While the media is focused on the predetermined hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court seat formerly held by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the big story of the day is the resurgence of coronavirus.
For me the story of the day, year, decade, century was Senator's Senator Whitehouse's half hour speech -- here's a link to it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjcXVKg43qY It feels like a speech that is going to be among the top speeches about democracy -- and shall I say it's demise -- ever given. The dark money that has taken over politics and our government is truly frightening but it all fits together and explains what has happened/is happening to democracy. It goes so far beyond Citizens United and pulls so many of the puppet strings and sticks together. Four things: 1. Dark Money 2. Get rid of those annoying juries 3. Support less regulations and 4. Voter suppression. It is always about following the money and Senator Whitehouse just did. He just went on my hero list. Wow! Every one needs to watch this speech! Vote as if it is the last time you'll be allowed to vote!
I was in my car listening - his speech (Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island) and then his questioning was the best I have heard in a VERY LONG TIME. I was in my driveway and had to get inside but didn’t want to miss what he was saying. Too bad he isn’t running for higher office. Thanks for the link so I can forward to a friend.
But what about Cruz following him? I wanted to scream! He tore down much of what Whitehouse had said, or appeared to... it left me hanging? But did remind me of what a complete and total despicable person Cruz is... he makes my skin crawl...
Just woke up and saw a beautiful crescent moon and Venus rising from my front porch. Then over to the south was another bright light - a helicopter coming over. There's been quite a few helicopters in the air the last couple of days here in Central Texas. Only saw that many before when there was a lot of stuff going on with moving the military around like when DT was moving military to the border. It didn't feel so peaceful and beautiful but more of an ominous sign. We need to pray for our country. And act by voting.
Kathy, I'm in the NW Austin area, and have been seeing many military transport helicopters in the past few weeks going overhead. The rise in helicopter traffic is extreme and quite worrisome to me.
Thank you for confirming my observation. The helicopter this morning was a large transport one based on its sound. The company I worked for had the largest helicopter fleet outside the military and I'd take the helicopter to my boss's staff meeting every week since I was in Massachusetts and the meeting was in New Hampshire and lots of other occasions. That was a lot of fun but this doesn't feel right... I've asked a military friend if they know anything.
I would be very interested in hearing what your friend has to say about the increase in air traffic, Cathy. (Apologies for the earlier misspelling of your name) I've mentioned it to a few people and have been told that "it's nothing", but seeing 4 transport helicopters within an hour is not 'nothing'.
Cathy, thank you. He did the work of a good investigative reporter or prosecutor to put that together. Never have such "dry" ingredients been so gripping!!
Bottom line: This, Judge Barrett, is a puppet show and you are the main marionette of the moment but, at the dark root, something is terribly wrong with the Court!!
Sen Whitehouse has served as a United States Attorney from 1993 to 1998 and the 71st Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1999 to 2003, so Yeah he's been a prosecutor, big time!
He was awesome. But when Ted Cruz followed with his challenges, or should I say attacks, on Senator Whitehouse’s speech. I wanted everything to stop and for Whitehouse to reply.
The distinctive idea behind this is that the dark money is offered and generated in order to kill Roe v. Wade, Obergfell, and the ACA, all foundational Democrat issues. That's terrifying. But this use of dark money is not unique to the Republican party. Gathering money from corporate and monied interests, subverting the voice of ordinary Americans, is a nonpartisan activity. Our government is awash in dark money, lobbyist money, foreign money, and corporate money. We are right to reject this as a nail in the heart of our democracy, but we must understand that this is now the reality throughout our political parties on the local, state and national scenes.
Not to be a bummer, but thus has it always been. $ = Power, aka, "he who has the gold writes the rules." The trick, as I see it, has always been to get the word out to the people. You'd have perhaps thought the internet would have dropped that barrier. LOL. Look how well that worked. The larger problem is that the systemic change which I feel is necessary - sustainable agriculture + industry, an end to reliance on fossil fuel and unchecked production of petrochemicals/plastics - seems impossible without committed buy in to change lifestyles by a whole lot of people who like what they have now. Looks like a big hill to climb.
RI Senator Whitehouse is the bright, shining star with the courage to speak out eloquently among so many tarnished knee-jerk partisan politicos in high office. A true statesman. He’s the real thing!🌀
I think the real story today are the impossibly long lines of people waiting to vote. That's "people power", with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett dodging and weaving has she prevaricators her way to an unearned seat on the Supreme Court as a sideshow. She may take her place on the High Bench, but there is no guarantee that she'll be allowed to stay there. Barrett has gotten where she is because she has friends in high places. That may change.
As for the spike of coronavirus infections, it is sad to watch what is happening; but what gets my attention is where it is happening. Donald Trump has tricked himself out as the ringmaster of a viral superspreader traveling circus. In behaving this way, Trump has become Joe Biden's best advertisement for getting rid of Trump. We are not seeing Trump performing before increasingly large crowds of his enthusiastic followers; it seems to be a couple of thousand here, or there, about the same as you might find at a second or third tier college football game, or that of a highly ranked high school football team in some rural area where there is not much else going on elsewhere on a warm Friday evening. During the fall football season, there is a lot of that sort of thing that ordinarily goes on here in Northern California, but not this year. It is truly sad that people expose themselves, and their families, and anyone else they might run into to this contagion. What strikes me is the utter nihilism of people's attitude, and how willingly they will parrot a bogus philosophy of 'freedom' to act irresponsibly for no reason other than spite. Social media and a false celebrity have amplified their sense of grievance and entitlement, the reward for which is increasingly illness and death. What I find really sad is the lack of pushback from people within that environment who ought to know better, but who can bring themselves to ring the irresponsible ones to account.
The phenomenon that really impresses me most are the huge numbers of people who were lining up, masked up, provisioned, and who are prepared to stand in line for up to 12 hours just in order to vote. Again, this is "people power"at its best. My vote is already cast, 23 days ahead of the deadline; but this is California, and we try to be proactive about things. That initial show of voter strength is taking on force and speed like an incoming hurricane. The tide is running with the Biden campaign, and people are going to want to be a part of it. Action begets action. The seriousness of the moment amplifies the gravitational force against Trump that has been building over the past four years. This will be a force that no amount of cheating or chicanery will likely defeat. I think Team Biden is going to win this one, big time. Just you watch!
We Boomers have always voted our interests. Starting with that major bummer Vietnam to hoarding our money for ourselves and our kids in retirement. But there is no self-interest for us in voting for the Herd Immunity candidate.
Certainly not at our age! But one thing is certain, theire are too many humans on this planet for Nature to support. Something has to give somewhere, sometime, somehow!
I've been wondering for years how and when the planet will kick back in response to overpopulation and abuse of the ecosystem. This is feeling like that kick back -- or the beginning of it.
I will say this (again)...the numbers looked really great for Clinton in 2016 and look what happened. I love seeing people out voting, and anyone who stands in line for even an hour should be applauded, even more those who are willing to stand in line for many hours (this is ridiculous and we can do better!). But remember, some of those folks are voting for Trump too, not just Biden. VOTE your passion...hopefully that passion is to get Trump (and the Republicans) out of office.
Thank you, Professor. I heard on NPR this morning that Taiwan, a country with 23 million people, has had a little over 500 cases and only seven deaths. They have kept numbers low by following a national plan of wearing masks, testing and contact tracing. Amazing. We are in a very sad state of affairs here.
Thailand, with almost 70 million people (the same as Great Britain) has 3,600 cases and 59 deaths (unchanged for the past month). People wear masks and have temperature checks in restaurants, shops, etc. No visitors have been allowed since April, which has devastated the tourism industry but kept the numbers down. Like Taiwan, the government acted early and decisively and people acted responsibly. (In Britain, there are 635,000 cases recorded and 43,000 deaths.) The USA is a basket case; no consistent controls and many people ignoring them anyhow. Perhaps "Live free or die" should be changed to "Live free and die."
I’m shocked as an elementary teacher, I’m not informed as to who has a positive case. The teachers have to figure it out. It’s announced to the public and we start asking everyone which class?! Then we don’t have access to rapid tests. If you had the child, you practically had to have licked their hands to be considered a potential risk. I’m an art teacher. I literally see every person in the school. I tell people when I pick up food or go to the grocery store, please wash your hands, I’m a teacher. They laugh, I say I’m serious!
I am an elementary school counselor and due to covid guidelines, staff is stretched. I am helping with breakfast lunch and recess, so have multiple interactions with all students on campus, kitchen staff, custodial staff and teachers. I love seeing the kids! And learning from home is so difficult for so many. But this is constant worry. 😔
You might want to add to that equation, the almost certain fact that Americans have more metabolic and otherwise health issues due to diet and lack of self care than any other nation in the world. The slop Americans consume lowers immunity hugely. It makes a difference. It also contributes to the lack of reasoning skills. Everything is connected.
There was good news on the electoral front, with records of first-day voting in Georgia yesterday and Texas today breaking all records, despite day-long lines and the best efforts of The Enemy to make voting as difficult as possible. 97% of eligible voters in Harris and Travis Counties (Houston and Austin, respectively) are registered to vote. In Georgia yesterday, the majority of those in line who were interviewed had failed to vote in 2016 and 2018. In both states, the voters in line said they were there for three things: anti-Trump, pro-social justice, and concerned about the coronavirus and the government's failure to deal with it properly. As Jason Johnson said on MSNBC, "I'll be very happy to be proven wrong" (regarding turnout). And this was just Days 1 of the next three weeks of voting.
The more I hear about "herd immunity" the more I think it is a sophisticated reframing of the eugenics movement that underlaid both Jim Crow in this country and the Holocaust in Germany. If we look at which cohorts in our population that are most affected by the virus; Blacks, Latinos, Indigenous Peoples and the elderly; it is clear that they correspond to what used to be referred to as inferior or weak members of society. This fits quite nicely with the Trumpian notion that only those with the "best genes" will survive and prosper and that only "losers" die. Not only is it bad science, it's also lousy politics.
