Coronavirus

Back in early March the virus had yet to take hold here in the U.K. but was wholly out of control in Spain, with their ICU’s swamped and mortality raging. Despite this a scheduled soccer game between a Madrid team and Liverpool was given the go ahead. So a few thousand Madrid residents got on planes, travelled through Liverpool airport (full of folks heading to other places to no doubt further infect folks there), used taxis, stayed in hotels, went into restaurants and bars.... then got all nice and squashed up at Anfield to sing and shout for a few hours. Sound wise? 
So shortly afterwards lo and behold, where do we see one of the first spikes in the nation? You guessed it. You do not need to be an epidemiologist to conclude that was a ridiculous decision which has likely cost many lives. Sure the virus was making its way everywhere, but it was early and at this time nowhere in the world was prepared. 


 

Baza, I stayed home but I know people that traveled by car. If there were small yellow symbold for cars traveling more than a few miles, the TV map would have seena flood of yellow.

Not to mention the health professionals whose Christmas will be cancelled dealing with the aftermath of those people’s “right” to do whatever they wish for Thanksgiving. 

isthisit, legitimate question here... Do you believe the science is clear?

I think the only indisputable thing here is that the virus is real and we have a pandemic that’s killing a lot of people. How to treat it, how to prevent it (or even how it originated)... 9 months later, I don’t feel like we’re any closer to answers.

So “listen to the science” isn’t definitive - there are large swaths of reputable scientists and studies that contradict, leaving people to question guidance and choose which version of science they subscribe to (which, of course, aligns with their own personal bias). Even the official outlets waffle on their positions, and they strongly seem to be politicized, to their great discredit among the populace.

Just look at the simple question of masks. CDC has changed its public position at least once, and a recent study with thousands of military recruits showed a 1.7% vs 2% infection rate among masked vs non-masked subjects. We’re mobilizing the populace, but is it even in the right direction? Is simple social distancing the real key?

Then there are studies with up to 1000 participants that show commonly-available, cheap, well-proven medications are very effective at reducing symptoms and virtually eliminating death when applied to early-stage symptoms, but the FDA and state agencies actively work against doctors using it off-label for such because other studies that applied it to late-stage symptoms (i.e., a different use-case) showed no benefit.

Similarly with vitamin D. There’s a strong correlation there in patients, thought it’s a bit vague because D deficiency is so prevalent in society. Telling everyone to just take one 5000 IU capsule a day would be so easy and cheap to try, with zero risk. It barely gets any exposure here.

There are plenty more points around US history and philosophy that also weigh into the behavior here, but the ambiguity is the real root of the problem; it’s fodder for the subject being politicized. I share your frustrations with the politics here, but I wish the science was more crisp.

Here's the thing.

If you get enough infected people with symptoms bad enough to get them hospitalised, then the ICU beds fill up.

And in those cases, what happens to those who require urgent medical care because they've been shot, injured in a car crash, had a heart attack, stroke, etc etc.

There, is your real risk.

A medical system overloaded by covid cases occupying all the beds.
Where does the heart attack victim go ? Where does the gunshot person go ? Where does anyone go for treatment of an emergency situation if the ICU beds are already occupied by covid victims.

You are looking at a crisis in the healthcare field.

It's not so much that the covid cases will kill XX% of the population.
It is the level of plain ordinary ongoing old emergency cases won't be able to be treated. And a heap of them will die because the system is too overloaded with covid cases to treat the 'ordinary' emergencies.

The average Joe is NOT going to die of covid.
It will bowl over plenty though (from the aged and the immune compromised sections of the population ... and there's vast numbers of them)

But the 25 year old in critical condition from a truck crash may not have a hospital bed to go to, as the beds are full of covid cases.

The average Joe will be affected by all this, if not directly, then indirectly.

Handy I didn't know the recommendation until now was 5k either. Thanks, DryCreek!

PS You still have to wear a mask. It can't hurt! Plus, I don't think anyone has ever said just don't wear ANY.

I get your point that clearer directions would be more helpful but we just don't know for sure right now so avoiding close contact and masking up only make sense, lacking better, more certain data.

I hate this too, but unfortunately, though it's tempting to just go about business as usual without DEFINITE proof of the efficacy of masking and social distancing, I don't think it's wise. I don't think you're suggesting it is either. ❤️🌷🌻

Finally, I've heard many people say they do think the whole pandemic is made up and death rates are exaggerated or flat-out lies. That's unfortunate and nearly unbelievable.