean up after meals at home.

In one situation he was the only one that brought cleaning supplies. Cleaning supplies are a necessity!

It’s a shared space – you’re not the only one who uses the bathroom or stores food in the refrigerator or needs to wash dishes in the kitchen sink.

Yes, contracts are drawn up by the suitemates to determine rules and cleaning rotation, but my son is frustrated that he is the only one following through.

Parents, are you checking in with your kids to see if they are pulling their fair share?

Amy, as students are returning back to campus, can you put together an Adulting Checklist on basic guidelines to being a good roommate/suitemate – such as sharing the cleaning responsibilities and sharing space?

– A Concerned Mother

Dear Concerned: Adulting Lesson Number One: Never let your mom see your dorm room.

In my possibly unpopular view, it is the parents who are in need of a checklist. If you want to send an adult out into the world – then raise one!

Today’s college students often enter shared living quarters never having shared a bedroom or bathroom. They’ve never done their own laundry, washed a dish, paid a bill, written a thank you note, or had to clean up after themselves or others.

And no one has asked them to.

The whole idea of preparing an “adulting checklist” is somewhat infantilizing. These lessons – on taking care of oneself and contributing to the care of the group, should start with children at around age four. Picking up toys, helping to set the table, and helping with clean-up and laundry should all be demonstrated in early childhood. Later, earning, saving and spending money should be layered onto these other valuable lessons.

You’ve done a good job. Your son will be a desirable roommate, co-worker and partner.

Other parents – yes – stress the positive aspects of keeping your space clean (show them how), and emphasize the pro-social benefit of contributing to the welfare of the group.

Dear Amy: Could you please advise me if it is OK to use the word “hate” in a sentence – if one uses it in a “polite” tone?

An example would be “I hate it when a lot of things go wrong at the same time.”

It was brought to my attention that hate is a “strong” word.

Is it that much better to say “dislike?”

It is a bad habit I have picked up, and I was just wondering what you think.

– Kathy

Dear Kathy: A long-running admonition during my own childhood was my mother’s warning about not using “four-letter words.”

Unlike other parents’, hers had a twist, however. She said we could swear our heads off if we wanted to – only in the barn – (mostly, we didn’t), but we couldn’t say the word “hate.” Instead, we were instructed to say, “I dislike immensely.”

Ask Amy

Daily

No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.

This became a standing joke around our dinner table, as we exaggeratedly declared our immense dislikes, sometimes using a fake British accent.

In my opinion, it’s acceptable to use the word “hate” to describe your reaction to vexing situations and broccoli – but not to people.

Dear Amy: Responding to “Already Weary,” the grandmother who feels her daughter is pitting her against other grandparents regarding babysitting requests: Maybe the daughter thinks her mom has plenty on her hands caring for an “adult child with special needs” at home, and doesn’t want to overly burden her?

They need to talk, as you suggest.

– M

Dear M: This grandmother definitely has a full plate. Thank you for your suggestion.

©2022 Amy Dickinson.

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Originally Appeared Here

A recent Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that slightly more than half of the world’s health care facilities lack extremely basic hygiene services—specifically soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

About 3.85 billion people use these facilities, including 688 million people who receive care at facilities with no hygiene services at all.

Safety Compromised by Lack of Basics

Updated every two years, the current report established, for the first time, a global baseline for WASH services, as more countries than ever reported on the WASH conditions of their hospitals and other health care centers. Hygiene data is now available for 40 countries, up from 21 countries in 2020, which represents 35% of the world’s population.

The analysis found that 68% of health care facilities had hygiene facilities at points of care, and 65% had handwashing facilities with water and soap at toilets, but only 51% had both, which was necessary to meet the report’s criteria for basic hygiene services. Furthermore, 1 in 11 health care facilities (9%) had neither.

“Hygiene facilities and practices in health care settings are non-negotiable,” said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health. “Their improvement is essential to pandemic recovery, prevention, and preparedness. Hygiene in health care facilities cannot be secured without increasing investments in basic measures, which include safe water, clean toilets, and safely managed health care waste.”

