THE MASK SCAM IS BACK IN OLD AGE HOMES HERE IN ONTARIO CANADA.

 THE MASK SCAM IS BACK IN OLD AGE HOMES HERE IN ONTARIO CANADA.

DISEASES-ANIMAL TO HUMAN

REVELATION 6:7-8 (500 MILLION DEAD EACH FROM THE 4 JUDGEMENTS)(2 BILLION TOT DEAD HERE)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).

TODAY AT 12.54PM-SEP 05,23
WELL ALEX JONES WAS DEAD ON ABOUT THIS COVID SCAM AGAIN. WHEN I WENT TO DINNER HERE AT THE VILLAGE IN HANOVER AT 11.45AM. I WAS SO MAD TO SEE THE WORKERS ARE FORCED, NOT A CHOICE TO WEAR FACE MASKS AGAIN. I JUST PHONED REVERA AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE MANDATORY MASK WEARING FORCED ON THE WORKERS AGAIN. SHE TOLD ME TO TALK TO OUR ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THE MASKS.I THEN PHONED EXTENDICARE TO SEE WHY THEY AS MANGERS OF REVERA LONG TERM LIVING CARE. ARE FORCING THE WORKERS TO WEAR MASKS AGAIN.I PHONED EXTENDICARE AND I NEVER EVEN GOT A LIVE PERSON. THIS SO CALLED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF EXTENDICARE. DON'T EVEN HAVE AN 800 NUMBER TO GET IN CONTACT WITH FREE. AND NO LIVE PERSON ANSWERED. I HAD TO YELL AT THE ANSWERING SERVICE. LIKE I YELL AT THE LIBERALS ON TV ALL THE TIME. HERES PROOF. THE SCAM IS BACK FOR A SECOND TIME. AT LEAST IF THE WORKERS HAD A CHOICE TO WEAR THE MASKS OR NOT. BUT NO, ITS MANDATORY MASKS AGAIN.

 TODAY AT 9.00AM-SEP 06,23-UPDATE
WHEN I WENT TO BREAKFEST THIS MORNING. I ASKED THE INSPECTOR LADY WHO WAS FILLING IN FOR A WORKER. AND I SAID TO HER. WHY ARE USE FORCED TO WEAR MASKS AGAIN. AND SHE SAID WE ARE IN A COVID OUTBREAK. FIRST TIME I HEARD OF THAT. THE MASKS ARE ONLY TEMPERARY SHE SAID. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH TOLD US TO. I SAID YOU LADIES WILL BE DYING FROM CANCER FROM THOSE USLESS MASKS THAT DON'T WORK. SO WE WILL SEE IF ITS TEMPORARY THESE USLESS MASKS. I THINK ITS JUST THE BEGGINING. FIRST THE SCARE OF COVID, THEN MASKS, SHOTS AND LOCKDOWNS AGAIN. 

 TODAY AT 3.30AM-SEP 06,23-UPDATE
THERE MUST BE AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE IN HERE WITH COVID. BECAUSE SIX ARE IN THEIR ROOMS. THATS 2 PER ROOM.AND WHEN I HAD A BATH ON THE OTHER SIDE WERE THE BREAKOUT IS. THE BIG BOSS WAS WORKING ON THAT SIDE AND I SEEN THE YELLOW BAGS ON THE DOORS AGAIN. AND NOT ONLY WAS THE BIG BOSS WORKING. BUT THIS MORNING AT BREAKFEAST AND AT DINNER AT NOON. THE INSPECTOR LADY AND ANOTHER BOSS WAS FEEDING ON OUR SIDE. SO TODAY THEY WERE SHORT HANDED BIG TIME AS WELL AS AT LEAST 3 WITH COVID AS THE PSWS SAY ON THE OTHER SIDE.COVID VACCINES IS A RUNOFF OF A COLD AND AIDS COMBINED BY FAUCCI AND HIS DEPOPULATION CROWD. RIGHT BILL GATES.AND ALL THE OUT IN LEFT FIELD LAME-BRAIN LIBERAL MEDIA DEAD BEAT PUPPETS.

