These ass clowns need to show us all just how convinced they are about this by visiting a hospital and hugging everyone they see. I’m sure they would except for the fact that they’re all as cowardly as Fearless Leader.
Stranger has demonstrated many times that he is quite the wise layman in this area (and many others); you have not. I studied epidemiology and infectious disease at a reputable medical school and have perforce practiced bits of those specialties at need over the past 4 decades, and thus have some insight about what is what. I have been listening to the experts in those areas like the good Dr. Fauci and many others, along with talking to friends of mine in the fields of ID and epidemiology whom I also trust and respect. I’ve been following the science. As a result I don’t give a tinker’s damn about the opinions of lay people when they are expressing opposition to credible medical scientists (there are a lot of quacks with MDs, PhDs and DOs after their names out there) and actual solid evidence. And too much of the lay public has no understanding of science; as evidenced by their citing of youtube videos and opinion articles/poorly conducted research/unsupported assertions in junk journals as credible sources.
There. I just had to get that off my chest. I’ve seen and heard far, far too much arrant nonsense about COVID on the net, and even worse, on the SDMB about this whole pandemic.
I’m isolating even more stringently at home this weekend; I should hear tomorrow whether that patient I saw this Friday past (while wearing my PPE) is COVID positive or not. If I get this, my chances of death are high; I’m over 60 and have the co-morbidities. If the worst happens, at least I’ll go out having done my duty, and I won’t have to listen anymore to the sophomoric assertions of those who think they know things .
You have all my respect for being on the front lines in this battle especially considering your risk factors. What do you feel is the best course of action we should be taking?
Stay at home, social distancing, handwashing, wear masks while out shopping (to prevent the masked person from spreading asymptomatic infections more than anything), trace positive COVID patients and test their contacts and ensure the patients and contacts are not spreading the disease by refusing to stay in quarantine. Keep doing that until the curve is far, far down.
That is what will break the back of the pandemic EVENTUALLY and save tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives, if not far more. Not plaquenyl, not zinc, not zithromax, not hydrogen peroxide enemas, not limited opening up of activities.
And I’m still waiting on your report of overrun hospitals all over the world, everywhere, with receptionists and such all overcome.
That will break the back of the country long before it breaks the back of the virus
:rolleyes:
Since a medical expert is not convincing to you, maybe economic experts can:
One thing is clear to me: All should be demanding to Trump and his henchmen to get testing available to all Americans, sooner rather than later. The current testing situation remains a scandal.
I guess time will tell and most likley these decisions will be based on the random testing that should be well under way in a few weeks. My money would be on a plan the resembles my suggestion and I think it would also save lives not cost lives. The resources would be targeted toward those who were of higher risk.
My money is in history and science, as pointed already: “Verner and his coauthors found that the 1918 pandemic reduced national manufacturing output in the US by 18%; but cities that implemented restrictions earlier and for longer had much better economic outcomes in the year after the outbreak”.
Your suggestion so far is underwhelming when confronted with history and medical science.
So then mr governor, how do the people you’ve sent back to work get there if the subways are shut down?
That would depend a lot on the antibody tests that are going to be conducted starting very soon. If the infection rate is much higher than we knew about I would open the subways back up also advising that only low risk groups use them.
Ahhh, the elusive “test”. First there were antigen tests where “anyone who wants one can get it”. Nobody I know ever saw one of those unless you just returned from Wuhan with bat soup stains on your shirt, a fever, and a dry cough. And now, an antibody test “starting very soon”. Hehe.
Watching CNN this morning it sounds like they are more in agreement with what I am suggesting. More random testing, social distancing, identify risk factors and go back to work.
Then what do you call hospitals putting bed in tents on the parking lot?
Renting trailers to store the dead bodies?
If that doesn’t qualify as “overrun”, nothing ever will.
CNN and Youtube videos are NOT scientific sites nor sources of credible information. Studying such things does not give one expertise about complex medical topics. CNN’s mission is to present info that fits your biases so that you’ll watch more of them.
Likely it was a morning show with experts. Those are the general guidelines for opening things back up.
I’m trying to figure out how this contradicts anything anybody in this thread has said, though. The “media” has not driven any of these responses.
And to the extent any testing is mentioned, any notion that testing is where it should be or that it will within 2-3 weeks is wishful thinking or projection. Other than the President and people who repeat him, the experts (nor the media quoting them) have said we’ll have anywhere near enough testing in the next couple weeks. They do say “soon”, which could be 2 months, not 2 weeks.
So, again, I’m not seeing how the “media” is driving our response. They’re doing their job - reporting - and local and state governments appear to be following the advice of medical professionals and/or the federal government.
Why aren’t the Dr’s such as yourself here and on other media sites asking the obvious questions needed to deal with this virus.
The first question we need answered that will hopefully be answered soon is how many people are actually getting this virus. based on that we can have much more accurate estimates of deaths and hospitalization rates.
Once that question is answered we can start dealing with the real obvious most important questions. If we have a death rate in non senior adults of less than 1% what seems to be the risk factors that are showing up in that 1%? Obesity? Diabetes? asthma? whatever?. Once we know these things we can lower death rates even more. For some reason strategies and plans of attack we are not hearing anything about because everything is so hate driven right now. This virus is loaded with identifiable markers that can be worked with, I am quite sure the experts are working on these things but why is the public purposely being kept in the dark? We both know the answer to that question.
Ooh what is the answer?
Yes – it’s clear that some media are reporting informed scientists and informed economists, including the data they draw upon, and other media are effectively just echoing whatever Trump says in the “briefings,” which really are just campaign rallies for the election in November. It’s not hard to tell the difference.
And then there is all the YouTube/Facebook/whatever BS. Anyone who employs a modicum of critical thinking skills can see through that, but a lot of people are just too lazy to do so.
Nonsense. The public isn’t being kept in the dark. Unless you mean “the public” is satisfied with getting their information from talking heads on cable news and lack the ability to search out good information sources. In which you are sort of correct.