Unlucky Horseshoe

The copper-rich 'blood' of the marine Horseshoe crab (actually, a relative of spiders and scorpions) has been of great utility to medicine as it rapidly clots in the presence of bacterial endotoxins. This reaction means that the blood can be used to assess the safety of materials designed for injection (such as vaccines) or infusion. Essentially, it can prove that they have not become contaminated by bacteria. There is, of course, a downside for the crab and welfare groups were keen to have a synthetic alternative (recombinant Factor C) manufactured by the Swiss company Lonza adopted  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/31/crab-blood-to-remain-big-pharmas-standard-as-industry-group-rejects-substitute). After initial positive noises, the rule-making US Pharmacopeia has reportedly decided (apparently following pressure from Charles River) that people using the synthetic product will have to routinely confirm their results using Horseshoe crab blood. This will increase the amount of testing (and expense) and removes the incentive to use Lonza's product. The crabs will continue for now to be 'little bleeders', upsetting the welfare organisations.

Seeing the Changes 1446

More hot weather and more activity. In Loughor, Vervain (Verbena officinalis) and Pineapple mayweed (Chamomilla suaveolans) were in bloom. In Bynea, Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) was flowering. At Penclacwydd, spotted a Hairy dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) in flight. Fish (Mullet?) were in a mating frenzy under Loughor bridge.

Coronavirus Appears to Damage the Vascular System

Although there has been a natural tendency to concentrate on  Sars CoV-2's  damage to the respiratory system (it produces obvious pneumonia-like breathing difficulties in many badly-affected patients), evidence is mounting that this particular coronavirus uniquely (?) also attacks the linings (endothelia) of blood vessels (https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-analysis-covid-autopsies-reveals-disease.html). The virus is clearly spread in the air by coughing and taken into the lungs of people nearby (so far, so traditional) but, once in the new host, it can move from the lung alveoli (via the capillaries around them?) into the general vascular system. Once there, it can attack the cells that line the arteries, capillaries and veins. This seems to be why this particular virus can produce a whole range of un-Sars-like symptoms such as blood clotting, strokes, heart-failure, discoloration of the toes and interference with antibody production. Sars CoV-2 appears to be a tougher medical foe than was initially expected!

Sunk Without a Trace?

Although one always has to be careful with anonymous articles, the account by a writer who has purportedly been on the training programme for the UK's system to trace contacts of people infected by the Covid-19 virus, sends shivers down my spine (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/30/boris-johnsons-test-and-tracing-system-britain-lockdown). The author suggests that a) Not even the remotely-based trainers appear to know what they are doing; b) There are numerous problems with the IT equipment that the recruits have; c) People never seem to get answers to their legitimate questions; d) Trainees are currently paid to just sit there and e) It is essentially a script-following exercise of the kind used by call centre staff. How this is a 'world class' system is beyond me. It seems distinctly Heath Robinson (a comical illustrator of improbably amusing equipment). I have little to no confidence that this is anything like the mechanism we need to safely emerge from lockdown. I think 'token' would be a better description.

Seeing the Changes 1445

More flowers out in Oystermouth cemetery, with Enchanter's nightshade (Circaea lutetiana); Pencilled cranesbill (Geranium versicolor) and Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) all on display.

No Trace

Findings of the Sage committee do not augur well for the next stage of the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Release from full lockdown is apparently going to depend on  the effectiveness of 'track, trace and isolate'.  The committee believe that, currently (whilst in lockdown), only half of the people showing Covid-19 symptoms (e.g. sore throat or a fever) actually self-isolated for 7 days (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/coronavirus-symptoms-not-isolating-sage-track-and-trace). With the easing of lockdown, people will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days, after having a close encounter (which they may not remember) with a virus carrier (before they have symptoms). Some reservations have also been expressed about the way in which the 'track and trace' system is to operate.  It seems to some people more like a cold-calling call centre than a reliable, pre-tested, public health procedure (so it may already have limited credibility). Suggestions by government that some people may legitimately rely on their 'instinct', rather than follow the rules also, further muddies the waters. Elimination of Sars CoV-2 from the UK seems likely, at best, to be a long, slow process.

