April 24, 2020
I’d like to finish off the week by introducing you to the Biting Midges of the Genus Culicoides from Panama (Diptera: Heleidae). A fascinating little creature, there are over 1000 species in the genus, which is divided into many subgenera. Several species are known to be vectors of various diseases and parasites which can affect animals. The Leptoconops for example; this genus has a long fossil record, with earliest known fossils being from the Burmese amber, around 99 million years old. Wow, that’s wicked old!! As a matter of fact, that would take us all the way back to The Mesozoic Era which lasted nearly 200 million years, starting and ending with mass extinctions. This era consisted of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods. The Mesozoic is thought to have had a warm climate that dinosaurs thrived in for 135 million years.
But I digress. Today, we live in the Holocene Epoch, of the Quaternary Period, in the Cenozoic Era (of the Phanerozoic Eon) and under my desk, these damn midges have been biting the hell out of my legs this entire past week! As any normal human being during quarantine in the Phanerozoic Eon, I started my week wearing shorts and flipflops. Now, because of these evil minuscule spawns of Satan, I’ve been forced to resort to unimaginable measures… …I am now wearing long socks and pants as I type this. They’re making me wear pants!!! (Stated as I clutch my shaking fists and grit my teeth in utter rage.) At first, I thought I was getting a rash from being out in the garden too much. My wife suggested at some point, I think it was Tuesday morning, that maybe I needed to shower more often. I was insulted! How rude!, How dare she?? I mean, she was probably right, but that’s beside the point. Support me woman, I’m in pain here!! She proceeded to mumble something along the lines of “Oh you little crybaby!” which I’ve shrewdly determined was part of her diabolic ploy to just hurt my feelings.
I now know that by Tuesday morning I was in a denial-anger combo, up until Thursday when I skipped the bargaining phase, plunged myself deep into depression, until entering full acceptance early this morning after coffee. I accepted that I was, in fact, a little crybaby. So, I reluctantly asked my loving wife to help me resolve my itchy scratchy problem as per her “supposed theory” that some invisible bug was truly causing me all of this unnecessary distress. The worst part of today was her smug look and sarcasm, “Hey, congratulations, you broke a new record by holding out a whole FOUR days!”, she said. (Oh, how I hate the way she lingered on the word “four”.) She grasped my arm and led me past the kitchen and into our home office, but not before selecting her weapons of choice; a 19 OZ can of Lysol Disinfectant Spray and a container of 78 Clorox wet wipes, both impossible-to-get items smuggled in through some HUMINT network of Grade School Mommies she’s a founder of. No sooner did she use the Lysol under my desk, did a fine powdery plume of squalor flow through the space between the furniture and my wall. But this plume wasn’t dust, it wasn’t smoke, it wasn’t even the Intellectual Property toner we collected 5 years ago from that factory in Honduras. These were the invisible rogue biting midges that had plagued me this last week.
Just then, a profound sense of joy hit me like hammer. I had a new mission. I was going to capture one of these dirty blood-suckers alive, study it, dust off my US Army Field Manual FM 34-52 on Intelligence Interrogation and make it tell me why they’re here! But how am I going to accomplish this if they’re so darn small that no mortal being could possibly have such highly developed depth perception to actually catch one? Then suddenly, “SLAP!!!” My wife kills one between her hands in mid–air. “Honey, I don’t think the Geneva Conventions would approve, but I love your enthusiasm.”, I told her.
And here it is, in all its glory:
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SERIES OF PROTESTS
Protests everywhere today again, just like every day this week practically.. Buena Vista in Colon, Chilibre (photo below), Santa Marta, Nueva Libia, Nuevo Tocumen, Corredor Norte near Villa Lucre, Union Santeña near Chorrera and several other áreas including the interior. What’s interesting and different this time, is that today in Colon the protesters were still out and about after 8:00p.m.
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS
COPEME SEEKS STRATEGIES FOR THE COVID-19 CRISIS, WHICH AFFECTS THE CONTINUITY OF FACE-TO-FACE EDUCATION
The Copeme (Permanent Multisectoral Council for the Implementation of the National Commitment to Education), an advisory body and advisor to the Ministry of Education, held a meeting with international agencies and organizations to seek strategies to be implemented in the face of the crisis by Covid-19.
Nine sectors participated in the virtual meeting, including representatives of regional UNDP, Unicef, Unesco, and the UN, with the aim of exchanging opinions and educational methods, this, because the traditional face-to-face continuity of education has been affected by the pandemic.
The Minister of Education, Maruja Gorday de Villalobos, and the Deputy Minister, Zonia de Smith, also participated in this meeting.
Copeme, which is kept in permanent sessions and working with Meduca, said in a statement that they hope to “strengthen the opportunities for non-face-to-face learning, and learn about the resources these agencies offer.”
In addition, it was learned that international organizations recognized the importance of the initiatives developed and agreed upon in Copeme, such as the Protocol of Educational Attention and the Guide for the Development and Implementation of Technological Platforms.
