COVID-19 - On the Ground

[TDub]

I am good with and even in favor of outdoor mask mandates, but obviously, the mileage is really going to vary where you are. Middle of Tokyo is different than Chillicothe, Missouri.

I was in a place with outdoor mask mandates last month riding a bicycle and a cop parked on the road flashed his lights and yelled at me to put my mask on. Seemed a little silly given hardly anyone else on the road, but I managed to not throw a temper tantrum.

I know you are in favor of it.

[twocoach]

Masks are not that effective. Its 100 degrees. If you are in a situation where you are outside on a 100° day and think you or others should be wearing masks, you need to just stay home

Masks are more effective than not wearing masks so that's the end of that nonsense argument.

And yes, it is nasty hot outside, so I will not be going to any outdoor event period, whether it has a mask mandate or not.

[randylahey]

But it seems there is a good chance it could have happened. A lot of people have put their careers on the line saying it did happen or could have happened. From around the globe. Trump claims it happened. Biden says it could have happened and is trying to investigate it. China refuses to cooperate. Doesnt that seem like a lot of red flags?

[twocoach]

20 years ago our society wasn't nearly as soft or sensitive either. There are pros and cons to that of course. But in relation to covid I dont see a lot of benefit from how we are handling things

Man, you're rolling out all the crotchedly old white guy complaints today. Didn't think we'd see "this soft generation" mixed in to a discussion of a global pandemic yet here we are.

Its true tho. There are benefits to a more sensitive accepting society. But there are certainly drawbacks to it as well. Ask bill self what he thinks about a team that is soft

If anything, I blame overly nervous lawyers for some of the ridiculous overreaching mandates. Businesses and cities don't want to get sued by some jackass so they get carried away and lock shit down too far.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Man, you're rolling out all the crotchedly old white guy complaints today. Didn't think we'd see "this soft generation" mixed in to a discussion of a global pandemic yet here we are.

Its true tho. There are benefits to a more sensitive accepting society. But there are certainly drawbacks to it as well. Ask bill self what he thinks about a team that is soft

If anything, I blame overly nervous lawyers for some of the ridiculous overreaching mandates. Businesses and cities don't want to get sued by some jackass so they get carried away and lock shit down too far.

They're getting sued for the lockdowns, too, though, by jackass AG's.

[twocoach]

But it seems there is a good chance it could have happened. A lot of people have put their careers on the line saying it did happen or could have happened. From around the globe. Trump claims it happened. Biden says it could have happened and is trying to investigate it. China refuses to cooperate. Doesnt that seem like a lot of red flags?

I can make just about anything "seem like" it happened. A lot of people lie despite the threat to their careers. Frankly, a lot of people careers in GOP politics is over if they DON'T lie. It is a near requirement these days to state that you support The Big Lie if you want to continue as a federal politician in the Republican Party.

[randylahey]

Man, you're rolling out all the crotchedly old white guy complaints today. Didn't think we'd see "this soft generation" mixed in to a discussion of a global pandemic yet here we are.

Its true tho. There are benefits to a more sensitive accepting society. But there are certainly drawbacks to it as well. Ask bill self what he thinks about a team that is soft

If anything, I blame overly nervous lawyers for some of the ridiculous overreaching mandates. Businesses and cities don't want to get sued by some jackass so they get carried away and lock shit down too far.

Ok twocoach we can agree on that at least. That plays into the same idea I was speaking of. Our society is too quick to sue for sure. People want easy hand outs and want to blame people for shit. And sometimes it works based on how laws are written

[twocoach]

Its true tho. There are benefits to a more sensitive accepting society. But there are certainly drawbacks to it as well. Ask bill self what he thinks about a team that is soft

If anything, I blame overly nervous lawyers for some of the ridiculous overreaching mandates. Businesses and cities don't want to get sued by some jackass so they get carried away and lock shit down too far.

