Will Measles, Mumps and Rubeola vaccine protect me from COVID-19 while waiting for the real thing?

Published: Tue, 01/26/21

Hi {!firstname_fix}!

Hope you are well?
In this newsletter

COVID update for Peru
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR II) vaccine seems to give protection against severe COVID 19.
Birding tours abroad for beginners
Bookings are picking up. Trips are confirmed from May.
New Year's Resolution - update.

COVID situation in Peru

Things don't always go to plan. That is certainly something I have learned in the last year. I was to have three clients in January for North Peru, and now I have none. From January 4, all arrivals from abroad were imposed enforced quarantine for 14 days, and direct flights from Europe were stopped completely.

Covid numbers are rising in Peru again, ICU occupancy (which is less than 2000 beds for all of Peru) is getting close to 100% (99% as I write this).

The most complicated areas are Lima, Tacna, Ancash, Ica, Junin, Lambayeque and Piura. Nightly curfews and restrictions on using private cars on Sundays have been imposed - according to this table - until Jan 31.

The main problem is not the arrivals from abroad - they all had their PCR tests. Many people in Peru have let their guard down and become too social over Christmas and New Year, which has increased the spread of the virus.

Here is a vlog update I just did about the situation that you may want to check out.

Make just one BIG New Year's Resolutions for the year and 52 small ones for each week. COVID UPDATE.

There have been some modifications in the 14-day quarantine requirement. The first one is that you don't have to quarantine in Lima but could do so at your final destination; you can also break the quarantine after 6 days with a negative antigen test.
This means one could do the quarantine at a birding lodge. At a birding lodge, open-air birding should not be a problem.

Currently, we are checking which lodges would be interested in to quarantine clients. Let me know if this sounds interesting to you, and we'll set you up.

Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR II) vaccine seems to give protection against severe COVID 19.

Recently I received an interesting scientific publication from a friend. It looks like the MMR II vaccine gives some protection from developing severe COVID 19. Check it out.

https://mbio.asm.org/content/11/6/e02628-20

If you had Measles, Mumps, and Rubella as a kid, the protection would have worn off. It seems like it would be an excellent idea to get an MMR II boost in the interim.

Birding and Bird Photography Abroad for Beginners

7 Wonders Birding is such a great concept for all types of birders, especially for those with little time, or those who want to do other things at the destination than birds. The latter group often include new birders or bird photographers.

The problem with my marketing efforts is how to reach this group. They don't hang to the same extent on birding sites.

I have put together a blog post in which describes the essence behind many 7 Wonders Birding trips and why these are particularly good for beginners. Perhaps, you can check it out and send it to anyone you know who like to travel, and have just started with birding or feels too intimidated to go on a longer dedicated birding trip. Thanks!

Upcoming tours

Although I am a born optimist, one must be mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario. If Peru can't stop the second wave, there may be more restrictions in mobility than at present during February and March.

Having said that, a total lookdown in Peru is unlikely. Why? Because it was already tried in Peru for a long time during the first wave, and it didn't work then. People got so desperate when work was lacking that they took to the streets and moved around in a way that had the opposite effect. People who had moved to Lima from all over Peru in the last decades escaped and even started walking as there was no interprovincial travel. Instead of containing the virus, it spread more.

On the other hand, the 99% occupancy of the ICU:s will perhaps force a total lookdown. By the end of the week we shall know.

With testing being much more available now, it may be possible to require testing before interprovincial travel and contain the spread.

In the coming months, many of our senior clients abroad will get vaccinated, and therefore I think we shall see a surge of groups in Peru from April onwards. Indeed there are already several confirmed departures.

In the last newsletter, I mentioned trips in Peru for $999 for five days until the end of March. That offer stands.

Meanwhile, here is a list of all the confirmed tours we have at present that have people signed up. If you want to do something else, or you want other dates, let me know. Just reply to this email.

If you want to do a 7 Wonders Birding Tour, check the website. We are constantly updating.

May.

5-9 Short North Peru for Bird photographers

10- 12 Coastal birding, a pelagic, and Nazca lines. Over three days exploring the coastal wetlands, lomas, and pelagic, while getting a chance also to fly over the Nazca lines.
The pelagic tour will be from Punta Lomas south of Nazca instead of Paracas. The pelagic birds are described in this program.

We shall allow ample time for photography on this extension without missing any species for those who are listers.

22. Abra Malaga day trip, with focus on hummingbirds such as Scaled Metaltail, Andean Hillstar, and White-tufted Sunbeam

23-27. Manu road. We shall keep a particular focus on Hummingbirds on this departure.

