Well, howdy there. We’re in the last 2 months of the year. And while some people are busy firing up the holiday music and stringing up the tinsel and lights, we shouldn’t forget about all the important things that go on in November.
For starters, it’s Diabetes Awareness Month, Men’s Health Awareness Month, and My Birthday Awareness Month. OK, that last one is not actually a real thing or relevant to The Download. But we will talk about the other two items, along with a COVID variant of note and some other stuff. Don’t worry — you don’t have to cover your eyes.
Insulin is 100
November is all aboutdiabetes awareness. And this year is particularly important because 2021 marks the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of insulin. If you’ve ever wondered how all that went down, here’s the scoop.
Dr. Frederick Bantinghad a light-bulb moment in the wee hours of the morning in 1920 and wrote down a hypothesis that eventually led to insulin’s discovery the next year. (His co-discoverer is Dr. Charles Best.) So if you’re ever jolted awake in the middle of the night with what appears to be a good idea, get it on paper. You just never know, folks.
November 14th is World Diabetes Day. The date marks Banting’s birthday. He seems like he was a cool fella because he oncesaid, “Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.” But, as we know, that’s not how it all went down with the three major pharmaceutical companies that produce insulin. Insulin prices are sky-high.
Advocate, don’t celebrate
That’sT1International’stheme right now. The 100-year-anniversary milestone for insulin truly is a reminder to advocate. And here’s why. The following stats are estimates based on a globalT1International surveyof nearly 1,500 respondents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). (People who have T1D need insulin to stay alive and healthy.)
A few ways to raise awareness this November
Guys, get your screenings
This month is also Men’s Health Awareness Month, so I’m listing all the doc appointments, vaccines, and screenings you should be getting based on your age, whether you’re 24 or 42.
You’re a young whippersnapper 18 to 39
Lordy, lordy, you’re 40 (to 50)
Delta Plus
It sounds like an airline seat upgrade, but I’m talking about theSARS-CoV-2variant known as AY.4.2, which is a Delta offshoot. You may have heard of it but have been covering your eyes when you see the headlines. Well, you can remove your hands from your face. There’s nothing to be alarmed about at this time.
This variant has gainedsometraction in the U.K., where it now accounts for10 percentof sequenced samples. And although it’s been found innine states and Washington, D.C., AY.4.2 accounts forless than 1 percentof cases in the United States.
Researchers don’t yet know what impact the variant will have in the U.S. or whether it will have an impact at all. In other words, remain calm but vigilant.
When COVID and deer season collide
Autumn also marks deer hunting season in many parts of the country. What does this have to do with the pandemic? I’m glad you asked. Well, astudy, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, looked at white-tailed deer in Iowa and found that people gave them COVID-19.
The researchers sampled lymph nodes from 283 deer (some free-living, others in captivity) from September 2020 to January 2021. They found that one-third of the deer tested positive for traces of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The study suggests that humans gave COVID-19 to the deer and then the deer also transmitted it among their fellow deer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which has conducted wildlife-related COVID-19 studies, says there isno evidencethat deer are playing a significant role in spreading the virus to humans.
The USDA also says there’s no evidence that people can get COVID-19 from preparing or eatingvenison, if that’s your game (pun intended). The agency lists safety precautions forgame handling and prepin case you need any friendly reminders.
Greatist guide to the great outdoors
In my humble opinion, November is also a fab month to get outdoors, whether you’releaf-peeping(sorry, just wanted to use that term),hiking, or cold-weathercamping. And that is why I leave you withour guide(in partnership with our sister siteLonely Planet) to doing just that!
