Socialist Dystopia: Venezuelans ASSAULTED By Police Outside Socialist Health Ministry

Venezuela should be a lesson to Americans why the concept of tyrannical control (dubbed socialism or communism) should be avoided at all costs. But as many here clamor for more government control over their lives and healthcare decisions, Venezuelans who live under that control, are assaulted by the police outside the socialist health ministry.

It is with a heavy heart that one reports on the inevitable consequence of collectivism, because, since collectivism is predicated on state violence and threats of it, the outcomes are always, always bad. –MRCTV

Desperate Venezuelan citizens were attacked by armed police on April 20 when they protested the dire lack of medicine and healthcare in the socialist nation. According to Breitbart, and Carlos Camacho, of The Latin American Herald Tribune, protesters shouting “genocidas” ( or genocide perpetrators) tried to gain access to the Caracas base of the Venezuelan Health Ministry, but were met by armed police. The police assaulted the protesters, some of whom were suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and HIV, causing multiple injuries and fueling the fires of even greater resentment over Venezuela’s diseased socialist health system.

“The government just does not have the response capacity in the face of the magnitude of what is happening with the medicines’ shortages,” protestor Francisco Valencia told NTN24 following the meeting. “We will have to go to Miraflores to demand solutions from President Nicolás Maduro,” he continued. “Enough with all of the deaths! The government has the solution in its hands by activating international cooperation mechanisms.”

Shocking reports from inside the country include cases of patients being asked to bring their own bandages, gauze, and medicine, while the chronic lack of said items in a nation impoverished by socialism has led to a rise in amputations of infected limbs, and more mastectomies due to a lack of cancer treatment.

No central plan will offer a long-term solution to this. In fact, it is the very collectivism most democrats seek that brought this disaster about. Doctors and drug makers who are controlled by government dictates regarding what they can charge and offer will not long offer much.  And the silence in the mainstream media and American leftists is noteworthy.

Disarmed by the government, desperate and ill Venezuelans are being threatened by armed agents of the state as they try to get the medicine they had been promised by the collectivist system, medicine that only the competitive free market can provide in higher quality at lower and lower prices. (Also another lesson for Americans wondering why the cost of their drugs and medical care is so high.)

11 Reasons Dehydration Is Making You Sick And Fat

There’s a lot of talk about water these days, and ultimately the question everyone wants answered is, how much do you need? The truth is, that number is entirely dependent on the person asking – their lifestyle, activity levels, eating habits, and even climate. The best way to figure out what you need is by paying attention to your body.

Dehydration actually sets in before you start feeling thirsty, and is often indicated by, oddly enough, feeling slightly hungry. If you find yourself feeling like a snack, try having a glass of water first, and see what happens. Sipping water throughout the day can also help curb dehydration and is one of the simplest ways to deal with it. For people who struggle in the mornings, having a couple of glasses of water right when you wake up will help boost your blood pressure to normal levels. It will also help clean out your system and get you to the bathroom quickly.[1]

As we covered in a previous article about how much water we need:

Luckily our bodies come equipped with an attentive water detection system called thirst. Once your body has lost between one to two percent of its total water content, it will signal its needs by making you feel thirsty.

A simple rule of thumb for assessing your water needs is by looking at the colour of your urine. Dark urine likely indicates your kidneys are retaining fluid to maintain normal body functions. However, this isn’t to be confused with darker urine due to supplement intake, such as multi-vitamins.

If you are dehydrated, you will also likely urinate less often. According to Dr. Mercola, a healthy person urinates about 7-8 times per day. So monitoring how often you are urinating in a day is an important assessment tool.

(click infographic to enlarge)

1. http://www.livestrong.com/article/446197-the-benefits-of-drinking-water-just-after-waking-up/

H/T: SDFJ.org

The post 11 Reasons Dehydration Is Making You Sick And Fat appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Norovirus SPREAD Quickly At 2018 Winter Olympics

As we previously reported, the norovirus is spreading quickly among security guards at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Determined not to let the Olympics spiral into a widespread gastrointestinal nightmare, organizers of the Games seemed intent on carrying out a scorched-earth assault on every last germ in a 40-mile radius.

