ICYMI, public health officials fear community transmission of B.1.1.7 (the "UK variant") is underway in Ontario.

I'll dissect each piece of worrying news from this story.

All Women are at risk of getting Cervical Cancer. It often affect women over age 30.

Long-lasting infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are the main cause of cervical cancer.

HPV is a virus that is passed from one person to another during sex.

A Thread 🚺

More than half of sexually active people might have HPV at some point in their lives, but few women will get CERVICAL CANCER.

Early Screening tests & the HPV vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer.

When cervical cancer is diagnosed early, it is highly treatable &....

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associated with long survival and good quality of life.

Most (almost all) cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

There are many types of HPV.
Some HPV types can cause changes on a woman’s CERVIX that can lead to cervical cancer as time goes on, WHILE other types can cause genital

or skin WARTS . HPV is so common that most people get it at some time in their lives.

HPV usually causes no symptoms so you can’t tell that you have it. For most women, HPV might be SELF LIMITING (ie it will go away on its own); However, if it doesn't, there are a chances that

over time it may result to cervical cancer.

OTHER FACTORS CAN INCREASE YOUR RISK of CERVICAL CANCER —
•Having HIV/AIDS
•Smoking.
•Using Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) for a long time (5+ years)
•Having birth to many children (4+ yrs).
•Having many sexual partners

The #RELAx trial has been published today in @JAMA. It was coordinated by Anna Algera. This thread is to explain the rationale, what we did, the findings and the meaning.
The rationale of #RELAx is based on the following

First, there is NO adequate evidence on the level of PEEP in non-ARDS patients. Most of the studies are old, conducted in post-surgical patients (short-term ventilation), and were not powered to detect differences in patient-centered

Second, despite the absence of evidence, the levels of PEEP used in non-ARDS patients increased over years, from 5 to 7/8 cmH2O, probably as a reflection of studies and practice in ARDS

Third, one IPDM showed that higher levels of PEEP could benefit more severe ARDS patients. However, opposite trends (higher mortality and longer ventilation) were found in mild ARDS with higher PEEP (despite not powered to be statistically

Fourth, most of the weaning protocols include PEEP ≤ 5 cmH2O as a criterion for readiness to wean. Theoretically, a standardized liberal strategy of higher PEEP could delay weaning in some

This one is for the real stats folks.

Let's deal with some objections to the deaths after flu vax/deaths after Covid vax comparison.

1) I agree Covid vaccine deaths are probably more likely to be reported than flu vaccine deaths. Are they 900 times more likely? Very doubtful...

2) Here's one good reason to think the gap may be small. The ratio of non-serious to serious Vaers reports is far HIGHER for the flu vax than for Covid. In other words, people have basically STOPPED filing non-serious event reports after Covid shots, because they are so common...

3) If people were clogging VAERS with Covid vaccine side effects reports because they are so sensitized to them, we'd see the opposite - tons of reports in every category. We aren't, though.

4) Children aside (and children do receive a lot of flu shots), the idea that the Covid vaccine is going to a meaningfully different population than the flu vaccine is nonsense. Flu campaigns are targeted at the elderly and healthcare workers, just like the Covid vaccine...

5) The correct area under the curve at risk post-Covid vaccinations is not 41 million doses x 8 weeks of followup. It's more like 41 million doses x 3 days. READ THE VAERS REPORTS YOURSELF. I have. The "he was hit by a bus a week after being vaccinated" isn't what's in there...

Anxiety resides in 4 spaces:

1. The space inside you
2. The space between you and another
3. The space between others
4. The space inside another.

A powerful de escalation tools is to first locate the anxiety. Where is it?

Often the answer is 'all 4.' Yikes!

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Anxiety is contagious, we spread it and escalate it unless we know how to manage it.

This was perhaps my biggest lesson as a trauma chaplain - the very hard work of not catching someone's anxiety.

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When I caught it, I was no good to them. I no longer saw what was going on, I was now 'infected' by my own triggers, assumptions, the story I tell myself. I was all wrapped up in myself.

But when I managed my anxiety, I was able to be calm, aware and fully present to them.

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Even in the very worst moment of their lives, even if they had me by the shoulders screaming, 'how could God allow this to happen?'

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Incidentally, early in chaplaincy, I thought this was an actual question. Because I was anxious, I was more infected by my need to answer than I was to simply be calm and present with them in their pain.

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