Liberty
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Posts posted by Liberty
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I'm a little late on this one, but I can recommend the documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Bulls 'The Last Dance', and I don't even watch any sports. It was quite excellent.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8420184/
Currently watching 'The Innocence Files' (Netflix) with my wife, and so far it's quite good too.
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To put that in perspective, at this rate the U.S. is racking up more cases in a week than Britain has accumulated since the start of the pandemic.
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Also this:
But people aren’t getting their tests back quickly enough.
Well, that’s just stupidity. The majority of all US tests are completely garbage, wasted. If you don’t care how late the date is and you reimburse at the same level, of course they’re going to take every customer. Because they are making ridiculous money, and it’s mostly rich people that are getting access to that. You have to have the reimbursement system pay a little bit extra for 24 hours, pay the normal fee for 48 hours, and pay nothing [if it isn’t done by then]. And they will fix it overnight.
Why don’t we just do that?
Because the federal government sets that reimbursement system. When we tell them to change it they say, “As far as we can tell, we’re just doing a great job, it’s amazing!” Here we are, this is August. We are the only country in the world where we waste the most money on tests. Fix the reimbursement. Set up the CDC website. But I have been on that kick, and people are tired of listening to me.
FWIW, the speed of testing seems to vary a lot from state to state. In MA, my wife went to a testing station and got the results back in less than 24h. There are also CVS rapid test stations around that are even quicker.
Yeah, it's a mess because there's no federal leadership and resources to help places that fall behind or get the right incentives and guidelines uniformly. I'm hearing about a lot of places where it takes 10-14 days to get a result. By the time you get a "negative" result, you've had time to get infected, and you think you're negative (oh, I'm feeling bad, but it can't be COVID..) so you're even more dangerous because you may not quarantine even when feeling some symptoms..
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https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2025203
“ Successful Elimination of Covid-19 Transmission in New Zealand”
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Bill Gates interview:
https://www.wired.com/story/bill-gates-on-covid-most-us-tests-are-completely-garbage/
There’s three time periods, all of which have disappointments. There is 2015 until this particular pandemic hit. If we had built up the diagnostic, therapeutic, and vaccine platforms, and if we’d done the simulations to understand what the key steps were, we’d be dramatically better off. Then there’s the time period of the first few months of the pandemic, when the US actually made it harder for the commercial testing companies to get their tests approved, the CDC had this very low volume test that didn’t work at first, and they weren’t letting people test. The travel ban came too late, and it was too narrow to do anything. Then, after the first few months, eventually we figured out about masks, and that leadership is important....
The White House didn’t allow the CDC to do its job after March. There was a window where they were engaged, but then the White House didn’t let them do that. So the variance between the US and other countries isn’t that first period, it’s the subsequent period where the messages—the opening up, the leadership on masks, those things—are not the CDC’s fault. They said not to open back up; they said that leadership has to be a model of face mask usage. I think they have done a good job since April, but we haven’t had the benefit of it.
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The irony is that this is a president who is a vaccine skeptic. Every meeting I have with him he is like, “Hey, I don’t know about vaccines, and you have to meet with this guy Robert Kennedy Jr. who hates vaccines and spreads crazy stuff about them.” ...
He, Roger Stone, Laura Ingraham. They do it in this kind of way: “I’ve heard lots of people say X, Y, Z.” That’s kind of Trumpish plausible deniability. Anyway, there was a meeting where Francis Collins, Tony Fauci, and I had to [attend], and they had no data about anything. When we would say, “But wait a minute, that’s not real data,” they’d say, “Look, Trump told you you have to sit and listen, so just shut up and listen anyway.” So it’s a bit ironic that the president is now trying to have some benefit from a vaccine.
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Per CDC and @nytimes we have lost over 200,000 Americans above normal in just over 4 months.
The large majority were preventable by simply adopting what the majority of countries do.