Moderna Says Updated COVID-19 Vaccine is Effective Against Newer Variants-Published: Sep 06, 2023 By Kate Goodwin

Moderna’s latest shot appears effective against the current strains of COVID-19. Wednesday, the vaccine maker reported new trial data confirming an 8.7 to 11-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against circulating strains, including the highly watched BA.2.86, EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants.
The updated mRNA vaccine is pending approval by the FDA for the fall vaccination season. The BA.2.86 variant, Pirola, is a highly mutated strain of COVID-19 with over 30 mutations. It’s been flagged by the CDC as potentially more capable of causing infection in people with previous infection or prior vaccination, according to Moderna. Due to its high level of mutation, BA.2.86 set off alarm bells when initially discovered, causing mounting concern over another deadly surge. However, more recent preliminary studies have found antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations appear capable of neutralizing the variant.BA.2.86’s “degree of antibody evasion is quite similar to recently circulating variants,” Benjamin Murrell, who conducted one of the studies at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, told NPR. “It seems unlikely that this will be a seismic shift for the pandemic.” Despite a sharp drop in revenue for Moderna this year, the biotech is counting on an influx of fall vaccinations. In a second-quarter earnings release, the company upped the anticipated sales for Spikevax—its currently only approved product—to between $6 billion to $8 billion for the year, up from the previous forecast of $5 billion.  Hospitalizations were up 87% over the past month with the EG.5, Eris, variant accounting for 21.5% of all cases. As of last week, BA.2.86 had been found in four U.S. states according to the CDC. Pfizer and BioNTech’s updated shot that targets only the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant was approved on Tuesday by U.K. drug regulators. It is still pending approval from the FDA. XBB.1.5 was the most common variant found globally earlier this year.  This fall will be the first time the U.S. commercial market will be footing the bill for COVID-19 shots, instead of the government. Updated boosters are anticipated to be available as early as next week, pending FDA approval.  Kate Goodwin is a freelance life science writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. She can be reached at kate.goodwin@biospace.com and on LinkedIn.   

COVID Booster Is Coming But Here’s Why You May Not Get It-Story by Decca Muldowney • 2h-SEP 6,23

A new COVID-19 booster could be available as early as next week, according to ABC, but it is unclear who will be eligible for the new shot, and whether insurance companies will cover the cost.The latest shot is likely to be authorized in the next seven days by the Food and Drug Administration, the outlet reports, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent panel of advisors will meet on Sept. 12 to decide eligibility recommendations. Once the CDC director signs off, shots could become available almost immediately.The report comes as health giant Moderna announced its latest COVID-19 booster shot is effective against the new BA.2.86 omicron subvariant. Their latest clinical trial data showed the shot produced a strong antibody response to the highly-mutated variant, the company said in a statement Wednesday, as well as two other circulating variants, EG.5, and FL.1.5.1.COVID cases are rising nationwide. Hospitalizations have more than doubled over the last three months, according to CDC data.Paul Offit, MD, who serves on the FDA’s expert panel that reviews the vaccine companies’ data, predicts that the CDC will make anyone over six-months-old eligible for the new booster, as they did last year.However, Offit believes it is more urgent for members of vulnerable groups to get the new vaccine, including people who are over 75, pregnant or immunocompromised.“The goal is to prevent severe disease. So the question is: who is getting hospitalized and killed by this disease?” Offit told The Daily Beast.Offit also believes that if the CDC makes the same eligibility recommendation as last year, they need to make a “compelling case” for people to get vaccinated in order to increase uptake.The majority of Americans did not receive the last booster, a report by the Covid States Project found last year.The Biden administration ended the COVID “national emergency” in May 2023, meaning that this latest round of boosters is not subsidized by the federal government. The cost of the new booster will be determined by individual insurance companies and employers. For those without insurance, or government assistance a single dose could cost over $100.However, free shots will still be available from community health centers and state health departments.

The Road to HIV/AIDS Vaccination-Akanksha Singh, BDSBy Akanksha Singh, BDSReviewed by Sophia Coveney-AUG 24,23