Both initiatives, agreed by the 9 guilds that make up Copeme, state that to implement the platforms, the differences that exist between each educational region must be taken into account, as well as the alternatives for using technology, that these tools be friendly and easy to use and that they allow virtual work.
Meduca explained that these elaborated guides have been shared to the installed groups of educational management, which manage the intervention plans.
The institution added that it is working on a strategy that includes the conceptual development, objectives, risks, areas of intervention and phases, before the educational emergency, by Covid-19.
TOTAL QUARANTINE IN PANAMA IS ON AGAIN FOR THIS WEEKEND
The Minister of Public Security, Juan Pino, stated that this weekend the total quarantine for Panama will be repeated, as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“For this Saturday and Sunday, we have another important commitment: total quarantine. We look forward to the collaboration of all of you as it happened last week,” said Pino.
This would be the third consecutive weekend in which all Panamanians are prevented from mobilizing, except for those who work in companies which are the exception to Executive Decree No. 507.
It should be noted that during these days the arrests have been reduced and the streets of Panama were less crowded.
He also indicated that among the provinces that most breach quarantine are Panama (31.4%), Panama West (19.6%), Chiriquí (12.8%), Colón and Herrera.
MORE THAN 30 PATIENTS RECOVERED FROM COVID-19, WHO WERE IN HOTELS, ARE SENT HOME
By tomorrow, it is expected to send about 67 more patients to their homes who have already overcome the disease, this after doing the tests that confirmed it.
This was reported by Julio Sandoval, coordinator of the country’s intensive care doctors who are fighting against this disease, who indicated that most of these patients were being held at the Decapolis hotel.
“These are people who are already recovered, who were waiting for a clinical evaluation and hoping that they will take the second sample that declares them already recovered,” said Sandoval.
To date, there are a total of 5,166 positive cases of COVID-19, 174 being the number of new cases, according to Lourdes Cedeño, director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health.
JORGE ALMENGOR: GRADUAL REOPENING OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WILL DROP STRICT SECURITY PROTOCOLS
The intention is to return to a degree of normality, with new health measures managed by the Ministry of Health (MINSA).
The National Government, through the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Health Bureau, analyze the sectors of the Panamanian economy that would conform, under strict security protocols, the first group to gradually reopen economic activity, said the Vice Minister of Finance, Jorge Almengor.
He added that the variables considered for said reopening are: the generation economically aggregated in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as well as those that generate jobs and their incidence in the circulation of money in the country.
There are other components such as the retail consumption sector that has generated economic activities during the crisis, due to the service it produces, but a way would be sought to open a space that would allow them to reintegrate into the economic generation. Similarly, it would be done with the logistics and construction sectors, as it is a high generator of jobs, stressed Almengor.
He pointed out that “the intention is to return to a degree of normality, with new health measures run by the Ministry of Health (MINSA) such as the use of a mask, better personal hygiene, biosafety procedure manuals to ensure that goods and services that are produced are handled appropriately and avoid a regrowth”.
It is important that when the situation is controlled, a slow review be carried out, with the appropriate health controls, to reinsert the economic sectors that contribute the most from the economic point of view and the generation of employment for all Panamanians affected by the pandemic , concluded the vice minister of Finance.
BLOOD DONATION CENTER WILL BE INSTALLED IN OMAR PARK
Starting next Monday, April 27, 2020, the Omar Recreational and Cultural Park will become a special center for blood donation. In this way, the Office of the First Lady in collaboration with the organization Dona Vida, join forces to recruit heroes who will help save lives. Donors will be admitted by appointment. Those interested can schedule their donation to the email citaparqueomar@gmail.com
The hours of operation will be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8:00 a.m. at 4:00 p.m. at the Club House of Omar Park. The donations received will support the supply of the blood bank of the Children’s Hospital, the National Oncological Hospital and the Santo Tomás Hospital.
MINISTRY OF ENERGY ENSURES THAT GAS STATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE, ONLY 35 OF 500 STATIONS HAVE CLOSED
The National Energy Secretariat indicated that out of 500 fuel stations in Panama, only 35 of them accepted Resolution No. 4730 of April 23, 2020, which allows the temporary closure, during the State of Emergency, of those service stations with low sales volumes.
“The Secretariat guarantees the accessible and constant supply of fuels in the country, and reiterated to the population the commitment that supply chains maintain to continue offering their services at the national level”; The institution details in a statement.
They also explain that this option allows stations to resume their activities after the emergency without having to start the registration process with the entity, as established by Executive Decree 36 of 2003, which only contemplates the figure of closure, making it difficult its reopening.
Only those stations with low sales volume, and those whose location does not affect agricultural, logistical, commercial and strategic activities for Panamanians, can be accepted under this regulation, as indicated by the Ministry of Energy.
SOME 109 OFFICIALS OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUND HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
Of all the CSS officials infected with COVID-19, nurses are the most affected with 21.
In the Social Security Fund (CSS) the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has been infected by 109 officials of this institution, where 66 cases have been due to occupational contagion and 40 have been due to community contagion, of which 3 positive cases are under study.
