COVID-19: Epithelial & EndothelialAttacker Part II

Well, I'm sort of the case study when it comes to COVID attacking endothelial cells in the arteries and causing blood clots.

Obviously I had the symptoms back in March0-ish, with no real effects other than the temperature for a day and a month's worth of irritated eyes.

But three weeks ago I had a heart attack. Luckily quite mild, only noticeable by a blood test. But the chest pains were real enough.

In fairness I had a couple of narrowings of arteries, but nothing excessive according to the surgeons.

But I guess a rogue blood clot got down the wrong artery and caused a bit of trouble.

I assume a blood clot caused by compromised endothelial cells in a blood vessel somewhere, caused by COVID-19. After all I've had no issues in the past. All other chest pains have been false alarms (given my family history regarding heart issues, I alays get checked out), plus I was already on blood thinners from the mini strokes I had seven years ago.

I can only put it down to the increased risk of blood clots from COVID-19.

If I'm a case study, then it will be interesting to see the stats on strokes and hearts attacks over the next few years compared to pre-COVID levels.

As I've said before, the absolutely safest thing is to not catch the bloody virus in the first place.

I See a War Looming.

Given China's ever more ambitious expansionist efforts, I think it won't be too long before at some point someone will need to stand up to them.

Unfortunately it won't be the UK. Our armed force are not capable of taking on the Massed ranks of China. To be honest I don't think America are up to the job on their own. It may take the combined efforts of the world to stop China's aggressive stance.

We've seen their blatant expansion in the South China sea and emboldened by the West's lack of intervention, they are starting to make bolder claims over territory.

They have now effectively annexed Hong Kong and are not best pleased about the West's offers to Hong Kong residents to hose them if they would prefer to leave.

I expect that if there are no serious consequences over China's ditching of their obligations in Hong Kong, then the next target in their crosshairs will be Taiwan.

So sensitive is Taiwan to the Chinese authorities that world organisations can't mention the existence of the place lest the Chinese cause all sorts of issues.

But unfortunately China will continue to play this game until the world slaps them and tells them to stop. Just like with the Nazis in the 1930s, appeasement will not work. In the end China will get greedy and want more territory, just like Hitler.

If Taiwan falls, then China will start to look at Korea.

If Korea falls, where then?

As with the Germans and their expansions into Austria, Czechoslovakia and finally Poland (the final straw), I see a future where China will start to eat up the countries of the Far East.

Appeasement fails. Just where is the global force that would halt the advance of a nuclear power like China?

Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton and STEM Excellence in the BAME community

I get that the innocent objective to Black Lives Matter is to promote people of BAME origins into areas where they are under-represented.

I get that Lewis Hamilton supports that.

But I get a whiff of hypocrisy when any organisation starts to say they have to to more to get people of BAME origins into their organisations. Especially F1.

As it's already illegal to discriminate based on race, there must be another reason why BAME people are under-represented in science and technology subjects. What needs to happen is to look at why people of BAME origins are put off such endeavours.

Not what I think these organisations are actually saying, which is to lower the threshold to allow people of BAME origins to take part on an artificial basis.

Formula 1 is about being the best in the world: the best technology, the best materials, the best engineers. I doubt whether Lewis Hamilton would countenance having a race engineer working for him that is there only because of the colour of his skin, that has been placed there to meet some quota and certainly not based on their ability to do the job. He wants to win so he wants the best in the world to be working for him. I'm surprised his fitness instructor is white, given there are so many very well qualified BAME fitness instructors around.  Although she is female, so that's a diversity box ticked I suppose.

Formula 1 is about being the best in the world and that includes the humans taking part. If people of BAME origins have not reached that level for whatever reason (but not outright racism) then that's something for themselves to look at. Where are the great BAME engineers, architects, designers? Where are the parents supporting their children in science, maths and engineering, getting them to knuckle down and gain the qualifications and experience required to excel at STEM subjects?

Why is it that these subjects do not attract the BAME population as much as for instance more physical tasks?

Just as there is a difference between men and women when it comes to technology and the sciences, it shouldn't be classed as racist to say that people of BAME origins are not interested by science and technology either. Maybe for them it's just not that interesting a subject? Maybe the successes they have in  sport compared to white people says a lot about what interests them and what they are good at? There may be the exception to the rule and by all means they should be accepted into the sciences just like any other human being, but maybe there's psychological reasons at play.

Do we cry racism when all the athletes running for Britain are black?

Maybe BAME people are just not interested in science. Is it really shocking or racist to say that? As long as the doors are open to the exception, to the BAME engineer that excels, then that should be enough. The gates are open, the opportunity is there, the playing field is equal when you get there, that's all one can hope for.

By all means outlaw the outright bigotry and racism that closes the doors to those that have the ability and aptitude. But don't cry racism when it might in fact be caused by the home environment and other social issues rather than racism.

Maybe the racism is internal to the BAME community? Maybe the lack of support, social pressures, Attitudes to STEM subjects amongst other things are the things that hold the BAME community back?

After all when you hear a BAME representative say that time is racist, or that science as a discipline is inherently racist (even though science cares not who discovers it) you have to wonder if the community are actually talking themselves out of excellence in STEM subjects.