According to the New York Times, by Thursday night, 42 more cases of norovirus were confirmed around the sites of the 2018 Winter Olympics, bringing the official tally of cases this week to 128. A mere 24 hours before the opening ceremony of the Games, the outbreak has threatened to undermine an otherwise watertight start to the global sports event.

Competitors, Olympic staff members, and journalists claimed not to be panicking, but the quietly growing sense of wariness in Pyeongchang was palpable. Sneezes provoked sideways looks. Fist bumps replaced handshakes. People washed their hands over and over and over again. “We’ve got every germ killing thing that you can have, just in case, and we’ve got masks if it gets bad enough,” said Mitchell Whitmore, an American speed skater at his third Olympics.

But the norovirus is easily spread and difficult to contain.

The norovirus is an infection which causes the sudden and severe onset of diarrhea and vomiting; symptoms which begin within 12-48 of exposure and can be painful. The virus is highly contagious and commonly spread through food or water that is contaminated during preparation or contaminated surfaces. You can also be infected through close contact with an infected person. Most people will cover without treatment in three days, however, hospitalization can occur if victims are infants or elderly.

Organizers said this viral infection is particularly bad. Of the 1,200 guards removed from duty, 41 had suffered a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea on Sunday and all had been taken to a hospital. The outbreak comes just days before the opening of South Korea’s 2018 Winter Olympics on Thursday.-SHTFPlan

At a news conference on Wednesday night, Dr. Park Kisoo, a spokesman for the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tried to temper the growing sense of worry.  “You don’t need to go running out of the room if somebody sneezes,” Park said. Park preached the importance of proactive personal hygiene. So along with wool caps and long underwear, bottles of hand sanitizer in varying shapes and sizes have become this year’s hottest Olympic accessory. Plus, those measures are proving to be ineffective in the prevention of the spread of the norovirus anyway.

Since the virus is found in the vomit and feces of an infected person, it makes sense that protecting oneself from a sneeze won’t help much.

 

FLU OUTBREAK: Now Impacting 46 States, Epidemic is ‘Widespread’

This year’s strain of the flu is now widespread, spanning 46 states, and can make you fatally sick.  Coupled with how fast the flu has struck, an ineffective vaccine, and how early it hit, this year is shaping up to be one of the worst ones yet for the flu virus.

The strain responsible for the outbreak is H3N2, a particularly deadly variety of influenza and the number of cases have spiked, with 46 states now reporting widespread activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The CDC also claims that at least 13 children have died from the flu since October when the season began to really get into full swing.

California has been particularly hard hit, with at least 27 deaths of people under 65 attributed to the flu, according to reports. As the number of cases continues to climb there, hospitals are beginning to run out of Tamiflu, the anti-viral medication used to treat the illness.

The most identified strain of the virus is influenza A (H3N2). According to a CDC emergency health advisory released December 27, 83 percent of reported cases were N3N2, a strain associated with more hospitalizations and deaths in those over 65 years of age and in young children compared to other age groups.

During this year’s flu season in Australia, the vaccine was only 10 percent effective. The CDC still says you should get the flu shot because it will lessen the suffering from symptoms should you contract the flu, even though it will make you sicker in later years. 

“How well the vaccine works can depend in part on the match between the vaccine virus used to produce the vaccine and the circulating viruses that season,” the CDC notes. “It’s not possible to predict what viruses will be most predominant during the upcoming season.” The agency also noted that the vaccine is ineffective due to the mutative nature of this year’s flu strain.

The CDC recommends that all people over the age of five get the shot to reduce the symptoms of the virus.  “It’s not too late to get a flu vaccine — as long as flu is spreading vaccination should continue,” the CDC’s Kristen Nordlund told weather.com. “It’s important to know that it takes about two weeks for protection to set in.”