Ok twocoach we can agree on that at least. That plays into the same idea I was speaking of. Our society is too quick to sue for sure. People want easy hand outs and want to blame people for shit. And sometimes it works based on how laws are written

The desire to make easy money or to "punish" someone you perceive as at fault if you experience any sort of hardship is one that will never go away and will only continue to grow so it will always factor in to discussions and decisions on matters of public health.

[randylahey]

But it seems there is a good chance it could have happened. A lot of people have put their careers on the line saying it did happen or could have happened. From around the globe. Trump claims it happened. Biden says it could have happened and is trying to investigate it. China refuses to cooperate. Doesnt that seem like a lot of red flags?

I can make just about anything "seem like" it happened. A lot of people lie despite the threat to their careers. Frankly, a lot of people careers in GOP politics is over if they DON'T lie. It is a near requirement these days to state that you support The Big Lie if you want to continue as a federal politician in the Republican Party.

You clearly vote democrat. Which is fine. Most people have good reasons for why they vote the way they vote. Its based on their life experiences, the material they are exposed to and how its presented to them. But lies is a two way street in politics. Its near impossible to rise up the political chain without the money and manipulation games that go into politics

[PhDhawk]

[twocoach]

But it seems there is a good chance it could have happened. A lot of people have put their careers on the line saying it did happen or could have happened. From around the globe. Trump claims it happened. Biden says it could have happened and is trying to investigate it. China refuses to cooperate. Doesnt that seem like a lot of red flags?

I can make just about anything "seem like" it happened. A lot of people lie despite the threat to their careers. Frankly, a lot of people careers in GOP politics is over if they DON'T lie. It is a near requirement these days to state that you support The Big Lie if you want to continue as a federal politician in the Republican Party.

You clearly vote democrat. Which is fine. Most people have good reasons for why they vote the way they vote. Its based on their life experiences, the material they are exposed to and how its presented to them. But lies is a two way street in politics. Its near impossible to rise up the political chain without the money and manipulation games that go into politics

Yet you are taking the stated words of these politicians as "red flags" that should be considered true.

[sdoyel]

I still don’t get the infatuation over where Covid originated. At least for reasons not pertaining to more effectively studying the disease itself.

[CrimsonNBlue]

From SF Chronicle today re: close contact


The delta variant has forced a quick pivot on key pandemic public health recommendations, including the return of universal indoor masking and the green light for vaccine booster shots.

There’s another long-standing core guideline, however, that experts say could use new scrutiny: the definition of “close contact” with an infected person, which dictates at what point someone exposed to the coronavirus should get tested or self-isolate.

For most of the pandemic, the standard has been “6 feet for 15 minutes,” but experts say that since the highly transmissible delta upended the pandemic picture, a new understanding is needed as people make choices about their behaviors and risks.

“The idea of criteria for what is a close contact has been a moving target throughout the pandemic,” said UC Berkeley infectious disease expert John Swartzberg. “I think we need to rethink what it really means to have a close contact, given a virus that is twice as transmissible.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines “close contact” as exposure within 6 feet of an infected person, indoors, for more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. The definition applies regardless of vaccination status.

But the CDC also says that those infected with the delta variant can carry a much higher viral load — up to 1,000 times more of the virus compared to the original coronavirus strain, according to at least one study from China.

Scientists have speculated that delta’s higher potency could greatly reduce the time it takes the virus to cause infection to as little as a few minutes or even seconds in an enclosed place. But the science is still developing, Swartzberg said.

“If someone’s got a thousandfold more virus in their throat and nose than somebody else with an ancestral strain, one would think they’d be more likely to spread it,” he said. However, the complexities of transmission make “one-size-fits-all” conclusions difficult, he added.

First, not every infected person will carry the same viral load, Swartzberg said — with research ongoing to determine the variables. Additionally, aerosol experts are still studying the levels at which the coronavirus can linger in the air in spaces like a classroom or a mall. Strong evidence indicates that the virus is airborne, but exactly how much depends on several factors including the number of air exchanges in a particular room, Swartzberg said.