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), first identified in 1984, causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The HIV/AIDS endemic has taken more than 34 million lives, and despite being out for almost 38 years there is no HIV/AIDS vaccine available for public use. This virus has exhibited a unique challenge in the production of a vaccine.What is HIV/AIDS? The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets the immune system of an individual. This virus weakens and kills the T helper cells called CD4 cells. The T helper cell is a type of lymphocyte which plays an important role in the immune response. With a lowered number of T helper cells, the immune system becomes weak, welcoming various opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis and severe fungal and bacterial infections.The normal range of CD4 cells in a healthy individual is 500 to 1400 cells/mm3 of blood. When this count is less than 200 cells/mm3 of blood the HIV infection has reached the most severe stage. At this stage, the person has acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Although HIV is a lifelong disease, with treatments like antiretroviral treatment HIV infected individuals can lead a relatively long, healthy life.Challenges in the production of an HIV/AIDS vaccine-In the past few decades, several attempts have been made to produce an HIV/AIDS vaccine. Some of the trials like the STEP trial failed while the others such as the RV144 trial showed great progress. The scientists agree that in order to correctly produce a high efficacy vaccine, some key challenges need to be identified. There are several obstacles that plague vaccine research.Vaccine-induced immunity is often based on mechanisms similar to naturally derived immunity. This is where the HIV/AIDS vaccine research struggles as there is a lack of a model of natural immunity. This happens because individuals do not naturally recover from HIV and hence researchers lack a standard for immunity development.Another challenge that vaccine research faces is the vast variability of HIV types. HIV has several subtypes that are genetically distinguished from one another. Even among a particular subtype, amino acid sequencing can vary up to 35%. The virus is constantly evolving among infected populations and new subtypes are probable to appear. This viral diversity is a major roadblock to vaccine development as the vaccine may not work on all subtypes.Additionally, researchers have not been able to identify a correlate to protective immunity when it comes to HIV infection. Furthermore, there is no reliable animal model on which the vaccine efficacy and immune response could be studied.Vaccination-IV vaccine clinical trials-Since 1986, more than 250 trials for the HIV vaccine have been conducted. Initially, the focus of the research was on neutralizing antibodies to achieve vaccine-induced immunity. However, these vaccine candidates did not provide detectable protection against HIV infection. Around 1994, the focus of vaccine research moved from antibody-inducing vaccines to vaccines that instigated cellular-based immune responses.A famous trial of a vaccine candidate that focused on T-cell immunity was the STEP trial. This trial aimed to decide if the T-cell immunity achieved by the HIV-1 vaccine is sufficient enough to establish protection from the HIV-1 infection. The trial also determined if the vaccine had the potential to lower the viral plasma load following an infection. However, this trial was terminated after the observation that it did not provide protection against the infection or reduce viral plasma load.A glimmer of hope was shown by the RV144 trial, also called ‘the Thai trial’. It was the largest HIV vaccine trial with 16,000 participants. This extraordinary trial used the “prime-boost” method with two distinctive HIV vaccines. The “prime” was the vCP1521 canarypox vectored vaccine that aimed to induce T-cell immunity. The “boost” was the AIDSVAX B/E gp120 subunit vaccine. It aimed to induce antibody production.The prime vaccine was being used for the first time in humans, whilst the boost vaccine had failed some previous trials. However, when these vaccines were used in combination they demonstrated modest protection against HIV infection. The RV144 Thai trial showed a decrease in HIV infections by 31.2%. Although a very significant finding, it is not yet suggested for public use.-Conclusion-HIV/AIDS has posed a medical and scientific challenge to researchers as well as to victims of the infection. However, we are a little closer to an HIV/AIDS vaccine than ever before. There are numerous follow-up trials ongoing that are studying the effect of the “prime-boost” vaccine and the mechanism of the immune response elicited in this trial. Researchers are looking to find a correlate to protective immunity.Additionally, there are several trials ongoing independent of the RV144 trial. Researchers are testing new approaches to fight this virus and working on finding out how to generate antibodies to HIV. Furthermore, there has been promising work done on a therapeutic vaccine as well. Despite unique challenges and obstacles, researchers, organizations, and governments are working more than ever to conquer HIV/AIDS.References-    Wang, H., Mo, Q. & Yang, Z. (2015) HIV Vaccine Research: The Challenge and the Way Forward. Journal of Immunology Research 2015(13):1-5. DOI:10.1155/2015/503978 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276344488_HIV_Vaccine_Research_The_Challenge_and_the_Way_Forward-The Development of HIV Vaccines. (2018) The History of Vaccines. https://historyofvaccines.org/
 Verma, R., Khanna, P., Chawla, S., & Dhankar, M. (2016). HIV vaccine: Can it be developed in the 21st century?. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 12(1), 222–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2015.1064571 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26212081/
 About HIV. (2021). Centre of Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html
HIV/AIDS. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/hiv-aids#tab=tab_LAST Updated: Aug 24, 2023

Pfizer, BioNTech Challenge Moderna’s COVID-19 Patents with USPTO-Published: Aug 30, 2023 By Tristan Manalac