Anti-Vaxxers of America

It is somewhat worrying to hear that as many as 1 in 4 Americans are likely to refuse to be injected with any vaccine designed to treat Sars Cov-2 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/may/29/why-us-anti-vaxxers-will-refuse-a-coronavirus-vaccine-video). This would mean that it would be very difficult to get near to the minimum requirement of 70% of the population for 'herd immunity'. It seems that many of these people believe that the whole thing is a scam, dreamt up by the pharmaceutical companies to generate profits. Some claim that we are being made fearful of diseases that are 'not all that bad'. I wonder how they explain away the death rate from the Covid-19 pandemic in that country? It all seems a bit of a change from earlier times as, whilst briefly working in the US in the 1980s, I had to get one of my sons re-vaccinated before he was allowed to go to school (so 'herd immunity' must have been an issue then). Perhaps people are just getting blase about disease in general and thinking that it won't happen to them?

Butterfly Bonanza?

The Large heath butterfly (Coenonympha tullia) used to be a common insect in the peat bogs around Manchester but, when these wet areas were drained (to increase agricultural land) and the peat was cut for fuel, they disappeared. Now, after a local extinction of more than 150 years, an attempt is being made to restore this creature to a site near Salford (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/29/large-heath-butterflies-return-to-manchester-after-150-years). The site has been modified to make it wetter and the mosses and other plants, on which the larvae depend, have been planted. Caterpillars from another UK location have been reared to the pupa stage and these putative butterflies allocated to small, protective 'tents ' on the site. The tents are checked on a regular basis and any insects that have emerged are liberated. It will be interesting to see whether this relatively simple procedure works.

Care Home Chaos

The explosion of direct and indirect Covid-19-related deaths in Care homes in England, Scotland and Wales was highly predictable. It now transpires, however, that the government rejected plans to attempt to limit the mortality by introducing a radical lockdown in the early stages of the pandemic (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/28/government-rejected-radical-lockdown-england-care-homes-coronavirus). The plans included encouraging carers to (where possible) live in the care home for the duration of the emergency (this was apparently privately done in 1 or 2 cases). A strict lockdown would, of course, greatly reduced the chances of the virus being introduced into the vulnerable populations, in the first place. It was also suggested that some of the (eventually under-utilised) 'Nightingale' facilities could be used for sick residents from care homes and/or their carers. I can appreciate that it might have been difficult to do this uniformly across the entire sector but the thrust of these recommendations seems entirely sensible.

Scientists: Providing Advice or Cover?

I must admit to being on the same page as Dr Richard Horton, editor of the journal Lancet,(https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/27/scientists-ministers-dominic-cummings-advisers-government-coronavirus), in seeing it as being very difficult for any self-respecting scientist to feel that the UK government has ever taken the science seriously. 'Following the Science' has been a mantra but it has been evident for sometime that the ruling  politicians a) tend to follow which bits of advice suit their preferences; b) use the scientists who appear on platforms with them, largely to hide their ignorance and c) will happily trash the advice when a member of their inner circle gets into difficulties. It must be very difficult for scientific advisers, who are employed to offer advice on the Covid-19 pandemic, when they run the danger of simply acting as human shields.
STOP PRESS It has since been reported that the British PM has prevented his 'top 2 scientific advisers' from commenting on whether his aide broke the lockdown rules (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/28/johnson-blocks-top-scientists-from-talking-about-cummings). He says that this is to protect them from intrusive questioning.

Cop-Out?

The Cop26 meeting (on the pressing problem of climate change) was scheduled to take place in Glasgow (Scotland) in November 2020. It is of little surprise that the Covid-19 pandemic has derailed these plans (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/cop26-climate-talks-in-glasgow-likely-to-be-delayed-again). Initially, it was thought that a delay of 3 months was likely but there are now suggestions that we might have to wait for November 2021 for experts (and politicians)  to attempt to deal with this most pressing of issues. One can understand the desire to have a meaningful meeting that actually achieves actions but I would not like the sense of urgency to be lost. I suspect that concerns about economies of countries in a (hopefully) Post-Pandemic world might create difficulties.