Childbirth Particularly Unsafe

As the report notes, contaminated hands and environments play a significant role in pathogen transmission in health care facilities. Interventions to increase access to handwashing with water and soap and environmental cleaning are crucial to providing quality care, particularly for safe childbirth.

“Hospitals and clinics without safe water and basic hygiene and sanitation services are a potential death trap for pregnant mothers, newborns, and children,” said Kelly Ann Naylor, UNICEF director of WASH and Climate, Environment, Energy, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CEED). “Every year, around 670,000 newborns lose their lives to sepsis. This is a travesty—even more so as their deaths are preventable.”

The report further estimated that universal basic WASH services in health care facilities could be achieved in 46 least-developed countries by 2030 for less than US$10 billion, which represents additional expenditures of less than $1 per person per year.

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Originally Appeared Here

Dear Amy: My son has just started his junior year of college. I never thought he was the neatest person.

My view on this changed when he went away to college and shared a two-bedroom suite with others.

Compared to his suitemates, my son is neat, clean, and considerate of the shared space.

I am appalled by what I have seen: Beds are not made, clothes are strewn everywhere, dirty dishes are left in the sink, plates and cups are left everywhere, the table is not wiped clean, multiple pairs of shoes in the bathroom, and counter space all cluttered with everyone’s personal items, etc.

Is this the way people are living?

Are parents not teaching their children some basic level of cleanliness and how to share space?

I sent my son with cleaning supplies and showed him how to clean a bathroom.

He knows how to clean a kitchen because he has been helping me clean up after meals at home.

In one situation he was the only one that brought cleaning supplies. Cleaning supplies are a necessity!

It’s a shared space – you’re not the only one who uses the bathroom or stores food in the refrigerator or needs to wash dishes in the kitchen sink.

Yes, contracts are drawn up by the suitemates to determine rules and cleaning rotation, but my son is frustrated that he is the only one following through.

Parents, are you checking in with your kids to see if they are pulling their fair share?

Amy, as students are returning back to campus, can you put together an Adulting Checklist on basic guidelines to being a good roommate/suitemate – such as sharing the cleaning responsibilities and sharing space?

– A Concerned Mother

Dear Concerned: Adulting Lesson Number One: Never let your mom see your dorm room.

In my possibly unpopular view, it is the parents who are in need of a checklist. If you want to send an adult out into the world – then raise one!

Today’s college students often enter shared living quarters never having shared a bedroom or bathroom. They’ve never done their own laundry, washed a dish, paid a bill, written a thank you note, or had to clean up after themselves or others.

And no one has asked them to.

The whole idea of preparing an “adulting checklist” is somewhat infantilizing. These lessons – on taking care of oneself and contributing to the care of the group, should start with children at around age four. Picking up toys, helping to set the table, and helping with clean-up and laundry should all be demonstrated in early childhood. Later, earning, saving and spending money should be layered onto these other valuable lessons.

You’ve done a good job. Your son will be a desirable roommate, co-worker and partner.

Other parents – yes – stress the positive aspects of keeping your space clean (show them how), and emphasize the pro-social benefit of contributing to the welfare of the group.

Dear Amy: Could you please advise me if it is OK to use the word “hate” in a sentence – if one uses it in a “polite” tone?

An example would be “I hate it when a lot of things go wrong at the same time.”

It was brought to my attention that hate is a “strong” word.

Is it that much better to say “dislike?”

It is a bad habit I have picked up, and I was just wondering what you think.

– Kathy

Dear Kathy: A long-running admonition during my own childhood was my mother’s warning about not using “four-letter words.”

Unlike other parents’, hers had a twist, however. She said we could swear our heads off if we wanted to – only in the barn – (mostly, we didn’t), but we couldn’t say the word “hate.” Instead, we were instructed to say, “I dislike immensely.”

