Indiana got a lot more red this week
- Thread starter TheOriginalHappyGoat
- Start date
I agree it all sucks. But so do stories like these, which unfortunately are just going to become more common in the next couple of months......
COVID-19 crisis: El Paso County seeks workers to move 200-plus bodies at morgue, trailers
"Emotionally taxing" work: El Paso County seeks workers to move hundreds of bodies at the morgue and in trailers.
www.elpasotimes.com
When this pandemic first began, I posted here that the first thing I did was to search for ways to boost my immune system. I thought then, and still think, a healthy and robust immune system is at least as important as masks and distance, but nobody in authority ever mentions that.
All this ass sucking is hard to watch.
I figure it's probably a matter of focus. While your thoughts might constitute good advice for most individuals to maximize their chances of surviving an infection, I don't think that's really what an epidemiologist is going for. Rather, he has to think about what we should focus on to arrest the spread and minimize the impact of a disease in the entire population. The individual strategy doesn't necessarily transfer to the population strategy. With the entire population, we have to account for not only people who are immunocompromised, but other people who cannot make the necessary lifestyle changes for whatever reason, as well as those who will simply refuse. Since the people who don't follow the best advice for themselves individually are a danger to others besides themselves, the epidemiologist has to look for advice that takes them into account.
I was just pointing out, pretty easily, that just because one works out and is fit, doesn't mean that covid can't hit someone hard.
A strong immune system is fantastic for having a good outcome when you have been infected. But, it's not a cure-all for stopping the spread of a deadly virus. People with strong immune systems can still spread the virus and it's obviously something that is spreading in massive amounts in this country. As that spread gains velocity, even some people with strong immune systems are going to suffer badly and some will die from it.
I'm going to steal a tactic from @Marvin the Martian here and remember a scene from The West Wing, when Charlie is having a convo with the President about how he got suckered into thinking his tax advance was actually a rebate. When asked what he did with the money, he said he paid his Visa bill. "A trip to Banana Republic would have killed you?" Bartlet says. He explains that the plan was to inject money into retail.
"Did it work?" Charlie asks.
"Not that much. Most people did what you did, saved or paid down debt."
"We don't want people to save money or pay off their personal debt?"
"We do, but when the other guy's in office."
The lesson of the scene is that what's good for the individual fiscally isn't necessarily what's best for the economy as a whole. I think that lesson applies here, as well.
We can't overlook this graphic:
The Hispanic and Latino communities are also driving up the Denver statistics. In terms of percent positive tests, cases, hospitalization and deaths, this demographic leads the way. Within the Hispanic and Latino demographic, the 20-40 age group is the highest in all numbers, and within that it is males. Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods are the reddest on the Denver map. Some of these neighborhoods have positivity test rates in excess of 30%. The relative numbers for this demographic exceed the percentage of the population in general.
My demographic and my neighborhood and age positivity test rate is below 5% which is where the health officials like to see it and the cases and hospitalizations are correspondingly low.
Some of the important factors for this Hispanic Latino cluster could be:
Working in occupations where social distancing and other precautions are not always possible.
Living in households with more people.
Socializing in larger groups.
Not knowing or understanding the risks and dangers.
I don't think we need one-size-fits-all curfews, shutdowns, and other restrictions. Instead we need to focus our efforts on where the problems really are. This virus has always clustered around different factors, recognizing these clusters and focusing extra effort to address those is very important.
Well there we go. As long as it is mostly minorities being infected then we shouldn't worry about trying to keep the numbers down. (Sarcasm).
The factors are people ignoring lockdowns or not having lockdowns. People thinking masks are just political rather than realizing they are helpful.
If everyone took this seriously starting in feb/march, then the numbers wouldn't be as bad as they are.
Sadly, a good portion of this population cares more about their freedom to do as they please than they care about the health of their fellow neighbors.
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many families up here have caught a mild flu or severe cold. Shit comes around a few times per year for those with younger kids.
We can't overlook this graphic:
The Hispanic and Latino communities are also driving up the Denver statistics. In terms of percent positive tests, cases, hospitalization and deaths, this demographic leads the way. Within the Hispanic and Latino demographic, the 20-40 age group is the highest in all numbers, and within that it is males. Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods are the reddest on the Denver map. Some of these neighborhoods have positivity test rates in excess of 30%. The relative numbers for this demographic exceed the percentage of the population in general.
My demographic and my neighborhood and age positivity test rate is below 5% which is where the health officials like to see it and the cases and hospitalizations are correspondingly low.