Working in the medical field as an ultrasound technologist, thankfully not in a hospital, I confront people everyday who still complain about the masks or espouse the idea that it is a hoax and it will all go away the day after the election. Wittingly or not they are thus subscribers to the "herd immunity" mentality....idiots all.. as they endanger their families and anyone else with whom they come in contact. That this public health crisis was made into a political football early on speaks only to the need of the GOP to hold onto power at all costs. In doing so they have more than likely killed their party, many of our citizens needlessly and possibly our way of life as a democratic republic unless we step up and take them out of power.
People have such misconceptions even about herd immunity. I had a client come in yesterday saying she believes that we should be doing that and we’ll all become immune. I said what about the droves of people that will initially die? She said no, That’s the point, no one will die. I told her she needs to go back to her research to really understand it. This is why we need strong and clear leader ship. People want the guidance but it’s not there and so they get snippets of truths and untruths and they fly with them. I hear it all!
They won’t need their party if their plan comes together. If they get complete control, they won’t need their party to keep them in power. They’ve served their purpose to them.
You wrote: <snip> Officials are arguing that the nation should protect our most vulnerable neighbors—the elderly and the infirm—and the rest of us should go about our lives normally, without waiting for a vaccine. <unsnip> I am speaking on behalf of the elderly and infirm, my parents (ages 87, 82) and mother-in-law (age 86) and then me (age 59) respectively. My mother-in-law is in a nursing home in North Georgia. She has not been allowed ANY visitors since March. The facility keeps getting positive cases in the staff and they spread it to the residents. And then they add more days of wait and see. This has happened over and over since August. My parents divorced 10 years ago. My 87 year old dad has bought into the - go about his ‘normal life’ in southern Indiana. My 82 year old mother - has largely been self-isolating. I've also been largely self-isolating - due to my own unresolved health issues and the fact that my husband works for a hospital system and an IT infrastructure person. He supports 50K users including e-mail. He can't get sick. He's been working from home since mid-March. So whilst the rest of the world has bought into - just go about your normal lives and SAVE that economy - I sit and wait. Given the lack of vision and strategy, I honestly don't see me ever getting to go to Georgia to visit my mother in law until 2022 or 2023. I wish I were in the position to go downtown Louisville and join the daily protest now ongoing for 135+ days. But I'm not. I tried to take my daughter to a medical appointment and people completely disregard the mask and social distancing rules. I literally jumped into the bushes to avoid a clueless, mask-less person heading towards me. With the lip service people pay to following the rules, I had for the first time possible insight of what it must be like to be invisible and ignored. Civil rights laws are on the books, but the majority of people don't even bother with the pretense that it is the rule of law. The words of Dr. Fauci - while correct, sound hopelessly naive to achieve. Most people are too self-absorbed to bother.
I’m glad people who are able to stay home are doing that. I’ve been working the entire time aside from 1 exposure quarantine period (tested negative twice). The way “essential workers” are being treated needs to be addressed. To be able to quarantine I had to be pretty pushy with my boss. I had to use all of my built up sick pay for it. When that was gone, they let me go negative. So it’ll be like 8 months or something before I’ve built up enough hrs to take another sick day. I’m constantly exposed to people. I’m getting in their cars. Raises were canceled this year due to the financial burden my company has experienced from the virus. What about my financial burden? Not trying to be so whiney, but millions of people are experiencing this. It’s also frustrating working with people who disregard the virus and are spending every other weekend at FL theme parks because tickets are so cheap right now. It just thrills me coming in Monday and hearing about the thousands of people my coworkers interacted with. I sound very whiney, but millions of people are experiencing these things. People need to consider how their actions are affecting the people around them. Companies need to realize the sacrifices their employees are making and compensate them accordingly. People need to be able to take sick days and not worry about being evicted. The way we treat each other is disgraceful.
Melissa and Mel, your complaints are real and not whiney. For all of us that are sacrificing, it seems there are 10 that are not. That effects us. I have a new grandson that is 2 months old today. I have not been able to be with him, hold him, help my daughter with him and don’t know when I will be able to. It breaks my heart everyday. That said, my husband and I will vote in person on November 3rd. There’s no early voting in my state and we decided this election is too important to risk mailing our ballots. We are both seniors and have other health issues, but we both will risk our lives to vote this treasonous crew out. Mask up and VOTE.
This pandemic is a paradox. I hear your pain. I am proud of you for feeling safe enough to share it. While I lost my part time job as a greeter at the convention center, I was fortunate to initially qualify for special unemployment benefits. And I was even more fortunate that the Social Security administration cleared their backlog of cases after only one year and I was declared disabled in April. I am fortunate that my husband became an essential worker and has a job. Supporting the remote access and email, he has asked to work from home until the end of the pandemic (When is that exactly?). I am fortunate that JCPS, our public school system has began the school year offering non-traditional instruction NTI. Our teenage daughter, a senior in high school. Online school is helpful in minimizing outside contact, but takes a toll. I am fortunate that my mileage on my leased car is below the annual mileage amount too. I am also fortunate in that I can order groceries for contactless delivery. I tip at least 25% as those shoppers are risking their lives. I am fortunate that my 82 year old mother agreed to let me order her groceries and I drive her part over to her. I am fortunate that you can order nearly anything on the internet. I am mindful that there is a human cost of the essential workers picking, packing and delivering those orders. Last year, my nephew in Denver worked 2 jobs. He could not afford an apartment after his girlfriend kicked him out. His second job was at Amazon. He liked Amazon because it has showers and let him sleep in his car in the parking lot. I am aware that the US economy is unfair and broken. And as a resident of Louisville KY, home of the late Breonna Taylor #SayHerName, I follow the daily struggle of protests and grand jury materials. There is psychic pain in this community. And I am sorry to hear that you are struggling too.
Too optimistic unless every thing goes right. Mind you I am an accountant by training - so take this with a grain of salt. 1) it has to be possible to create a vaccine. They have yet to for HIV. 2) if the vaccine is possible, how effective might it be? 3) provided it is reasonably effective, a significant percentage of the population needs to take the vaccine. 4) how long will the vaccine be effective? It could be like a flu shot that you need regular updates. Further, there is no long term data to evaluate the impact of a vaccine for other health consequences.
Back in the olden days there was human sacrifice. It was often gruesome and performed with a great deal of pomp and circumstance; those sacrificed were frequently revered, (at least for a few hours). Now, in the United States, we have government sanctioned human sacrifice. The victims aren't thrown into a volcano, pushed off a cliff, burned on a pyre or gutted after crawling up a pyramid's steps on their hands and knees. No indeedy, the victims of Trump Age Human Sacrifice are special because they have no idea they're a contestant! They enter into a lottery every time they walk out of their front door and here's the best part, it's equal opportunity! Young, old, rich, poor, Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, and yes, even white people get to play. Never have JFK's words taken on such a horrifying context. Then again, never did we imagine we'd be betrayed by a president of the United States.
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy, Friday, January 20, 1961.
I'm not sure to what extent Aztec or Inca human sacrifice rituals play a part in the "founding myths" of modern day Mexicans or Peruvians, but the question that is raised in my mind is "What happens when the founding myth goes sour?"
In America, the Europeans had, first, a founding myth of "Freedom of Worship", but this quickly gave way to the financial gain of the few major planters/land speculators and the exploitation of the masses as tobacco and cotton drove most people into varying forms of servitude. Then..... and partly as a way to dispose of the "excess and inconvenient, poor and wretched, landless labourers and their families....came the "Opening to the West" and which rapidly became "Manifest Destiny" and the greater profit of the railroads and eastern manufacturers!
What has, if anything, replaced it? It would seem to me that nothing has yet replaced it and the different phases of the Nation's "mythical" evolution are being put to the test. It is normal as one approaches adulthood to leave behind certain childhood fantasies and the "reality" of previous founding myths has been rightly and lucidly been put to the test....and proved wanting.
We are now experiencing a battle between those still profiting from the old "spurious" myths, profiting massively from the exploitation of others and those searching for a new credo or founding myth, based on current day reality that better defines who the people have become. To be reborn, a new more appropriate definition of our identlty is being sought.
The Native American populations have watched this process unfold, suffered massively from its consequences but have, luckily for us and surprisingly given their treatment, maintained much of their culture, founding myths and relationships to each other and the world. They predicted that we would be buried under our own rubbish and were right. We can perhaps now start to integrate with them as the immigrants to their existing society that we essentially were. Thus we can admit that America is not a "young country", but a country with a long and valuable history dating back thousands of years of which the influx of peoples from Europe and Africa was but a reletively modern episode. Only then can we perhaps hope to merge with the Native, Afro- and Hispanic American waves that have both preceded us and been here as long as we have.
That "freedom of worship" in the English colonies in what become the US started out as "freedom to be the ones to make everyone else worship as we do". It evolved into real freedom of worship as majorities became minorities.
I got woke 39+ years ago while on the island of my soon-to-be West Indian husband as he demonstrated to me how one didn't need a store-bought potato peeler. The entire island enjoyed skinless mashed potatoes without the use of this creature comfort. What does this have to do with the price of potatoes, you may ask. I dunno. It just popped into my head as I read your comment.
And you can replace "peeler" with a lot of different things...say "religion" and it highlights the issue with those that think they know best for everyone.
Potatoes are after all indigenous to South America and have been eaten there and in surrounding regions for much longer than the Europeans have been there. Prior to our arrival, copper, bronze silver and gold didn't quite cut it with the potato...so they had to do without for their peeled, mashed vegetables. We, despite what our. Ego tells us, didn't invent everything! Happily, intelligent peoples have trodden the earth before us.
I was going to use this famous, oft repeated, Kennedy quote for Dr. Richardson's question last night, I think it was last night, as to when the word "democracy" began to fade from our use and understanding. This quote came to mind as a statement that implied "don't ask us to do anything, you're on your own." I started writing but I dumped the idea because it seemed too cynical. So, I am startled to see you use it to suggest its double meaning. The quote serves as a poke in the eye, especially with regard to the current administration's cavalier, almost winsome, call for Americans to die for their country.
I live in San Francisco. Every citizen here, almost to a person, even joggers and children, in poor districts as well as affluent ones, wears a mask. Seriously. What is going on with the rest of the country?