This became a standing joke around our dinner table, as we exaggeratedly declared our immense dislikes, sometimes using a fake British accent.

In my opinion, it’s acceptable to use the word “hate” to describe your reaction to vexing situations and broccoli – but not to people.

Dear Amy: Responding to “Already Weary,” the grandmother who feels her daughter is pitting her against other grandparents regarding babysitting requests: Maybe the daughter thinks her mom has plenty on her hands caring for an “adult child with special needs” at home, and doesn’t want to overly burden her?

They need to talk, as you suggest.

– M

Dear M: This grandmother definitely has a full plate. Thank you for your suggestion.

You can email Amy Dickinson at [email protected] or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068.

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Originally Appeared Here

New state-of-the-art facility will be the first in the nation to fully integrate Violet Defense’s UV technology with building automation system via BACnet standards.

Violet Defense

Violet Defense

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Orlando Magic’s new training home, the AdventHealth Training Center, will have UV disinfection technology from Violet Defense installed throughout the facility to help keep players and other visitors safe from illnesses.

The AdventHealth Training Center will be the practice and training home for the Magic and a sports medicine hub for all of Central Florida, the Magic and AdventHealth announced. On August 31, the ribbon was cut on the $70 million, 130,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Orlando.

Violet Defense is the developer of patented Pulsed Xenon UV disinfection technology, proven in independent lab testing to kill pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus, C. diff, MRSA, norovirus, coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2.

The Magic’s facility will be the first in the country to fully integrate Violet Defense’s UV technology with a building automation system via the international BACnet standard. This will provide the team with enhanced control over their system, including scheduling functionality and reporting and metrics on system usage.

“We’re extremely proud to partner with the Orlando Magic and protect the health of the athletes at all levels – from the NBA to youth sports – who use this facility,” said Bruce Mosley, President of Violet Defense. “With the advanced control features of this deployment, we are making it incredibly easy to disinfect spaces throughout their facility automatically.”

Violet Defense’s UV technology utilizes powerful, broad-spectrum light, including germicidal UV-C, UV-B, UV-A, and violet-blue that enhances their germ-killing efficiency. By combining those wavelengths, Violet Defense’s UV advantage optimizes the efficacy of the UV light it delivers. The company strives to provide products that will lead to a brighter, healthier, more sustainable future for everyone.

Story continues

The AdventHealth Training Center will provide the Magic with two state-of-the-art basketball courts for practice; expanded strength and conditioning, training and recovery facilities; aquatic spaces, including for physical therapy and hydrotherapy; sports science and nutrition facilities; and cutting-edge audio-video and imaging technology, the team said.

“Through our collaboration with Violet Defense over the last several of years, we have been able to easily incorporate their technology throughout all of our spaces as part of our ongoing efforts to keep our facilities safe and healthy for our team,” said Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman. “When we started planning the state-of-the-art AdventHealth Training Center, we knew right away that Violet Defense needed to be an integral part of our plans. We are thrilled to have them join us in our continuing commitment to health and wellness.”

AdventHealth is a multi-state health care system, and the Magic’s partner for three decades, and brings to the facility a 33,300-square-foot medical hub designed for elite athletes, youth athletes and recreational athletes with a focus on whole-person health and sports science.

Violet Defense’s industrial UV sanitizer system will be installed throughout the facility, covering areas including:

To learn more about Violet Defense and its offerings, visit www.violetdefense.com.

About Violet Defense

Violet Defense is dedicated to UV disinfection solutions for a brighter, healthier, more sustainable future. Violet Defense provides trusted and efficient UV disinfection solutions that are sustainable, cost-effective, and protect the places you live, learn, work, and play. We are committed to your well-being and strive to give you confidence and peace of mind wherever you go. To learn more about Violet Defense and its initiatives, visit www.violetdefense.com.

