Surviving COVID

I actually like what you say and agree on some level. I have said from the start, lockdown wasn’t needed if everyone would do their part. The problem is, 80% of the country doesn’t want to be a part of the team. If everyone would spend the same effort helping the ”cause” as they do waving their constitutional rights this would be over. There are places in the world that are winning based on scientific practices.

I probably hear 5 times per week. “OMG, I was wrong.” “This is way worse than I thought it would be.” “I never thought I would actually get it.“ “I can’t breath, help me.”

It’s heartbreaking. Of course we help everyone without question or reservation. And should you get it and it’s bad, God forbid, we will be there with the doors open.

80% doesn’t want to help out, really? I am a pilot and have been flying all over the country and everywhere we go I see people wearing masks and keeping their distance. It pisses me off when people say, “well if only people did what they were supposed to do everything would be fine”. News flash, they are! So when I see people doing the “right” thing all over the country and none of it seems to be working, I’m left to think what’s the damn point in all of this? This virus is going to do what it’s going to do and there isn’t much we can do about it.
 
I actually like what you say and agree on some level. I have said from the start, lockdown wasn’t needed if everyone would do their part. The problem is, 80% of the country doesn’t want to be a part of the team. If everyone would spend the same effort helping the ”cause” as they do waving their constitutional rights this would be over. There are places in the world that are winning based on scientific practices.

I probably hear 5 times per week. “OMG, I was wrong.” “This is way worse than I thought it would be.” “I never thought I would actually get it.“ “I can’t breath, help me.”

It’s heartbreaking. Of course we help everyone without question or reservation. And should you get it and it’s bad, God forbid, we will be there with the doors open.
I think if there were evidence that supporting the "cause" would make a meaningful impact you would have the country jumping on board. Unfortunately the empirical evidence says otherwise. When you have elected leaders insist that people do something that does not show them measurable results, and the elected leaders do not follow their own advice, it builds a huge amount of distrust. Elected leaders are mandating measures for their constituents they know are not having an impact, destroying businesses and livelihoods in the process, and yet living their own lives as if everything is fine. Kind of like telling a starving population "let them eat cake".
 
I'm unsure if I am misunderstanding you or not but what you're saying is exactly what I'm against. I hate it when others assume I'm supposed to do my part for the "team." What team? You're also assuming I believe what the government is telling us is the truth. Do you also believe in Climate Change? It's ok to believe it, fear it, whatever you want to do, but don't force me to comply. Don't force me to sacrifice my freedoms because you are scared and "science" has dictated to you what is right in your/their eyes. I've yet to see anyone who has contracted covid. I've yet to hear about anyone who has had it. I've heard nothing but stories, anecdotal evidence if you will. I've yet to see or know of anyone who has died from nothing but covid. I'm unafraid. I'd prefer to get covid 10 times over than sacrifice my freedoms.

What's heartbreaking is that people are 100% willing to force others, for the good of the people, to comply. It's only gonna get worse as globalists are pushing this "unity" BS and the youth are buying into it. Future looks very grim to me.
Basically I’m speechless. I hope you are lucky enough to continue living with only anecdotal evidence that COVID is real. You are very lucky. For me it’s very real. It’s in my face 24/7. I’m not afraid. I just can’t afford to be away from my already swamped team.
 
Basically I’m speechless. I hope you are lucky enough to continue living with only anecdotal evidence that COVID is real. You are very lucky. For me it’s very real. It’s in my face 24/7. I’m not afraid. I just can’t afford to be away from my already swamped team.
Understood. The protocols are in my face as well, yet I see nobody having issues with the virus. It has become the new invisible terrorist that people believe in and fear; a Global 9/11 if you will.

I don't believe in luck. I also don't hope or trust in science falsely so called. My hope and faith are placed elsewhere.
 
Basically I’m speechless. I hope you are lucky enough to continue living with only anecdotal evidence that COVID is real. You are very lucky. For me it’s very real. It’s in my face 24/7. I’m not afraid. I just can’t afford to be away from my already swamped team.
I don’t doubt it is real. The China flu does exist, and many have died with it, many of those have died from it. It’s a pity we don’t have numbers of each.