All very well...but when the average seems to be declining it's not because more than half are below the average, it's because we are failing to educate most of the people most of the time.....dumbing down!
If you educate the people they tend to demand political power...definitely to be discouraged! All these non-billionaires thinking that they have rights. Whatever next!
In a sense, those elderly Republican senators seeming to embrace herd immunity are communicating that they're willing to "take one for the team." As in die. Of course, they don't realize they're ensuring themselves an infamous place in American history. Who could have imagined that some members of one of the two major parties would embrace a policy that could lead to hundreds of thousands, even millions of avoidable deaths — a policy based on politics rather than science. It's difficult to comprehend the cruelty.
At least those of us in our later years can look on the bright side: we aren't being rounded up and sent away for extermination to reduce the strain on hospitals and the medical profession.
I do not consider dumpster fire a republican. (Again, I’m a democrat.) Sure he ran as a republican and he holds the office as a republican. He has no political philosophy or ideology or frankly any ideas. He tapped into something and took it to the finish line. Is he clever? Maybe - did he surround himself with people that are clever - certainly.
And he rode what he tapped to the White House. Shame on the republicans for latching on to him and riding his coat tails to victory and power. It was clear they would do ANYTHING to get into power and as we have witnessed in the last 4 years, they will continue to bow to all his insecurities, failures, etc as long as it means a GOP party in the WH.
For a year, I was disgusted by trumps base - the anger, the vitriol, the lack of acceptance of facts and data, the hatred of the other, the glorification of the idiot they elected, etc. Fast forward four years, I now include a large group of “republicans”- elected or otherwise.
Truly it is power over party. Or more accurately, power over people - no double entendre here — simply HAVING POWER OVER PEOPLE is all they care about. My hope is that the GOP is damaged goods for a generation of voters.
That trump allegedly survived in 3 days encouraged others to embrace herd immunity and the belief it won’t be that bad. It’s exactly the message trump wanted to convey. I for one am shocked he faired so well so I now question what was really going on there. But it’s definitely a persuasive pitch on his part IF IN FACT HE REALLY HAD IT. 🤷♀️
He really had it. As a nurse I saw the signs. And he had it long before he admitted it or was diagnosed. Once I learned he had been given Regeneron, though, I felt foreboding, because from what I had read about Regeneron (especially when given with Rendesivir, Dexamethasone and blood thinners) is that it works extremely well against COVID-19. And tRump could then claim that VIRUS is no big deal, when in actuality it is the drug that 99% of us canNOT get that is what healed him. Murderer.
I trust what you are saying, MaryPat. His doctor, not so much. I couldn't figure out how 45 could spin his contracting the virus to his advantage except how you have explained it.
So I know that most of HCR's letter was about the coronavirus and tomorrow's letter will most likely include the SC hearings, but after seeing Cathy's post and the very informative video of Senator Whitehouse, I must also add something. Take away Roe, take away gay marriage, take away the ACA fight and think about this. When asked 3 very simple and obvious questions, (1) can the president move the date of the election, (2) is voter intimidation legal and (3) does the constitution provide for a peaceful transition of power, she refused to answer. These are enshrined in the law and the constitution. To imply that she would have to hear "arguments" is beyond anything I have ever heard from a judge.
I'm going to play a bit of a devil's advocate here. Not about Trump. But about the disease and vaccine. I am a veterinarian with over four decades of practice, much of that holistic. And I have a special interest in vaccination because, while it may save lives (although this is less clear than it seems), it does cause problems, sometimes serious. And there is a _lot_ of money to be made. So "follow the money" also applies here.
The issues with this virus are mostly because it is new, at least a new variant. We'll leave off the origins of the virus. But in the end, the only real solution is in fact the population adapting to the virus. Herd immunity does in fact apply also to this situation, and not only to vaccination. The person who said otherwise is wrong. For infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, a respiratory herpesvirus which affects cattle, in the 70s (I think it was then), the US decided upon a vaccination program, but Australia decided to let herd immunity develop on its own. In the end the disease came under control in both countries at the same rate. There is evidence for this with human diseases as well, in that much of the gains against diseases like measles came prior to vaccination.
In Sweden, they opted to recommend masks and social distancing but they did not close down, and it appears that, while they had much higher levels of deaths than neighboring countries, now the disease has settled there and they do not have the second wave. How it plays out in the end is unclear. Most of their deaths were in senior homes, and their health minister admitted they did a poor job in keeping the virus out of senior homes.
From an evolutionary perspective, viruses like this strengthen the species by killing off weaker members. This is easier to accept in deer or antelope than in humans, and I don't say this is what we should do. But, while I think the isolation measures are and have been appropriate, at some point we do need to get back to being open, as in the end this is what will save the day. And most viruses get weaker over time. This is how Pasteur initially developed a rabies vaccine, by repeatedly passing the virus through animals until it weakened to a non-morbid condition. I think we are seeing this already, in that death rates as a percentage of case numbers is decreasing. I live in Austria, and while we are in a second wave also, with over 1000 cases a day, we still have only something like 800 deaths in total. We are open nearly normally, but masks are required.
The problem in the US has been multifactorial, lack of overall plans, angry resistance with large gatherings, and so on. But while the US has the highest death total, we still do not have the highest death per capita as of the last time I looked. We were number four, I think. And much of this is also due to poor food quality, which again comes back to the problems with our capitalist government.
But our best strategy, in the long run, is better medicine, which would include better information to encourage better health. Vaccination and other "anti" treatments do not encourage better health. The less intervention we do, the better our health, actually. We need to address food quality and availability of good food to all. And we need a better food pyramid, with much lower emphasis on meat and grains and more emphasis on vegetables. And so on. . .
I really do agree with the sentiment that we in the US should take better care of ourselves. However, in order to really put that into practice in a way that would be meaningful from a disease-prevention standpoint, there are a host of infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. For a relatively large portion of the population, healthy food is not financially or logistically accessible. And regular exercise is difficult when you work multiple jobs to make ends meet. It takes some privilege to even approach this debate. Add to that the fact that reliable information is difficult to come by.
So in the case of this disease, we've missed that boat. A vaccine is likely the only hope we have and it will only work if the majority of the population takes it.
And one additional note, there is an argument to be made that we owe a good portion of our status as a first-world country to some of those standard vaccinations. While they may not be 100% wonderful, they've enhanced our lives much, much more than they've damaged them.
Hey, Krista. I am not addressing herd immunity here. I tend to shy away from the use of chemicals in general but as my holistic veterinarian says: sometimes you have to use the "big guns." I appreciate your perspective about our infrastructure. In my mind, having a healthier country is a generation or two away. When social justice becomes the norm, hopefully people will have the wherewithal to afford healthy food, have access to reliable information, and pursue a healthier lifestyle because they won't need to work multiple jobs to survive. Just my take, and wish for the future!
It's absolutely true that access to healthy food is a problem in the US. Especially as the food quality standards are so low, compared to the UK and Europe. But also because people are rather uneducated and make poor choices.
If a vaccine works, then it doesn't matter what percentage of the population gets the vaccine. If you take the vaccine and it works, you are protected. No problems if your neighbors don't take the vaccine. The problem is vaccines often don't work fully.
The reason we are a first world country is as much our capitalist system as anything else. Plus our conqueror status so that we control resources. Many countries have high levels of vaccination but are not first world.
We have one of the highest levels of vaccination but we are not near the top of "developed" countries when it comes to health care. Health care which is for-profit, as with our for-profit insurance system, does not help most people. Sadly.
So, as I read it, herd immunity strategy means more death up front before reaching eventual parity with a vaccination strategy. Then add in the as yet unknown long term adverse health effects for those who survive the infection, and it sounds like a bad deal to me.
Big Pharma didn't get big for no reason. While an industry that profits from disease has no incentive to encourage you to eat well and exercise, that's not actually their job. We do like their pills and potions though. They provide real benefits, and that includes from vaccines. There are downsides
too. Failures, mistakes, and inevitable differences in individual biology that cause negative reactions in some people. But it is science and not magic, it requires trial and error.
I had to reply because I take serious issue with anti-vax ideology. It seems a real public health problem to me. I've seen some of their protests and even direct action in our State Capitol, and spoken with a friend who is a believer. It strikes me as wrong-headed and dangerous. There are plenty of problems with our medical system in this country, but they arise from politics, not science. Despite the clamor of the anti-vax crusade, I don't hear much call for a return to leaches and blood-letting.
It is easy to dismiss comments as "anti-vax ideology" but the reality is that there are two sides to this discussion. There are serious complications from vaccinations. These are thankfully not common but they are there and have been well studied. The comment about a return to leeches and blood letting is unhelpful and attempts to discount any further discussion.
Much of the problems from the medical system are political, but this is within the medical community as well. It's too much to argue the point here, but well researched studies show connections to autoimmune diseases, many, gulf war syndrome, and much more. There appears to be, according to some researchers, the need for a genetic predisposition. But then the damage is real. Even the connection to autism, and this was confirmed by the vaccine court.
Every drug has problems and side effects. These must be addressed and not ignored by pressure against those who call this into question.
Yes, I too believe in mass germ-related deaths to improve the overall health of society. It’s great for the real estate & funeral industry too. Win-Win!
It’s too bad this doesn’t work on sociopaths and malignant narcissists. I guess we’ll have to figure out a humane way to get rid of them from all walks of society.
If al have to become Responsible Adults like the Swedish,and some other societies, to come through this and other such plagues then i think, be it in France or the US, that you are going to have a lot of difficulty. People don't much seem to cotton to the idea of taking responsibility for their own lives. Many are perfectly happy in their infantile approach and in blaming any "difficulties" on the other....or the government. Easy to say perhaps...but very difficult to watch it play out everyday
A thousand times THANK YOU for your comment, Don Hamilton! The pandemic has been not just physically challenging for me but also emotionally and intellectually challenging. I find myself on the other side of the argument from people I used to align with when it comes to health and medicine. For some reason, rabid Trump supporters seem to be anti-vaxxer, alternative medicine people. I've never supported Trump. However, I utilize homeopathic and other alternative therapies. Not because I like being mocked or vilified but because Western medicine has completely failed me, damaging my kidneys, bladder and heart in the process. I turned to alternative therapies because I had no choice. I never met a prescription drug I didn't become allergic to. I’ve lived in a post-antibiotic/antiviral medication world for more than a decade. I believe eventually everyone else will too.
