How COVID-19 is affecting society

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*Picard-facepalm.jpg*

A widely-circulated open letter calling on governments to pursue herd immunity is counting homeopaths, therapists and fake names among its "medical" signatories, leading to accusations that it falsely represents scientific support for the controversial position.

The Great Barrington Declaration, a letter organised by prominent advocates of herd immunity, claims to have been signed by more than 15,000 scientists and medical practitioners, as well as more than 150,000 members of the general public.
 

Innula Zenovka

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On the face of it, at least, this seems to suggest widespread corruption in how the British government has awarded contracts to provide PPE and medical equipment

 

Innula Zenovka

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Sovereignty

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Black Americans' misgivings about participating in vaccine tests shouldn't come as any great surprise -- it was flagged up in general news media, along with the reasons why they're mistrustful of a white-dominated medical establishment, right back at the start of the pandemic as a potential issue:



Those are just two examples Google found for me with little difficulty, and I'm sure I remember reading about at the time in other publications, too.
I'm sure that the leaders of the two HBCU's in New Orleans were aware of this. (It is their surprise that matters, not mine.) I'll guess what they were stunned at was that the mistrust is so deep that it leads people to act against their best interests.

It reminds me of the anti-maskers a bit. Historically speaking, of course, everyone has arrived at this destination by quite different routes (understatement), but I wonder if there is some psychological aspect that is held in common. It is as if people believe some magic spell makes their self destructive behavior okay.
 

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What could that magic spell be?

Here's my guess.

A strong reinforcing effect from social interactions, which bypasses critical thinking, makes the self destructive behavior socially okay, like people chatting on forums and thoughtlessly giving thumbs up to some post because they know it will make them part of the group. I could see that happening in churches, too, when everyone exclaims "Amen!", or in military boot camps when new recruits learn call and response cadences for marching.

A post on a forum could be a call and the thumbs up are a response. A preacher (black or white) literallly calls and the congregation responds "Amen!". One member of a platoon calls out to the platoon while marching, and they yell out the agreed on response. Trump even does that in his rallies, shouting dog whistles to the audience and getting an affirmative response. (It feeds his narcissism, but the audience gets a feeling of belonging.)

Just speculating.
 
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Innula Zenovka

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I'm sure that the leaders of the two HBCU's in New Orleans were aware of this. (It is their surprise that matters, not mine.) I'll guess what they were stunned at was that the mistrust is so deep that it leads people to act against their best interests.

It reminds me of the anti-maskers a bit. Historically speaking, of course, everyone has arrived at this destination by quite different routes (understatement), but I wonder if there is some psychological aspect that is held in common. It is as if people believe some magic spell makes their self destructive behavior okay.
Are the heads of universities and colleges, historically Black or otherwise, generally seen, in the US, as having their finger on pulse of public opinion, as it were?

I wouldn't say that's generally the case in the UK -- if anything, the stereotype is of the privileged academic in his ivory tower, out of touch with the experiences and concerns of ordinary people, but probably things are different in the US.
 

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Are the heads of universities and colleges, historically Black or otherwise, generally seen, in the US, as having their finger on pulse of public opinion, as it were?

I wouldn't say that's generally the case in the UK -- if anything, the stereotype is of the privileged academic in his ivory tower, out of touch with the experiences and concerns of ordinary people, but probably things are different in the US.
They have to raise money and keep their jobs. It would behoove them to understand the response they will get when they send out a letter to everyone that supports their college or university and effectively has the power to hire and fire them.

ETA It was the response to a letter they sent out that caused their surprise.
 

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Continuing my speculations ...

I think a lot of people would rather live life in an indoctrinated state of mind.

Critical thinking has a long history of being socially unacceptable. Unfortunately, though it can bring great rewards, it is quite difficult to do well and many people abuse the concept in order to manipulate those who want to be indoctrinated.
 

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This is unconscionable, if this is not enough reason to vote all the republican bastards out of office I don't know what is: A $52,112 Air Ambulance Ride: Coronavirus Patients Battle Surprise Bills

The patient was flown by helicopter from one Philadelphia hospital to another 20 miles away. She spent six weeks at the new hospital and survived. When she came home, a letter arrived: The air ambulance company said she owed $52,112 for the trip.