A major problem has been the corruption of science for political purposes. We have seen that mostly in relation to the climate change hoax where science has been manipulated to say black is white. The same corruption of science has happened with this virus. We are told to rely on science but there have been too many instances of science being used to support populist government policy only to be shown later that it was all a facade. No wonder people are questioning the science being presented to them when for decades the so called science used to support anthropogenic climate change has been shown to be a fraud continue on with this virus. Now it’s a case of the boy who cried wolf.

I like my freedoms but to hold that freedom to be total and absolute without any compromise at all is anarchy. Should we have the freedom to drive on the wrong side of the road at any speed we chose? Should I have the freedom to steal your truck because I like it? Finding the balance between total freedom and contributing to controlling a virus without alarming calls either way is the object of any society.
 
I don’t doubt it is real. The China flu does exist, and many have died with it, many of those have died from it. It’s a pity we don’t have numbers of each.

A major problem has been the corruption of science for political purposes. We have seen that mostly in relation to the climate change hoax where science has been manipulated to say black is white. The same corruption of science has happened with this virus. We are told to rely on science but there have been too many instances of science being used to support populist government policy only to be shown later that it was all a facade. No wonder people are questioning the science being presented to them when for decades the so called science used to support anthropogenic climate change has been shown to be a fraud continue on with this virus. Now it’s a case of the boy who cried wolf.

I like my freedoms but to hold that freedom to be total and absolute without any compromise at all is anarchy. Should we have the freedom to drive on the wrong side of the road at any speed we chose? Should I have the freedom to steal your truck because I like it? Finding the balance between total freedom and contributing to controlling a virus without alarming calls either way is the object of any society.

Makes sense, but the problem is as you said, how does anyone with authority vet those involved politically????? This is the glaring issue that none of us can do anything about and just have to trust in those "above us." But is our trust blind???? Those we are trusting in, do they have our best interest at heart, or something else??? To many, their god is $, others be damned. How does one find balance in a corrupt world, a real world, not an idealistic one? (Sadly you don't)
 
2 people in my office tested positive, and they were both in the office that same week.

I get a Covid test almost weekly at work.
 
Way too much time and effort has been expended on creating messaging around the COVID virus to political ends that the people are not getting the truth - plain and simple. When someone tells you a falsehood do you continue to trust them.

Truth, Justice, and the American way! (Superman)
 
Out of curiosity, how many of y'all knew this happened before covid, like right before?

Event 201

I don't believe in coincidences. Take from it what you will...
 
I know of a person that was in China around September and the Chinese government was scanning people but would not say why???!!!
I’m surprised that the rest of the world hasn’t hammered China for letting this lose on the world!
 
I know of a person that was in China around September and the Chinese government was scanning people but would not say why???!!!
I’m surprised that the rest of the world hasn’t hammered China for letting this lose on the world!
Our government has requested an independent investigation into how the virus spread. China has retaliated by imposing tariffs of over 200% on some of our goods, and banned others altogether. Just this week they posted a photoshopped photo depicting an Australian soldier cutting the throat of an Afghan child, backed up with accusations of human rights abuses by our soldiers. Pretty rich coming from a country with a human rights record like China. They have been bullying lots of countries including us. Other countries won’t stand with us to take China on by imposing trade sanctions. In true hypocrisy, Twitter refused to take down the offensive post, even though they didn’t blink at censoring your presidents posts.
 
Over the past several months, I have come to believe I do not know who or what to believe with regard to Covid 19.
 
Just some perspective from a different person who is tasked with responding to the virus. Yes people get it. The older and unhealthier you are the more likely you will have severe symptoms. The virus is spreading by our date in homes via close contact with relatives or house mates (80% of cases). We have been tasked with going to the nursing homes and pulling out the severely I'll to send to the hospital. Many of these places have almost all of the residents and staff infected (close contact with house mates). Many of these places when I have entered them have staff and patients that are not wearing a mask at all much less an N95 despite it being required.