29. Marcapomacocha road. Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, White-bellied Cinclodes, Black-breasted Hillstar, Olivaceous Thornbill, and Dark-winged Miner.

30. Santa Eulalia Canyon. Special focus on hummingbirds such as Peruvian Sheertail, Oasis Hummingbird, Bronze-tailed Comet, Giant Hummingbird, and Black Metaltail.
Also Andean Condor, Great Inca-Finch, Peruvian Pygmy-Owl, Black-necked Woodpecker, Rusty-bellied Brush-Finch and many more.

June.

5-14 Birding North Peru in 10 days Start in Chiclayo with Chaparri and ends in Tarapoto. Comfortable lodging.

15-18. Scarlet-banded Barbet and Cordillera Azul Antbird extension. Additional birds include Foothill Screech-Owl, Chestnut-crowned Gnateater, Blue-rumped Manakin, Yungas Manakin, Jet Manakin, Gray-tailed Piha, and many more.

19-23 North Peru in 5 days with Marvelous Spatuletail and Long-whiskered Owlet.

24-30 NW Peru exploratory expedition. We look for Jocotoco Antpitta and special birds of the Chinguela Ridge between Tabaconas Namballe reserve and Huancabamba and continue via Piura to Tumbes. The cost is $200/day. This trip is not announced on our website, only through this newsletter.

July.

1-5. Tumbes. Looking for all the regional endemic birds of Tumbes. On the last day, you may join for a pelagic.

25-Aug 11. Complete Central Peru. We have added a day to this amazing program. Check Jules Eden's trip report here.

August

12-17 (20). Iquitos 5 days with Canopy Walkway and White-sand forests. It is possible to add 3 days at Muyuna Lodge.

21-30 Birding North Peru in 10 days Start in Chiclayo with Chaparri and ends in Tarapoto. Comfortable lodging.

September

1-18. Central Peru with Nick Bray and Zoothera Birding.

October.

21-25 Short North Peru. People on Birdquest's Central Peru tour are doing this extension with us.

November

24-9 Dec. Chile with Easter Island. Only for Scandinavians. Guiding by Gunnar in Swedish. With Stig Holmstedt as coordinator/organizer. (Kontakta mig om du är intresserad)

28-3 Dec Short North Peru. Two people confirmed.

You can find additional planned departures on the Kolibri Expeditions calendar and on the 7 Wonders Birding Website.
Do check out these pages frequently, as I am always updating.

New Year's Resolution - update

In my last newsletter, I told you about my Big Goal this year (run a sub 3h Marathon) and the 52 weekly challenges I will do. I have edited the post somewhat, so that you can check it out here.

Since, I have written two follow-up posts on my personal blog and I am preparing the third.

Learning about Facebook Marketing
Fasting and Keto diet. Tim Ferriss's protocol for a 3-fast.
Get up at 5 AM and get a proper morning routine.

I am preparing a blog about the past week, with a strategy that has become extremely effective the last week to get more things done. The MAGIC of getting up at 5 AM to prepare for a productive day.

I was not totally successful in this challenge, but I got up at 5 AM five mornings out of seven, so it is a good start.

I hope to have the blog post ready by Thursday. However, I have some itineraries I need to work on first (Chile for Scandinavians, a private Manu road in November, and a possible Bolivia tour requested) and I need to work on a presentation for Space Coast Virtual Birding Festival.

So to not keep you waiting too much, I just wanted to include two of the habits that I intend to carry on with for the rest of the year, as much as I possibly can.

Miracle Morning. If you want a total change in your life to make your life-changing projects to become a reality, you should check this out. Are you interested in creating a group to keep ourselves accountable?
I am thinking perhaps a small Whatsapp group or a Facebook group.
Seven. I am already running every day, but I need more strength training. I have included Seven in my Miracle Morning. It would be fun to become friends on the Seven app to hold again ourselves accountable. Interested?

Thanks for your time. I hope this year will be a turning point for something better for all of us, and even if this year has not started that great, I feel there is so much good coming for the second half of the year that we should not let the present situation stand in the way of our vision and our determination. Have faith! This too shall pass!

Saludos

Gunnar

Gunnar Engblom.

Manager-Guide
Kolibri Expeditions

P.S. I am also updating our account on Blue Sky Wildlife since PromPeru is preparing for a marketing campaign with this platform. If you have travelled with us in the past, I would be very pleased if you could just take one minute for a FAST ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on this page. I promise, it will not take more time. Thanks a million!