Welcome to this week’s problem of The Week in Medication – a round-up of all of the happenings on the planet of Irish medication
The surgical masks has turn into one thing of an icon of the instances we dwell in – particularly when discarded on the road. Nothing says ‘pandemic’ like these disposable masks clogging up a gutter someplace.

Portrait of Sara Little Turnbull within the Nineteen Thirties. Pic: Wikipedia
Sadly, the sporting of a masks grew to become a political assertion someplace alongside the road as anti-science activists sought to embarrass and accost individuals sporting masks in public – resulting in media protection, resulting in some individuals being afraid to put on masks, a lot in the best way individuals at the moment are afraid to criticize Trump.
That type of venom has been rising for years, however the actually efficient masks – the N95 – has gotten misplaced in all of this. The 95, in fact, refers to the truth that it blocks 95 per cent of particles that measure 0.3 microns or extra, which embody many viruses.
It was a lady within the US firm 3M who developed the masks, one of many very first ‘design engineers’. Sara Little was born Sara Finkelstein and stood 5 ft tall. She was nicknamed ‘Little Sara’ and ultimately modified her title legally to Sara Little. (I imagine Robin Hood had an identical pal!)
She was a baby actor, {a magazine} editor, a advertising and marketing marketing consultant, a textile designer and at last, a design engineer with 3M. She labored on new non-woven cloth within the Nineteen Fifties developing with a number of makes use of for the fabric, together with a moulded bra cup, and a medical masks. The bra cup form ultimately morphed into the N95 masks we all know right now.
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Barack Obama and Donald Trump find yourself in the identical barber’s store in Washington. As they’re sitting there, every being shaved by a special barber, not a phrase is spoken. Each the barbers are too afraid to start out a dialog, for worry that it will flip nasty. (Some individuals say they provide the perfect shaves ever)
Because the barbers completed their shaves in silence, the barber shaving Trump reaches for the aftershave. However DJT is fast to cease him – saying (jokingly), “No thanks. My spouse, Melania, will scent that on me and suppose I’ve been in a brothel.”
The second barber turned to Obama and stated, “How about you, Mr. Obama?” Barack replied, “Go proper forward. My spouse, Michelle, doesn’t know what the within of a brothel smells like.”
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A affected person with kidney illness usually has to attend not less than two years in Eire for a transplant, and sometimes many extra years than that. Sadly, there are numerous myths round kidney donation, so I used to be delighted that the Mayo Clinic – current recipients of the ‘Greatest Hospital within the World’ title – has issued the next 5 ‘myths’ about kidney donation.
- Residing donors must be in excellent well being.
- Individuals over 50 can’t be a residing donor.
- You have to be associated to somebody to be a match.
- Kidney donors can’t dwell an lively life after donation.
- Donating a kidney shortens your lifespan.
These are good messages to get out to most people and you may refer sufferers right here if they’re in search of info on donation.
The Irish Kidney Affiliation celebrates World Kidney Day this Thursday they usually have some very helpful info on their web site right here.
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Latest political, eh, re-alignments have created fairly the stir lately, and Eire seems a bit of embarrassed with not a single fighter jet or naval ship to cover our nakedness. However again in our personal healthcare world, Ukrainian refugees who dwell in Eire are heading again to their very own private hell and war-zoned nation to avail of well being companies.
This phenomenon was reported in The Journal right here and is price understanding when treating Ukrainian sufferers.
It might be a bit miserable as a physician to advocate that as an alternative of receiving remedy right here, a affected person can be higher suggested to journey throughout a continent, to a battle zone, to obtain remedy, however that is the place we’re.
Eire has for years tied itself up in argumentative knots about whether or not we’re ‘impartial’ or ‘impartial, however on the West’s aspect’. We had been, plainly, a part of the Western hegemony that existed from 1945-2025 however the place are we now?
This present day week, Micheál Martin enters the Oval enviornment the place he can be anticipated to say: “Hail Trump, those that are about to be tariffed to loss of life salute you.” He might then be abused or praised by Trump – neither of which can be deserved. Martin can be compelled to faux that Trump is a good human being – not a rapist, a fraud, a traitor (virtually definitely at this stage), a felon, and probably the most corrupt President in American historical past. That can take talent. Huge talent and appearing potential.
America’s abandonment of Ukraine signifies that Europe should improve and improve every bit of assist we give them, and our relationship with Ukraine will go on for generations. Someplace, down the road, we would ask them – how do you run such an unbelievable well being system in wartime that’s higher than ours in a booming peace financial system?
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Another on the ‘nice’ man…
DJT was visiting an infants’ class in a college. He asks the category to present an instance of a tragedy.
A boy raises his hand and says: “My aunty died final week. That was a tragedy.” However Trump says “No, no, no, imagine me – and I do know extra about tragedy than anybody – that was a loss, not a tragedy.
Then a woman raises her hand and says: “My Daddy fell off a ladder yesterday and broke his arm. It was a tragedy.” However Trump shakes his head and says: “No. That will by no means have occurred on my watch. That was an accident. These items occur”
One other lady, sporting a MAGA hat says: “Mr President, Sir, if you happen to had been flying in an airplane and a missile shot it down, that may be a tragedy. Trump smiles and nods his head. “That’s the precise reply. Now, inform the faux information individuals right here why that’s.”
“Properly, Mr. President, Sir, it will definitely be no loss and I’m certain it will not be an accident!”
Picture of Colesseum in Rome: Tripadvisor