Bad News Thread

[Bruddah IZ]

It isn't latitude. Nearly every other state at your latitude did significantly better than LA.

Not do we see a general pattern of south = worse. Texas doesn't look worse than Oklahoma, for example. Arkansas isn't much different from Tennessee.

Waves sloshing in a pool might get you a good grade in English class. Big fat F for stats, though. Waaaaay too many individual events to blame it on random drift.

Try again. Why did LA do so poorly?

You still arguing the merits of PCR test.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

Farm workers in general were hit very hard, up and down the valley. Bunk housing is very effective at spreading covid.

Speaking of bunk. You're still here.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

It’s actually peer reviewed research that backs up masks, not religion.

Useless standard when you consider the PCR test does not test for the corona virus.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

What part of wearing a mask is untenable?

The pre-mask, PCR test.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

You must be kidding, right? The whole gig behind trump conservatism is intolerance and cleansing of any “others”.

Coocoo

 

[Glitterhater]

JFC. I feel like this thread is the epitome of a car wreck that you cannot look away from!

"are y'all still here arguing about masks"
- glitter

 

[Bruddah IZ]

None of this is partisan for me, not sure why your making it such. I will say that some politicians have a better track record than others, but generally I'd prefer reasonable parties from all different expertise to determine public health policy, and certainly not just epidemiologists.

I'm just razzing you, but maybe you'd be more comfortable here:

What's crazy is this parody was prophetic in many ways, particularly when it comes to police.

Husker went to the bubble in November of 2016.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

JFC. I feel like this thread is the epitome of a car wreck that you cannot look away from!

"are y'all still here arguing about masks"
- glitter

Nah. PCR test.

 

[espola]

typical espola. Any tactic to avoid admitting you were wrong.

Never Admit You Are Wrong

The Official Dilbert Website featuring Scott Adams Dilbert strips, animation, mashups and more starring Dilbert, Dogbert, Wally, The Pointy Haired Boss, Alice, Asok, Dogberts New Ruling Class and more.

dilbert.com

 

[texanincali]

The annually-updated flu vaccine has potentially saved even more lives.

Understood, and hopefully the Covid vaccine does the same. Neither vaccine (if you want to call them that) keep you from catching the either virus. If masks work so well, I am wondering why these expert epidemiologists and the like haven't advocated for mask wearing during flu season over the years. If this mask study indicated anything conclusive, millions of lives could have been saved.

 

[espola]

Understood, and hopefully the Covid vaccine does the same. Neither vaccine (if you want to call them that) keep you from catching the either virus. If masks work so well, I am wondering why these expert epidemiologists and the like haven't advocated for mask wearing during flu season over the years. If this mask study indicated anything conclusive, millions of lives could have been saved.

The mask history of the last year shows conclusively that people (at least in this country) will be resistant to mask mandates up to the point of physical violence. We already have a proven vaccine and propaganda program for flu and proven medications such as Tamiflu. Even without those, we can all practice simple acts to reduce the rate of infection, things we should have learned in 6th-grade health class -- stay home if you are sick, use a tissue to catch sneezes and coughs, and wash your hands.

 

[texanincali]

The mask history of the last year shows conclusively that people (at least in this country) will be resistant to mask mandates up to the point of physical violence. We already have a proven vaccine and propaganda program for flu and proven medications such as Tamiflu. Even without those, we can all practice simple acts to reduce the rate of infection, things we should have learned in 6th-grade health class -- stay home if you are sick, use a tissue to catch sneezes and coughs, and wash your hands.

No doubt. So is your feeling there would be an acceptable number of annual Covid deaths, similar to how we've just learned to live with the flu? Do you plan on sticking with the mask alongside the simple practices to reduce flu/Covid transmission?

 

[espola]

No doubt. So is your feeling there would be an acceptable number of annual Covid deaths, similar to how we've just learned to live with the flu? Do you plan on sticking with the mask alongside the simple practices to reduce flu/Covid transmission?

I wouldn't call the number acceptable, but prefer the word inevitable. The annual deaths from flu are close to the range of deaths from highway accidents - so maybe we need a Ralph Nader-style book - Unsafe At Any Sneeze.

 

[dad4]

Understood, and hopefully the Covid vaccine does the same. Neither vaccine (if you want to call them that) keep you from catching the either virus. If masks work so well, I am wondering why these expert epidemiologists and the like haven't advocated for mask wearing during flu season over the years. If this mask study indicated anything conclusive, millions of lives could have been saved.

Why do you assume that experts understood masks in 2019?

They didn't know. That's why they initially said "no masks" back in Feb 2020.

It also seems unlikely that people would be willing to mask up for flu, now that we do know.

 

[texanincali]

Why do you assume that experts understood masks in 2019?

They didn't know. That's why they initially said "no masks" back in Feb 2020.

It also seems unlikely that people would be willing to mask up for flu, now that we do know.

To be honest, I am just assuming, which can be very dangerous. I mean, if our experts can eradicate certain diseases, send people to the moon and create nuclear energy, I would think they would know whether or not masks worked before 2019. They've been around for many, many decades. I find it hard to believe in the technology driven world we live in that our experts had no idea prior to 2019 whether or not masks helped against respiratory viruses.

I actually like the seat belt analogy people use. Seatbelts have been proven (through data a tests) to save lives and thus have become completely accepted by the general population. If these masks have the ability to save lives, I would like the data and tests to be made public. If they can save lives, I think it is entirely unfair for anyone to decide what is inevitable or acceptable as to who we save and who we don't. If these masks can save people from dying of the flu, we should be wearing them every flu season.

Do you not agree with that?