Media Contact:

Maria Penaloza
[email protected]
www.Newswire.com

Related Images

Image 1: Violet Defense

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Originally Appeared Here

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The Corpus Christi – Nueces County Public Health District received notification of three COVID-19-related deaths. The patients included one female and two males in their 70’s. Comorbidities included Diabetes, Hypertension, Renal Failure, and Dementia. Our condolences go out to their family and friends. Further information is not being released for privacy and confidentiality reasons.

All Nueces County residents must make every effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Here are Public Health strategies we should all be following:

● Wear a mask when in public

● Practice social distancing with everyone outside of your immediate household

● Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

● Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

● Avoid close contact with people who are sick

● Stay home when you are sick

● Disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home and at work

● Get vaccinated as soon as eligible

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Originally Appeared Here

Tuesday, 13 September 2022, 10:09 am
Press Release: Horowhenua District Council

The Government has decided to remove the COVID-19
Protection Framework (traffic light system) as of 11.59pm on
Monday 12 September 2022. All mask wearing requirements have
been removed, except in healthcare and aged care
facilities.

Horowhenua District Council’s Chief
Executive, Monique Davidson says, “We’re following the
Government’s advice. From Tuesday 13 September, face masks
are no longer a requirement for Council staff, contractors,
consultants and our community entering our facilities.
However, some people may choose to continue wearing masks,
and I ask that you respect their decision to do
so.”

Another change is only COVID-19-positive
individuals are required to isolate for seven days.
Household contacts no longer need to isolate but are asked
to undertake a daily RAT test before going about their
everyday lives. “This means that any household contact will
need to test before entering Council facilities,” says
Davidson.

Council facilities include:

–
Council’s Main Office, Levin;

– Te Takeretanga o
Kura-hau-pō;

– Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom;

–
Shannon Library;

– Levin Aquatic Centre; and

–
Foxton Pools.

More details will be made available over
the coming days.

Reminder of healthy
habits:

• Stay home if you are sick, and take a
  rapid antigen test (RAT) if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Call
  your doctor or Healthline at 0800 358 5453 for
  support.
• Wash your hands or use hand
  sanitiser.
• Cough or sneeze into your
  elbow.
• Clean or disinfect shared surfaces
  regularly.
• Open windows to increase fresh air flow
  inside. If air conditioning is used, make sure the system is
  regularly maintained.
• Keep your distance from people
  you do not know.
• Stay up to date with your
  vaccinations.
• Face masks can help reduce the spread
  of COVID-19. They are useful in poorly ventilated indoor
  areas and when you are around people you do not
  know

© Scoop Media

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The COVID-19 Protection Framework, also known as the traffic light system, will be removed from 11.59pm tonight, Monday 12 September, so all New Zealanders can continue to move forward with certainty, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced…
More>>
For those who do not regard King Charles III as their liege lord, these have been a difficult few days, with the promise of more to come. One of the reasons that republican sentiment has been so absent from the media coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II is that the local republican movement has chosen not to comment until the official ten day period or mourning is over. In the absence of a lobby group to press for the republican option, the media has been unable/unwilling to kick off a debate on the desirability of maintaining the monarchy…
More>>

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Originally Appeared Here

Mike matters.

A scroll through Mike the Tiger’s Facebook page put this thought into perspective for David Baker.

LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s Professor of Laboratory Medicine, David Baker, who also serves as the primary caregiver for the university’s live mascot, shares a moment with the late Mike VI during a visit on Sept. 30, 2016. Mike VI died from terminal cancer in October 2016.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

Baker is Mike the Tiger’s veterinarian. Well, that is, until Sept. 23, when Baker bids his final farewell to the campus.

After 27 years, Baker is retiring from his position as a professor of laboratory medicine in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. He’s boxed up everything in his office and is ready to travel north, where he’ll begin a new job at a biopharmaceutical company.

In 26 of the 27 years he’s spent at LSU, he’s worked as Mike’s veterinarian. Actually, he’s been the official vet for three Mikes — V, VI and VII.

