All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (1 Viewer)

[Maxp]

I fear we are really going to be in a bad place due to the obvious cuts to the federal agencies that deal with infectious disease, but also the negative effect the Affordable Care act has had on non urban hospitals. Our front line defenses are ineffectual and our ability to treat the populous is probably at an all time low. Factor in the cost of healthcare and I can see our system crashing. What do you think about the politics of this virus?

 

[EmBeeFiveOhFour]

Given that a catastrophic hurricane is about to slam into the coast of Louisiana, is it too soon to talk about how foreseeably disastrous the President's political decision to divert FEMA disaster funds to paying COVID unemployment because the Senate wouldn't do anything about continuing the unemployment benefits is about to be?

 

[Taurus]

Given that a catastrophic hurricane is about to slam into the coast of Louisiana, is it too soon to talk about how foreseeably disastrous the President's political decision to divert FEMA disaster funds to paying COVID unemployment because the Senate wouldn't do anything about continuing the unemployment benefits is about to be?

Except that FEMA funding for two red states will be an easy pass in Congress. What'll be interesting is if California sees any of that Fed money.

 

[superchuck500]

They changed the test guidance when Fauci was under anesthesia.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

They changed the test guidance when Fauci was under anesthesia.

Damn shame

 

[Saintamaniac]

They changed the test guidance when Fauci was under anesthesia.

Damn. They pulled off the old "pressure Ashcroft to sign while in the hospital" routine. Sneaky bastages.

 

[The moose]

They changed the test guidance when Fauci was under anesthesia.

Yep that is pathetic.

Why fight the science? You are just gonna loose every time.

So I guess they think everyone is that dumb to not connect the dots to the timeline.

These guys are just pathetic.

 

[Nebaghead]

Yep that is pathetic.

Why fight the science? You are just gonna loose every time.

So I guess they think everyone is that dumb to not connect the dots to the timeline.

These guys are just pathetic.

I was watching CNN this morning for hurricane updates and they interviewed Pences Chief if Staff and they asked why it was announced Fauci approved it. He went on a media conspiracy theory. The interviewer said Fauci said he didn’t approve it and he went around and around about how this has been looked at for weeks. They updated the site and didn’t even tell
People about the change.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I was watching CNN this morning for hurricane updates and they interviewed Pences Chief if Staff and they asked why it was announced Fauci approved it. He went on a media conspiracy theory. The interviewer said Fauci said he didn’t approve it and he went around and around about how this has been looked at for weeks. They updated the site and didn’t even tell
People about the change.

It's forking pathetic. We now have an emergency meeting planned because we now have to consider whether we are going to abide by the CDC guidance, as we've had all this time, or to abandon it for obvious reasons.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[lurk]

I will say, that I didn't intend to group all medical professionals, I was meaning the ones that are influencing public policy. Fauci, WHO, CDC for example. Not the ER nurse in Mattoon Ill.

Other than that, that is pretty lengthy homework assignment, so I am probably going to pass on that one.

You said "There is plenty of blame to go around for every medical professional out there." I didn't make that up; I didn't infer it; I didn't secretly read your diary. All I did was read exactly what you wrote in your post. Now you want to say that by that statement you meant Fauci and nobody else (the WHO and CDC are not "medical professionals" - nor is Fauci really, at least not in decades, but he is at least a person whose career exists in the realm of medical science). In no level of rational behavior is it reasonable that someone would use the term "all" to mean "one." As such, I do not accept that as an honest answer to my question, nor do I accept your refusal to justify what you said because you don't want to take the time to do so. If you do not want to justify the claims that you make, then perhaps you should stop making claims, particularly ludicrous ones. I restate my previous question and ask that you engage in honest discussion by addressing it.

I am sorry, but I am confused. What post of mine gave you that impression?

When you go out of your way to protect the ideas that someone has put forth from criticism and also protect said person from having to engage in honest conversation by actually defending those ideas, you participate not only in tacet agreement with his thoughts but also active promotion of same.

 

[Richard]

You said "There is plenty of blame to go around for every medical professional out there." I didn't make that up; I didn't infer it; I didn't secretly read your diary. All I did was read exactly what you wrote in your post. Now you want to say that by that statement you meant Fauci and nobody else (the WHO and CDC are not "medical professionals" - nor is Fauci really, at least not in decades, but he is at least a person whose career exists in the realm of medical science). In no level of rational behavior is it reasonable that someone would use the term "all" to mean "one." As such, I do not accept that as an honest answer to my question, nor do I accept your refusal to justify what you said because you don't want to take the time to do so. If you do not want to justify the claims that you make, then perhaps you should stop making claims, particularly ludicrous ones. I restate my previous question and ask that you engage in honest discussion by addressing it.





When you go out of your way to protect the ideas that someone has put forth from criticism and also protect said person from having to engage in honest conversation by actually defending those ideas, you participate not only in tacet agreement with his thoughts but also active promotion of same.

I have no idea where you got the idea that I have defended what Farb wrote. He made a statement and has expressed that his intention was not to group all medical professionals with those people involved in policy making. He did not deny that he originally made the statement that he did, but attempted to clarify. He made a mistake and attempted to correct his mistake. You can doubt his sincerity, but I choose to believe that he simply worded his post poorly, giving an impression he did not mean.

