Humans were built with an immune system so that they could carry on with day to day activities regardless of when minor cold / flus are present in their communities. All this emphasis on sheltering etc is worse than any cold / flu ever was. We have turn society into a bunch of hypochondriacs. Of course I’m sure hypochondriacs are great for the pharmaceutical business.
Treating it as another respiratory virus makes sense some four years after the outbreak of the original pandemic, after all the measures against the 1918 influenza pandemic didn’t continue indefinitely. What this doesn’t do is say that SARS-CoV-2 is benign and can be ignored.
The C19 vax rate has plummeted. Let's pretend that the last 4 years never happened and that COVID-19 is no different than the flu. Such was considered nonsense only a short while ago.
Pretty sure that the CDC’s new advice to practice prevention strategies, including masking, once returning to normal activities after the reduced isolation period will be ignored.
An 3/10/24 NY Times opinion piece written by Daniela Lamas, a critical care doctor from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston (and given prominence on their digital homepage) neglected to mention anything about the recommended prevention strategies. Just one day fever free, Dr. Lamas said, and you’re good to rejoin society. Irresponsible.
Here is the wording from the CDC’s new guidelines:
“Step 2: Resume normal activities, and use added prevention strategies over the next five days, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing your hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses. People can choose to use these prevention strategies at any time.”
The CDC’s use of the word “and” means that using added prevention strategies is part of the guidance after exiting from isolation.
Using “these prevention strategies at any time” refers to strategies people can take when they are NOT sick - in order to prevent illness in the first place.
Once again, the CDC guidance is so muddy that it’s no surprise most people have just tuned them out.
This is a sensible approach to the issue, particularly as it emphasises that there are respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 that are potentially dangerous and worth preventing.
Somehow humans have come through 1000’s of years, biological life forms have come through millions of years, i think natural immunity has worked ok. But my point was that during the vast majority of the time people don’t need to do anything, just go about your life, but public health with too much authority have many people more anxious about colds / flus than is necessary, mental health problems have soared right alone with the over emphasis on disease.
It’s no different than keeping the accountants in the office, they have no business on the shop floor, they just screw things up. It’s great getting input from public health, but they shouldn’t be in charge of making the final call.
Before COVID-19 most people were taking respiratory virus infections for granted -- they were always there, mostly causing "just"illness, overlooking the thousands of babies and older adults who died every year. The uptake of flu vaccine (which is offered free to those with insurance) is a small fraction of those who could prevent hospitalization or worse. RSV vaccine and mAb have just become available for adults, pregnant women and young children -- and has been effective at preventing serious disease -- but also has not been accepted as necessary. These contagious diseases can kill -- and for RSV and influenza (as well as SARS-CoV-2) -- vaccines could impact public health, if people can be convinced to take then.
I recently heard a person who had Covid say he never tested because the tests have become rather expensive. He was relatively young and seemingly healthy, but I just hoped that he assumed he had Covid and acted accordingly to protect others. (He did give it to his wife, so he owes her big time!). Since the numbers from all the respiratory diseases are cumulative, not testing but just assuming you have something potentially deadly to others makes sense unless testing concretizes the concept and increases the likelihood of protecting others.
When I got Covid in Aug 22, I tested negative through the worst of it (tested twice a day for several days) and then tested positive for 10 days after feeling completely fine, no symptoms. This was a common effect for many adults I know. Were we shedding dead cells? Why did I not test positive with more than mild symptoms?
My 9yo son tested positive during the Omicron wave as soon as he went back to school after Christmas. I only tested him because I’m a scientist and wanted to try the new fun tests out- lit it up in seconds. Tested again, solid positive. The school was supposed to send the tests home before the holiday but they conveniently forgot because they knew the wave was coming and didn’t want to lose attendance funding. I was recently boosted and didn’t get infected but my husband did who was not boosted and had much much less physical/close contact with our son.