David Baker watches from outside the Mike the Tiger Habitat as Mike VII takes a swim. Baker, a professor of laboratory medicine in LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine, is the tiger’s primary caregiver. He is retiring from LSU at the end of September.  

PROVIDED PHOTO BY GINGER GUTTNER

When Louisiana went into its COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, cats had yet to be diagnosed with COVID, but Baker knew through his background in infectious diseases that Mike VII was vulnerable.

“It turns out that cats and primates are exquisitely susceptible to this virus,” Baker said.

So, he asked that a barrier be placed around the tiger habitat, creating a further distance between fans and Mike VII.

LSU’s Mike VII saunters around his habitat on campus while enjoying cooler temps Saturday, March 21, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

“It was in early March when it was clear that we were in a pandemic,” Baker said. “It was about a week before the tiger in the Bronx Zoo was diagnosed with COVID. So, just based on my knowledge of coronaviruses, I asked our students to stop touching him.”

Baker refers to the student caretakers who help him with Mike. Two are hired each year, meaning Baker has worked with more than 50 in his 26 years at the school.

That’s his favorite part of the job, mentoring his students and watching their growth. It was one of his student workers who detected the asymmetry in Mike VI’s face, which led to his cancer diagnosis.

But the student caretakers faced another problem during COVID.

“We scratch him and play with Mike a lot, but I had to ask them not to touch Mike during the pandemic,” Baker said. “They also had to wear a mask, wear gloves, wear shoe covers and disinfect their hands before and after. And I stopped touching him.”

Mike may have been protected from COVID, but he definitely was affected by the precautionary changes. Baker has since written an unpublished case report on how the mascot developed feline idiopathic, which causes cystitis. Cat owners will recognize this as a stress condition that causes inflammation of the urinary bladder, which causes the passing of small amounts of blood in the urine.

Baker and the caretakers removed their masks and resumed touching Mike once they received their COVID vaccinations, and the tiger’s bladder condition instantly went away.

Mike V

When Baker was appointed to the position, Mike V was 6 years old. The tiger had been raised at LSU and died at age 17.

Baker then searched for and chose Mike VI, a favorite among LSU fans. That Mike had an affectionate nature and was always hamming it up for his own fans outside his habitat.

But being Mike’s vet also had a downside — Mike was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a terminal cancer, in May 2016, and Baker had to be the one to euthanize him in October of that year.

David Baker announced that LSU’s live tiger mascot, Mike VI, had been diagnosed with a spindle cell sarcoma, a terminal cancer, in a May 23, 2016, press conference.

STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG

And though he knew fans loved the tiger, it was during that time that a single Facebook post showed Baker how much Mike truly meant to some.   

Mike VI’s cancer

“With Mike VI, when he developed his cancer, there were aspects of that, that I absolutely had not anticipated and that I think I grew from,” Baker said.

On the morning of the news conference to reveal Mike’s cancer diagnosis and prognosis — which was terminal, Baker explained that the veterinary team would do “what we that could to treat him and that I would euthanize him when the time came.” Baker said a woman he didn’t know posted on Mike’s Facebook page words that have stuck with him.

Her message?

“She said, ‘See? You and Mike can fight cancer together,'” Baker said. “And that really affected me, because it showed me that it mattered to people, how we cared for this animal.”

A precise dose of radiation was delivered to LSU’s live tiger mascot, Mike VI for cancer treatment at the Mary Bird Perkins Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center on Wednesday, June 1, 2016.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY EDDY PEREZ/LSU SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

But it didn’t stop there.

Each week we’ll highlights the best eats and events in metro Baton Rouge. Sign up today.

“After he died and we did a renovation of the habitat before we got Mike VII, I would go over there just to check on the progress of the renovation,” Baker said.

One day at the habitat, a woman approached him and said she had been diagnosed with cancer at the same time Mike was.

