Citizens are less likely to accept restrictions. I mean, wasn’t that the whole point of taking the vaccine? To get our lives back? And locking down 15 days to stop the spread?
Mask mandates. Remote classes. Outdoor dining.
As 2022 dawns, it’s beginning to look a lot like March 2020 – so much so that President Joe Biden sought to reassure Americans they would not return to those dark days, instead promising a future made safer by vaccines and tests.
Yes, the tests developed under President Trump, as well as the vaccines, which Biden said wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
Those breakthroughs, along with genomic sequencing that can identify new variants and the promise of powerful antiviral pills, represent a revolutionary assault on the coronavirus. But biomedical advances are only half the battle, experts say.
“We have seen it isn’t enough to have testing and vaccines; you have to have a public health system that can deliver testing and vaccines,” said Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In other words, a Central Government health system. Here’s the big one, though
The country is at a pivotal moment, Sharfstein said, full of opportunity if the lessons of the past two years lead to a new focus on getting shots in arms, swabs up noses and pills into mouths.
But some experts contend that the imbalance between the country’s scientific advances and its public health response is starker than ever, looking back in wonder on spring 2020 when a largely compliant population submitted to wide-ranging restrictions.
“We are going backward,” said Alfred Sommer, an epidemiologist and former dean at Hopkins.
“People are infinitely less responsive now,” said Sommer, who has tackled outbreaks of cholera and smallpox around the world. “This is different from anything that any public health person I know would have predicted in March 2020.”
Well, yeah, people are less responsive, because they were told if they took the vaccine, they’d get their lives back. We’ve seen all the studies that scientifically show that masks are mostly ineffective. We were told we only needed to wear a mask when we were going to be in close proximity with other people, then they put in mask mandates for everyone when inside. And told to wear a mask even if vaccinated. We were told to keep 6 feet apart, then, suddenly, we were told don’t bother. That disappeared. People have rather had enough 2 years on, and Big Government advocates and politicians are rather upset about this.
For anybody who trusts science, this is “vastly different than March 2020,” said Francis S. Collins, who in December stepped down as director of the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s medical research agency. But those who don’t trust science and haven’t been vaccinated are in a vulnerable place, he said, endangering everyone around them.
Why is there a mandate for companies with 100+ employees, not all companies? That seems rather silly. So does the scaremongering, blamestorming, and other denigration of those who are vaccine resistant, who read the scientific studies which say that most masks barely make a difference.
Those organizational shortcomings are coupled with incomplete and sometimes contradictory messages. There was, for example, the early assertion that the general population would not need to wear masks and, later, a months-long disagreement among federal officials about the importance of booster shots, Winsten recalled.
That’s because this was a rather revolutionary pandemic, and no one really knew what to do, here in the U.S. and in other nations. They were trying to get a handle on it, and the science said that masks were barely effective. For boosters, we were told that the initial shots were all that were necessary, then we learned that they are really just 6 month flu shots. Israel saw that much earlier, requiring boosters way before any other country.
The rest of the Washington Post piece is more about softly pushing for a Big Government solution to controlling the healthcare system and the people.
Experts: “Three weeks to flatten the curve.”
#LGBFJB
Bwaha! Lolgf
“Experts” say a lot of things but as soon as the TV lights go on they think they’re stars. Only the “experts” could have f****d up Americas Covid response as badly as it was. Only “experts” could literally change their protocols about masks, social distancing (what a load of crap that is), fake “vaccines” that provide neither immunity nor stop the spread, “boosters” (more crap) and the major culprit of our economic woes: selective “lockdowns” and school closings.
The Democrats tipped their pro millionaire/billionaire hand when they decided that Covid only spreads in small to medium businesses and mom & pop stores but the big box places with magnitudes more people and therefore exposure were safe to stay open. They wiped out entire towns of pizzerias, barbers, salons, bars, restaurants, car dealers and many more while redoubling the net worth of their supporters who just happen to own Amazon, Target, Home Despot etc. Remember when they were telling us we could buy a hammer but not seeds? And the Dowds of America bought every word and still do.
The entire scamdemic was a fraud with one goal in mind: Get rid of Orange Man. Now let’s see how they manage to steal the elections of 2022 so they don’t get pilloried in 2024.