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Dr. Fauci saying he's getting death threats, his daughters getting harassed, had to get security..
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https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/americas/brazil-us-hydroxychloroquine-doses-intl/index.html
The Trump administration's donation of 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to Brazil -- one of a handful of countries that still recommend the drug for Covid-19 -- has been mostly untouched since arrival, Brazilian officials have told CNN. Vast quantities of the pills are still sitting in storage in the Brazilian megacity of São Paulo, and one former health minister believes they may eventually have to be destroyed. -
The *entire* European Union — population 446 million — is still averaging fewer cases per day than Florida alone.
The *entire* European Union — population 446 million — has a 7-day average daily COVID death toll of *59.*
For the most recent 7 days, USA has about 12X the EUs new cases and 24X the EUs death toll on a per capita basis.
It's literally a different order of magnitude.
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https://www.thelocal.se/20200730/sweden-announces-new-guidelines-public-transport-work-home
Also: New science on aerosol infection vector
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The idea that it's possible to talk about the US' response to the pandemic without talking about the federal government is just bonkers.
Strange that all the guys who would like this to be "apolitical" (translation: Don't criticize Trump) are Trump apologists. Pretty sure that if Obama had bungled things this badly, they would be singing a different tune.
Fact is, responses to epidemics are inherently collective action problems, and governments will be at the center of any response, so talking about it means talking about the government.
Feel free not to click on the thread if you want to stay in your bubble where the feds have nothing to do with this disaster, though.
Except for that fact that, many people, including me, have acknowledged Trump's actions have been poor in many cases. What you're leaving out is your glaring neglect of any other facet or shared "blame", because it doesnt fit the agenda. Somehow, in an effort to highlight how much society has degraded in terms of its reliance on "credible sources", we've gone from "Wikipedia isn't a great source" to now Twitter being the primary go to for many....
I'm fine being political, Im fine being "apolitical". Same cant be said for everyone, most of them will likely disappear for good when the new site launches in September. You cant possibly claim to not have an agenda, when 90% of what gets posted has the same undertone to it. You also cant sit here and seriously make the case "government should have encouraged masks earlier, its the only vaccine we have", and then out of the other side of the mouth make the claim "I won't get a vaccine because of the government". Its also not incredibly hard to see that many people, in many states, won't listen to the government, whether federal, state, or local, regardless. This has held true in every state from Texas and Florida, to NY and NJ. You guys who want to harp on about the Federal government, continue to selectively highlight narrative fitting talking points, and ignore others. For instance, please explain to me, how the federal government is in anyway responsible for what happened at the Chainsmokers concert in the Hamptons? Or young people flocking to beaches and bars in Florida?
So no its not strange that "all the guys who would like this to be "apolitical"....that aint me. Pick your game and I'll play. Just please at least have the credibility to admit you are playing the game!
"acknowledging that some actions have been poor" is giving him massive cover, because it's downplaying the obvious and documented level of corruption and incompetence by a lot. The guy spent months in the crucial early months saying it was a democratic hoax, making stuff up and not listening to scientists, and even now he's planting oppo stories in the press about Fauci.. He never learns anything because he's incapable. Every single plan he's talked about, he gave up when his attention span ran out and there's effectively no federal response to the pandemic, which is probably why it's way worse than the EU or Asia or pretty much anywhere. People are suffering and dying and losing jobs that didn't need to because this clown thought being president sounded like a good way to be a bigger celebrity and have more attention, and that pisses me off.
Maybe the reason why I always point out bad things he does is because he keeps doing really stupid and bad things. If he stopped, I'd be glad to stop. I'm not partisan, I'm just pro competence and integrity, and there's a real bear market in those in Washington lately. I'd be happy with any republican or democrat doing the right things, I'd love to have Romney right now, he'd do fine, as would Obama or even Bush.
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The idea that it's possible to talk about the US' response to the pandemic without talking about the federal government is just bonkers.