Pfizer and German partner BioNTech on Monday asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reconsider, and ultimately invalidate, Moderna’s patents over core technologies of the COVID-19 vaccine, Reuters reported.In an 87-page document, the partner companies argued that the Moderna patents are “unimaginably broad” and seek to claim ownership of knowledge that had existed long before its asserted priority date of 2015.Pfizer and BioNTech contend that using injecting mRNA into cells to produce a protein—and in turn leveraging this process to produce vaccines that prime immune protection—had been demonstrated and documented in the scientific literature as early as the 1990s.Moderna’s patent claims over any mRNA sequence encoding any betacoronavirus spike protein or its subunit, as well as a lipid-based formulation for delivery, is an “attempt to coopt and entire field of mRNA technology,” Pfizer and BioNTech argued in their USPTO filing.The partners are asking the USPTO to launch an inter partes review of Moderna’s patents and that “the challenged claims be found unpatentable and canceled,” according to their filing.Moderna started the legal tussle over the COVID-19 vaccines in August 2022, when it slapped Pfizer and BioNTech with lawsuits alleging that their Comirnaty infringes on patents covering the Cambridge biotech’s mRNA technology. The cases were filed in the U.S. and in Germany.Moderna’s lawsuit focused on two key elements of the vaccine. In particular, the company claims that after conducting tests with a handful of different vaccine candidates, Pfizer and BioNTech “ultimately decided to proceed with the vaccine that has the same exact mRNA chemical modification to its vaccine as Spikevax,” Moderna wrote in its press release at the time.Spikevax is Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, which won the FDA’s full approval in January 2022.Moderna’s lawsuit also alleges that Pfizer and BioNTech used its process of encoding the full-length spike protein loaded into a lipid nanoparticle for delivery.According to Moderna, neither Pfizer nor BioNTech “had Moderna's level of experience with developing mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases” and could have only produced their vaccine by following “Moderna’s lead.”Several other companies have since joined the patent battle over the COVID-10 vaccines. In June 2023, Promosome filed separate lawsuits against Moderna and Pfizer, while Arbutus Biopharma in April 2023 launched a similar legal complaint against Pfizer and BioNTech.Tristan Manalac is an independent science writer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. He can be reached at tristan@tristanmanalac.com or tristan.manalac@biospace.com.

Fauci is ‘concerned’ that people won’t comply if masking recommendations return: 'I hope' they 'abide' Story by Melissa Rudy • 2d-SEP 4,23

In a Saturday interview, former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci spoke out in defense of masking up amid today's rising COVID cases.In the event that masks are again recommended, he is "concerned that people will not abide by recommendations," he said in the interview.
"I would hope that if we get to the point that the volume of cases is such and organizations like the CDC recommends — CDC does not mandate anything — recommends that people wear masks, I would hope that people abide by that recommendation and take into account the risks to themselves and their families," Fauci told CNN.CITING RISING COVID CASES, THESE US HOSPITAL SYSTEMS HAVE NOW REINSTATED MASK MANDATES-Fauci, who also served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health until December 2022, also called into question a January 2023 Cochrane study that found masking to be ineffective."When you’re talking about the effect on the pandemic as a whole, the data is less strong," Fauci said. But when you talk about an individual basis of someone protecting themselves … there’s no doubt that there’s many studies that show that there is an advantage [to masks]."The Cochrane study, led by 12 researchers from esteemed universities around the world, compared the use of medical/surgical masks to wearing no masks. FACE MASKS MADE ‘LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE’ IN PREVENTING SPREAD OF COVID, SCIENTIFIC REVIEW FINDS-The review found that "wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (nine studies; 276,917 people); and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (six studies; 13,919 people)."COVID hospitalizations increased 18.8% between Aug. 13 and Aug. 17, and deaths rose 17.6% between Aug. 20 and Aug. 26, per the CDC.The numbers, however, remain far below the most recent spike in January 2023.Weekly national hospitalizations were 15,067 as of Aug. 19; they were 44,410 in January 2023. They peaked at 150,674 in January 2022.Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, pointed out that while the CDC may not mandate masks, the agency’s recommendations have frequently led to state, local and business mandates.PARENTS NOW QUESTION WHETHER COVID MASK MANDATES DID MORE HARM THAN GOOD-"I agree that high-grade masks in close quarters do have a use, especially if there is a lot of virus around and you are encountering people at high risk," he told Fox News Digital."But masks only work at all if they are worn properly."He added, "A study from the University of Minnesota showed that 30% of people don't even wear them over their noses."The doctor is also concerned about the negative impact of masking on young children, particularly in terms of socialization and learning."Also, young children often don't wear them properly, as Dr. John Walkup, chief of child psychiatry at Northwestern, told me in an interview," Siegel noted.Siegel said he does believe that masks have a practical use in medical centers and doctors’ offices if there are a lot of respiratory viruses around."But sweeping recommendations, as Dr. Fauci appears to be suggesting, don't work," added Dr. Siegel.The CDC’s most recent face mask order, which required all Americans to wear face coverings while taking public transportation, expired with the termination of the COVID public health emergency on May 11.Although no U.S. states currently have mask mandates in place, several hospitals, schools and companies have begun requiring them yet again.Original article source: Fauci is ‘concerned’ that people won’t comply if masking recommendations return: 'I hope' they 'abide' The newest COVID-19 variant isn't as scary as it seemed at first, and fall booster shots should protect against it and other variants circulating now, new data suggests.In a clinical trial, the updated vaccine generated a nearly ninefold increase in neutralizing antibodies against the BA.2.86 variant, according to data released early Tuesday from vaccine maker Moderna. Although extremely rare in the United States, the new variant has a number of mutations in the spike protein targeted by vaccines, which made experts worry that shots and previous infections wouldn't be protective.But three studies released since the weekend, along with Moderna's new data, suggest the variant, nicknamed Pirola, isn't so bad − at least for now, said Dr. Eric Topol, professor and executive vice president of Scripps Research in La Jolla, California.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning."It's been downgraded from a hurricane to not even a tropical storm. We're lucky," Topol said. "This one could have been really bad."State of the pandemic-COVID-19 infections have been rising since early July, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Hospitalizations are up nearly 16% and deaths nearly 17% in the week that ended Thursday compared with the week before, though totals remain well below previous peaks.

Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban mask mandates in schools, planes and public transportation through the end of 2024, which is being called the "Freedom to Breathe Act."-SEP 6,23 (IT SHOULD BE BANNED FOREVER)

The bill was signed by Republican senators J.D. Vance, Mike Braun and Josh Hawley. Vance is going to "force the Democrats to vote on it," according to his statement, on Thursday, as they seek bipartisan support."If they say the mask mandates are not coming back, then come to the Senate floor, vote with us, and say ‘no more mask mandates,' " Vance said.The legislation also makes it clear that no federal funds would be used to promote masking requirements, and that no federal funds were to be withheld on the condition the recipient follows a masking mandate.“We’re not going to go back to the top-down government overreach we saw during COVID," Braun said. "Congress needs to say forcefully that these ineffective, unscientific mask mandates are not coming back in any way, shape, or form.”Earlier in September, former NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly recommended people start masking again to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus variants. "[...] when you’re talking about an individual basis of someone protecting themselves or protecting themselves from spreading it to others, there’s no doubt that there are many studies that show that there is an advantage," Fauci explained.Government agencies, more specifically the CDC, have been clear they do not intend to bring back mask mandates, at least not yet.

Pandemic Parallels: Understanding the Connections Between HIV/AIDS and COVID-19

For more than 40 years, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been affecting communities around the world.In 2020, roughly 37.7 million people had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. More than 36 millionTrusted Source people across the globe have died from AIDS-related complications since the HIV/AIDS pandemic started.Thanks to the advent of antiretroviral therapy, survival and quality of life for people with HIV have improved dramatically in recent decades.Antiretroviral therapy can suppress HIV to undetectable levels in the body, preventing its transmission and the development of AIDS. Improvements in testing, condom use, preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and HIV prevention education are also helping to prevent new infections.However, more work needs to be done to stop the spread of HIV and ensure that everyone who contracts the virus has access to testing and long-term treatment.In the United States, roughly 13 percent of people with HIV don’t know they have the virus, and only 65.5 percentTrusted Source were virally suppressed in 2019. At the global level, 16 percent of people with HIV didn’t know their HIV status and 34 percent weren’t virally suppressed in 2020.Now, the world is in the grips of another pandemic — and it’s adding to the challenges of managing HIV/AIDS.The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many of the same inequalities that have shaped the dynamics of HIV/AIDS. It has also made it harder for many people to access HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services.This has pushed many organizations to adapt their HIV education, outreach, and service delivery models. To bring both the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics to an end, ongoing collaboration and commitment by governments, non-profit organizations, and other groups are needed.Parallels between HIV/AIDS and COVID-19-COVID-19 first hit the news in December 2019, when scientists identified the first known case in Wuhan, China.Since then, more than 261 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, including more than 48 million cases in the United States. More than 5 million people around the world have died from the disease, including nearly 778,500 people in the United States.Compared with HIV, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreads from one person to another and affects the body in different ways. Nonetheless, there are some striking similarities in how the two viruses have impacted communities.“There are several parallels that I see between COVID-19 and HIV,” Larry Walker, co-founder of the HIV nonprofit organization THRIVE SS, told Healthline. “Mainly the fear, as they were both new and showing themselves to be more fatal than other viruses we were accustomed to.”In the early days of each pandemic, experts knew little about how HIV or the novel coronavirus spread or what could be done to prevent transmission. In both cases, high fatality rates, lack of knowledge, and misinformation added to fears of infection.Those fears in turn contributed to the stigmatization of communities that have been “highly impacted” or wrongly blamed as the “originators” of HIV or the novel coronavirus, said Walker. This includes gay men in the case of HIV and Asians in the case of the novel coronavirus.According to a Pew Research Center survey, 81 percent of Asian adults in the United States say that violence against them has increased since the start of the pandemic.Uneven effects-Another striking similarity between the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics is the uneven effects they have had on different communities.Like HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 in the United States has disproportionately affected Black people, Hispanic/Latino people, people living in poverty, and other socially and economically marginalized groups.For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source reports that Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino people are more likely than non-Hispanic white populations to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and more likely to die from the disease.“Similar to what we see with HIV, COVID seems to be doing the most damage in Black and other communities of color, due to a myriad of factors, including but not limited to anti-Blackness, systemic oppression, and medical mistrust,” said Walker.Inequitable work and living conditions raise the risk of exposure to infectious diseases, while systemic racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination pose barriers to prevention, testing, treatment, and support services.The health effects of inequality are playing out a global scale, too.Many low-income countries have poorly resourced healthcare systems, which makes it harder to manage the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics. Access to COVID-19 vaccines in low-income countries remains very low. Residents who live in poverty or face discrimination due to their race, gender, sexuality, or other factors face added barriers to HIV and COVID-19 prevention, testing, and treatment.