Every time you turn on the news, you are inundated with COVID-19 statistics, news on the latest protests, and injustices many in our society are facing. Clearly these are important issues and we should all do our part to try and change how people are treated as we move forward.
But, one cannot have a positive attitude amongst negativity if all one hears or sees are stressful and negative stories. So here are some good news stories we want to share with you to help you find that “rainbow after the rain”…
1. Kathy Sullivan-First Human to Walk in Space and to Travel to Deepest Part of the Ocean
On June 7, 2020, Dr. Kathy Sullivan, at age 68, became the first human to have both walked in space (she was the first woman to do so on October 11, 1984), and to travel to the deepest part of the ocean: the Mariana Trench. While aboard the Limiting Factor with her colleague Victor Vescavo, Dr. Sullivan spent 1 ½ hours at a dept of 35,810 feet (11,000 meters) photograghing a part of the ocean no human had ever visited. This trip was a privately funded endeavor aboard a privately built submersible. Dr. Sullivan is a role model for all of us.
2. Now That’s a Good Dog
Researchers at the French National Veterinary School in Alfort, France (which is just outside of Paris), have been performing a study to determine if dogs can be trained to identify COVID-19 positive individuals through the smell of their sweat. Dogs have already been trained to assist diabetic patients using smell to identify when their insulin levels are off.
In this study, 8 Belgium Malinois Shepherds were trained to identify the smell of COVID-19 in the sweat of infected individuals. These incredible pups were able to correctly identify infected patients by their smell 95% of the time. Four pups correctly identified positive COVID-19 individuals 100% of the time.
At a time when testing can take a week or more to obtain results, thus allowing the infected individual to spread the disease, or when crowded gatherings are taking place as economies open and protests are prevalent, having trained dogs who can identify individuals in those crowds who may be COVID-19 positive and thus, able to spread the disease to those around them is an incredible advancement in disease prevention. Now that’s a Good Dog!
3. Being Kind Can Help You Live Longer
A new study by Harvard University published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine has found that regular volunteering can have a significant positive effect on people over 50. According to study co-author, Dr Eric Kim of Harvard’s School of Public Health, “Our results show that volunteerism among older adults doesn’t just strengthen communities, but enriches our own lives by strengthening our bonds to others, helping us feel a sense of purpose and wellbeing, and protecting us from feelings of loneliness, depression and hopelessness.”
The study of 13,000 individuals over the age of 50 found that those who volunteer for 100 hours a year (the equivalent of 2 hours a week) reduced their risk of death, although chronic conditions were not affected. It should be common knowledge that by helping others, we help ourselves. Now there is a Harvard Study to prove it!