Strange that all the guys who would like this to be "apolitical" (translation: Don't criticize Trump) are Trump apologists. Pretty sure that if Obama had bungled things this badly, they would be singing a different tune.
Fact is, responses to epidemics are inherently collective action problems, and governments will be at the center of any response, so talking about it means talking about the government.
Feel free not to click on the thread if you want to stay in your bubble where the feds have nothing to do with this disaster, though.
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Holy sh*t.
An overnight camp in Georgia required all campers and staff to have a negative covid test < 12 days of camp start. Day 3 of camp, a counselor got chills and tested positive. Camp quickly closed. 44% of those at the camp were got infected.
Look at the attack rates!
The kids were cohorting by cabin, but not reportedly wearing masks and were doing a lot of loud singing / chanting (as campers do).
Hopefully none of these kids will be too sick.
But the contagiousness of this disease is just breathtaking.
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How Jared Kushner’s Secret Testing Plan “Went Poof Into Thin Air”
Also: Coronavirus roundtable update (just a funny tiktok video):
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I have to wonder why Fauci is appointed by Trump to lead this.
He's not appointed by Trump.
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I am not sure why there continues to be so much debate about pretty much anything Trump says. He has demonstrated over and over again to be an unabashed liar. When he talks why would anyone take anything he has to say seriously?
The question is does HCQ+Zinc+Azithromycin when given very early on onset of symptoms works for Covid or Not?
Can you show me an RCT done to answer this question? This is what that doctor was talking about. The only way to answer if she is correct or not is by doing a study or accept her experience as correct.
The only two studies I know of this combination that I posted little bit earlier show encouraging results.
Can you show me an RCT for Remedisivir that improves mortality?
HCQ is almost free. Remedisivir is very expensive and takes IV in hospital.
They're not gonna do an RCT for everything that some right wing guy comes up with.
There have been a lot of trials on HCQ. The US FDA determined it doesn't work. The UK CDC determined it doesn't work, the French CDC determined it doesn't work, the German CDC determined it doesn't work, the EU CDC determined it doesn't work.
The only people still hawking HCQ are right wingers in US and Brazil. Also known as the bunch that fucked up the pandemic response.
It's always the 'No true scotsman' argument with these guys. It's like the young earth creationist saying that there are gaps in the fossil record, and then you find even more fossils, so they say there are now even more gaps in between these new fossils..
No amount of evidence is enough to lower their priors, because there's always something you haven't tested or done in the right way according to them...
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How far along would science be if we disregarded opinions of those on certain subjects because they hold odd views in other unrelated areas?
The answer is not very far.
Science is based on falsifiable hypotheses, evidence, and a certain methodology that allows to determine the strength of that evidence; all things that the demon sperm, alien DNA kook hasn't shown. She's made some claims, but that's not science.
Judging people's credibility is another thing entirely, but a useful skill in life, which I suggest you try to develop.
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It's ironic...the same individuals bashing this "demon sperm doctor" for her views are the same ones who say men can be women and men can give birth and have periods...
Wow that's quite the non-sequitur. It's not even wrong, it's just, nothing at all.
Do you often just plug something you have on the mind into an unrelated discussion like that? Might want to have that checked out.
Pretty sure everyone who's not bonkers doesn't think that demon sperm infecting you in your sleep is crazy and that this "doctor" doesn't sound very sane and qualified to give medical advice on critical drug research.
"Immanuel, a pediatrician and a religious minister, has a history of making bizarre claims about medical topics and other issues. She has often claimed that gynecological problems like cysts and endometriosis are in fact caused by people having sex in their dreams with demons and witches.
She alleges alien DNA is currently used in medical treatments, and that scientists are cooking up a vaccine to prevent people from being religious."
If you don't think it's INSANE for the president of the US to be simultaneously promoting this "doctor" while attacking Fauci, you probably have had too much love with demons in your dreams..