Have You Got the Bottle?

It may seem obvious, but 'experts' have suggested that one way of countering the growing mountain of plastic waste, contaminating land and sea, is to greatly improve the water supplies to buildings in developing nations (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/27/improve-water-supply-in-poorer-nations-to-cut-plastic-use-say-experts). When the domestic supply is contaminated (or even perceived as potentially contaminated), people often buy their water in plastic bottles. Improving the supply from the taps, might well reduce these purchases but we would also have to overcome the effects of marketing. At present, bottled water can be presented as a) more tasty; b) full of health-boosting minerals; c) a more effective means of rehydration (highly dubious) or d) simply a smarter, more upmarket option (although these last versions tend to be in glass bottles).

Seeing the Changes 1444

A female Fox moth (Macrothylacia rubi) in the middle of the cycle track at Bynea.

Seeing the Changes 1443

In Loughor, Red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) and Marsh willowherb (Epilobium palustre) were in flower. In Bynea, Tufted vetch (Vicia cracca), Common vetch (Vicia sativa) and Wild carrot (Daucus carota) were blooming. Back in Loughor, Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) was fruiting and a beetle scuttled.

'Traditional' Chinese Medicine

A Dr Lao of Virginia University of Integrative Medicine has reiterated the obvious truism that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is brought into considerable disrepute by its utilisation of materials (often obtained illegally) from endangered animal species, such as the pangolin, rhinoceros and the tiger (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/its-against-nature-illegal-wildlife-trade-casts-shadow-over-traditional-chinese-medicine-aoe). He points out that some of the originators of TCM (a wide approach that also includes activities like acupuncture) expressed the belief that all their medicines could be obtained from plants. Although what he says is important, I personally doubt that the opinion of one practitioner in the USA  will make very much difference to a well-embedded misuse of endangered species.

Insect Plagues?

Pakistan agriculture has been hit particularly badly this year by swarms of Migratory locusts from the UAE and Iran (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/25/many-will-starve-locusts-devour-crops-and-livelihoods-in-pakistan). The insects decimate cash crops (like cotton) and food crops (like mustard) and are reckoned to be accounting for more than £4bn of losses to farmers in that country. The fear is that the swarms will inevitably produce starvation in the region. Although farmers naturally fear these insects, the vast majority of land arthropod species are beneficial to agriculture. Spraying with insecticides may, therefore, not be the answer (these chemicals can also cause sickness in the sprayers as well as in local human populations, if it is not done carefully with protections).

Seeing the Changes 1442

More flowerings with Woolly thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) blooming in Loughor and Black knapweed (Centaurea nigra) putting in an appearance in Bynea.

Sunny Side Up

It's only taken 3 years, but permissions appear to have been finally granted for a £450m scheme to create the UK's largest solar farm and storage facility at Cleve Hill in Kent (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/24/britains-largest-solar-farm-poised-to-begin-development-in-kent). The 364 hectare installation should be capable of supplying emissions-free electricity to some 91,000 homes. At last, the country appears to be on the verge of being able to completely dispose of coal-fired (our worst greenhouse gas producer) electricity generation. Given the numbers, I am surprised that solar power in this country has seemingly had to struggle to be adopted on a large scale. One might also ask why we need to be simultaneously signing expensive deals to allow foreign companies to slowly build new nuclear-powered electricity generating facilities in this country.

Freedom Fighters or Just Plain Selfish?