“Obviously, she had survived, but those things really affected me because it suggested in ways that I still don’t understand, how we managed that animal and cared for him really mattered to people and somehow gave them hope in their own struggle,” he said. “And I really hadn’t anticipated that.”

Baker relayed this message to the university’s provost, telling him Mike’s cancer treatment was important.

From left, Veterinarians Dr. Bonnie Boudreaux, oncologist; Dr.Nathalie Rademacher, radiologist; Dr. Patricia Queiroz-Williams, anesthesiologist; and Dr. David Baker, DVM, have a press conference update on LSU live mascot Mike the Tiger’s medical condition concerning his cancer and treatments on Wednesday Oct. 5, 2016.

STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG

“I told him how we handle this really matters, that we need to do this not only for the animal’s sake but for these people who have their own struggles,” Baker said.

Though Mike VI’s prognosis wasn’t good, he did receive precise doses of radiation at the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. The radiation helped sustain him in his final months.

LSU’s live tiger mascot, Mike VI, has been diagnosed with a spindle cell sarcoma, a type of cancer. Currently, Mike’s attitude and demeanor are unchanged, and he does not appear to be in pain. Mike’s veterinarian, David Baker, DVM, Ph.D., right, answers questions at a press conference about the tiger’s condition pointing out the tumor spot with a laser pointer Monday morning May 23, 2016.

STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG

Baker knew it mattered, just as it did when he chose and brought Mike VII to the university in 2017. Fans were ecstatic, closely following the process, counting the days when they could congregate at the habitat to see their new mascot.

Not a football fan

Thinking back now, this was a lot of responsibility hoisted on a guy who had never attended a collegiate football game before coming to LSU.

It’s true. Baker didn’t have much experience with football, much less tigers.

LSU’s live tiger mascot, Mike VII, greets his primary caretaker, David Baker, at the Mike the Tiger Habitat.  

PROVIDED PHOTO BY GINGER GUTTNER

“I’d never worked with big cats, and in fact, I didn’t even know LSU had a tiger,” he said. “I didn’t know the team was called the Tigers. I had never even been to a college football game.”

Baker was a student at the University of California, Davis, a Division II school in the NCAA.

“And actually, they were national champions for most of the decade or more that I was there, but I never went to a game,” he continued. “Those were $7, and I didn’t have that. For me, it was all about the academics.”

LSU’s Mike VII stares down passerby as he paces in his habitat as his keepers ready his indoor facility for the night, Tuesday, September 28, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

Baker did volunteer work at the Los Angeles zoo while in college, working mostly with elephants and chimpanzees. Mike not only was his introduction to big cats but collegiate football. Baker has attended only three LSU football games in their entirety, but he rode with Mike during the pregame ceremonies before every home game.

That is, with Mikes V and VI. They traditionally were loaded in the mascot’s golden transport trailer, a cage topped by the LSU cheerleading squad.

Dr. David Baker, LSU’s Attending Veterinarian, explains that the university’s new live mascot, Mike VII, will not attend football games in Tiger Stadium, but will be available for fans to see in his upgraded habitat.

Advocate Staff Photo by PATRICK DENNIS

“We never had to coax the tigers into the trailers,” Baker said. “They willingly walked into it, and they knew what was coming up.”

Time’s change

But in January 2017, Baker, as Mike’s spokesperson, announced in a news conference that the university would discontinue the tradition with a new tiger.

“Times change; public perception changes,” Baker said at that time. “The mascot program has changed, has evolved over the course of 80-plus years and it continues to evolve. Many, many years ago, when Mike was brought onto the field, if he didn’t roar, someone would poke him with a stick. Can you imagine doing that now?”

Florida at LSU football Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Mike the Tiger makes his way toward Tiger Stadium through a throng of LSU fans. (Photo by Chuck Cook, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archives)

CHUCK COOK

The university also indicated that Mike VII not being allowed at football games could be a crucial difference in whether LSU is able to become an accredited tiger sanctuary.