Teach: they were told if they took the vaccine, they’d get their lives back
Unfortunately, only 1/3rd of Americans are vaccinated and boosted. Another 1/3rd are unvaccinated. Tragically, our public health system has failed, allowing this pandemic to rage on.
Teach: We’ve seen all the studies that scientifically show that masks are mostly ineffective.
Yes and no. The homemade cloth masks used early on out of necessity have no more than 10% effective. On the other hand, medical procedure masks (those blue papery things) are reportedly 40-50%, and N95/KN95s even better.
Teach: We were told we only needed to wear a mask when we were going to be in close proximity with other people, then they put in mask mandates for everyone when inside.
Note that with this pandemic research reports are appearing in real time. “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” – Economist Paul Samuelson
In the St Louis area, school districts are largely defying MO AG Schmidt’s “executive order” banning district mask mandates and schools are seeing few cases. That could change with omicron. BTW, Eric Schmidt is running for the GOP nomination to fill Senator Roy Blunt’s seat.
Fortunately – luckily – the omicron variant appears to be less dangerous than the previous variants, although more transmissible.
The esteemed Mr Dowd is upset, very upset, that the plebians are not all kowtowing and doing what the patricians tell them they must.
The increasingly irrational Mr Dana has no idea if we’re upset or not. What in my above comment misleads him?
Those like Mr Dana and Mr Teach and Mr tRump are vaccinated and boosted yet discourage others. (tRump’s recent admission of being boosted drew boos from the live audience and criticism from his former devotees! Talk about upset! As a result Covid-19 continues to ravage the US. Mr Dana militantly discourages the use of masking as an affront to liberty and as a symbol of a coming authoritarian takeover of America!! Would he wear a mask, not just no, but Hell, no! Freedom!! Wolverines!! LOL. Tell us, if a store had a sign requiring masks would you enter anyway or choose a store that didn’t require masks?
The Wizard of Id cartoon is great (I have the book, or did anyway).
The mistaken Mr Dowd wrote:
Would you be so kind as to cite, complete with hyperlinks, where either Mr Teach, or former President Trump, or I have “discouraged” others not to get vaccinated or get a booster shot if the time is right? Thank you in advance.
Now, I most certainly have said that the decision to get vaccinated is a personal one, and that while I believe getting vaccinated is the wiser choice, it should not be mandatory, and that we should have no masking mandates or vaccine ‘passports.’ I have said that even though I have been vaccinated, and taken the booster, I will not carry my medical records, because I refuse to comply with the “Wir müssen Ihre Dokumente sehen!” culture.
It’s amazing to me how the left yelled “Fascism!” and “Authoritarian!” and “Dictator!” at President Trump, but now wholly support executive authoritarianism by Democratic state Governors to impose all sorts of restrictions on the American people.
The annoyed Mr Dowd wrote:
Now this is a true statement; Mr Dowd has correctly described my position.
Actually, I already have. The Kroger supermarket closest to our place has two signs, one that masks are “strongly encouraged” for fully vaccinated customers, beside the outer doors, and another, larger sign, at the inner vestibule doors which says that masks are required, period.
But, this being the libertarian state of Kentucky, this sign is being honored in the breach: I can walk in without a mask, and that will make me one of at least half of the customers therein who have chosen not to wear a mask. The employees are required to be masked, and they seem to have 100% compliance, but I’ll normally see several who are wearing the mask below their noses.
The business which actually requires me to wear a mask will not get my business, either now, or when this idiocy ends.
My sister-in-law moved here from the Keystone State just before Christmas, and since her bank there does not have any branches close by, I took her to PNC Bank, the one we use, and she opened an account there. The PNC employees are required to wear masks, but the employee who helped my SIL was wearing a cloth mask, below his nose, and wrinkled in a manner which suggested that was how he always wore it.
But, to be honest, I’m not really tested in this: mask compliance in the Bluegrass State is so low that non-compliance is expected almost everywhere outside of the schools and health care facilities, and that means that almost no one is trying to enforce it.