As recently as this year, doctors and others were chastised for recommending vitamin D and zinc. Both of these are now included in the Mark+ protocol used in hospitals for COVID-19 treatment. Everyone can say, "but the science!" as loudly as they want thinking it negates anything not found in a pill or syringe but there is lots of science out there for other approaches.
Eight percent of the human genome is virus. We have no clue what that really means to our present and future as a species. We are dabbling with dangers we can't even recognize. The human body is incredible at fighting off ill effects when not hobbled by bad nutrition and systemic imbalances. It is far more effective than man-made interventions. But most people aren't operating optimally, and for the moment interventions are necessary. Our best investment of time and money isn't creating new drugs, it's figuring out how to return the human body to "factory specs" so it can win most health battles on its own.
Don: Reports about the coronavirus say that it can negatively affect other organs in the body, distinguishing it from the flu. What are your thoughts about this as it relates to better health practices. Just FYI, I am not much of a fan of chemical treatments, more a fan of a strong immune system.
This is true. We know this from cororaviruses in other species, like in cats. The major problems actually come from overactive antibody reactions and are a sort of autoimmune disease. Thus, despite recommendations for flu vaccines now in the face of coronavirus, in fact this has been shown to worsen the problems, as this heightens the reaction. The excessive response of the type 2 lymphocytes producing too many antibodies flips easily over into this autoimmune reaction with some coronaviruses. In cats, Feline Infectious Peritonitis is this phenomenon, wherein the coronavirus, which normally is a mild intestinal disease, becomes life-threatening due to this antibody reaction and the antigen-antibody complexes. I suspect something similar happens in humans. Alum, an aluminum compound which is used in all inactivated virus vaccines, pushes the body way too much towards the type 2 response, rather than the body having a balanced type 1 and type 2 response. And this causes autoimmune diseases of many sorts.
Thank you for being brave enough to post this comment. As a lay person who takes a whole body, mind approach to health, it’s my belief our over vaccinated population may have much to do with our high numbers. When the body is vaccinated against everything, the immune system gets the message it’s not needed anymore and the fight is weakened. I think it’s very possible that part of our problem here is That our bodies are forgetting how to defend against viruses and super bugs. This is not a case against vaccinations but a case against so damn many. I’m 70 years old and I have never gotten a flu shot or any of the others. I rarely “come down” with anything but when I do I take a homeopathic remedy called aconite and by the next morning symptoms have disappeared. And I believe you are correct about following the money. Pharmaceutical companies are quite wealthy with all these shots. Our children are being used as guinea pigs. We are seeing the results now.
And yet, herd immunity also could be interpreted as wearing masks and proper hygiene. Where can we place overcrowding and poverty as drivers in this pandemic, and how does the death rate alleviate that? As stated above, herd immunity is conceivable in wild animal populations, but doesn’t apply so neatly to cousin Jim or Grandma.
It's something we don't want and cannot stomach, but if we look from a Darwinian perspective, social Darwinism in this case, it is survival of the fittest. Unfortunately, the problem is as you said, poverty and such and so those people who are sacrificed to the capitalist credo are the ones who succumb to these diseases because of stresses and poor food and such. It's a failure of our for-profit healthcare system and especially the insurance scam. Only single payer systems, like medicare for all, have a chance to solve this.
I agree with you regarding the fact that we are not encouraged enough to take care of ourselves. It is probably because there is no money to be made in that. One of the problems with Capitalism.
The only real solution is NOT "adapting to the virus." It is eradicating the virus through a comprehensive public health program that includes vaccine. We have eradicated small pox, and are well on the way to eradicating polio. I completely agree that healthy food (Dr. Walter Willett, lead on the National Harvard Nurse's Study, already turned the food pyramid upside down), clean water and environment, as well as exercise all play an important role, but vaccines are key.
Oral polio vaccine (which uses an attenuated live polio virus, and in very rare cases, can cause polio in unvaccinated, immune-challenged people) has not been given in the USA since 2000. Rare cases in USA since then probably due to exposure from someone who received OPV in another country.
Thank you, MaryPat Sercu Randall, for not hitting reply and just calling me a whack job.
I think a global pandemic should drive home the idea that any discussion about disease should consider humans and not just Americans. I don't consider myself an anti-vaxxer but I have concerns about them. Among those concerns are three fundamental vaccination assumptions. Number one is that immunizations are the ONLY way to obtain immunity. Number two is that immunity will ALWAYS be bestowed by immunizations. Number three is that vaccinations have no effect on an individual's gene expression. I believe these assumptions to be untrue.
Rachel Maddow threw out some numbers a couple of weeks ago. At minimum herd immunity for our population of 313 million, 60 percent of the population would have to have to be infected--some 215 million of us. At a 1 percent death rate, we would be looking at 2.15 million deaths. At the current rate of 2.9 percent, over 6 million deaths. This is at minimal herd immunity numbers, not the optimal 80 percent. And we don't even know whether or how long this virus produces protective antibodies.
That is quite a gamble, Dr Atlas. One reason why Trump's numbers are tanking, I imagine!
Here's something I wrote on Sept 17 about herd immunity. I would point out that I am actual applied epidemiologist, having spent 35 years working mostly in state health departments.
About herd immunity: before we had vaccines for them, we had herd immunity for diseases like measles, rubella, hepatitis A and chickenpox. Population immunity was high, so we did not have massive epidemics. Instead, we had continuing low-level circulation all the time, and periodic epidemics when there were localized accumulations of susceptible persons. Most such diseases had national epidemics every few years, reflecting a cohort of susceptible children born since the last epidemic. On average, we had about as many infections with these viruses each year as we had births — which meant millions of cases (now we have 3.7 million live births per year) and thousands of deaths.
That is what we can expect if we reach herd immunity from COVID-19 absent a vaccine. It would probably be better than current pandemic levels, but disease transmission would not just stop, and there would be many deaths on the way to herd immunity.
We've had 7 million reported cases so far. That's probably 20 million infections in half a year. If we continue at this pace, we will have 40 million infections by March, 2021. To get to herd immunity we have to get to, say, 70% of the population immune -- that would be about 232,000,000 people. So at current disease rates, about 4 to 5 more years. At a cost of about 1.5 to 2 million deaths, disproportionately among low-income and minority persons and among the elderly. That's assuming that people don't lose immunity a year or two or three after their acute illness, which is not a given.
Thank you. I posted two articles with widely varying views. Your prediction seems most consistent with the science. The toll would be staggering. Let us hope the Biden administration immediately puts the kibosh on herd immunity and starts enforcing the most effective measures to control COVID-19.
As always, continued thanks for all of your work. As the days grow closer to November, the news from the White House becomes more surreal. The COVID-19 numbers are rising exponentially around us, particularly in the Schools. The Confirmation hearing is nothing more than an exercise in futility. As you say, it is predetermined. It is. I feel it was determined when Trump was inaugurated. Nothing can be said to derail Barrett. She could shoot someone on Fifth Ave and not lose voters. Sound familiar?
With everything on the table to lose, I have never felt as hopeless as I do now. If Biden can overcome every obstacle that will be thrown at him and even take office, it will take more than 2 terms to correct the path of destruction left by Trump. I am encouraged by the number people going to the polls, but will it be enough?
You are correct that it will take more than two terms to correct this situation. Look at how long it took for Republicans to create this situation and you will have an idea of how long it might take us to recover. I hope everyone who votes for change realizes like you do what we are really up against and doesn’t give up!
For me the story of the day, year, decade, century was Senator's Senator Whitehouse's half hour speech -- here's a link to it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjcXVKg43qY It feels like a speech that is going to be among the top speeches about democracy -- and shall I say it's demise -- ever given. The dark money that has taken over politics and our government is truly frightening but it all fits together and explains what has happened/is happening to democracy. It goes so far beyond Citizens United and pulls so many of the puppet strings and sticks together. Four things: 1. Dark Money 2. Get rid of those annoying juries 3. Support less regulations and 4. Voter suppression. It is always about following the money and Senator Whitehouse just did. He just went on my hero list. Wow! Every one needs to watch this speech! Vote as if it is the last time you'll be allowed to vote!
I was in my car listening - his speech (Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island) and then his questioning was the best I have heard in a VERY LONG TIME. I was in my driveway and had to get inside but didn’t want to miss what he was saying. Too bad he isn’t running for higher office. Thanks for the link so I can forward to a friend.
But what about Cruz following him? I wanted to scream! He tore down much of what Whitehouse had said, or appeared to... it left me hanging? But did remind me of what a complete and total despicable person Cruz is... he makes my skin crawl...
Here's a piece he wrote about the "Third" Federalist Society and it needs much more promotion and public awareness : https://medium.com/senator-sheldon-whitehouse/the-third-federalist-society-f8a3ff2e19fd
Laurie, you had a wonderful driveway moment!
It was jaw-dropping. I was driving when I heard it. Upon arriving home, I saw no mention of it on any news outlet. Thanks for the link.
Here's a piece he wrote about the "Third" Federalist Society and it needs much more promotion and public awareness : https://medium.com/senator-sheldon-whitehouse/the-third-federalist-society-f8a3ff2e19fd
Just woke up and saw a beautiful crescent moon and Venus rising from my front porch. Then over to the south was another bright light - a helicopter coming over. There's been quite a few helicopters in the air the last couple of days here in Central Texas. Only saw that many before when there was a lot of stuff going on with moving the military around like when DT was moving military to the border. It didn't feel so peaceful and beautiful but more of an ominous sign. We need to pray for our country. And act by voting.
Haven't noticed Venus lately, but Mars is there every evening in the eastern sky.
Just double checked and it is Venus this morning.
Venus and Regulus just above and less bright, beautiful!