David Baker, center, poses Mike’s 2006 student caretakers Wendy Oubre, left, and Wesley Lee. Both helped care for Mikes V and VI.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY GINGER GUTTNER

Those are just some of the stories from Baker’s tenure at LSU. He admits he’s not really a cat person with the exception of Mike. He is looking forward to his new position in the private sector but will miss his co-workers, students and the friends he’s made in Baton Rouge.

And he especially will miss his church family at Christ Covenant Church.

As for Mike VII, Baker isn’t planning a sentimental farewell.

“Do you think he would understand?” he asked. “I have provided the best care possible his entire life, and he wouldn’t understand if I was telling him goodbye.”

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When COVID-19 hit two years ago, airlines made it a point to significantly upgrade their respective cleaning measures on planes.

Now, a TikTok video from a passenger showing a filthy mess on a plane as flyers boarded the flight has prompted a social media backlash and questions about whether airlines are still following the rigid guidelines it imposed in the wake of the pandemic.

The video was from a recent Ryanair flight from the Canary Islands to London. Let’s just say it wasn’t one of those fun safety videos that airlines like to show just before takeoff. This one included several disturbing images of snacks and crumbs on the floor of the cabin that had not been vacuumed or cleaned before the next flight.

The story was first reported by the New York Times, which showed images of the mess.

Clouds of dust, spilled drinks and potato chips on the floor: Has airplane cleanliness gone the way of masks? Recent social media videos suggest that it has. https://t.co/wgQGQe2zG7

— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) September 9, 2022

The story quickly caught the eyes of social media users, who were only too happy to answer the question the Times posed about who was to blame for such a mess.

Plane’s a Filthy Mess. Who’s to Blame? https://t.co/qjlM1JA970 2 culprits:
1. Growing # of passengers, slobs who have no respect for comfort of others&obviously know not what a garbage bag is for.
2. Suits of airline co. whose greed surmounts needs of passenger paying more4less.

— Madeleine (@madlymad) September 11, 2022

“Flight attendants are not maids,” said Nicole D. Lawson, a flight attendant from New Jersey, told the NYT, noting that flight attendants are frustrated by passengers who do not throw their trash away when crew members come through the aisles with bags.

And it isn’t just foreign airlines suddenly under fire. This tweet from a passenger called out Delta Air Lines:

@Delta You really need to look at the cleaning and cleanliness of your aircraft, on my second flight on a Delta Connection, the plane was filthy. There were so many crumbs between the seats and grease/dirt on the air vents which made me feel sick! pic.twitter.com/pRJFcOMiJg

— Joe Smith (@joenonstopsmith) September 12, 2022

And this one from a flyer using Avelo Airlines:

Hello @AveloAir the low fares to fly your airline are great and the staff is friendly, however the planes are filthy. The plane going from New Haven to DC was bad, but the plane returning home was worse. This is just one picture. pic.twitter.com/3VMrWID9uW

— David Elliott-Pakzaban (@htownguy) September 9, 2022

But many people did forgive the airlines, which have been under pressure all spring and summer for numerous delays and cancellations – in part caused by staff shortages.

“They have 25 minutes on the ground they can barely complete safety checks,” one person wrote in a well-liked TilTok comment according to the newspaper. “Don’t blame them blame the people who left it.”

Others pointed out that there is a big difference between the COVID disinfectant protocols and just general tidying up before the turnaround. Some airlines have dropped the pandemic-related disinfecting procedures introduced two years ago, while others have adopted new measures. American Airlines, for instance, told the Times it brings in a cleaning between every flight. JetBlue amended its cleaning policy to only disinfect planes that come into the U.S. from overseas. Most airlines do ask crew members to generally tidy up between trips.

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Originally Appeared Here

Q: I just inherited my parents’ house, which was built in the 1950s. The drains in the bathtub and the bathroom sink are discolored. One is brass, the other steel. I’ve been cleaning the grout and the sink area with a paste of bleach and baking soda. What can I do to stop the deterioration?