Last year, Congress abandoned its attempt to prevent surprise bills like this one, and coronavirus patients are now paying the price. Bills submitted to The New York Times show that patients often face surprise charges from out-of-network doctors, ambulances and medical laboratories they did not pick or even realize were involved in their care.

The plan to ban these kinds of bills was popular and bipartisan, and it was backed by the White House. It fell apart at the 11th hour after private-equity firms, which own many of the medical providers that deliver surprise bills, poured millions into advertisements opposing the plan. Committee chairs squabbled over jurisdictional issues and postponed the issue. Then the pandemic struck.
Now that I'm retired I call and check on every little test that the doctor orders to make sure that it's being done "in network" because I've has so many surprises like this previously (just not as big of a price tag). The problem is, like this poor woman, if you're unconscious and in ICU, you can't exactly ask if the doctor treating you is "in network".

Why are we allowing these bastards to get away with this stuff? Why? :slu:
 

Aribeth Zelin

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This is unconscionable, if this is not enough reason to vote all the republican bastards out of office I don't know what is: A $52,112 Air Ambulance Ride: Coronavirus Patients Battle Surprise Bills



Now that I'm retired I call and check on every little test that the doctor orders to make sure that it's being done "in network" because I've has so many surprises like this previously (just not as big of a price tag). The problem is, like this poor woman, if you're unconscious and in ICU, you can't exactly ask if the doctor treating you is "in network".

Why are we allowing these bastards to get away with this stuff? Why? :slu:
Yeah, or the sudden shock of now the insurance doesn't cover outpatient testing procedures until you use up the deductible, when for years it was just a copay.... While completely covering my mental stuff...
 

Innula Zenovka

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Concerns are already growing here in the UK about the danger Christmas will turn into a massive national superspreader event.


Same looming problem in the US, only earlier


Asked what his advice would be to Americans making plans for the November holiday, Fauci said they should evaluate the status of cases across the country.

"Given the fluid and dynamic nature of what's going on right now in the spread and the uptick of infections, I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition," he said, adding, "You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering, unless you're pretty certain that the people that you're dealing with are not infected."

He said that his own family's Thanksgiving "is going to look very different this year." He shared that his children, who live in three different states, have decided not to return home in order to protect his health, since at 79 years old he is considered at higher risk.

"They themselves, because of their concern for me and my age, have decided they're not going to come home for Thanksgiving — even though all three of them want very much to come home for Thanksgiving."
 

Aribeth Zelin

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We're going up to see my mom this weekend, since she's super careful and we're super careful, but she's like 'please wear a mask in places on your way up' and I'm like.... we keep a stash of them in the car'

Also, if I get news off of the 'internet' its all suspect, because she's heard of Qanon and well.... doesn't know how to tell, except if behind a paywall or if its cnbc.

Which that's great but I'm a lot more savvy than she is.
 

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A spin studio that public health officials say followed all Covid-19 protocols is now reporting 61 positive cases of Covid-19, and as many as 100 staff, clients and family members may have been exposed.

SPINCO, in Hamilton, Ontario, just reopened in July and had all of the right protocols in place, including screening of staff and attendees, tracking all those in attendance at each class, masking before and after classes, laundering towels and cleaning the rooms within 30 minutes of a complete class, said Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton's medical officer of health, in a statement.

But it still wasn't enough.
 

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Of course it wasn't enough! FFS!
SPINCO, in Hamilton, Ontario, just reopened in July and had all of the right protocols in place, including screening of staff and attendees, tracking all those in attendance at each class, masking before and after classes, laundering towels and cleaning the rooms within 30 minutes of a complete class, said Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton's medical officer of health, in a statement.
This is sheer insanity. Screening is not a substitute for avoiding people. Checking temps or symptoms and cheap-testing-with-high-fails-rates are not going to protect you from someone who is contagious but asymptomatic.

We can't return to normal activities, like spin classes, until we have a critical mass of vaccinated people. We're not there yet. Duh.