“This virus is like cigarette smoke,” said Dr. Kimberly Prather, an aerosol scientist and professor at UC San Diego. “So just think about if a smoker were in the bathroom ahead of you, and you walked in. There’s evidence of people getting infected when they were never in the room at the same time.”

Another variable affecting indoor transmission risk is ventilation. With adequate ventilation and filtration, Prather said, indoor air can be made nearly as fresh as outdoor air. She said the three best strategies are cracking windows and doors; HVAC settings that bring in outside air; and air purifiers. Those steps can help protect people even if they make close contact, Prather said.

But given delta’s high transmissibility, Prather says she has concerns that federal and state guidelines are outdated.

One reason the CDC hasn’t changed its guidance on close contacts — even given the dire state of the delta surge — likely has to do with balancing resources against yield, Swartzberg said. Reducing the 15-minute threshold for likely exposure would greatly increase the work of teams who must find and notify people when a close contact tests positive.

“There’s a finite amount of contact tracing resources and you have to apply them to get the highest yield,” he said. “If you decrease to 10 minutes, you increase the number of people you have to do contact tracing for.”

Additionally, experts say, data may not yet support adjusting the current definition of a close contact — or indicate clearly what the new parameters should be.

“I share the concern that the definition may be a bit too lax in light of the viral dynamics and the way the delta variant behaves,” said Anne Liu, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University. “But in the absence of better data, I can understand why they haven’t changed it. They are tasked with putting out very clear and unequivocal guidance so as to reduce confusion and bring clarity.”

[Deleted User 89]

I still don’t get the infatuation over where Covid originated. At least for reasons not pertaining to more effectively studying the disease itself.

distraction, at least in part...blame china so we don’t have to better evaluate our own short-comings (and the decisions that were made prior to 2020)

[jfish26]

No different than the tide pod challenge. People are stupid. The amount of people taking animal medications is extremely small, like a few hundred or so cases. Makes you wonder why it gets talked about so much? Maybe to make 1 side think the other side is even dumber than they already do? Gotta love the media!

People are sick in the mind.

Washington County (Ark.) sheriff confirms use of ivermectin at Detention Center

Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder on Tuesday confirmed that the medical provider for the Detention Center has been prescribing ivermectin to detainees to treat them for the covid-19 virus.

[...]

Helder said he was informed of the use of the medication in July by emails from Karas Correctional Health. Helder said the company has been "an amazing partner" for the Sheriff's Office throughout the covid-19 pandemic. Chief Deputy Jay Cantrell said the company has provided quality medical care before and during the pandemic.

Helder said he will defer to a doctor on matters of treatment.

"Whatever a doctor prescribes, that's out of my bailiwick," Helder said. "But I will stake their record against any medical provider in any correctional facility in the United States. Doctors prescribe. They've been to medical school. I haven't."

[randylahey]

I still don’t get the infatuation over where Covid originated. At least for reasons not pertaining to more effectively studying the disease itself.

If it did come from a lab that's pretty significant

[Deleted User 89]

from NatGeo:

Even with mild cases of the coronavirus, some patients are reporting brain fog, forgetfulness, the inability to read text messages, and lack of concentration. Perhaps 30 percent of COVID patients suffer some type of neurological or psychiatric symptoms, and the cognitive issues linger for months after infection. The cause is still a mystery...

[ousdahl]

I’ve shared before, but even my needlephobic ass was all in when I learned another potential covid symptom is ED

[Deleted User 863]

I’ve shared before, but even my needlephobic ass was all in when I learned another potential covid symptom is ED

Start walking. According to one Harvard study, just 30 minutes of walking a day was linked with a 41% drop in risk for ED. Other research suggests that moderate exercise can help restore sexual performance in obese middle-aged men with ED.

[PhDhawk]

from NatGeo:

Even with mild cases of the coronavirus, some patients are reporting brain fog, forgetfulness, the inability to read text messages, and lack of concentration. Perhaps 30 percent of COVID patients suffer some type of neurological or psychiatric symptoms, and the cognitive issues linger for months after infection. The cause is still a mystery...

it's no big deal. 99% are just fine.