Concern is being raised (even before we have a vaccine- if we ever get one!) that anti-vaxxers in Europe may make protecting populations from Covid-19 difficult or even impossible(https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/23/europes-covid-predicament-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-the-anti-vaxxers). So, big debates are already occurring about issues such as a) Should vaccination be compulsory (or will this drive more people into the anti-vaxx camp?) and b) Can we confidently issue vaccination 'passports' to allow some people to return to a more normal life? There is general belief that you can only eliminate a virus if a minimum of 70% of the population (this is the so-called 'herd immunity') is vaccinated (decline in the take-up of the MMR vaccine is the reason why measles and mumps are currently showing resurgences). Worryingly, 'herd immunity' for Sars CoV-2 might be quite difficult to establish, as studies in Stockholm, which did not enter lockdown, revealed a surprisingly low incidence of blood antibodies in their population (https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/may/23/sweden-covid-19-policy-model-for-right-also-a-deadly-folly). Many of the anti-vaxxers, it appears, are more concerned with preventing 'the State' or 'Big Pharma' dictating their lives, than about disease (sometimes dismissed as an 'invention' of these vested interests). There have been several prominent campaigns by anti-vaxxers in Germany that have attracted both left and right-wing support. If you combine this with the claim that the Covid-19 pandemic actually results from the setting up of a 5G mobile telephone system, you can see that Public Health bodies across the continent are going to have a difficult time 'selling' the idea of maximising vaccination uptake to protect all.   

Spanish Practices?

Spain (which has had a very unhappy time in the pandemic) will be reportedly open for tourism from July with a government 'guarantee' of safety from Covid-19 for both locals and tourists (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/23/spain-to-reopen-to-overseas-tourists-from-july). It is difficult to see how precisely this guarantee will work as the country generally has some 80 million visitors per year as well as lots of entry points (airports, border crossings and ferry terminals). Not being an island, being a location used for short breaks and having tourists from a very wide range of other countries, all make regulation exceedingly difficult. It is hard to see how one can guarantee that the virus will not be reintroduced to Spain by the holiday trade. Tourism is, however,  a very important part of the economy for this country, so one can understand the intensity of the pressures.

Aloha Hawaii?

I have many happy memories of Hawaii and it is good to know, that its geographical isolation and strict quarantine rules have resulted in it having one of the lowest rates of Covid-19 infection in the USA (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/23/hawaii-coronavirus-reopening-tourism). There is a problem (shared by premiere holiday locations across the globe), however, as one quarter of the economy of these islands is rooted in tourism. It is reported that lockdown is now being eased initially for things like car dealerships and pet grooming but not for more problematic activities like gyms. It is thought that the 14 day quarantine for arrivals will still be in place, at least until the end of June. One suggestion, which might help tourism to become a major player again is to allow some holiday-makers to skip quarantine. They would have to prove they were safe on the basis of a  Sars CoV-2 test. So this would be a kind of Covid-19 passport. I am unclear, at this time, whether the authorities are talking about a test for the virus or a test for antibodies to the virus (proving that the person had had the disease and recovered). There would clearly also need to be rulings on both acceptable testers (presumably not home testing kits?) and how far ahead of the proposed visit, the 'tourist' had to have the test. I suspect that people would have to book their holiday package and have the test shortly before leaving. This might be financially challenging, if you had to cancel at the last minute. I expect that surfing competitions would be especially problematic as they would involve people coming in from all over the globe.

Child's Play

A UCL study has analysed collected information across the globe on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and has concluded that they are only half as likely to suffer from the viral infection than adults (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/may/22/children-covid-19-adults-data-coronavirus). As one might expect, the useful papers are a) rather few in number (children have rarely been a major focus to date) and b) use rather diverse measures (only a few actually look for antibodies and track the passage of the infective agent within family settings). It does appear clear that children are less likely to suffer severe consequences from a Sars CoV-2 infection (although they are, in no sense, immune and a few may develop life-challenging conditions). What is less clear is whether children can be vectors for the virus, when they come into contact with older people (although Australian contact tracing studies suggest that they are unlikely to do so). There are many good reasons for wanting to 'get kids back into school' I think we need to proceed with extreme care.

Is a Vaccine for Sars-Cov-2 Going to be a 'Magic Bullet'?

