What I think, watch, listen to, and eat each week
The thoughts and words that I want to share
One of the ways I keep informed professionally is through participation in e-mail discussion groups. I’m a member of a few which are focussed on medical microbiology, infectious diseases, and public health. During a pandemic, such a resource is valuable and members lean on one another and rely on one another to share pertinent and up to date information.
This is not a post about the policy decision to encourage social distancing. I just want to offer another way of thinking of a form of words.
Hello, Autumn in Canberra is horrendous (in my opinion). The evenings become colder and the air which is already too dry for my liking gets even drier. This means my skin cracks more, it hurts every day, and my expenditure on moisturiser goes up.
There may be some confusion about the words quarantine and isolation. Last week, I wrote about the confusion some people have about the name of an infectious disease and the name of the microorganism that causes it.
What’s in a name (or two)? The virus formerly known as 2019-nCoV and the disease formerly known as 2019-nCoV infection.
Changes in names of microorganisms can be frustrating for non-health people as well as healthcare practitioners. Not least for ageing pathologists and medical laboratory scientists (me) who also struggle to keep up to date. The names of organisms and the diseases caused are important. It’s important we get the names correct and we use the names correctly so we have clarity when communicating about microorganisms and infectious diseases.
The virus formerly known as 2019-nCoV has been named by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). The ICTV designated the virus as Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) and it sits in the species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus alongside SARS-COV. The species sits within the Genus: Betacoronavirus.
The World Health Organization has designated the disease caused by SARS-COV-2 as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Getting the distinction correct between the cause or ætiological agent and the disease or syndrome or manifestation or condition is important. It’s frustrating to read experts refer to diseases by using microorganism names and vice versa. I find it odd when looking at a list titled something like “Important agents of concern” and see anthrax listed rather than Bacillus anthracis or in a list titled something like “Important diseases of concern” to see Listeria rather than listeriosis.
As you can tell I am a pedantic old fart.
Last year my aim was to break the 77 kilogram barrier. A week in Norfolk Island and then a delicious Christmas and New Year period thwarted my dreams.
I got close a few times last year but didn’t really dip below the goal weight.
Defending Honour
There’s been a lot written on social media and elsewhere this past week after Honours and Awards associated with the Order of Australia were announced on Sunday 26 January.
One individual was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and because of some controversial views expressed by that individual Twitter and other platforms went into a frenzy. I’m not going to pile on and comment, plenty of others have done that.
It’s not uncommon for a controversial figure to be appointed a Member (AM), Officer (AO), Companion (AC), and even a Knight (AK) of the Order of Australia or to be awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM).
This time however, there were calls for the individual to be removed from the Order. In addition there was calls to scrap the entire Honours and Awards system. I get it when people object because they see the system as a form of class distinction, but the Order has in its ranks Australians from all backgrounds. I shan’t comment on the proportionality of appointments.
I think there is a place in Australia for the Honours and Awards system and I guess I’m influenced because I’m a member.
Appointees to the Order receive a lapel pin to wear.
Australia Day has become contentious. It’s difficult now to see it as a day when all Australians are unified.
In my mind, I’d remove 26 January as a gazetted public holiday. It hasn’t always been a gazetted public holiday. In my opinion, it’s still an important day worthy of teaching about in school. It’s still a day to be reminded of in terms of Australia’s modern history. The facts of what happened then will not change.
In balancing primary and secondary education syllabuses, getting all the factual information together and teaching it in a manner that avoids bias but encourages analysis and synthesis of thought is vital. I despair that students aren’t encouraged to engage in independent unbiased thinking about “big issues”. What I see from where I sit is undue influence rather than impartial imparting of factual knowledge.
Continue reading “Australia Day”
I’ve just returned from another four days of working on Norfolk Island.
Norfolk Island on Google Maps.
This week I experienced something I never thought would happen to me. On Tuesday morning I went for a walk and was accosted by two men who demanded my wallet.
