Outside Iona
March 30, 2023
Throughout our hectic student lives, we should always remain aware of what is happening around us. In this column, I find some of the most significant things around us and provide you with a small blurb and nitty-gritty details. Here are some of the major events that have been taking place:
Denver East High School shooting.
Two faculty members and a student were shot at Denver East High School on March 22.. The alleged shooter, 17-year-old Austin Lyle, escaped, and his body was found Wednesday night in Park County. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lyle transferred to East High School after violating board policy at Cherry Creek’s Overland High School. He was required to be on a safety plan and agreed to be patted down daily before entering school. The Denver East High School chapter of Students Demand Action staged a school walkout and called for immediate action on gun safety., The local school board voted unanimously to temporarily suspend its nearly two-year-old ban on armed guards and police officers in its school. East High was closed for the remainder of the week following the shooting.
Information from CNN, CBS News and New York Times.
Cyclone Freddy hits Southern Africa.
Tropical Cyclone Freddy has devasted Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique for the past two months. The death toll is more than 600 people, and 1.4 million were affected. 500,000 people were displaced by the floods. Freddy has destroyed houses, roads and farmland, and it has stretched the capacity of health facilities. Malawi and Mozambique were the most affected, experiencing a recent cholera outbreak. International action is urgent.
Information APNews, the Independent and NPR.
Fungus Outbreak 2023.
The fungus Candida auria has been spreading rapidly across the country. The number of drug-resistant cases has increased since 2021, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The fungus is resistant to several antifungal medications. The fungus is not perceived as a threat to healthy people, but the CDC is calling the fungus an urgent threat. Approximately 30% to 60% of infected people have died from the yeast, however this information is from a limited sample of patients, according to data from the CDC. Those with compromised immune systems have a higher risk for infection or death.
Cases of Candida auria have been increasing at an alarming rate since the middle of March. The fungus is spread from person to person, or from contact with contaminated surfaces. It can be found on the skin and throughout the body. Candida auria has been identified in more than half of the states.
Information from NPR, NBC News, and New York Times.
Sources:
Denver East High School shooting.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/us/denver-colorado-school-shooting-thursday/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/east-high-school-shooting-lockdown-denver/
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/us/denver-school-shooting.html
Fungus Outbreak 2023.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/21/1164912425/candida-auris-yeast-fungus-cdc-spread
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/20/health/candida-auris-us-fungus.html
Cyclone Freedy hits Southern Africa.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/14/1163380089/cyclone-freddy-malawi-mozambique-flooding-mudslides