Kathy, I'm in the NW Austin area, and have been seeing many military transport helicopters in the past few weeks going overhead. The rise in helicopter traffic is extreme and quite worrisome to me.
Thank you for confirming my observation. The helicopter this morning was a large transport one based on its sound. The company I worked for had the largest helicopter fleet outside the military and I'd take the helicopter to my boss's staff meeting every week since I was in Massachusetts and the meeting was in New Hampshire and lots of other occasions. That was a lot of fun but this doesn't feel right... I've asked a military friend if they know anything.
I would be very interested in hearing what your friend has to say about the increase in air traffic, Cathy. (Apologies for the earlier misspelling of your name) I've mentioned it to a few people and have been told that "it's nothing", but seeing 4 transport helicopters within an hour is not 'nothing'.
I'll let you know when I hear something.... besides a helicopter... several more this morning.
If you find anything out, kindly let us know!
I will let you know if I hear anything.
Wow!!! Thank you for sharing this link. Very eye opening.
I just watched it. This should become required viewing in a civics class! This was so well done. Thank you.
It was a captivating presentation.
I agree, Cathy. I watched wide-eyed as he took us through the money trail. Thanks for the link. I think I'll watch it again!
Cathy, thank you. He did the work of a good investigative reporter or prosecutor to put that together. Never have such "dry" ingredients been so gripping!!
Bottom line: This, Judge Barrett, is a puppet show and you are the main marionette of the moment but, at the dark root, something is terribly wrong with the Court!!
A well placed spotlight reveals the plot.
Sen Whitehouse has served as a United States Attorney from 1993 to 1998 and the 71st Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1999 to 2003, so Yeah he's been a prosecutor, big time!
He was awesome. But when Ted Cruz followed with his challenges, or should I say attacks, on Senator Whitehouse’s speech. I wanted everything to stop and for Whitehouse to reply.
The distinctive idea behind this is that the dark money is offered and generated in order to kill Roe v. Wade, Obergfell, and the ACA, all foundational Democrat issues. That's terrifying. But this use of dark money is not unique to the Republican party. Gathering money from corporate and monied interests, subverting the voice of ordinary Americans, is a nonpartisan activity. Our government is awash in dark money, lobbyist money, foreign money, and corporate money. We are right to reject this as a nail in the heart of our democracy, but we must understand that this is now the reality throughout our political parties on the local, state and national scenes.
What's behind Roe and Gay rights and ACA dark money is the real goal which is oligarchs ending democracy
Here's a piece Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has written about the "Third" Federalist Society and it needs much more promotion and public awareness : https://medium.com/senator-sheldon-whitehouse/the-third-federalist-society-f8a3ff2e19fd
Thank you. I think. Terrifying.
Not to be a bummer, but thus has it always been. $ = Power, aka, "he who has the gold writes the rules." The trick, as I see it, has always been to get the word out to the people. You'd have perhaps thought the internet would have dropped that barrier. LOL. Look how well that worked. The larger problem is that the systemic change which I feel is necessary - sustainable agriculture + industry, an end to reliance on fossil fuel and unchecked production of petrochemicals/plastics - seems impossible without committed buy in to change lifestyles by a whole lot of people who like what they have now. Looks like a big hill to climb.
Unbelievable! Thank you for sharing this!!! He is a HERO!!!
I saw clips and was seriously impressed.
WOWOW. The Senator is so aptly named. I pray Ms. Coney-Barrett has a conscience with that brain.
I'm seeing this quite a bit. Thanks for reminding us.
RI Senator Whitehouse is the bright, shining star with the courage to speak out eloquently among so many tarnished knee-jerk partisan politicos in high office. A true statesman. He’s the real thing!🌀
Here's a piece he wrote about the "Third" Federalist Society and it needs much more promotion and public awareness : https://medium.com/senator-sheldon-whitehouse/the-third-federalist-society-f8a3ff2e19fd
Thank goodness for the speed control on YouTube. I was able to condense his 30 minute speech into 20 easily understood minutes.
I think the real story today are the impossibly long lines of people waiting to vote. That's "people power", with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett dodging and weaving has she prevaricators her way to an unearned seat on the Supreme Court as a sideshow. She may take her place on the High Bench, but there is no guarantee that she'll be allowed to stay there. Barrett has gotten where she is because she has friends in high places. That may change.
As for the spike of coronavirus infections, it is sad to watch what is happening; but what gets my attention is where it is happening. Donald Trump has tricked himself out as the ringmaster of a viral superspreader traveling circus. In behaving this way, Trump has become Joe Biden's best advertisement for getting rid of Trump. We are not seeing Trump performing before increasingly large crowds of his enthusiastic followers; it seems to be a couple of thousand here, or there, about the same as you might find at a second or third tier college football game, or that of a highly ranked high school football team in some rural area where there is not much else going on elsewhere on a warm Friday evening. During the fall football season, there is a lot of that sort of thing that ordinarily goes on here in Northern California, but not this year. It is truly sad that people expose themselves, and their families, and anyone else they might run into to this contagion. What strikes me is the utter nihilism of people's attitude, and how willingly they will parrot a bogus philosophy of 'freedom' to act irresponsibly for no reason other than spite. Social media and a false celebrity have amplified their sense of grievance and entitlement, the reward for which is increasingly illness and death. What I find really sad is the lack of pushback from people within that environment who ought to know better, but who can bring themselves to ring the irresponsible ones to account.
The phenomenon that really impresses me most are the huge numbers of people who were lining up, masked up, provisioned, and who are prepared to stand in line for up to 12 hours just in order to vote. Again, this is "people power"at its best. My vote is already cast, 23 days ahead of the deadline; but this is California, and we try to be proactive about things. That initial show of voter strength is taking on force and speed like an incoming hurricane. The tide is running with the Biden campaign, and people are going to want to be a part of it. Action begets action. The seriousness of the moment amplifies the gravitational force against Trump that has been building over the past four years. This will be a force that no amount of cheating or chicanery will likely defeat. I think Team Biden is going to win this one, big time. Just you watch!
For you history buffs, us Baby Boomers used to call it Power to the People. Same thing.
Yes but this is the world that the Baby Boomers have built......many were at Woodstock etc too. Disappointing to say the least.
We Boomers have always voted our interests. Starting with that major bummer Vietnam to hoarding our money for ourselves and our kids in retirement. But there is no self-interest for us in voting for the Herd Immunity candidate.
Certainly not at our age! But one thing is certain, theire are too many humans on this planet for Nature to support. Something has to give somewhere, sometime, somehow!
I've been wondering for years how and when the planet will kick back in response to overpopulation and abuse of the ecosystem. This is feeling like that kick back -- or the beginning of it.
I will say this (again)...the numbers looked really great for Clinton in 2016 and look what happened. I love seeing people out voting, and anyone who stands in line for even an hour should be applauded, even more those who are willing to stand in line for many hours (this is ridiculous and we can do better!). But remember, some of those folks are voting for Trump too, not just Biden. VOTE your passion...hopefully that passion is to get Trump (and the Republicans) out of office.
Think positively! Vote, help people vote and THINK BLUE WAVE!!! Believe it can happen. Positive energy helps.
Thank you, Professor. I heard on NPR this morning that Taiwan, a country with 23 million people, has had a little over 500 cases and only seven deaths. They have kept numbers low by following a national plan of wearing masks, testing and contact tracing. Amazing. We are in a very sad state of affairs here.
Thailand, with almost 70 million people (the same as Great Britain) has 3,600 cases and 59 deaths (unchanged for the past month). People wear masks and have temperature checks in restaurants, shops, etc. No visitors have been allowed since April, which has devastated the tourism industry but kept the numbers down. Like Taiwan, the government acted early and decisively and people acted responsibly. (In Britain, there are 635,000 cases recorded and 43,000 deaths.) The USA is a basket case; no consistent controls and many people ignoring them anyhow. Perhaps "Live free or die" should be changed to "Live free and die."
I’m shocked as an elementary teacher, I’m not informed as to who has a positive case. The teachers have to figure it out. It’s announced to the public and we start asking everyone which class?! Then we don’t have access to rapid tests. If you had the child, you practically had to have licked their hands to be considered a potential risk. I’m an art teacher. I literally see every person in the school. I tell people when I pick up food or go to the grocery store, please wash your hands, I’m a teacher. They laugh, I say I’m serious!
I am an elementary school counselor and due to covid guidelines, staff is stretched. I am helping with breakfast lunch and recess, so have multiple interactions with all students on campus, kitchen staff, custodial staff and teachers. I love seeing the kids! And learning from home is so difficult for so many. But this is constant worry. 😔
You might want to add to that equation, the almost certain fact that Americans have more metabolic and otherwise health issues due to diet and lack of self care than any other nation in the world. The slop Americans consume lowers immunity hugely. It makes a difference. It also contributes to the lack of reasoning skills. Everything is connected.
Yes, indeed, Elaine! I replied to a comment by Don Hamilton (above) that addressed this issue.
Herd immunity reimagined!
There was good news on the electoral front, with records of first-day voting in Georgia yesterday and Texas today breaking all records, despite day-long lines and the best efforts of The Enemy to make voting as difficult as possible. 97% of eligible voters in Harris and Travis Counties (Houston and Austin, respectively) are registered to vote. In Georgia yesterday, the majority of those in line who were interviewed had failed to vote in 2016 and 2018. In both states, the voters in line said they were there for three things: anti-Trump, pro-social justice, and concerned about the coronavirus and the government's failure to deal with it properly. As Jason Johnson said on MSNBC, "I'll be very happy to be proven wrong" (regarding turnout). And this was just Days 1 of the next three weeks of voting.
I saw this on Rachel Maddow's show. Gave me chills. This is real democracy in action.
As HCR keeps saying, we the people are in charge - we just need to vote.
The more I hear about "herd immunity" the more I think it is a sophisticated reframing of the eugenics movement that underlaid both Jim Crow in this country and the Holocaust in Germany. If we look at which cohorts in our population that are most affected by the virus; Blacks, Latinos, Indigenous Peoples and the elderly; it is clear that they correspond to what used to be referred to as inferior or weak members of society. This fits quite nicely with the Trumpian notion that only those with the "best genes" will survive and prosper and that only "losers" die. Not only is it bad science, it's also lousy politics.