Here is what works. Wash your hands. Stay away from people. And if you are going to hang out with people, make sure they are following simple rules too. Masks only work to protect the wearer and these must be an appropriate N95 mask, worn correctly and each different brand you may use must also be tested on you personally before use (respiratory programs call this fit testing). Cloth face coverings do almost nothing to prevent the majority of spread. They do prevent a very small percentage of spread vectors but not in enough of a chance to actually stop the virus overall or slow it down. And this is countered by the fact that now random strangers have no issue walking up to me in the store because they think the mask is makes it safe. Someone said it earlier, the data shows that mandatory masking didn't do much for us. There are a lot of other things people are doing in the "interest of safety" that make no sense. Schools closed, wiping down surfaces after every touch, fog disinfectant, closing business of one type while others remain open and more crowded than ever.....

I have received 2 Covid tests in the course of work and both took 6 weeks to receive results. This was not uncommon in our area. It took two weeks to get antibody results. All were negative. I have received dozens of notices about patients I have dealt with that we later found out to be covid positive. Almost all of those notices came 2 weeks after patient contact. So in a but shell, the testing and contact tracing in our area is useless. In fact our contract tracers have more back logged cases to trace than there are current active virus cases in our county.

That being said, outside of care homes we are not seeing much in the way of severe virus spread. Yes it's real, you can get it and if you were doing the simple things I mentioned you will probably never know how you got it.

Here is some perspective:
650,000/year die from heart disease
500,000/year die from cancer
250,000 people have died from covid
90 children have died from covid
My children are 20x more likely to die from cancer (1800/year) than COVID but are schools are closed and they won't open them here until they can test everyone every week

I don't see us shutting down all the fast food joints, banning smoking, or any extreme measures to prevent the other more prevalent deaths in the us.

So with all this, why trust the government to do anything correct. The answer to all of this locally is to shut more stuff down, to which most people ignore now anyway because it hasn't worked, so why listen. In the meantime our politicians are caught traveling to different areas to dine indoors right after they just banned all dining in their local area ($800 per plate mind you). Our california legislatures just flew to Maui to have a conference but banned gatherings of 12 people or more here.

The government isn't going to solve this problem or many other issues for that matter. They actually have no clue how to even go about it. They told is the shut down would last 3 weeks to flatten the curve and expand capacity. it did squash the curve initially and our government got confident and closed the expanded hospital capacity.

What would work is telling people exactly how to protect themselves and leave it in their own hands. Wash hands, stay away from others especially strangers and if you are an at risk group or have to deal with covid patients or are just plain scared, wear a properly fit tested N95 or better mask.
 
Also something to remember. Our friends down under are entering into spring and it's warming up. We are the opposite. Alot of virus reduction will be season dependent and timing. It's getting colder here and we are entering a season where more people will be gathering in doors.

Also my own philosophy on masks is to only wear it when I am forced to. If I don't have it on and someone tries to call me out on it I remind them that the rule only applies of you can't maintain distance. So they should probably get the f away from me if they want to "be safe"....and mind their own business. I wear a mask for my safety not theirs and there are only a few times I need to wear it (mostly at work).
 
80% doesn’t want to help out, really? I am a pilot and have been flying all over the country and everywhere we go I see people wearing masks and keeping their distance. It pisses me off when people say, “well if only people did what they were supposed to do everything would be fine”. News flash, they are! So when I see people doing the “right” thing all over the country and none of it seems to be working, I’m left to think what’s the damn point in all of this? This virus is going to do what it’s going to do and there isn’t much we can do about it.
I know that following medical advice is spotty at best. I fly frequently and yes airports and areas with airports seem to follow best practices. But I have also driven cross country several times (picked up my Tremor in DEN) and some places clearly follow all advice and many follow none.

I believe in personal freedom 100% but I also believe in personal responsibility 100%. For instance I’d say there may be very few stronger 2nd advocates than I am.... but at the same time I believe reckless gun owners or government agents should face consequences! We live in a world where ladders have run out of sufficient surface area to place idiot stickers (warnings based on individual stupidity multiplied by legal greed).