I do feel that I have been urging caution about whether developing a vaccine (or several vaccines) will be the 'magic bullet' to eradicate the Covid-19 pandemic. There is an interesting article, bringing together many of the identified problems (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/22/why-we-might-not-get-a-coronavirus-vaccine). It is pointed out that we don't always get timely production of a vaccine for a viral infection, even when the disease is one that attracts considerable attention. For example, HIV has been known about for 30 years but we have no vaccine for AIDS. It has also taken 77 years to develop the first approved vaccine for Dengue fever. Furthermore, coronaviruses (like Sars Cov-2)  tend not to trigger long-lasting immunity in the people they infect. For example, 25% of Common colds are caused by a human coronavirus but immunity lasts less than a year. Studies suggest that the immunological responses to actual infection with Sars Cov-2 are very variable and can disappear relatively quickly. It has been pointed out that a serious problem with this virus is that it is often unclear who has been infected (we clearly have people who can pass on the disease, who show no or only mild symptoms). The virus, like others of its kind, also undergoes mutations, which could alter the effectiveness of any developed vaccine. It does look as if the unprecedented efforts (these are world-wide and very substantial) to develop safe vaccines, for use in the Covid-19 pandemic, are baring fruit.  However, only an agent that produced relatively long-lasting immunity could eradicate the virus. With or without a vaccine, Sars Cov-2 could be with us for much longer than initially hoped.

Plastic Plankton

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised but recent research, using finer collection nets, suggests that the numbers of microplastic particles in the oceans has been grossly underestimated (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/22/microplastic-pollution-in-oceans-vastly-underestimated-study). The new findings suggest that the actual number of microplastics is about double the previous estimate, with the long-lasting particles now out-numbering organisms in the plankton. There are lots of plankton feeders in our seas (and organisms, like ourselves, who feed on the plankton feeders and their predators), so this insidious pollution is likely to have major effects on food chains.

It Doesn't Bear Thinking About

More short-termism! The original ruling that the creation of the Pebble mine (to extract copper and gold) near Bristol Bay in SW Alaska, was too environmentally-damaging, has reportedly been overturned (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/20/alaska-brown-bears-environment-mining). You will now get a situation where a uniquely important location for salmon (fished by people and Brown bears ) is trashed. Although the mine may make the owners some money over a finite period, permanent losses to the local communities include the local salmon fishing industry and tourism attracted into an area where humans and Brown bears appear to inter-mingle.

Blame Game

Politicians appear to be a touch more blatant in the USA. For example, a Dr Rebekah Jones is claiming (denied, of course) that she was fired from the Department of Health in Florida for refusing to change Covid-19 data, in order to support the state governor's re-opening plan (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/20/florida-scientist-dr-rebekah-jones-fired-refusing-change-covid-19-data-reopen-plan). In the UK, politicians are generally more clandestine but some are now claiming that they made the wrong calls in the pandemic, only because they were given poor information by 'the scientists'  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/19/no-winners-uk-coronavirus-blame-game). I have always argued that a woolly statement like 'following the science' (although it's better than 'not following the science') was always likely to be used by politicians to drive their agendas. It was evident, from the beginning, that scientific community has had to learn quickly about this novel pathogen, starting from a very low baseline (there are so many unknowns). In some cases, as no direct information was available, advice was obviously based on what was believed to happen in the cases of other (related?) infections. So there was (as there always is in any new area of investigation) conflicting information coming from disparate 'scientists'. That needed, in my view, a really wide input of information in the initial stages. I can't help but feel that some politicians 'hear what they want to hear' (that might well include choosing 'the science', they think supports their predispositions). Policy decisions are always difficult but scientists don't (or shouldn't) actually make them. I think that we need politicians (very few know much science) to get a better understanding of what science can and cannot do. If things go wrong, they not to try to hide behind the 'advisors', especially if, in the first place, they chose them. 

When Being Green Isn't Good

There have been masses of changes (notably with record high temperatures) to Antarctica since the above old map was published.  The latest is a greening of substantial areas of ice by single celled algae, that are forming new 'ecosystems' with fungi and bacteria in the slush (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/climate-change-turning-parts-antarctica-green-say-scientists-algae).  Although the algae photosynthesise, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they are likely to further exacerbate global warming by reducing the reflectiveness of the ice (this normally reflects solar energy back into space).

Seeing the Changes 1441

More flowerings. A Pyramidal orchid (Anacampsis pyramidalis) in Penclacwydd and Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) in Bynea.