The determined Mr Dowd wrote:
Why, then, were the left so adamant about imposing mask mandates when, as you just said, the cloth ones were no more than 10% effective, and probably less than that?
Oh, wait, I know: the face mask is the most visible indicator of sheepledom! It lets the patricians know who has complied.
Mr Dana’s conspiracy tale (among many) that masks are a visible symbol sheepledom is silly, but he is entitled to even ridiculous opinions. This is America.
Mr Dana doesn’t think that misinformation regarding masks and vaccines discourages people. This is America.
It’s surprising that Mr Dana would use as an expert, Dr Scott Gottlieb, former FDA director, and current board member of Pfizer. Don’t get us wrong, even though Dr Gottlieb is a political conservative we’ve found him to be a breath of fresh air compared to the typical right-wing doctors e.g, the Front Line group.
What we question is why would Mr Dana use Dr Gottlieb, with his ties to big pharma and the FDA, as a source. Normally conservatives avoid experts and Face the Nation like the plague (oops, cons actually favor the plague). Oh we see. Dr Gottlieb confirmed Mr Dana’s own prejudice.
Here’s more of what Dr Gottlieb said:
I cited the source I did because it was readily available. And perhaps you’ve noticed previously: I like to use credentialed media sources, because there’s no having the left scream, “It was Breitbart! It was Gateway Pundit!”
600 pediatric deaths? That’s out of 800,000 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, or 0.075%.
You’ve known me long enough to know that I’d do the math.
Your arithmetic is of little comfort to 600 grieving families who have lost children. Only 0.001% of US service members died during the Afghanistan evacuation, hardly a blip, except for their families, friends and Fuck Joe Biden mob.
Anyway, take it up with your mask expert, Dr Gottlieb; it was data he quoted.
It’s admirable you realize that Breitbart and the Pundit are inadequate references.
The increasingly agitated Mr Dowd wrote:
Except, of course, that the deaths of those servicemen was entirely preventable, had President Biden and the military organized the withdrawal as an orderly procedure rather than the clusterfornicate that it was.
600 pediatric deaths over two years, two years in which the vaccines were not available for half of the time, nor licensed for use by minors for yet another half a year, nor licensed for those 5 to 12 for another quarter of a year, and still not approved for those four years old and younger. That’s practically nothing!
Why, 600 deaths, that’s fewer than the number of murders in your hometown over the last three years (651), and you don’t seem terribly concerned about them. KSDK actually celebrated that the number of homicides had declined to pre-pandemic numbers, even though that still meant a homicide rate of 205.48 per 100,000 population for black males.
Actually, most of their stories contain very adequate sourcing, but I’m simply washing away the standard liberal objection.
Mr Dowd wrote:
It seems that Mr Dowd conflates information, which he said himself, that homemade cloth masks are no more than 10% effective, constitutes “misinformation.”
But hey, I believe that it is your perfect right to wear a mask if you believe you should do so. But I’ll ask the obvious question: just how diligent have you been about wearing a face mask? Do you always wear it indoors, other than in your own home? Do you always wear it in the grocery store or when you were out Christmas shopping? Or have you been sometimes lax, as others around you were going barefaced?
Answers:
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No.
We purchased medical masks 14 months ago and KN95 4 months ago and have consistently warn them indoors outside the home, even on the times when they weren’t mandated by the county. Even at the WalMart in Madison Cty MO on a hunting trip. Why? Because of the evidence that masks reduce the likelihood of contracting or spreading the virus.
No one in our family nor extended family (n=14) has contracted Covid.
Elwood. The world is not vaccinated.
The vaccinations continue to go toward the West. Sadly most of Central and South America are not vaccinated as is nearly all of Africa as well as 30-40 percent of those in the west.
I said before it would take 7 years to vaccinate the world. Anyone could see this coming. Joe Biden said the US government has no solution for the pandemic and threw it on the states.
The USA’s FDA and CDC along with WHO are telling us in Ecuador that we cannot use Ivermectin because of why, when we have nothing else? A drug that fights viruses is somehow dangerous when Pfizer and Merck produce a pill that uses the exact same techniques to fight viruses and they can then charge billions for its use when Ivermectin in poor countries is way more safer with years of use and years of trials.
