Medical Discussion of Coronavirus

[CordMcNally]

https://news.yahoo.com/philadelphia-...183058603.html

Philadelphia to restore indoor mask mandate effective 4/18/22.

“If we fail to act now, knowing that every previous wave of infections has been followed by a wave of hospitalizations, and then a wave of deaths, it will be too late for many of our residents,” said Bettigole, noting about 750 Philadelphia residents died in the wintertime omicron outbreak. “This is our chance to get ahead of the pandemic, to put our masks on until we have more information about the severity of this new variant.”

I'd be curious what the citizens of Philadelphia think about this.

[triad]

I'd be curious what the citizens of Philadelphia think about this.

seems like an odd time with hospitalizations at near pandemic lows.. isn't death pretty much optional with jabs and paxlovid?

[CordMcNally]

seems like an odd time with hospitalizations at near pandemic lows.. isn't death pretty much optional with jabs and paxlovid?

Did they ever release all of the data for Paxlovid? I'm not aware if they have but COVID has pretty much fallen off a cliff so that's gone to the wayside.

[StarTrekDoc]

NNT for hospital for high risk is 15 in the original. No following study either and certainly not on omnicron which the NNT will certainly be significantly higher.

Itll end up like how we use tamiflu I bet.

The mask mandate helps a small bit still in packed areas. I'd Don one in an elevator or where poor ventilation remains unaddressed.

[StarTrekDoc]

We went to Disneyland just last week. Only time used a mask was indoor hallway queue for sorin'. Otherwise all mask free.

[burritos]

Are we supposed to wear masks in clinics? I'm wearing it about 50% of the, based to patient preference.

[StarTrekDoc]

100% in clinic - system policy

[spiritrider]

seems like an odd time with hospitalizations at near pandemic lows.. isn't death pretty much optional with jabs and paxlovid?

I would hardly call death optional, with a national average of about 500 deaths/day.

The national average of cases/day are about the same as they were two (2) years ago when everyone was freaking out.

My state's average cases/day have jumped 50% in three weeks. Several cities the Northeast have jumped 100% in a short period of time

I wouldn't call it a surge just yet, but it appears we might be following the recent BA.2 surge in England, Germany and some other European countries.

What we have become is desensitized and seek to normalize still far too high numbers.

[triad]

I would hardly call death optional, with a national average of about 500 deaths/day.

The national average of cases/day are about the same as they were two (2) years ago when everyone was freaking out.

My state's average cases/day have jumped 50% in three weeks. Several cities the Northeast have jumped 100% in a short period of time

I wouldn't call it a surge just yet, but it appears we might be following the recent BA.2 surge in England, Germany and some other European countries.

What we have become is desensitized and seek to normalize still far too high numbers.

but aren't the vast majority of the deaths from people who chose not to get jabbed? Is paxlovid readily available? that is supposed to be 90% effective last I heard

[Tim]

•With all the home test kits, it is going to be difficult to track infections (positives/negatives).
• hospitalizations - (coincidental or cause)
•deaths - (coincidental or cause)
Vaccine, boosters, prior infection status for all cases. The absence of data is deafening.

As far as desensitization, is the problem the messaging or with the lack of data? It’s time for data, not political issues. The public is actually questioning how effective changing behavior really is. COVID seems flare up on it’s own, regardless of the mandates and how inconsistently they have been messaged.
Masks- one would think any mask requirement would have a standard by now.

Stay safe.

[CordMcNally]

but aren't the vast majority of the deaths from people who chose not to get jabbed? Is paxlovid readily available? that is supposed to be 90% effective last I heard

Paxlovid is going to end up being like many of the other therapeutics. Touted as highly effective in press releases and then finally deemed to be nothing special 6-12 months later once they release all their data.

[Tim]

Paxlovid is going to end up being like many of the other therapeutics. Touted as highly effective in press releases and then finally deemed to be nothing special 6-12 months later once they release all their data.

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/pfizers-first-quarter-haul-could-come-light-analysts-flag-overambitious-paxlovid-and

Pfizer hopes you are incorrect.

[CordMcNally]

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/...s-paxlovid-and

Pfizer hopes you are incorrect.

Of course they do. It's why we're seeing 'study results' in press releases while they delay the release of the complete data.

[artemis]

Is paxlovid readily available? that is supposed to be 90% effective last I heard

Availability is a problem in many areas, unfortunately.

Since people can self test at home, I think for epidemiological purposes testing waste water will need to be continued for some time. That not only allows us to see if an area is beginning a surge, it allows us to screen for potential new variants in the population. And it doesn’t compromise any individual’s privacy, so there’s no rational reason for anyone to object to it.

[Tangler]

Masks forever? Everywhere? N-95?

Regional differences are interesting.

I was in AL last week. No one wearing masks except in the airport / plane. I am now in MA and some people wear masks walking outside by themselves.

For me, something in between makes sense. I am fully vaccinated and relatively healthy.

I wear a mask to prevent annoying people and to comply with regulations and to avoid getting elderly sick but for it to work I think you need a tight fitting N-95 and you have to avoid touching it or your face and you must wash your hands constantly.

If you are wearing a mask to "follow the rules" for example a loose fitting mask on a plane that you take off to drink a coke and eat a snack then I think it is largely for show.

If you wear an N-95 for your entire 12 hour travel period and never touch it and wash your hands with hand sanitizer every 5 min after you touch anything, that is probably very effective.

I guess I am somewhere in the middle. At some point we need to let people decide what they want to do and how they want to live.

The old grandma saying: "people convinced against their will are of the same opinion still" is true.

I have changed my mind regarding many things with time. In the beginning (2 years ago) I was very worried about covid.

At that time, I was in favor of mask mandates and isolation to flatten the curve and then when we had a vaccine, I was in favor of vaccine mandates.


Now, I realize those things just don't work in a free country.

Even if you force someone to wear a mask are you going to force them to stop touching it constantly or to make sure if fits tightly or force them to shave the facial hair or to "upgrade" to a properly fitting N-95?

Same for the vaccine. I am very pro-vaccine and thought it was a good idea to "encourage" people to get it.

I was in favor of mandating it, because I thought there were old and ill people who really benefited from it.

I still think the old and the frail need to be vaccinated, but do I really want to live in a totalitarian country where we force people to do things that are good for them?

How many boosters? How often? Every year? Every 6 mo? Every 3 Mo?

Are we going to force the smokers to stop or the drinker to stop? How about people driving too fast? Eating too much sugar / carbohydrates?

It certainly would be in their best interest to "encourage" many of these things but do I want to fire them from their job when inflation is insane and gas prices jumping?

I think we should provide every incentive for people to be healthy but I don't know where we draw the line.

Where is the line?

I certainly don't want some arbitrary bureaucrat (who could possibly be motivated by political / social ideas rather than scientific data ) deciding.

It is complex. My wife is crazy / worried about her momma, still.

My wife's mom has CA and lives with us.

When I came back to MA from AL I took a covid test and had a temp check and spend the first 24 hours isolated from her mom "just in case". (spent the night in the basement and after 24 hours of no symptoms and and negative tests I was "cleared" to come upstairs.

Was I "perfect" during my travel? Nope, but I tried to be fairly careful.

I wore an N-95 for 90% of my miserable 12 hour travel time.

Should / could an ordinary citizen wear and N-95 correctly for 12 hours without taking it off for food / drink?

I don't want to fight with anyone about what they should / could do to improve their life and health.

I was visiting with an elderly women in AL and discussing life and this wise old Octogenarian told me: "Tangler.........everybody has to go up fools hill"

I guess this country is set up to allow you to make your own path. I hope it stays that way.