Mice to Men

Mice are remarkable laboratory animals as they can be genetically engineered to investigate a wide range of human conditions, Traditional mouse lines are not influenced by coronaviruses but the Jackson Laboratory, in Maine USA, has reportedly developed the Perlman strain, which can be infected by both the SARS Cov and SARS Cov2 viruses (https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/health-disease/2020/building-mouse-squad-against-covid-19). These rapidly-breeding mammals may give us quick information about how these retro-viruses interact with the cells of their hosts, providing clues about how to medically counter the pandemic.

A Gulf

The Gulf of Maine is one area of the ocean that is heating up fast. The fishing industry there used to catch cod and other fish in the winter but, more lately as things warmed up, have largely made a good living from a thriving lobster and scallop collecting industry. It is now reported that, with declining lobsters, fishermen are being encouraged to diversify into activities such as kelp farming (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/19/im-not-a-quitter-lobstermen-turn-to-kelp-farming-in-the-face-of-global-crises). This fast growing seaweed has a number of commercial uses (even if they are not as tasty as lobsters) and its photosynthetic activity helps to limit the increase of 'greenhouse gases' in the atmosphere.

It's Only Natural

The fact that Natural England (the body responsible for most biologically important areas in England and for financially rewarding their farmers for environmental protection) is to receive an extra £15m of annual funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is, at first sight, good news (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/18/natural-england-funding-boost-gets-cautious-welcome-aoe). One has to say, however, that the organization struggled to manage on an allocation of £265m in 2008-09 but this plunged  to a paltry £85.6m in 2019-20. When you also add in the damage to protected English sites of forcing through HS2, the 'increase' is almost derisory. It hardly represents a 'sea-change' in attitudes to the environment.

Hitting the Bottle

Avantium, a Dutch maker of bottles and food packaging, is planning to attempt to replace the millions of tons of plastic containers created annually with items made entirely from plant sugars (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/16/the-end-of-plastic-new-plant-based-bottles-will-degrade-in-a-year). The big advantage of the new containers (apparently supported by a number of important manufacturers of soft drinks and yoghourts) is that they are said to degrade in a year.  In contrast, plastics take decades to weather into microplastics, which are a real concern as nobody knows how long they last or where they finish up in the food chain. Another benefit is that plants will have to be grown to produce the sugars (temporarily removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere). Plastics, of course, require the extraction of petrochemicals to provide their building blocks adding to greenhouse gas release.

Not to be Sniffed at?

Loss of the sense of smell (anosmia) and/or an impairment of the ability to taste food (also related to olfaction) have now been added to the list of symptoms for a potential Covid-19 infection (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/18/uk-coronavirus-tests-advised-for-people-who-lose-taste-or-smell). People showing this sensory loss are reportedly being urged (where possible) to have a test for the virus. This addition seems a bit slow as people were reporting this as a common symptom several weeks ago,

Care Home Story

I think that the Reuters calculation of 20,000 deaths in UK care homes associated with the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to be close to actuality (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-carehomes-idUSKBN22O2MV). There seems to have been a collective lack of appreciation of the extreme vulnerability of care homes in early planning. This was evidenced by failures to a)  recognise the difficulties of isolating people with symptoms (from visitors and each other) in such establishments; b)  supply needed personal protective equipment to care workers and c) direct some of the necessary testing to people living and working there. I am not convinced that government advice was in any sense 'timely'. I can only think that the  people directing policy were so panicked about the potential 'overwhelming' of the NHS, that they lost sight of this other sector (in spite of knowing that the elderly with underlaying conditions were particularly vulnerable to the virus). The immediate response to the pandemic should have included doing everything to convert care homes into safe 'islands' where the virus was excluded. In contrast, you had the other extreme of elderly patients with the viral infection in NHS beds reportedly being transferred to care homes to 'free up the NHS'.

Seeing the Changes 1440

Phyllobius pomaceus beetles scuttled on the nettles of Bynea.

Seeing the Changes 1439

A Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica) flowered in Loughor and a Goatsbeard (Tragopogon pratensis) reciprocated in Bynea. A Yellow tail (Euproctis similis) moth larva sunned itself in Penclacwydd.