*This is not to say you should or should not get the flu shot.  You should, however, do some research, and know the risks, side effects, and possible complications down the line should you chose to get or not get this year’s flu shot. This should help you come to the right conclusion for yourself.

FLU OUTBREAK: Dallas County Flu Deaths On The Rise, Now At 18

This year was projected to be a rather tough year for the flu. Coupled with this year’s ineffective vaccine, this season’s flu outbreak is shaping up to be one of the worst.

All of the patients who have succumbed to the flu in Dallas County have had other health conditions that complicated their body’s ability to fight off the virus. But that doesn’t change the fact that 18 people have now died. And it isn’t just Dallas that has struggled to fight this year’s flu. California is experiencing a medication shortage while the outbreak is taking lives in Oregon and Idaho as well.

“Older adults, individuals with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, young children and infants are more vulnerable to flu illness,” said Dr. Christopher Perkins, DCHHS health authority/medical director. “With influenza activity on the rise, individuals in these groups should take special precaution as we continue throughout the season.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the flu season nationwide is far worse than what they saw last year at this time. The virus is also affecting areas of Great Britain and Australia, which is complicating the outbreak when considering global travel.

Because of the number of patients with flu-like symptoms, Methodist Dallas Medical Center started rerouting some ambulance patients so it can care for those in emergency situations. “This measure is so we can still take care of emergency patients such as trauma, stroke and sexual assault,” the hospital said in a written statement Monday, noting that it is at critical capacity but not turning away patients.

MedStar, the ambulance provider that serves Fort Worth and 14 other Tarrant County cities, has taken more than 300 people likely suffering from the flu to area hospitals from November through January 5, spokesman Matt Zavadsky said.

Even though the flu shot doesn’t always prevent the flu, and can make one sicker in subsequent years, health and government officials still want you to pay for ineffective vaccine this year.

“As flu season escalates it’s important that all individuals take precautions to prevent and reduce the severity of the flu,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. “Prevention is truly the best medicine and it’s not too late to get your flu shot. If you have flu-like symptoms, please help protect yourself and others by staying home from work or school and calling your doctor as soon as possible to discuss anti-viral medication.”

Viral Meningitis Outbreak: The Virus Can Be Spread For NINE WEEKS After Recovery!

Washoe County Nevada has experienced a viral meningitis outbreak. So far, 47 people have contracted the disease and 43 have had to be hospitalized and the outbreak is still ongoing.

Health officials expect the outbreak to get worse. “The outbreak is still ongoing,” says Washoe County Health District spokesperson Phil Uliabarri said. Uliabarri added that the cases are all still being investigated. Ulibarri says the county is working with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) during its investigation. According to the Washoe County Health District, there are now 47 cases of viral meningitis in the county since July 15, up from the more than 30 cases reported in October 2017.

“What makes this challenging is that the virus may be passed on from an infected person for up to two to nine weeks after they feel better and have returned to normal activities,” Ulibarri said. “So even if people do [an] environmental cleaning in certain areas, that area could be contaminated by another individual who was previously ill or who had contact with a sick person.”

And getting the vaccine won’t do you any good. Nevada students enrolled in seventh grade after June 30 were required to be immunized with the quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, commonly referred to as the MCV4. That current vaccine targets only bacterial meningitis and would not work against a viral outbreak such as this one.

Seventy-five percent of the cases were in children ages 0 to 17 years old. Fifty-five percent of them were found in school-age children ranging from 5 to 17 years old.

Viral meningitis is an inflammation of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord that is caused by a virus. It is typically less severe than bacterial meningitis, and most people recover on their own within 7-10 days.

If you live in or near Washoe County, you can take steps to prevent contracting the virus. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after changing diapers, using the toilet, or coughing or blowing your nose and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. Avoid common playing areas for children such as inflatable bounce houses and slides and avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, or sharing cups, water bottles, sports drinks, or eating utensils with others who may be 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 doorknobs, handrails, light switches, desks, keyboards, computer mice, phones, toys, playground equipment, bathrooms, etc., and, always stay home when you are sick.