Of these personnel, as explained by the director of the CSS, Enrique Lau Cortés, 21 are nurses, 17 are doctors, 11 are cleaners, 8 are nursing technicians, 6 are pharmacists and 3 are administrative.
These cases have been detected in the Hospital Complex with 24 cases, in the Hospital de la 24 de Diciembre 16 cases, Policlinica de San Francisco 11 cases, Susana Jones Hospital 10 cases and 5 cases in the Hospital Ezequiel Abadía in Soná de Veraguas.
OBESE PEOPLE HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF COMPLICATION DUE TO COVID-19
Obesity problems may be causing an increased risk of complication in positive patients with the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
Endocrinologist Gustavo Marciaga explained that there are studies carried out in China where it is indicated that overweight patients have an 87% higher probability of having severe pneumonia, and may even have an increase of up to 142% in risk. of complicated pneumonia, in both cases mechanical ventilation is required.
“This leads to obesity really being a disease that we should not only worry about in the long term, but also in the short term because it would be leading to lower success rates in this COVID-19 pandemic,” he explained.
Added to this are heart conditions, respiratory and metabolic problems that can affect this group of people. For this reason, people are recommended to maintain a balanced diet, exercise daily, avoid weight gain, and follow their medical controls.
COMPTROLLER PUTS A STOP TO THE PURCHASE OF MASKS IN THE ASSEMBLY AND PENALIZES THE OFFICIAL WHO AUDITED THE ACQUISITION
The Comptroller General of the Republic reported that it will deny the payment of the 7 thousand disposable masks that the National Assembly intended to acquire for a unit price of $ 2.50. In addition, the Comptroller’s Office in the Legislative Branch was suspended from her duties for three days as an administrative sanction.
“The official, with more than 35 years of service in the Comptroller’s Office, was surprised in her good faith when making the decision under the pressure of the urgency necessary for the safety of deputies and administrative personnel,” said the Comptroller’s Office in a released statement. Today morning, April 24.
In addition to the sanction, the Comptroller’s Office made the decision to deny payment of the contract until the acquisition price is adjusted, which they classified as “not fair and reasonable”. According to the statement, “administrative corrections” were ordered so that this does not happen again.
In the statement, the Comptroller’s Office details that it expects the sanction to be “an example for the rest of the supervisors” and adds that they must remain firm in safeguarding the state’s resources, and that they try “not to succumb to the routine or pressure of any official or State office”.
The questioned purchase, which was made by exceptional procedure, cost a total of $18 thousand when adding taxes. The masks, according to the published proposal and the purchase order, are made of polypropylene, have elastics and are “disposable”.
The contractor, Importadora Panameña de Alimentos, S.A.was directly selected and not part of a bidding process. In the documents published to support the purchase, who signs on behalf of the company is Francisco Denis Duran. The listing is dated March 13 and the purchase order is March 17. The documents detail that the masks would be distributed among “National Assembly employees”.
This type of mask that the Assembly acquired is the most common and commercialized. The presentation of these is 50 units per box. Well-known medical and pharmaceutical companies are selling the masks nationwide. This is the case of Medimex, S.A., for example, which sells them for $ 32.50 per box of 50 masks. In other words, the retail cost of 7,000 units would be $ 4,550, plus the ITBS, a difference of $ 13,000 without tax.
STATUS UPDATE
PANAMA REPORTS 154 DEATHS AND 5,338 ACCUMULATED CASES OF COVID-19
- 5,338 positive cases
- 172 new cases
- 154 deaths
- 8 new deaths
- 4524 home isolation (1030 hospital hotels)
- 341 are hospitalized (254 in ward / 87 intensive care)
- 319 recovered by laboratory
- 2,260 clinically recovered.
24,304 tests were carried out to diagnose COVID-19, of which 18,565 were negative.
Rosario Turner, Minister of Health assured that the sanitary fences are maintained and recalled that this weekend is a total quarantine nationwide.
END NOTES
The Mikkelson family, my family, takes pride in our history. My grandfather Earl Mikkelson, in his younger years, used to make moonshine. (Once again, so proud.) After he passed away 30+ years ago, an inspection of the “back 40” led us to an old still that they had abandoned. Recently, an article came out in the hometown news talking about things that happened 50 yrs or 75 yrs ago in that same community. One such article was how a Mikkelson family member got caught hauling our precious “shine”. I don’t remember how much he had on him at the time, something like 150 gallons perhaps. The arresting officer asked him what it was for and he responded, “Personal use, sir.”.
Another story was how one of our Mikkelson kinsman had asked a fine young lady of the upper category to marry him. She was thrilled but her family wasn’t. “I won’t stand for this. Them Mikkelsons all they think of is hunting and fishing.”, her mother said. To this day, we’re still not sure if she was praising us, jealous or trying to muster up some weak insult. That’s the pride of our heritage right there, I’ll have you know.
So in light of our heritage, I’m posting some fishing pics. These samples were taken from Las Cumbres Lake just a few minutes from my house on Thursday and Friday using unspecific plastic baits. Amazing specimens, they did practice catch and release. Faces were covered to protect the “innocent”.
Stay safe… Stay healthy… And by all means STAY HOME!!…