How dare you! How dare you tell us in poor countries we have to die, rather than take a known drug that is safe and effective fighting viruses and has been shown to help. HELP. Not cure. How dare you in the states tell us we have to die for your arrogance and by you I mean the collective west and the arrogance of Western Medicines.
Saint Louis Schools? I contacted a colleague who lives in the area and he faxed me this tidbit of information.
Update on Covid-19 in Schools
St. Louis County, Missouri
Saint Louis County Department of Public Health December 14, 2021
1. Key Findings
? Case counts are rising sharply among both students and staff. For the week ending 12/04/2021, staff
cases were at their highest and student cases were at their second-highest for the current school year.
? There were 551 pediatric COVID cases diagnosed in St. Louis County in the week ending 12/04/2021 –
more than in any single week since November 2020.
? COVID-19 is spreading unchecked in St. Louis County. Because of this, mitigation measures including
vaccination, masking, keeping kids home when they are sick, and getting tested remain critical for
keeping our school communities safe.
Stop spreading disinformation and perhaps you will find people more willing to listen to what you say. Just a thought, my friend.
Est1950,
You are absolutely correct that the world is not vaccinated and the West is hogging the vaccines. Yet, India has administered over 1 billion doses.
Well-designed and run clinical trials have not demonstrated that ivermectin is effective against Covid.
Ecuador is an independent nation and can use ivermectin ad libitum, correct? You are better positioned to know this than I. No one is forced to believe the WHO, FDA and CDC guidelines. Thousands of physicians worldwide reject the clinical evidence and prescribe ivermectin as an anti-Covid medicine.
Ivermectin is an FDA approved drug for use in humans to treat a variety of parasitic infections including parasitic worms, hookworm and whipworm. It may also be used as an effective treatment for a wide range of other conditions and as a treatment of onchocerciasis, intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis or river blindness.
The widespread use of ivermectin has led to increased resistance of the organisms for which it is approved, similar to bacterial resistance seen for antibiotics.
Thank you for the update on St Louis area schools. Note too that the in-school transmission cases have dropped (see Table 2 in your FAX) significantly, from 16 in September to only 6 in December. Almost all of the positive cases were brought in from outside – infected staff or infected families – but not transmitted in schools, a tribute to in-school policies (masking, testing, distancing). That’s not to say that the omicron surge won’t cause more in-school transmission resulting in school closures.
Experts: Well-designed and run clinical trials have not demonstrated that ivermectin is effective against Covid.
Real life:
https://www.weeklyblitz.net/health/indias-largest-state-sees-ivermectin-as-most-effective-medicine-for-curing-covid/
#LGBFJB
Bwaha! Lolgf
Rimjob: Well-designed and run clinical trials have not demonstrated that ivermectin is effective against Covid.
Real life:
https://clinicalnews.org/2021/05/07/latest-peer-reviewed-research-immediate-global-ivermectin-use-will-end-covid-19-pandemic/amp/
#LGBFJB
Bwaha! Lolgf
My mother contracted Covid in April 2020 and was cured by a treatment of HQC and Ivermectin in 5 days so don’t tell me about your phony “studies”.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1b85877a535b0d4b0cc5abef1fa773caadb28a07005e200f5ef5c71fe0377197.jpg?w=600&h=370
https://theethicalskeptic.com/2021/12/30/denial-of-early-covid-19-treatment-a-crime-against-humanity/
#LGBFJB
Bwaha! Lolgf
Here is another study you may be interested in
Kroger-Dunning
It sort of shows why Heartguard for dogs works in humans
CarolAnn,
We’re all grateful your mother recovered but anecdotes are not the same as evidence. While it appears that ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) “cured” your mother, since Covid mortality is about 1%, there’s a 99% chance she would have survived with the hospital’s standard of care at the time, assuming she was hospitalized.
That’s why large randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical studies are needed to assess the true effectiveness of medicines. Skepticism is useful, but dismissing studies one doesn’t understand as “phony” is immature.
These studies are not “phony” but are the keystone of clinical science.
Studies and trials.
Notice anything in particular???
https://theethicalskeptic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/All-Studies-Combined.png
#LGBFJB
BWAHA! LOLGF