Bingo!
So much for “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Working in the medical field as an ultrasound technologist, thankfully not in a hospital, I confront people everyday who still complain about the masks or espouse the idea that it is a hoax and it will all go away the day after the election. Wittingly or not they are thus subscribers to the "herd immunity" mentality....idiots all.. as they endanger their families and anyone else with whom they come in contact. That this public health crisis was made into a political football early on speaks only to the need of the GOP to hold onto power at all costs. In doing so they have more than likely killed their party, many of our citizens needlessly and possibly our way of life as a democratic republic unless we step up and take them out of power.
People have such misconceptions even about herd immunity. I had a client come in yesterday saying she believes that we should be doing that and we’ll all become immune. I said what about the droves of people that will initially die? She said no, That’s the point, no one will die. I told her she needs to go back to her research to really understand it. This is why we need strong and clear leader ship. People want the guidance but it’s not there and so they get snippets of truths and untruths and they fly with them. I hear it all!
They won’t need their party if their plan comes together. If they get complete control, they won’t need their party to keep them in power. They’ve served their purpose to them.
You wrote: <snip> Officials are arguing that the nation should protect our most vulnerable neighbors—the elderly and the infirm—and the rest of us should go about our lives normally, without waiting for a vaccine. <unsnip> I am speaking on behalf of the elderly and infirm, my parents (ages 87, 82) and mother-in-law (age 86) and then me (age 59) respectively. My mother-in-law is in a nursing home in North Georgia. She has not been allowed ANY visitors since March. The facility keeps getting positive cases in the staff and they spread it to the residents. And then they add more days of wait and see. This has happened over and over since August. My parents divorced 10 years ago. My 87 year old dad has bought into the - go about his ‘normal life’ in southern Indiana. My 82 year old mother - has largely been self-isolating. I've also been largely self-isolating - due to my own unresolved health issues and the fact that my husband works for a hospital system and an IT infrastructure person. He supports 50K users including e-mail. He can't get sick. He's been working from home since mid-March. So whilst the rest of the world has bought into - just go about your normal lives and SAVE that economy - I sit and wait. Given the lack of vision and strategy, I honestly don't see me ever getting to go to Georgia to visit my mother in law until 2022 or 2023. I wish I were in the position to go downtown Louisville and join the daily protest now ongoing for 135+ days. But I'm not. I tried to take my daughter to a medical appointment and people completely disregard the mask and social distancing rules. I literally jumped into the bushes to avoid a clueless, mask-less person heading towards me. With the lip service people pay to following the rules, I had for the first time possible insight of what it must be like to be invisible and ignored. Civil rights laws are on the books, but the majority of people don't even bother with the pretense that it is the rule of law. The words of Dr. Fauci - while correct, sound hopelessly naive to achieve. Most people are too self-absorbed to bother.
I’m glad people who are able to stay home are doing that. I’ve been working the entire time aside from 1 exposure quarantine period (tested negative twice). The way “essential workers” are being treated needs to be addressed. To be able to quarantine I had to be pretty pushy with my boss. I had to use all of my built up sick pay for it. When that was gone, they let me go negative. So it’ll be like 8 months or something before I’ve built up enough hrs to take another sick day. I’m constantly exposed to people. I’m getting in their cars. Raises were canceled this year due to the financial burden my company has experienced from the virus. What about my financial burden? Not trying to be so whiney, but millions of people are experiencing this. It’s also frustrating working with people who disregard the virus and are spending every other weekend at FL theme parks because tickets are so cheap right now. It just thrills me coming in Monday and hearing about the thousands of people my coworkers interacted with. I sound very whiney, but millions of people are experiencing these things. People need to consider how their actions are affecting the people around them. Companies need to realize the sacrifices their employees are making and compensate them accordingly. People need to be able to take sick days and not worry about being evicted. The way we treat each other is disgraceful.
Melissa and Mel, your complaints are real and not whiney. For all of us that are sacrificing, it seems there are 10 that are not. That effects us. I have a new grandson that is 2 months old today. I have not been able to be with him, hold him, help my daughter with him and don’t know when I will be able to. It breaks my heart everyday. That said, my husband and I will vote in person on November 3rd. There’s no early voting in my state and we decided this election is too important to risk mailing our ballots. We are both seniors and have other health issues, but we both will risk our lives to vote this treasonous crew out. Mask up and VOTE.
I mailed my ballot early last week.
I dropped my absentee ballot off @ the Town Clerk's office on 10/7/20 and tracked it afterward.
You're not whining Mel. You're speaking truth.
This pandemic is a paradox. I hear your pain. I am proud of you for feeling safe enough to share it. While I lost my part time job as a greeter at the convention center, I was fortunate to initially qualify for special unemployment benefits. And I was even more fortunate that the Social Security administration cleared their backlog of cases after only one year and I was declared disabled in April. I am fortunate that my husband became an essential worker and has a job. Supporting the remote access and email, he has asked to work from home until the end of the pandemic (When is that exactly?). I am fortunate that JCPS, our public school system has began the school year offering non-traditional instruction NTI. Our teenage daughter, a senior in high school. Online school is helpful in minimizing outside contact, but takes a toll. I am fortunate that my mileage on my leased car is below the annual mileage amount too. I am also fortunate in that I can order groceries for contactless delivery. I tip at least 25% as those shoppers are risking their lives. I am fortunate that my 82 year old mother agreed to let me order her groceries and I drive her part over to her. I am fortunate that you can order nearly anything on the internet. I am mindful that there is a human cost of the essential workers picking, packing and delivering those orders. Last year, my nephew in Denver worked 2 jobs. He could not afford an apartment after his girlfriend kicked him out. His second job was at Amazon. He liked Amazon because it has showers and let him sleep in his car in the parking lot. I am aware that the US economy is unfair and broken. And as a resident of Louisville KY, home of the late Breonna Taylor #SayHerName, I follow the daily struggle of protests and grand jury materials. There is psychic pain in this community. And I am sorry to hear that you are struggling too.
I sure hope with Dr Fauci’s news on a vaccine in the near future that you will be with your dear parents again sometime in 2021!!
Do you think this is too optimistic?
Too optimistic unless every thing goes right. Mind you I am an accountant by training - so take this with a grain of salt. 1) it has to be possible to create a vaccine. They have yet to for HIV. 2) if the vaccine is possible, how effective might it be? 3) provided it is reasonably effective, a significant percentage of the population needs to take the vaccine. 4) how long will the vaccine be effective? It could be like a flu shot that you need regular updates. Further, there is no long term data to evaluate the impact of a vaccine for other health consequences.
Back in the olden days there was human sacrifice. It was often gruesome and performed with a great deal of pomp and circumstance; those sacrificed were frequently revered, (at least for a few hours). Now, in the United States, we have government sanctioned human sacrifice. The victims aren't thrown into a volcano, pushed off a cliff, burned on a pyre or gutted after crawling up a pyramid's steps on their hands and knees. No indeedy, the victims of Trump Age Human Sacrifice are special because they have no idea they're a contestant! They enter into a lottery every time they walk out of their front door and here's the best part, it's equal opportunity! Young, old, rich, poor, Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, and yes, even white people get to play. Never have JFK's words taken on such a horrifying context. Then again, never did we imagine we'd be betrayed by a president of the United States.
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy, Friday, January 20, 1961.
I'm not sure to what extent Aztec or Inca human sacrifice rituals play a part in the "founding myths" of modern day Mexicans or Peruvians, but the question that is raised in my mind is "What happens when the founding myth goes sour?"
In America, the Europeans had, first, a founding myth of "Freedom of Worship", but this quickly gave way to the financial gain of the few major planters/land speculators and the exploitation of the masses as tobacco and cotton drove most people into varying forms of servitude. Then..... and partly as a way to dispose of the "excess and inconvenient, poor and wretched, landless labourers and their families....came the "Opening to the West" and which rapidly became "Manifest Destiny" and the greater profit of the railroads and eastern manufacturers!
What has, if anything, replaced it? It would seem to me that nothing has yet replaced it and the different phases of the Nation's "mythical" evolution are being put to the test. It is normal as one approaches adulthood to leave behind certain childhood fantasies and the "reality" of previous founding myths has been rightly and lucidly been put to the test....and proved wanting.
We are now experiencing a battle between those still profiting from the old "spurious" myths, profiting massively from the exploitation of others and those searching for a new credo or founding myth, based on current day reality that better defines who the people have become. To be reborn, a new more appropriate definition of our identlty is being sought.
The Native American populations have watched this process unfold, suffered massively from its consequences but have, luckily for us and surprisingly given their treatment, maintained much of their culture, founding myths and relationships to each other and the world. They predicted that we would be buried under our own rubbish and were right. We can perhaps now start to integrate with them as the immigrants to their existing society that we essentially were. Thus we can admit that America is not a "young country", but a country with a long and valuable history dating back thousands of years of which the influx of peoples from Europe and Africa was but a reletively modern episode. Only then can we perhaps hope to merge with the Native, Afro- and Hispanic American waves that have both preceded us and been here as long as we have.
That "freedom of worship" in the English colonies in what become the US started out as "freedom to be the ones to make everyone else worship as we do". It evolved into real freedom of worship as majorities became minorities.
I got woke 39+ years ago while on the island of my soon-to-be West Indian husband as he demonstrated to me how one didn't need a store-bought potato peeler. The entire island enjoyed skinless mashed potatoes without the use of this creature comfort. What does this have to do with the price of potatoes, you may ask. I dunno. It just popped into my head as I read your comment.
And you can replace "peeler" with a lot of different things...say "religion" and it highlights the issue with those that think they know best for everyone.
Thank you, Paula!
Potatoes are after all indigenous to South America and have been eaten there and in surrounding regions for much longer than the Europeans have been there. Prior to our arrival, copper, bronze silver and gold didn't quite cut it with the potato...so they had to do without for their peeled, mashed vegetables. We, despite what our. Ego tells us, didn't invent everything! Happily, intelligent peoples have trodden the earth before us.