Humans were built with an immune system so that they could carry on with day to day activities regardless of when minor cold / flus are present in their communities. All this emphasis on sheltering etc is worse than any cold / flu ever was. We have turn society into a bunch of hypochondriacs. Of course I’m sure hypochondriacs are great for the pharmaceutical business.
People still pay attention to the CDC, huh. Okay
Treating it as another respiratory virus makes sense some four years after the outbreak of the original pandemic, after all the measures against the 1918 influenza pandemic didn’t continue indefinitely. What this doesn’t do is say that SARS-CoV-2 is benign and can be ignored.
The C19 vax rate has plummeted. Let's pretend that the last 4 years never happened and that COVID-19 is no different than the flu. Such was considered nonsense only a short while ago.
Pretty sure that the CDC’s new advice to practice prevention strategies, including masking, once returning to normal activities after the reduced isolation period will be ignored.
An 3/10/24 NY Times opinion piece written by Daniela Lamas, a critical care doctor from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston (and given prominence on their digital homepage) neglected to mention anything about the recommended prevention strategies. Just one day fever free, Dr. Lamas said, and you’re good to rejoin society. Irresponsible.
Here is the wording from the CDC’s new guidelines:
“Step 2: Resume normal activities, and use added prevention strategies over the next five days, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing your hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses. People can choose to use these prevention strategies at any time.”
The CDC’s use of the word “and” means that using added prevention strategies is part of the guidance after exiting from isolation.
Using “these prevention strategies at any time” refers to strategies people can take when they are NOT sick - in order to prevent illness in the first place.
Once again, the CDC guidance is so muddy that it’s no surprise most people have just tuned them out.
This is a sensible approach to the issue, particularly as it emphasises that there are respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 that are potentially dangerous and worth preventing.
Somehow humans have come through 1000’s of years, biological life forms have come through millions of years, i think natural immunity has worked ok. But my point was that during the vast majority of the time people don’t need to do anything, just go about your life, but public health with too much authority have many people more anxious about colds / flus than is necessary, mental health problems have soared right alone with the over emphasis on disease.
It’s no different than keeping the accountants in the office, they have no business on the shop floor, they just screw things up. It’s great getting input from public health, but they shouldn’t be in charge of making the final call.
Before COVID-19 most people were taking respiratory virus infections for granted -- they were always there, mostly causing "just"illness, overlooking the thousands of babies and older adults who died every year. The uptake of flu vaccine (which is offered free to those with insurance) is a small fraction of those who could prevent hospitalization or worse. RSV vaccine and mAb have just become available for adults, pregnant women and young children -- and has been effective at preventing serious disease -- but also has not been accepted as necessary. These contagious diseases can kill -- and for RSV and influenza (as well as SARS-CoV-2) -- vaccines could impact public health, if people can be convinced to take then.
I recently heard a person who had Covid say he never tested because the tests have become rather expensive. He was relatively young and seemingly healthy, but I just hoped that he assumed he had Covid and acted accordingly to protect others. (He did give it to his wife, so he owes her big time!). Since the numbers from all the respiratory diseases are cumulative, not testing but just assuming you have something potentially deadly to others makes sense unless testing concretizes the concept and increases the likelihood of protecting others.
When I got Covid in Aug 22, I tested negative through the worst of it (tested twice a day for several days) and then tested positive for 10 days after feeling completely fine, no symptoms. This was a common effect for many adults I know. Were we shedding dead cells? Why did I not test positive with more than mild symptoms?
My 9yo son tested positive during the Omicron wave as soon as he went back to school after Christmas. I only tested him because I’m a scientist and wanted to try the new fun tests out- lit it up in seconds. Tested again, solid positive. The school was supposed to send the tests home before the holiday but they conveniently forgot because they knew the wave was coming and didn’t want to lose attendance funding. I was recently boosted and didn’t get infected but my husband did who was not boosted and had much much less physical/close contact with our son.
I read sonewhere antivirals can cause a rebound effect, is that true?