Some of the important factors for this Hispanic Latino cluster could be:
Working in occupations where social distancing and other precautions are not always possible.
Living in households with more people.
Socializing in larger groups.
Not knowing or understanding the risks and dangers.
I don't think we need one-size-fits-all curfews, shutdowns, and other restrictions. Instead we need to focus our efforts on where the problems really are. This virus has always clustered around different factors, recognizing these clusters and focusing extra effort to address those is very important.
why would you rule out genetic differences? I’ve linked several studies demonstrating a correlation with Vitamin D and COVID impact (death, hospitalization rate, etc.)
Latinos suffer from VD deficiency. That likely has some factor (not saying it explains it all)
The role of vitamin D in the health of Hispanic adults with diabetes - PubMed
The highest prevalence of low vitamin D levels are among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks. Evidence suggests that low vitamin D levels may contribute to increased risk for diabetes and its complications. Hispanics are at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency. To address the relationship between...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
It is indeed a matter of focus. When we turn to epidemiologists to lead the charge, we are going to get epidemiologist's advice. Epidemiology is obviously an important specialty as we fight covid, but so is simple immune system boosters such as telling all of us about the importance of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and hydration.
As I said, your advice is probably good individual advice. But it might not be the best focus for containing an epidemic. What we're hearing from our medical professionals is what is needed to best contain the epidemic.
Isn't it like measles. Measles are not a major problem for the majority of kids who are healthy. We demand vaccinations to protect kids with compromised immune systems.
Also, sick people are the virus factories. If people are less prone to get sick the community will benefit.
Maybe true. I know of 3 families where young adults were infected with mild symptoms (including mine) and only one other person in those families got infected.
Early on it was believed the disease was hardest on the elderly because their immune systems are weaker. Getting people to change unhealthy behaviors is hard, though, especially in a way that would improve their chances against COVID. I dropped my BMI some, because there was plenty of evidence that could help. Nothing like the threat of a deadly disease for motivation.
The vast majority of folks in Indiana have low Vit D levels. 1000-2000 IU daily for everyone with dark skin and 20 minutes top less in the sun between 10-2 for light skinned folks. Or take the supplementI am glad you are feeling better, and of course I am brown nosing for the ranking after I complained about CO ignoring my posts on voting machines without a paper trail.
There is good science that people with low vitamin D are having worse outcomes, and I have added the supplement. But there is still a catch, do they have low vitamin D before they get COVID or does COVID block their bodies from processing vitamin D? I have not seen anyone completely discount the latter possibility.
Depends on whether you achieve a level of explosiveness that essentially leaves you immune to Covid
Sad isn’t it. A reporter tried to ask him a question last week. His staff couldn’t get the reporter out of the room quick enough.
And we all know if there’s one thing Trumpsters can’t stand, it’s being disrespectful towards the media.
Its almost the same as trampling on the peaceful transition of power norm that is at the very heart of democracy.
Yea, trump has been so respectful of reporters and always willing to take the tough questions. (SARCASM)
Be careful in your glass house.
Did his staff yell, "I don't call on activists!", before storming out of the room?
wonder if he will get the jim acosta treatment and be banned from the White House?
After Trump's treatment of reporters, GOP lost any ability to comment on pretty much anything Biden does in that regard. Unless Biden shoots someone on Main St in broad daylight, I don't think they can comment on pretty much anything without being hypocrites. He won't even need to release his taxes because we all heard for the last 4 years how that was an invasion of privacy and not important.
Wonder if Biden has a twitter account setup so that he can use it to harass Americans #Trumpstyle.
After Trump's treatment of reporters, GOP lost any ability to comment on pretty much anything Biden does in that regard. Unless Biden shoots someone on Main St in broad daylight, I don't think they can comment on pretty much anything without being hypocrites. He won't even need to release his taxes because we all heard for the last 4 years how that was an invasion of privacy and not important.
Wonder if Biden has a twitter account setup so that he can use it to harass Americans #Trumpstyle.
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You're being too hard on yourself. I think you often post next level, black belt kind of humor fairly regularly. And that post was top notch in that regard. It was so good that you might even have a shot at rising high enough in your "weekly" rankings to join Mark, Bulk, and I on your extremely exclusive and highly esteemed honorable mentions list.
don't look for much when it comes to unclebulk in the rankings. as for you; you've posted less frequently this past week. i suspect that will result in a rise in your ranking. we'll see
I couldn’t hear what they said except they ushered them all out of the room. Maybe Biden should just let Ms Harris answer since he’s not competent.