Oh dear...meant to say the didn't have to do without their mashed vege but invented some other way!
Powerful analysis. Thank You.
'government-sanctioned human sacrifice' ---- precisely -----
I was going to use this famous, oft repeated, Kennedy quote for Dr. Richardson's question last night, I think it was last night, as to when the word "democracy" began to fade from our use and understanding. This quote came to mind as a statement that implied "don't ask us to do anything, you're on your own." I started writing but I dumped the idea because it seemed too cynical. So, I am startled to see you use it to suggest its double meaning. The quote serves as a poke in the eye, especially with regard to the current administration's cavalier, almost winsome, call for Americans to die for their country.
OMG, Daria; I thought about this famous quote from JFK, too!
Lynell, that quote has been nagging me for months!
All of you are making my morning bright even with the good bad and ugly news we share and dissect. Thank you ❤️
I live in San Francisco. Every citizen here, almost to a person, even joggers and children, in poor districts as well as affluent ones, wears a mask. Seriously. What is going on with the rest of the country?
"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the average American."
-- H.L. Mencken, 1924
"Remember that half of the people are below average intelligence" (my Dad)
All very well...but when the average seems to be declining it's not because more than half are below the average, it's because we are failing to educate most of the people most of the time.....dumbing down!
Exactly. And has that been part of the Republicans' Great Plan all along?
If you educate the people they tend to demand political power...definitely to be discouraged! All these non-billionaires thinking that they have rights. Whatever next!
My dad would say that too!❤️
What is going on is the vileness of Trump and his cult-like fans.
In a sense, those elderly Republican senators seeming to embrace herd immunity are communicating that they're willing to "take one for the team." As in die. Of course, they don't realize they're ensuring themselves an infamous place in American history. Who could have imagined that some members of one of the two major parties would embrace a policy that could lead to hundreds of thousands, even millions of avoidable deaths — a policy based on politics rather than science. It's difficult to comprehend the cruelty.
At least those of us in our later years can look on the bright side: we aren't being rounded up and sent away for extermination to reduce the strain on hospitals and the medical profession.
I do not consider dumpster fire a republican. (Again, I’m a democrat.) Sure he ran as a republican and he holds the office as a republican. He has no political philosophy or ideology or frankly any ideas. He tapped into something and took it to the finish line. Is he clever? Maybe - did he surround himself with people that are clever - certainly.
And he rode what he tapped to the White House. Shame on the republicans for latching on to him and riding his coat tails to victory and power. It was clear they would do ANYTHING to get into power and as we have witnessed in the last 4 years, they will continue to bow to all his insecurities, failures, etc as long as it means a GOP party in the WH.
For a year, I was disgusted by trumps base - the anger, the vitriol, the lack of acceptance of facts and data, the hatred of the other, the glorification of the idiot they elected, etc. Fast forward four years, I now include a large group of “republicans”- elected or otherwise.
Truly it is power over party. Or more accurately, power over people - no double entendre here — simply HAVING POWER OVER PEOPLE is all they care about. My hope is that the GOP is damaged goods for a generation of voters.
Yet.
I was just about to reply "yet" and saw your "yet!" Nice to be aligned with someone whose critical thinking skills I admire.
Me too.
:-( Yet is right.
That trump allegedly survived in 3 days encouraged others to embrace herd immunity and the belief it won’t be that bad. It’s exactly the message trump wanted to convey. I for one am shocked he faired so well so I now question what was really going on there. But it’s definitely a persuasive pitch on his part IF IN FACT HE REALLY HAD IT. 🤷♀️
He really had it. As a nurse I saw the signs. And he had it long before he admitted it or was diagnosed. Once I learned he had been given Regeneron, though, I felt foreboding, because from what I had read about Regeneron (especially when given with Rendesivir, Dexamethasone and blood thinners) is that it works extremely well against COVID-19. And tRump could then claim that VIRUS is no big deal, when in actuality it is the drug that 99% of us canNOT get that is what healed him. Murderer.
I trust what you are saying, MaryPat. His doctor, not so much. I couldn't figure out how 45 could spin his contracting the virus to his advantage except how you have explained it.
Yes, Elaine, "if in fact he really had it."
"Allegedly" is right!
Yet. Vote.
So I know that most of HCR's letter was about the coronavirus and tomorrow's letter will most likely include the SC hearings, but after seeing Cathy's post and the very informative video of Senator Whitehouse, I must also add something. Take away Roe, take away gay marriage, take away the ACA fight and think about this. When asked 3 very simple and obvious questions, (1) can the president move the date of the election, (2) is voter intimidation legal and (3) does the constitution provide for a peaceful transition of power, she refused to answer. These are enshrined in the law and the constitution. To imply that she would have to hear "arguments" is beyond anything I have ever heard from a judge.
I'm going to play a bit of a devil's advocate here. Not about Trump. But about the disease and vaccine. I am a veterinarian with over four decades of practice, much of that holistic. And I have a special interest in vaccination because, while it may save lives (although this is less clear than it seems), it does cause problems, sometimes serious. And there is a _lot_ of money to be made. So "follow the money" also applies here.
The issues with this virus are mostly because it is new, at least a new variant. We'll leave off the origins of the virus. But in the end, the only real solution is in fact the population adapting to the virus. Herd immunity does in fact apply also to this situation, and not only to vaccination. The person who said otherwise is wrong. For infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, a respiratory herpesvirus which affects cattle, in the 70s (I think it was then), the US decided upon a vaccination program, but Australia decided to let herd immunity develop on its own. In the end the disease came under control in both countries at the same rate. There is evidence for this with human diseases as well, in that much of the gains against diseases like measles came prior to vaccination.
In Sweden, they opted to recommend masks and social distancing but they did not close down, and it appears that, while they had much higher levels of deaths than neighboring countries, now the disease has settled there and they do not have the second wave. How it plays out in the end is unclear. Most of their deaths were in senior homes, and their health minister admitted they did a poor job in keeping the virus out of senior homes.
From an evolutionary perspective, viruses like this strengthen the species by killing off weaker members. This is easier to accept in deer or antelope than in humans, and I don't say this is what we should do. But, while I think the isolation measures are and have been appropriate, at some point we do need to get back to being open, as in the end this is what will save the day. And most viruses get weaker over time. This is how Pasteur initially developed a rabies vaccine, by repeatedly passing the virus through animals until it weakened to a non-morbid condition. I think we are seeing this already, in that death rates as a percentage of case numbers is decreasing. I live in Austria, and while we are in a second wave also, with over 1000 cases a day, we still have only something like 800 deaths in total. We are open nearly normally, but masks are required.
The problem in the US has been multifactorial, lack of overall plans, angry resistance with large gatherings, and so on. But while the US has the highest death total, we still do not have the highest death per capita as of the last time I looked. We were number four, I think. And much of this is also due to poor food quality, which again comes back to the problems with our capitalist government.
But our best strategy, in the long run, is better medicine, which would include better information to encourage better health. Vaccination and other "anti" treatments do not encourage better health. The less intervention we do, the better our health, actually. We need to address food quality and availability of good food to all. And we need a better food pyramid, with much lower emphasis on meat and grains and more emphasis on vegetables. And so on. . .
I really do agree with the sentiment that we in the US should take better care of ourselves. However, in order to really put that into practice in a way that would be meaningful from a disease-prevention standpoint, there are a host of infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. For a relatively large portion of the population, healthy food is not financially or logistically accessible. And regular exercise is difficult when you work multiple jobs to make ends meet. It takes some privilege to even approach this debate. Add to that the fact that reliable information is difficult to come by.
So in the case of this disease, we've missed that boat. A vaccine is likely the only hope we have and it will only work if the majority of the population takes it.
And one additional note, there is an argument to be made that we owe a good portion of our status as a first-world country to some of those standard vaccinations. While they may not be 100% wonderful, they've enhanced our lives much, much more than they've damaged them.
Hey, Krista. I am not addressing herd immunity here. I tend to shy away from the use of chemicals in general but as my holistic veterinarian says: sometimes you have to use the "big guns." I appreciate your perspective about our infrastructure. In my mind, having a healthier country is a generation or two away. When social justice becomes the norm, hopefully people will have the wherewithal to afford healthy food, have access to reliable information, and pursue a healthier lifestyle because they won't need to work multiple jobs to survive. Just my take, and wish for the future!
It's absolutely true that access to healthy food is a problem in the US. Especially as the food quality standards are so low, compared to the UK and Europe. But also because people are rather uneducated and make poor choices.
If a vaccine works, then it doesn't matter what percentage of the population gets the vaccine. If you take the vaccine and it works, you are protected. No problems if your neighbors don't take the vaccine. The problem is vaccines often don't work fully.
The reason we are a first world country is as much our capitalist system as anything else. Plus our conqueror status so that we control resources. Many countries have high levels of vaccination but are not first world.
We have one of the highest levels of vaccination but we are not near the top of "developed" countries when it comes to health care. Health care which is for-profit, as with our for-profit insurance system, does not help most people. Sadly.
So, as I read it, herd immunity strategy means more death up front before reaching eventual parity with a vaccination strategy. Then add in the as yet unknown long term adverse health effects for those who survive the infection, and it sounds like a bad deal to me.
Big Pharma didn't get big for no reason. While an industry that profits from disease has no incentive to encourage you to eat well and exercise, that's not actually their job. We do like their pills and potions though. They provide real benefits, and that includes from vaccines. There are downsides
too. Failures, mistakes, and inevitable differences in individual biology that cause negative reactions in some people. But it is science and not magic, it requires trial and error.
I had to reply because I take serious issue with anti-vax ideology. It seems a real public health problem to me. I've seen some of their protests and even direct action in our State Capitol, and spoken with a friend who is a believer. It strikes me as wrong-headed and dangerous. There are plenty of problems with our medical system in this country, but they arise from politics, not science. Despite the clamor of the anti-vax crusade, I don't hear much call for a return to leaches and blood-letting.