As far as HCQ goes (and I don't know much) is there any reason to prevent individuals from taking it? I don't understand the divisiveness outside of the politics. This whole thing reminds me of the essential oil and cbd oil crowds but at a national level.Well, if it's not effective, and can have dangerous side effects for some people, why would people take it? And claiming something is a cure for a disease for which there is currently no cure is EXTREMELY dangerous, as it'll modify people's behavior and perception of risk and more people will get sick and die and infect others than otherwise, causing more suffering and economic damage than would be the case if people were, y'know, more rational about it.
Otherwise, why not go to the pharmacy and just pick stuff at random and take it and tell others to take it too, while at it? It's all FDA-approved, right? Is that the standard?
I think both are equally bonkers....just pointing out the hypocrisy from certain camps. Your insertion of her "demon sperm opinion" has no relation to her opinion on HCQ just saying...What I said is not a non-sequitur, but discrediting her views on HCQ because of her other beliefs is..
Also, regardless of her views if she has been granted an MD license from the mighty AMA why wouldn't she be able to practice medicine or give her opinion?
I'm not advocating for HCQ...I have no opinion on whether it works or not.
Both may or may not be bonkers, but they have nothing to do with each other. That's what non-sequitur means.
As for a license, I'm sure you know that there are bad doctors, lawyers, pilots, plumbers, etc. You judge people on their words and actions, not on pieces of papers, and he words are those of an insane person.
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It's ironic...the same individuals bashing this "demon sperm doctor" for her views are the same ones who say men can be women and men can give birth and have periods...
Wow that's quite the non-sequitur. It's not even wrong, it's just, nothing at all.
Do you often just plug something you have on the mind into an unrelated discussion like that? Might want to have that checked out.
Pretty sure everyone who's not bonkers doesn't think that demon sperm infecting you in your sleep is crazy and that this "doctor" doesn't sound very sane and qualified to give medical advice on critical drug research.
"Immanuel, a pediatrician and a religious minister, has a history of making bizarre claims about medical topics and other issues. She has often claimed that gynecological problems like cysts and endometriosis are in fact caused by people having sex in their dreams with demons and witches.
She alleges alien DNA is currently used in medical treatments, and that scientists are cooking up a vaccine to prevent people from being religious."
If you don't think it's INSANE for the president of the US to be simultaneously promoting this "doctor" while attacking Fauci, you probably have had too much love with demons in your dreams..
As far as HCQ goes (and I don't know much) is there any reason to prevent individuals from taking it? I don't understand the divisiveness outside of the politics. This whole thing reminds me of the essential oil and cbd oil crowds but at a national level.Well, if it's not effective, and can have dangerous side effects for some people, why would people take it? And claiming something is a cure for a disease for which there is currently no cure is EXTREMELY dangerous, as it'll modify people's behavior and perception of risk and more people will get sick and die and infect others than otherwise, causing more suffering and economic damage than would be the case if people were, y'know, more rational about it.
Otherwise, why not go to the pharmacy and just pick stuff at random and take it and tell others to take it too, while at it? It's all FDA-approved, right? Is that the standard?
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It is kind of strange how invested some people seem to be in proclaiming HCQ as either effective or ineffective.
Trump pathologically can't admit mistakes, and early on he needed to peddle some miracle cure to reassure people, so he jumped on the early positive news about HCQ but pushed it way way way farther than the evidence supported, so here we are. He can't really reverse on it, and his followers take their cues from him, rather than from the science. Heck, the feds bought 60 million doses, so even more incentives to say it works... Personally, I'll trust Fauci over Trump and his 'demon sperm and alien DNA' doctor on this topic.
Meanwhile in New Zealand:
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This thread is both entertaining and sad:
Coronavirus
in General Discussion
Posted
It's like living inside The Onion:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/10/trump-urges-americans-to-stop-politicizing-the-coronavirus-blames-china.html
"Trump urges Americans to stop politicizing the coronavirus, blames China"
???