NPR NEWS reports that a Malaysia-to-Bangladesh bat-borne infection known as Nipah virus has returned to India, where it was thought to be eradicated. Of course the article raises the alarm, and I believe rightly so. As I’ve said before, the next virus that will cause a pandemic already exists.

With horrible symptoms like encephalitis, yes, WHO correctly calls it a “virus of concern”, one step worse than a “virus of interest”, the current designation for SARS CoV-2 Mu strain.

Mu is a covid variant that is worrisome in that it’s thought to render vaccines less effective. It was identified in Colombia in 2021 and has spread, but seems to be far less efficient at transmission than other variants. It remains a fearful concern for South and Central America wheras experts say the threat is wearing thinner. Masks are essential in fighting Mu since it has trouble with transmission.

In North America the Delta variant is the dominant strain and is poised to cause serious damage as autumn and winter approach.

I’m with Uncle Joe when it comes to his more hard-line stance on vaccines, generally in the form of mandatory inoculations for federal employees. This winter has the potential to be as bad as 2020, and since those vaccinated in May with a second shot will need a booster by 1 November, we have a lot of work to do.

Protest over and refusal to take mandatory vaccinations has already begun in earnest despite the obvious fact that the group with the highest hospitalization and death rate is those not vaccinated. The president of the United States does in fact have the authority to take this action.

If you find yourself in the position of being vaccinated or being refused entry to your workplace, mark this well: take the fucking shots. Had you listened to him in the first place, this would not be happening. And the next time you have the chance to get a life-saving shot, tell your friends to shut the fuck up and be ready to hear them not shut up, and then sit back and wait for their funeral service. And for God’s sake wear a mask.

Mask mandates are going to return and some are already in place. The Delta variant does not spare children, so here in my state they must wear masks to schools.

Meanwhile I’m seeing superspreader events everywhere I look. Especially at football games. My most direct and dire advice and warning to you: don’t go. Not even if you’re masked. Not even if you’ve had the shots. Why? Because in large crowds, unmasked crowds, even outside, you are at risk. Symptoms may be barely noticeable. Something you might want to chalk up to seasonal allergies. But here’s the gut-punch: it may not be allergies. And you can literally kill someone in your family. Like your children. Do I really have to tell you what it feels like to lose your children? Because I’ve been here since 2019 trying, and failing, to put that feeling into words.

And if you’re one of those who deny the threat, who watches Fox News or whatever bullshit you watch, and you’re not convinced after all that has happened, then you’re a fool. And it’s not my opinion that you’re a fool; it’s what you yourself have proven. How many have already died needlessly at the hands of fools such as you, and how many are yet to die needless deaths?

As the Nipah virus remains something of a puzzle, any variant that becomes more transmissible will circle the globe to kill by the numbers.

When I said that the organism that will cause our next pandemic is already in existence, I was not being alarmist or hyperbolic. Global warming will facilitate mutation and world travel will cause continental spread in a single airline trip.

Do I want you to be worried?

No. But I think you should be.