Is C-19 real? - YES! Can people die a horrible death? Yes! Can a person take steps to mitigate exposure or exposing others? Yes! Do I believe everything said by the government, what passes for media these days, experts, or industry? No F’n way! Exactly the same as the right to self defense topic they all have their own bias, ulterior motivations, and don’t know - what they don’t know. PPE works but it is a only tool and like every tool requires proper use to even help.

Globalization has some benefits and many costs. I love to travel - explore different cultures and natural sites. However, invasive diseases, insects, plant, and animal issues are a real toll that humanity seems woefully unable to handle since the dawn of time.

I disagree with much of what the government has done, timing, and what they have failed to do... there are no good answers. Pandemics are and will always be a part of life on earth. We are mortal! https://dailystoic.com/marcus-aurelius-leadership-during-a-pandemic/
 
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I agree the effects of COVID are devastating.

Here is what I can tell you. If someone claims to be following the science look at what they have to say with skepticism. Unless they are a scientist and are willing to discuss the science anyone saying "follow the science" should be treated with as much credibility as a used car salesman saying "trust me".

Here is what I believe to be the truth - use your head and challenge it.

Masks generally do not work - maybe for a cough or a sneeze to catch large droplets. Mask manufacturers state on their packaging or in their literature that their products are not effective in preventing the transmission of viruses or other microbes.

We have well over 80% of the country wearing masks, yet we are seeing spikes in positive cases. This is an interesting piece of empirical data that tells me one of 2 things. Either the tests are generating false positives or masks are not working. Since test kits are required to go through a lot testing before they are released to the public, I tend to believe that the infection is spreading regardless of mask use. Would infection rates be higher without using masks? I do not know because I can't conduct a controlled study. The point is the data points to masks being ineffective at controlling the spread of the virus - that is what the data is telling us!

The real issue here is that people expect the government to protect them from the virus. They actually put their faith in what the government tells them to do to avoid contracting COVID. Unfortunately, many government leaders continue to push mask mandates simply because they have no solutions to control the spread of the virus. The people want a solution, and damn it they are going to provide one - whether it works or not. The people on the other hand want to believe there is a solution and cling to their masks because they do not know what else to do.

I believe the truth of the matter is that we cannot control a virus - the virus is going to do what it is going to do. And this virus is going to run its course.

But there are things we can do, and these seem to be having a positive effect. First we have become better at treating people who have contracted the virus. We have new therapies that are currently reducing the mortality rate of those who contract the virus. This is borne out in the data as well.

The second as you all know is the release of vaccines that should enable the body's own immune system to better fight off the virus once we have contracted the virus. We won't know for sure until we have fairly widespread distribution of vaccinated people.

Another factor contributing to lower death rates may be that the virus is attenuating on its own. I am not a virologist and am not even going to try to bullshit you on this but if it is becoming weaker that's a good thing for all involved.

The rest of the story all boils down to simple math but to sum it up quickly. If people who have survived the virus are not susceptible to reinfection and cannot contaminate other people, and people receiving the vaccine do not develop COVID and do not spread the virus, you have that many more people who are not capable of spreading the virus. (I am making assumptions here and want to be clear.) Then you have that many fewer spreaders. As more people survive the virus and more people are vaccinated the virus has fewer "places to go". And that is a good thing.

I do believe once we get through this intense wave we are in right now we will see dramatic drops in infection rates and subsequent waves should be shorter and less intense. The virus will run its course whether you want to hear that or not. So do your best to maintain your health, get plenty of rest so if you do contract the virus you minimize its impacts to your health. If you are at high risk, you do need to try to minimize contact with the virus. The more people you come into contact with, the higher the statistical chances are that you will come into contact with someone that has the virus. Its just math. Same for your family.

If you want more information I suggest you go to https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data and look at critical trends. If you look at different countries you will see the USA (which hopefully is nearing its peak right now) and other countries where the second wave has peaked and they are in a downturn. You can also go to the various states to look at how COVID infections are playing out in your area.

Don't want to be a debbie downer but I feel the stuff the media and some of the governors/mayors are feeding you is simply political - and that they are keeping the science from the people.

Make your own decisions as pertains to your circumstances and be safe and stay healthy - we will get through this together.
Well said: thank you.
 
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