Your attempt to put words in my mouth and to suggest tacit agreement with Farb's original comment is unwarranted and without basis. If you would like to engage on this further, I am available by PM.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[SaintForLife]

iTs fiNe bEcaUSe tHeY aRe wEaRiNg mAskS

 

[Richard]

iTs fiNe bEcaUSe tHeY aRe wEaRiNg mAskS

In order for masks to be effective, they are supposed to be worn while social distancing. People act as if wearing a mask (even if improperly ) grants them some sort of superpower immunity from the virus. Masks are to prevent someone else from catching it from you, so it doesn't do much good if you wear it on your chin or below your nose and you are standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people. While I do blame the Trump administration for its poor response and its counterproductive messaging, if you want to see why the US continues to have major problems controlling the spread of the virus, we only have to look at ourselves. Why so many believe that "it can't happen to me" is beyond me and even worse IMO are those that look at not wearing masks as some sort of ridiculous political statement -- like "I got the virus, spread it to 50 other people and killed four of them, but nobody could make me wear a danged mask!"

 

[SaintForLife]

In order for masks to be effective, they are supposed to be worn while social distancing. People act as if wearing a mask (even if improperly ) grants them some sort of superpower immunity from the virus. Masks are to prevent someone else from catching it from you, so it doesn't do much good if you wear it on your chin or below your nose and you are standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people. While I do blame the Trump administration for its poor response and its counterproductive messaging, if you want to see why the US continues to have major problems controlling the spread of the virus, we only have to look at ourselves. Why so many believe that "it can't happen to me" is beyond me and even worse IMO are those that look at not wearing masks as some sort of ridiculous political statement -- like "I got the virus, spread it to 50 other people and killed four of them, but nobody could make me wear a danged mask!"

I agree. Between the people who refuse to wear masks and the people who think wearing masks means you can be up close in huge crowds it's not surprising that we can't lessen the spread of the virus.

 

[MT15]

So, wearing a surgical mask is the guidance we are given in the hospital. Social distancing is to be followed whenever possible, but much of the time we cannot be socially distant from our coworkers or patients. There have been questions raised about wearing more robust face coverings, but we have been instructed that the surgical mask is sufficient for the general population. (And our supply of N-95s is good now, so I don’t think they are worried about that.)

I don’t think it’s entirely accurate to suggest that masks don’t work without social distancing. There’s no doubt they work better with social distancing, but it’s important to draw the distinction between the marchers who are responsibly wearing masks and the Trump crowds who for political purposes are doing neither.

Also, we struggle in the hospital with “half-maskers”. I don’t even know how they get their surgical masks to sit below their nose, and we have talked and talked to one person in our department and she just will not put it on over her nose. At least we got her to stop pulling her mask down to talk to people.

 

[Richard]

So, wearing a surgical mask is the guidance we are given in the hospital. Social distancing is to be followed whenever possible, but much of the time we cannot be socially distant from our coworkers or patients. There have been questions raised about wearing more robust face coverings, but we have been instructed that the surgical mask is sufficient for the general population. (And our supply of N-95s is good now, so I don’t think they are worried about that.)

I don’t think it’s entirely accurate to suggest that masks don’t work without social distancing. There’s no doubt they work better with social distancing, but it’s important to draw the distinction between the marchers who are responsibly wearing masks and the Trump crowds who for political purposes are doing neither.

Also, we struggle in the hospital with “half-maskers”. I don’t even know how they get their surgical masks to sit below their nose, and we have talked and talked to one person in our department and she just will not put it on over her nose. At least we got her to stop pulling her mask down to talk to people.

Obviously in a work environment there is only so much social distancing one can do and medical facilities certainly do all they can to be safe while tending to patients.

I still contend that gathering in large crowds, whether protesting, partying or any other function is asking for trouble where the virus is concerned. It is multiple times more true when the crowd is unmasked. Those people are more likely to conduct all of their daily business without a mask and probably don’t follow any virus prevention protocols. While they are more likely to spread the virus, I’m unwilling to give protesters a pass just because their cause may be more palatable. The odds of spreading the virus is greater in a crowd no matter who is in the crowd.

 

[Ayo]

Obviously in a work environment there is only so much social distancing one can do and medical facilities certainly do all they can to be safe while tending to patients.

I still contend that gathering in large crowds, whether protesting, partying or any other function is asking for trouble where the virus is concerned. It is multiple times more true when the crowd is unmasked. Those people are more likely to conduct all of their daily business without a mask and probably don’t follow any virus prevention protocols. While they are more likely to spread the virus, I’m unwilling to give protesters a pass just because their cause may be more palatable. The odds of spreading the virus is greater in a crowd no matter who is in the crowd.

I think anyone gathering in a group should be masked. And most of the Floyd protestors were masked, from what I saw/recall.

And it was just in New Hampshire when people gathered to see Trump and boo'd the announcement about wearing a mask. It also seems to me that defying mask-wearing ordinances and requirements are more often from one side of the political aisle than the other.

Nonetheless, if you're protesting Floyd or going to see the President, you should be masked up.