“Vulnerable populations experience both increased impact from diseases, including HIV and COVID-19, and decreased access to services,” Maria Sol Pintos Castro told Healthline. She leads the Resource Mobilization team of the Private Sector Engagement Department at the Global Fund, an international organization that mobilizes funding to combat the HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria pandemics.“Widespread stigma and discrimination, state and non-state violence and harassment, restrictive laws and policies, and criminalization of behaviors or practices put vulnerable populations at heightened risks and undermine their access to services,” she added.Collective trauma-The millions of deaths caused by COVID-19 have left many individuals, families, and communities in a state of mourning. For communities that have also been affected by HIV/AIDS, that collective grief and trauma is painfully familiar.Martina Clark is a resident of New York City who has contracted both viruses — HIV in the 1990s and the novel coronavirus in March 2020. She was the first openly HIV-positive person to work for UNAIDS, and she recently penned a book about her experiences, “My Unexpected Life: An International Memoir of Two Pandemics, HIV and COVID-19.”“I’m in a sort of writing-slash-support group of long-term survivors with HIV,” Clark told Healthline, “and we have all been discussing the grief of losing so many people, originally in the AIDS pandemic and how that has been reactivated with COVID.”“We’ve been really hard hit by the COVID pandemic,” she continued, “but it also brings up again that experience of so many people taken away in such a short period of time, echoing the gay community in the early days of the AIDS pandemic.”Although more research is needed, a global analysis from the World Health Organization found that people with HIV who contract the novel coronavirus have increased risk of developing severe COVID-19. They are also more likely than average to die from COVID-19.Pandemic mitigation measures have added to the challenges of mourning people lost to HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, or other causes. Due to restrictions on social gatherings, many people have been unable to gather for funerals or other rituals of mourning.Bringing the pandemics to an end-To stem the tide of illness and death from both COVID-19 and HIV, collective action is needed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is making it harder for many organizations to provide HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services.“Initially, COVID presented a huge barrier for people living with HIV as it related to accessing their care, support, medications, and various other services,” said Walker.Like many community organizations across the United States, THRIVE SS had to close its community center and safe space during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some organizations have yet to reopen their doors.Health care facilities have also had to restrict access to in-person services, including HIV testing and treatment programs. Even when in-person services are available, many people with HIV or at risk of HIV have been reluctant to attend in-person appointments.“From about March to November 2020, I basically canceled all of my appointments,” Clark said, “I think I went in for one blood draw in that period, and that was just sort of run in and run out.”Similar barriers have limited access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services in other countries as well, including many low- and middle-income countries.“For the first time in the history of the Global Fund,” Pintos Castro told Healthline, “key prevention and testing services declined compared to the previous year. For example, the number of people tested for HIV in 2020 dropped by 22 percent compared to 2019, holding back HIV treatment initiation in most countries.”Adapting to shifting needs-In response to COVID-19-related challenges, organizations that serve communities affected by HIV have had to shift their approach to providing support.“[The Global Fund has] awarded over $4.1 billion since the start of the pandemic to over 100 low- and middle-income countries to fight COVID-19 with diagnostic tests and treatments including medical oxygen, protect front-line workers, and adapt lifesaving HIV, TB, and malaria programs,” Pintos Castro said.“Examples of successful adaptations include dispensing long-term supplies of medicines for HIV,” she continued. “The number of people on antiretroviral therapy rose 9 percent, from 20.1 million in 2019 to 21.9 million in 2020, and the percentage of people receiving multi-month dispensing of [antiretrovirals] — over three months of medicine at a time — increased.”Identifying and reaching marginalized community members who can’t access public health services is a major priority of the Global Fund’s COVID-19 response. Those community members includes detainees, migrants, refugees, and stigmatized populations.Organizations in the United States are also working hard to reach people affected by HIV, including marginalized community members who face added barriers to accessing health care and social support services.“COVID has taught us that it is important to be flexible with how we deliver programming and services,” said Walker. “Also, that our efforts should seek to address the total social determinants of health as faced by our communities — and that operating from the silo of one disease state won’t address or best prepare our communities for uncertainties to come.”The takeaway-Although HIV and the novel coronavirus affect the body in different ways, there are striking similarities in how these viruses have impacted communities in the United States and around the world.The HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics have both contributed to widespread fear of infection, as well stigmatization of community members who have been highly affected by these viruses or blamed for their spread.Both pandemics have disproportionately affected economically and socially marginalized populations. Both have caused many deaths, leading to a collective state of mourning.During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations that serve communities affected by HIV have had to adapt their programs and services. They have had to take creative and holistic approaches to ensure that communities that hard-hit communities have access to HIV and COVID-19 prevention, testing, treatment, and support services.“Fighting both pandemics requires investments, innovation, and the strong commitment of public and private partners, as well as citizens, to address the inequalities that fuel them,” Pintos Castro told Healthline.“COVID-19 can be a catalyst to design a more integrated approach to the fight against all infectious diseases, including HIV, and to be better prepared for future health threats,” she added.Last medically reviewed on December 17, 2021  Revera to transition management of retirement residence operations-August 2023