 

[N00B]

If these masks can save people from dying of the flu, we should be wearing them every flu season.

Do you not agree with that?

From my perspective (I know you were asking someone else), no.

Seatbelts are a requirement, more akin to a mask mandate. We don’t recommend them, we require them. Doing so in a state of emergency has been accomplished, but I don’t see that in a non-pandemic situation.

If the data suggests masking is effective protecting the wearer, I would expect Recommendations to mask up.

If the data shows it helps protect others from the sick, I would expect masking recommendations to be minimal (there is no justification for requiring heathy individuals to mask) but that other policies would be more effective. Covid like sick time expansions to avoid employees returning to the office when under the weather for example.

Either way, I assume that there will be an increase in flu vaccinations and social compliance to staying away from others when not feeling well. Not to mention the article I posted about two flu strains potentially being eradicated. Flu vaccines will likely be more accurate this season. That combined with the Covid related awareness/requirements will further drive down the spread of flu… I have a fever today, can’t pass the temperature screening at work so I’ll stay home, etc.

If another flu strain or two is eradicated on the way, that’s even better news.

 

[kickingandscreaming]

JFC. I feel like this thread is the epitome of a car wreck that you cannot look away from!

"are y'all still here arguing about masks"
- glitter

Thanks for checking in on the crazies, @Glitterhater. It's not a coincidence that "mask" is a four-letter word. Of the 10 posts after yours, 6 had that profanity. When numbers are as encouraging as these are, it appears to be the only argument in town.

 

[dad4]

From my perspective (I know you were asking someone else), no.

Seatbelts are a requirement, more akin to a mask mandate. We don’t recommend them, we require them. Doing so in a state of emergency has been accomplished, but I don’t see that in a non-pandemic situation.

If the data suggests masking is effective protecting the wearer, I would expect Recommendations to mask up.

If the data shows it helps protect others from the sick, I would expect masking recommendations to be minimal (there is no justification for requiring heathy individuals to mask) but that other policies would be more effective. Covid like sick time expansions to avoid employees returning to the office when under the weather for example.

Either way, I assume that there will be an increase in flu vaccinations and social compliance to staying away from others when not feeling well. Not to mention the article I posted about two flu strains potentially being eradicated. Flu vaccines will likely be more accurate this season. That combined with the Covid related awareness/requirements will further drive down the spread of flu… I have a fever today, can’t pass the temperature screening at work so I’ll stay home, etc.

If another flu strain or two is eradicated on the way, that’s even better news.

Not quite clear whether the flu shot will be more accurate. Hard to hit the target when we have so little data....

I do agree that the flu shot ought to be more popular next year, and that staying home when sick should be more common.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

If you stick your head up your butt far enough you might see this thing called an immune system. It works a heck of a lot better than a mask and a fake vaccine.

 

[Bruddah IZ]

Perhaps you've noticed that in recent days there's been a hysterical drive to make it appear that hospitalizations among children aged 12 to 17 are on some kind of unique rise (with the not particularly subtle subtext that the vaccination of people in this age group is suddenly very urgent). I am sure that without even looking into the details, you knew this was nonsense. We have too much experience with hysterical claims like these not to smell a rat. And you were right. One of my friends, who helped design my COVID charts quiz, debunked it. I am sharing the debunking, complete with charts, with you. Here goes: "The latest CDC MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) study released today is being used by major media outlets to suggest COVID hospitalizations are rising in 12-17 year old children -- except they aren't. The CDC's own data contradicts this. The CDC cherry-picked dates in their study to push a narrative. "First, let's look at the time they cut off their study: April 24th. Based on the graph below, you do see increased hospitalization rates in 12-17 year olds from March to April 24th:

Coincidentally, April 24th was also when hospitalizations peaked and declined for these age groups. Why did the CDC end their study right at this point, I wonder?

"'Rising hospitalizations' also misses very important context - hospitalizations were rising in all age groups around this time frame in the spring -- even the most-vaccinated cohort (> 65) -- and at faster rates. Yet they use this study to justify why teen vaccinations are needed." (TW note: In case you can't see the key in the graph below, the orange line on the top is 65 and over, the blue line is the overall number, and that dashed line at the bottom that barely registers at all is the terrible apocalypse of hospitalizations among the 12-17 age group that is supposed to make their vaccinations urgent.)

"Something in this MMWR study that is worth mentioning, though: almost HALF (172 out of 376) of 'COVID' hospitalizations in this age group were likely there for something other than COVID -- further supporting the claim that child COVID hospitalization numbers are inflated. "Additionally, of the 172 children admitted to the hospital, but not for COVID, over 44% were there for psychiatric care. This seems like a pretty alarming number, but we'd need to see what the baseline is for psychiatric admissions of adolescents. "It's becoming increasingly obvious the CDC is not an unbiased, agenda-free scientific organization. Just a month ago it was found they let teachers unions influence school reopening guidance. Their reputation rightfully continues to quickly deteriorate." Although at this point I expect every word out of these lying liars' mouths to be a lie, even I find myself breathless at the sheer audacity of it all, that they get away with making easily debunked claims time and again, and (for the most part) get away with it. Bits and pieces of their stupid narrative are starting to fall away, though. Fauci's star was on the rise for a long time. But from his perch there was nowhere to go but down. And that has begun. After what we've all been through over the past 15 months -- the lies, the fearmongering, the laughable "science," the stupid plexiglass barriers, the worry that maybe an unmasked three-year-old playing soccer is going to kill you -- I want to invite you to a massive celebration, as the country's normal people assemble for the night of fun and socializing and entertainment that heaven knows we've earned.