Take A Cold Shower

Hey-ho, in what has been a month of bad news and disappointments, the continuing saga of my faulty plumbing system, goes on. Never again will I take for granted the ability to turn a tap and watch hot water gush out in a torrent of glistening liquid loveliness. Having to buy a commercial water boiler to fill the bath is only one step away from filling the tin bath hanging on the wall with water boiled on the hearth. Yes, our relatives really did have to do that, and yes, we are very fortunate that is no longer the case.

The demise of my waterworks continued steadily throughout the pandemic, thwarted by both a shortage of handymen - people - and a particularly complex plumbing problem that I am informed will not be easily remedied. "It's a big job, luv, and not one that's going to be relished by anyone during a pandemic, that's for sure", came one reply to my appeal for help.

"Take a cold shower!", people kept telling me. I am sure they meant that in the nicest possible way. If I had a tenner for every person saying it, I would not have to worry about the huge plumbing bill that I am expecting when the work is finally done.

So, I followed the advice. Tentatively. Was I pleased with the result? No, is the quickest response I can think of, but I cannot overlook the evidence of health benefits asscociated with having a cold shower.

Healthline lists these as:

• calming itchy skin

• waking you up

• increasing circulation

• reducing muscle soreness post-workout

• potentially boosting weight loss

• glowing hair and skin

When that cold spray hits your body, there’s a bit of shock. This shock increases:

• oxygen intake

• heart rate

• alertness

Researchers from Cambridge University have discovered the welcome news that cold water swimming may protect the brain from degenerative diseases like dementia.

A "cold-shock" protein was found in the blood of those who regularly swam outdoors during the winter months. And here's the good news; the protein discovered, appeared to slow the onset of dementia, and even repaired some of the damage caused.

Cold showers are certainly an acquired taste and may never appeal to some, but as the time-honoured adage proclaims: prevention is better than cure.

Dementia has a personal resonance for me, and absolutely anything that can be done to keep this dreadful disease at bay, should be welcomed with open arms. That is the key point here; prevention. No-one is recommending immersing a person with dementia into a cold bath, but long may ongoing research into this feared condition, continue.

I am going to take a shower now, and yes, you've guessed it; it is going to be cold. But hopefully worth it in the long run.

Doth Protest Too Much?

With lockdown restrictions scheduled to be lifted everywhere and a neat roadmap out of it, it is infinitely possible and evident people will protest against anything and everything and would attend the opening of an envelope, if the weather was fine. Let us be honest about this, can any protestors holding anti-lockdown banners, say they are truly upset with the progress of the UK's navigation out of lockdown? Many would think not. People across the world must surely be wondering what on earth is going on in London on this bright and sunny Saturday, where we all enjoy the freedoms others could only dream of. The success of the vaccination programme has allowed the lifting of restrictions that other countries around the world will be looking on at with envy.

So what is the real truth behind the need people have to gather for no seemingly sensible reason? Is it the lack of human contact necessary during a pandemic that has brought about this propensity for mass gatherings?

Research has discovered that when an issue seems frightening to us, we disseminate the information relating to it in a prejudiced and biased manner so as to support our own beliefs and intensify fear, adding a bit more gusto as we pass it on and all the while building the fear. The more people share information, the more negative it becomes and the further away it gets from the facts. And as the stories gain traction, it becomes harder to correct them.

Never before has this been truer than during a global pandemic. We have witnessed the tribal schools of thought developing and growing all over social media, and we have seen the loyal following that will believe the stories of their 'leaders', no matter how absurdly ludicrous and far-fetched they might seem. This Idolatry is not only a matter for concern, it also has the potential to be harmful. The disinformation across all social media platforms is unrelenting, and much of it is posted with the intention of deliberately misleading. Covid is not a hoax, as some banners raised high at the protest would have you believe, and in reality, any suggestion of it is disrespectful to the families of those who have lost someone to the virus.

Today's protest in Hyde Park, serves no real purpose other than demonstrating a need of human contact. Zoom might have had its uses during a global lockdown, but it seems nothing could ever be a substitute for real human connection.

We hear you. Perhaps now you could put down your banners and head off peacefully. After all, we know people always pay more attention to the message if a protest is peaceful.

Getty

'Benefits outweigh the risks': New data shows why European regulators back AstraZeneca jab

The European Medicines Agency backs the use of the jab for all ages but released helpful risk charts for different ages and Covid rates.

The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine provides a "significant benefit" in avoiding hospital admission across all age groups, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said. Overall, the benefits of the jab continue to outweigh the risks of rare blood clots, and benefits increase in older age groups and in areas with higher levels of coronavirus infection, the regulator said. The EMA said its human medicines committee (CHMP) had analysed available data on the vaccine to put the risk of rare blood clots into context of benefits for different age groups and different rates of infection. Presenting interim findings on Friday, Dr Peter Arlett, the EMA's head of data analytics and methods task force, said the AstraZeneca vaccine is "highly effective at preventing infection, and therefore hospitalisation and death". He said: "Today nine graphics have been published for the three outcomes, hospitalisations, ICU (intensive care unit) admissions and deaths avoided, assuming an 80 per cent vaccine effectiveness over a four-month period, and three levels of virus exposure, low, medium and high.

"As an example of the results of the work, we observed that hospital admissions prevented exceeds blood clots across all age categories and all virus exposure levels. ICU admissions prevented exceeds blood clots, across all age categories for medium and high virus exposures. And deaths prevented exceeds blood clots in those (aged) above 30 for high virus exposure, above 40 for medium virus exposure, and above 60 for low virus exposure." He added that hospital admission with Covid-19 is "extremely serious" and that when it comes to the AstraZeneca vaccine "there's a significant benefit in terms of avoiding hospitalisation across all age groups.

"The data on ICU admissions and on deaths, there are too few events in the younger age group to show that benefit, but for hospitalisation the data are very clear." The EMA's deputy executive director Noel Wathion said: "Our interim conclusion is that overall the data showed that the benefits of vaccination increase with age, and with increasing levels of infection in the community." The EMA said the risk of very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low blood platelets is estimated to be around one in 100,000 vaccinated people. Some European countries have restricted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to older age groups, citing the risk of such clots in younger people. In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has said that due to a very small number of blood clots in younger people, those under the age of 30 will be offered Pfizer or Moderna jabs instead. The MHRA's position remains that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh the risks for the vast majority of people.

The Telegraph