It is easy to dismiss comments as "anti-vax ideology" but the reality is that there are two sides to this discussion. There are serious complications from vaccinations. These are thankfully not common but they are there and have been well studied. The comment about a return to leeches and blood letting is unhelpful and attempts to discount any further discussion.
Much of the problems from the medical system are political, but this is within the medical community as well. It's too much to argue the point here, but well researched studies show connections to autoimmune diseases, many, gulf war syndrome, and much more. There appears to be, according to some researchers, the need for a genetic predisposition. But then the damage is real. Even the connection to autism, and this was confirmed by the vaccine court.
Every drug has problems and side effects. These must be addressed and not ignored by pressure against those who call this into question.
Fair enough. Discussion is certainly needed. I disagree with extreme positions on either side.... Something about babies and bathwater.
Yes, I too believe in mass germ-related deaths to improve the overall health of society. It’s great for the real estate & funeral industry too. Win-Win!
It’s too bad this doesn’t work on sociopaths and malignant narcissists. I guess we’ll have to figure out a humane way to get rid of them from all walks of society.
If al have to become Responsible Adults like the Swedish,and some other societies, to come through this and other such plagues then i think, be it in France or the US, that you are going to have a lot of difficulty. People don't much seem to cotton to the idea of taking responsibility for their own lives. Many are perfectly happy in their infantile approach and in blaming any "difficulties" on the other....or the government. Easy to say perhaps...but very difficult to watch it play out everyday
Here here!!
Totally true. We tend not to want to take responsibility for our problems.
A thousand times THANK YOU for your comment, Don Hamilton! The pandemic has been not just physically challenging for me but also emotionally and intellectually challenging. I find myself on the other side of the argument from people I used to align with when it comes to health and medicine. For some reason, rabid Trump supporters seem to be anti-vaxxer, alternative medicine people. I've never supported Trump. However, I utilize homeopathic and other alternative therapies. Not because I like being mocked or vilified but because Western medicine has completely failed me, damaging my kidneys, bladder and heart in the process. I turned to alternative therapies because I had no choice. I never met a prescription drug I didn't become allergic to. I’ve lived in a post-antibiotic/antiviral medication world for more than a decade. I believe eventually everyone else will too.
As recently as this year, doctors and others were chastised for recommending vitamin D and zinc. Both of these are now included in the Mark+ protocol used in hospitals for COVID-19 treatment. Everyone can say, "but the science!" as loudly as they want thinking it negates anything not found in a pill or syringe but there is lots of science out there for other approaches.
Eight percent of the human genome is virus. We have no clue what that really means to our present and future as a species. We are dabbling with dangers we can't even recognize. The human body is incredible at fighting off ill effects when not hobbled by bad nutrition and systemic imbalances. It is far more effective than man-made interventions. But most people aren't operating optimally, and for the moment interventions are necessary. Our best investment of time and money isn't creating new drugs, it's figuring out how to return the human body to "factory specs" so it can win most health battles on its own.
Don: Reports about the coronavirus say that it can negatively affect other organs in the body, distinguishing it from the flu. What are your thoughts about this as it relates to better health practices. Just FYI, I am not much of a fan of chemical treatments, more a fan of a strong immune system.
This is true. We know this from cororaviruses in other species, like in cats. The major problems actually come from overactive antibody reactions and are a sort of autoimmune disease. Thus, despite recommendations for flu vaccines now in the face of coronavirus, in fact this has been shown to worsen the problems, as this heightens the reaction. The excessive response of the type 2 lymphocytes producing too many antibodies flips easily over into this autoimmune reaction with some coronaviruses. In cats, Feline Infectious Peritonitis is this phenomenon, wherein the coronavirus, which normally is a mild intestinal disease, becomes life-threatening due to this antibody reaction and the antigen-antibody complexes. I suspect something similar happens in humans. Alum, an aluminum compound which is used in all inactivated virus vaccines, pushes the body way too much towards the type 2 response, rather than the body having a balanced type 1 and type 2 response. And this causes autoimmune diseases of many sorts.
Thank you, Don, for this explanation.
"Vaccination and other 'anti' treatments do not encourage better health." I agree with this.
Thank you for being brave enough to post this comment. As a lay person who takes a whole body, mind approach to health, it’s my belief our over vaccinated population may have much to do with our high numbers. When the body is vaccinated against everything, the immune system gets the message it’s not needed anymore and the fight is weakened. I think it’s very possible that part of our problem here is That our bodies are forgetting how to defend against viruses and super bugs. This is not a case against vaccinations but a case against so damn many. I’m 70 years old and I have never gotten a flu shot or any of the others. I rarely “come down” with anything but when I do I take a homeopathic remedy called aconite and by the next morning symptoms have disappeared. And I believe you are correct about following the money. Pharmaceutical companies are quite wealthy with all these shots. Our children are being used as guinea pigs. We are seeing the results now.
And yet, herd immunity also could be interpreted as wearing masks and proper hygiene. Where can we place overcrowding and poverty as drivers in this pandemic, and how does the death rate alleviate that? As stated above, herd immunity is conceivable in wild animal populations, but doesn’t apply so neatly to cousin Jim or Grandma.
It's something we don't want and cannot stomach, but if we look from a Darwinian perspective, social Darwinism in this case, it is survival of the fittest. Unfortunately, the problem is as you said, poverty and such and so those people who are sacrificed to the capitalist credo are the ones who succumb to these diseases because of stresses and poor food and such. It's a failure of our for-profit healthcare system and especially the insurance scam. Only single payer systems, like medicare for all, have a chance to solve this.
I agree with you regarding the fact that we are not encouraged enough to take care of ourselves. It is probably because there is no money to be made in that. One of the problems with Capitalism.
The only real solution is NOT "adapting to the virus." It is eradicating the virus through a comprehensive public health program that includes vaccine. We have eradicated small pox, and are well on the way to eradicating polio. I completely agree that healthy food (Dr. Walter Willett, lead on the National Harvard Nurse's Study, already turned the food pyramid upside down), clean water and environment, as well as exercise all play an important role, but vaccines are key.
Are you aware that some polio outbreaks are caused by vaccinations? https://www.who.int/csr/don/24-september-2019-polio-outbreak-the-philippines/en/
Oral polio vaccine (which uses an attenuated live polio virus, and in very rare cases, can cause polio in unvaccinated, immune-challenged people) has not been given in the USA since 2000. Rare cases in USA since then probably due to exposure from someone who received OPV in another country.
Thank you, MaryPat Sercu Randall, for not hitting reply and just calling me a whack job.
I think a global pandemic should drive home the idea that any discussion about disease should consider humans and not just Americans. I don't consider myself an anti-vaxxer but I have concerns about them. Among those concerns are three fundamental vaccination assumptions. Number one is that immunizations are the ONLY way to obtain immunity. Number two is that immunity will ALWAYS be bestowed by immunizations. Number three is that vaccinations have no effect on an individual's gene expression. I believe these assumptions to be untrue.
I suspect our COVID numbers will get worse as we approach Election Day and Trump continues to hold rallies.
It ain’t over till it’s over.
Will any of it be over, ever?!
Thank you for cleaning the path, HCR. you are a bramble warrior. So. Many . Brambles.
Rachel Maddow threw out some numbers a couple of weeks ago. At minimum herd immunity for our population of 313 million, 60 percent of the population would have to have to be infected--some 215 million of us. At a 1 percent death rate, we would be looking at 2.15 million deaths. At the current rate of 2.9 percent, over 6 million deaths. This is at minimal herd immunity numbers, not the optimal 80 percent. And we don't even know whether or how long this virus produces protective antibodies.
That is quite a gamble, Dr Atlas. One reason why Trump's numbers are tanking, I imagine!
Here's something I wrote on Sept 17 about herd immunity. I would point out that I am actual applied epidemiologist, having spent 35 years working mostly in state health departments.
About herd immunity: before we had vaccines for them, we had herd immunity for diseases like measles, rubella, hepatitis A and chickenpox. Population immunity was high, so we did not have massive epidemics. Instead, we had continuing low-level circulation all the time, and periodic epidemics when there were localized accumulations of susceptible persons. Most such diseases had national epidemics every few years, reflecting a cohort of susceptible children born since the last epidemic. On average, we had about as many infections with these viruses each year as we had births — which meant millions of cases (now we have 3.7 million live births per year) and thousands of deaths.
That is what we can expect if we reach herd immunity from COVID-19 absent a vaccine. It would probably be better than current pandemic levels, but disease transmission would not just stop, and there would be many deaths on the way to herd immunity.
We've had 7 million reported cases so far. That's probably 20 million infections in half a year. If we continue at this pace, we will have 40 million infections by March, 2021. To get to herd immunity we have to get to, say, 70% of the population immune -- that would be about 232,000,000 people. So at current disease rates, about 4 to 5 more years. At a cost of about 1.5 to 2 million deaths, disproportionately among low-income and minority persons and among the elderly. That's assuming that people don't lose immunity a year or two or three after their acute illness, which is not a given.
Thank you. I posted two articles with widely varying views. Your prediction seems most consistent with the science. The toll would be staggering. Let us hope the Biden administration immediately puts the kibosh on herd immunity and starts enforcing the most effective measures to control COVID-19.
As always, continued thanks for all of your work. As the days grow closer to November, the news from the White House becomes more surreal. The COVID-19 numbers are rising exponentially around us, particularly in the Schools. The Confirmation hearing is nothing more than an exercise in futility. As you say, it is predetermined. It is. I feel it was determined when Trump was inaugurated. Nothing can be said to derail Barrett. She could shoot someone on Fifth Ave and not lose voters. Sound familiar?
With everything on the table to lose, I have never felt as hopeless as I do now. If Biden can overcome every obstacle that will be thrown at him and even take office, it will take more than 2 terms to correct the path of destruction left by Trump. I am encouraged by the number people going to the polls, but will it be enough?
You are correct that it will take more than two terms to correct this situation. Look at how long it took for Republicans to create this situation and you will have an idea of how long it might take us to recover. I hope everyone who votes for change realizes like you do what we are really up against and doesn’t give up!