A: There’s a good chance the drain covers are pitted, not just discolored, because of prolonged contact with bleach or whatever caustic cleaners might have been used over the past seven decades. Try running a finger over the surface. If it feels smooth, the metal might just be tarnished. Rubbing with baking soda and vinegar should restore the shine of both brass and stainless steel.

If the metal is pitted, you might want to try a couple of home remedies, such as scrubbing repeatedly with vinegar or a moist, wadded-up ball of aluminum foil. Those solutions may be worth the effort if there are a few small pits on an expensive faucet, but you’ll probably get quicker, better results on a corroded tub or sink drain by installing a new ring and stopper.

For a tub drain, first identify the type of stopper you have and remove it. This is a no-brainer if your tub has an old-fashioned plug. Other types of stoppers may screw out or pop up, and you might need to remove set screws or take other non-obvious steps to get them out. Home Depot has a good overview of the types of stoppers and how to remove them.

What to do about a carpenter bee infestation

To get a like-new look, the easiest option is to cover the existing drain ring with a new one, such as the Watco Universal NuFit push-pull bathtub stopper with grid strainer ($19.40 at Home Depot). Depending on the design of your existing drain assembly, you might be able to just screw it in, or you might need to glue it over the old drain ring using the silicone adhesive included in the package.

Or you can replace the entire drain assembly, which is usually quite simple. But, as with all plumbing repairs, tackle the project when a hardware store is open, in case you discover midway through that you’re missing a part or a tool.

To replace the drain assembly, first remove the stopper. Then turn the part that includes the ring counterclockwise by gripping the crossbars that are inside the drain. Although it’s possible to use a wrench for this, it’s much easier if you have a tool such as the Husky double-ended tub drain wrench ($11.97 at Home Depot), plus either a screwdriver or an adjustable wrench to grip and turn it. The drain wrench has a big end and a smaller end, with prongs on both sides, so you can slip it into different types of drains. Thread a screwdriver through holes on the sides of the drain wrench or grip the top with an adjustable wrench to add torque as you turn it.

If the old drain doesn’t have crossbars inside (or if they’re so corroded that they break off), one solution is to get a gadget such as the Husky tub drain removal tool ($24.78 at Home Depot). It’s basically a plug with grooves or gnarling on the exterior, designed to grip the inside of the drain when you tap the plug in with a mallet. Use an adjustable wrench to turn the plug counterclockwise while pressing down, and the plug should come out with the drain cover attached.

Once the old part is out, clean the opening in the tub with a rag. Wrap a pencil-thick rope of plumber’s putty around the back of the new drain cover, then screw the new piece into place clockwise until it’s tight. Clean up the excess putty, add the stopper and you’re done. (Oatey plumber’s putty is $2.49 for 14 ounces at Home Depot.) Read the label on the putty before you buy it; standard plumber’s putty is solvent-based and should not be used if you have a plastic tub.

Replacing a sink drain is more complicated and messier, but it’s still doable with a few tools. There doesn’t appear to be a glue-on solution, and with a sink drain, you don’t just replace the ring and cover that you see from the top of the sink; you also need to replace a short piece of pipe that screws on from underneath. If you have a pop-up drain with a lever, you need a similarly designed replacement part. Most residential sink drains are 1¼ inches in diameter, but some are 1½ or even 1.65 inches, so measure before you buy the replacement parts.

Cover the floor or cabinet base under the sink with an old towel, and have a bucket or pan that fits under the P-trap to collect water when you disconnect it. For tools, you’ll need an adjustable wrench with jaws that open wide enough to grip the nuts on the pipes, such as the 12-inch tongue-and-groove pliers from Channellock ($21.97 at Home Depot). For how-to instructions, videos are best. Two good ones that include instructions for dealing with pop-up stoppers are at bit.ly/replace-drain and bit.ly/replace-assembly.

Have a problem in your home? Send questions to [email protected]. Put “How To” in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.

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Originally Appeared Here