Revera is shifting its focus to ownership of senior living real estate and will transition out of the operational management of retirement residences. Subject to customary regulatory approvals, the operational management of Revera Retirement residences will transition to experienced, respected Canadian-based senior living operators Cogir, Levante Living and Optima Living. It is business as usual at our Retirement residences. There are no changes to our home level leadership teams, no changes to staffing levels, and this does not affect union rights under applicable collective agreements. Our residents will continue to receive great care and services from the dedicated team members they have come to know and respect.Revera together with Cogir, Levante Living and Optima Living are committed to ensuring these transitions are seamless, with resident comfort, safety, and wellbeing at the centre of planning. Revera is proud to have served thousands of seniors as an operator of retirement residences across Canada for more than 50 years..   

Canadian care-home provider Revera to 'transition out' of managing retirement homes-More than 80 seniors' residences included in proposed transfer-Madeline Smith · CBC News · Aug 09, 2023 7:00 AM EDT

Revera, once one of Canada's largest operators of long-term care homes, is rolling out plans to "transition out" of managing retirement homes across the country.The company informed employees last week that three different Canadian companies will take over management of dozens of Revera retirement homes."Revera has made the decision to focus primarily on managing property/real estate and will no longer manage retirement residence operations in Canada," reads an Aug. 2 notice sent to union representatives for Revera workers.In total, information distributed to unions suggests more than 80 seniors' residences are part of the proposed transfer, with more than half of that number in Ontario. The rest are in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.The facilities are in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa and other cities.The changes, expected to happen over the coming months, are "subject to customary regulatory approvals, including health authorities' standard due diligence reviews and approvals," the company told CBC News."Revera is shifting its focus to ownership of senior living real estate and will transition out of the operational management of retirement residences," the statement said. It said Revera "will maintain ownership of a number of retirement properties."One of Canada's largest long-term care operators is owned by a federal Crown corporation.The company said there will be no changes to staffing at individual sites.Revera is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, a federal Crown corporation.A spokesperson for the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, the union that represents Revera workers at several retirement homes in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, issued a statement Tuesday."While AUPE looks into how contracting out the day-to-day management of these full-service long-term care worksites may impact our members, we will continue to ensure our front-line health care workers have the resources they need from the employer to safely support residents and are treated with the respect they deserve," the union said.Montreal-based Cogir, which owns hundreds of apartments, rental condos and retirement homes, is set to take over management of more than 60 Revera properties. Revera already has an ownership interest in several of Cogir's properties in Quebec.Optima Living is slated to take over management of some Alberta and B.C. retirement homes, while Levante Living will manage a dozen Ontario properties.At the retirement homes now planned for new management, services vary. Seniors pay to rent suites, and some have more minimal supports geared toward independent living.Some also offer more intensive assisted living or "memory care" with 24-hour services for people with dementia.'Public-interest concerns'Tamara Daly, a professor of health policy and equity at York University, said access to publicly funded care for seniors continues to be an issue in Canada, leaving some with few options but paying for higher levels of care in retirement homes."They're treated like tenants who live in apartment buildings who happen to be getting care, rather than people who have a variety of vulnerabilities who need a high level of care and support but who are unable to access it through our publicly funded system," Daly said."Despite the lessons of the pandemic, aged care remains a largely for-profit business in Canada, whether it's in the retirement home or the nursing home sector."Thousands of vulnerable people in long-term care died after COVID outbreaks in Canadian facilities, including care homes previously operated by Revera.In Calgary, the McKenzie Towne Continuing Care Centre saw one of Alberta's first significant COVID outbreaks when the pandemic struck in 2020, ending with 111 cases and 20 deaths. The facility was managed