Symptoms of viral meningitis include a stiff neck, trouble waking from sleep, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and sleepiness.

Does Chicken Soup REALLY Heal Colds? (And If So, What’s The Best Recipe?)

Image source: Pixabay.com

When my kids don’t feel well, one of the only things they will eat is chicken soup – my homemade chicken soup.

But do they want the soup because it represents a strong comfort food they have known all of their lives, or is there something more?

The answer is yes, and the old wives’ tale is right. Chicken soup really is good for you.

Dr. Stephen Rennard and his team of researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha conducted a series of tests to study the health benefits of chicken soup.

“Everyone’s heard this from their mother and grandmother in many cultures,” Rennard said. “We found chicken soup might have some anti-inflammatory value.”

After examining blood samples from study volunteers, the researchers found that homemade chicken soup reduced the movement of a type of white blood cells, called neutrophils, which help defend against infection. By inhibiting movement of these cells in the body, chicken soup can help reduce upper respiratory cold symptoms, Rennard theorized.

“Researchers suspect the reduction in movement of neutrophils may reduce activity in the upper respiratory tract that can cause symptoms associated with a cold,” the University of Nebraska said in a press release.

Fast, All-Natural Pain Relief With No Nasty Side Effects!

The study used a soup made by Rennard’s wife, Barbara. (The recipe is below.) But is also compared results of the homemade soup with several commercial brands of chicken soup and found similar results. The brands tested included Progresso chicken noodle, Knorr chicken noodle, Campbell’s Home Cookin’ chicken vegetable, Lipton Cup-a-Soup chicken noodle and Campbell’s Healthy Request chicken noodle.

Although they were not able to pinpoint exactly what ingredients made the soup so effective against cold symptoms, the research suggested that it is the combination of chicken and vegetables that does the trick.

An earlier study conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai in Miami found that consuming chicken soup helped sick study volunteers to breath better and to have less mucus. The 1978 report, which, like the 2000 Rennard study was published in the medical journal Chest, found that chicken soup boosts the function of cilia — the microscopic hair-like projections that help prevent germs from entering the body.

Given the nickname “Jewish penicillin,” chicken soup has been a mainstay for generations of mothers and grandmothers from many cultures who seek to comfort their families.

Some scientists theorize that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties and that the soup provides the fluids needed to flush out viral infections in the upper respiratory tract.

Staying well-hydrated is a key part of recovering from a cold or the flu. Research suggests then chicken soup may provide better hydration than either water or commercial electrolyte drinks. Here are other reasons chicken soup heals:

• Chicken soup usually contains salt, which in a broth can help soothe your throat much in the same way that gargling with warm salt water can.


• The soup’s warm liquid can help clear the sinuses with its steam.


• Chicken provides lean protein to give your body strength when you are sick.


• The vegetables in chicken soup can help heal the body. Carrots contain beta-carotene and celery contains vitamin C, both of which help boost the body’s immune system and help fight infection. Onions help reduce inflammation and can act as an anti-histamine.

Convinced? Here is the recipe for the soup used in the study:

Ingredients

• 1 5- to 6-pound stewing hen or baking chicken


• 1 package of chicken wings


• 3 large onions


• 1 large sweet potato


• 3 parsnips


• 2 turnips


• 11 to 12 large carrots


• 5 to 6 celery stems


• 1 bunch of parsley


• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to boil.


2. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and carrots. Boil about 1 and a half hours. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates.


3. Add the parsley and celery. Cook the mixture about 45 min. longer.


4. Remove the chicken. The chicken is not used further for the soup. (The meat makes excellent chicken parmesan.)


5. Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass through a strainer. Both were performed in the present study.


6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(Note: This soup freezes well.)

Matzo balls were prepared according to the recipe on the back of the box of matzo meal (Manischewitz).

What is your favorite chicken soup recipe? Do you eat chicken soup when you are sick? Share your thoughts in the section below:

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