by Revera at the time, but is now operated by the company AgeCare.People whose family members died from COVID in Revera's former long-term care homes filed proposed class-action lawsuits in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.Families sue Revera, Winnipeg health authority over COVID-19 deaths at Maples care home-Families of Ont. COVID-19 victims launch $50M lawsuit against Revera Retirement Living-$25M class-action suit filed against Calgary nursing home where COVID-19 outbreak claimed 21 lives.The retirement-home change comes after Revera announced an agreement in 2022 with another large for-profit long-term care provider, Extendicare, that saw Extendicare take over operations at 56 of Revera's long-term care homes in Ontario and Manitoba.On Aug. 1, Extendicare announced that those transactions are complete. The company now manages 31 long-term care homes owned by Revera, and they also acquired Revera's 15 per cent interest in a portfolio of 25 more long-term care homes.The transactions saw more than 6,000 publicly funded long-term care beds change hands.Kevin Skerrett, an adjunct research professor at Carleton University's Institute of Political Economy, said the changes at Revera raise questions about the future for both employees and people who live in the homes."I think there's very serious public-interest concerns that have not yet been brought to bear in terms of these private actors having the freedom to decide whatever they want to do with these facilities," he said."I think as Canadians, we also want to be concerned about ... what does it actually mean for the services that are provided inside?"

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Optima Living operates Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, Long-Term Care, and Memory Care communities in Alberta and British Columbia. Our communities are among the best places to live and work in Western Canada.Our vision: For every person to feel at home.This is truly supported by our credo. “Let us welcome you home.™” All of us here feel it is an honour to work with our residents and we advocate a resident-centred approach where you, the Resident, is the focus of all our endeavours.

Revera enters innovative long term care agreement with Extendicare-March 1, 2022

Revera Inc., together with Extendicare, today announced an innovative agreement between the two leading senior care organizations that will support the future of long term care in Ontario and Manitoba. Subject to required approvals, Extendicare will assume the operational management of 56 Revera long term care homes in the two provinces. While Revera is stepping away from day-to-day operations, the company will continue to advocate for, and use its sector-leading, in-house development capabilities to accelerate, the urgently needed redevelopment of aging long term care homes.Revera carefully selected Extendicare because of its more than 50 years of experience serving seniors, its dedication to long term care over the long term, and the clear focus it shares with Revera on quality care as well as on ensuring aging homes are renewed for the benefit of residents and staff.Revera and Extendicare are committed to a seamless transition for residents, their families and employees. There will be no job losses as a result of this announcement; staffing levels will remain unchanged, and the same dedicated employees will continue to provide compassionate quality care to residents at our homes during and following the transition.About the Revera/Extendicare Transition:Under the terms of the agreement:Extendicare will assume operational management of 56 homes – 7 in Manitoba and the rest in Ontario - subject to required approvals.Extendicare will assume Revera’s ownership share of the 24 homes that Revera co-owns through a joint venture with Axium Infrastructure. Axium, an independent Canadian investment firm with a strong and enduring commitment to long term care, will continue to be a committed capital partner in support of long term care infrastructure.Revera’s ownership of the remaining properties remains unchanged, and we will continue to work to accelerate their redevelopment.Revera’s Future Strategy-Going forward, Revera will be a global owner of differentiated retirement living operators, including Revera Canada. Revera Canada has an exciting growth trajectory ahead as a leader in the retirement living sector committed to improving the aging experience, offering industry-leading programs and exceptional senior living options, and creating positive and inclusive work environments for employees. Together with its partners, Revera Canada has several retirement residences planned or under construction, including the state-of-the-art Glenora Park in Edmonton, Alberta, which will open this summer. Revera’s Asset Management team will also be dedicated to the redevelopment of the older long term care homes Revera continues to own. Along with the recently completed Elmwood Place, Revera has four projects that are either under construction or will break ground this year, with many more planned.