D&D and the rising pandemic

[Dannyalcatraz]

I don't disagree; it just seemed the sort of question you would want to ask a doctor.

What question? The simple fact is, she really misread the label.

 

[Hussar]

/snip

In short, quit trying to prove Who's The Boss and get serious about doing Medicine.
We need a large toolbox full of techniques and methods and gear that gain public trust. The best way to gain said trust is when people see "this is working"; then they will support The Plan instead of fighting (or ignoring) it.

But, we are getting serious about doing Medicine. It's never, ever been about trying to prove "who's the boss". That's the line the anti-vaxxer crowd wants people to accept. That it's about "personal freedoms" and the like. It has never, EVER been about that. Mask mandates, stay at home orders, whatever, have NOTHING to do with curbing personal freedoms and everything to do with trying to save lives.

It's absolutely astonishing to me that anyone would seriously think that the government actually wants to curb freedoms and whatnot. Do people not realize that most governments are commiting political suicide right now? Other than maybe New Zealand anyway. Ask Ontario how they feel about their Premier. Or Canada what they think of Trudeau. Good grief, anti-vaxxers were so violent that Trudeau actually had to cancel a public meeting a day or so ago. In CANADA??!?! Good grief, we had a PM who called out the freaking army, stripped away every Canadians rights and enacted the War Measures Act and had less hostility than what Trudeau is facing now.

We HAVE the public trust. Overwhelmingly do we have the public trust. Every single poll shows that people are getting vaccinated, in very large numbers, and support (to some degree anyway) mask mandates and various other things that the governments have had to do. This isn't about gaining trust. This is about finally addressing the elephant in the room that has been simmering for decades - a very insular, very defensive and very, very wrong group of the population that has rejected anything approaching science in favor of whatever naughty word that makes them feel better about the world.

To be very, very blunt about it, this is the West's version of extremists. They are violent. They are not interested in anything approaching conciliation and they are radicalized.

There is almost no difference between these people and any other radical extremists you care to name.

 

[CleverNickName]

I promise, I'm not trying to insult the fellow in the video (or anyone, for that matter.) The point I'm trying to address is that misinformation on the internet doesn't spring up suddenly overnight, like a mushroom...it's usually carefully cultivated. Usually by "internetainers" and "content creators" trying to generate clicks.

The lady in the video is perfectly comfortable discussing medication with (presumably) a stranger on the Internet. Not only that, she is comfortable with recording herself doing it. On a social media platform. From her car. And whether the fellow is right or wrong, this lady (and possibly any others who watch the TikTok) will now equate his opinion with that of a medical professional.

Why isn't this lady having this discussion with her doctor? Why discuss medication with some guy on the internet instead? Why that guy in particular? Why was it recorded and distributed over social media? All of this is just...weird.

 

[Zardnaar]

But, we are getting serious about doing Medicine. It's never, ever been about trying to prove "who's the boss". That's the line the anti-vaxxer crowd wants people to accept. That it's about "personal freedoms" and the like. It has never, EVER been about that. Mask mandates, stay at home orders, whatever, have NOTHING to do with curbing personal freedoms and everything to do with trying to save lives.

It's absolutely astonishing to me that anyone would seriously think that the government actually wants to curb freedoms and whatnot. Do people not realize that most governments are commiting political suicide right now? Other than maybe New Zealand anyway. Ask Ontario how they feel about their Premier. Or Canada what they think of Trudeau. Good grief, anti-vaxxers were so violent that Trudeau actually had to cancel a public meeting a day or so ago. In CANADA??!?! Good grief, we had a PM who called out the freaking army, stripped away every Canadians rights and enacted the War Measures Act and had less hostility than what Trudeau is facing now.

We HAVE the public trust. Overwhelmingly do we have the public trust. Every single poll shows that people are getting vaccinated, in very large numbers, and support (to some degree anyway) mask mandates and various other things that the governments have had to do. This isn't about gaining trust. This is about finally addressing the elephant in the room that has been simmering for decades - a very insular, very defensive and very, very wrong group of the population that has rejected anything approaching science in favor of whatever naughty word that makes them feel better about the world.

To be very, very blunt about it, this is the West's version of extremists. They are violent. They are not interested in anything approaching conciliation and they are radicalized.

There is almost no difference between these people and any other radical extremists you care to name.

Last I looked Australian prime minister not to popular either. It's not about saving people but serving the plutocrats but I think they can't even to prretend to care for the middle class.

Today's numbers 83 (82 yesterday) 511 cases, 32 in hospital 2 stable in ICU.

They thought it would peak in 8-10 days this is 11 or 12 I forget. Compliance is getting harder so diminishing returns.

Vaccine number two had the option to wait another 3 weeks for ideal results but idk if they will have supplies in 3 weeks or what things will be like in 5 weeks once it takes effect. 1.8% of the population getting vaccinated daily.

 

[Hussar]

I promise, I'm not trying to insult the fellow in the video (or anyone, for that matter.) The point I'm trying to address is that misinformation on the internet doesn't spring up suddenly overnight, like a mushroom...it's usually carefully cultivated.

The lady in the video is perfectly comfortable discussing medication with (presumably) a stranger on the Internet. Not only that, she is comfortable with recording herself doing it. On a social media platform. And whether the fellow is right or wrong, this lady (and possibly any others who watch the TikTok) will now equate his opinion with that of a medical professional.

Why isn't this lady having this discussion with her doctor? Why discuss medication with some guy on the internet instead? Why that guy in particular? Why was it recorded and distributed over social media? All of this is just...weird.

Well, see, I think this gets right to the heart of the issue. Talking to a doctor or medical professional is equated with random guy on the internet.

I had an argument with a friend some time ago about masking. He was kinda/sorta on the fence about the need for masks. This was fairly early days into the pandemic, so, fair enough. My response was, "Well, every doctor on the planet is saying to wear a mask. I think they know what they are talking about." His response was to link some exercise Youtuber's research where he had created a very slick, very professional video "debunking" masks. Even had links to peer reviewed journals and whatnot.

My response was, "Who do you believe? The guy whose business model is based on getting you to click links and thus is strongly motivated to create controversy or every doctor on the planet?"

And his response was, "Well, we should listen to both sides."

To me, there aren't two sides here. There's one side - wear a (expletive) (Your Mother Is a Big Hippo) mask. End of story. Full stop. But, people have become so trained to suspect expertise, to take the other side just because and ignore evidence that it's almost impossible to have a real conversation. How can you talk to someone who refuses to even accept your basic premises?

 

[J.Quondam]

There is almost no difference between these people and any other radical extremists you care to name.

I'll just leave this here:

Spoiler: news item

Taliban ban on jabs may trigger COVID-19 spike

The Taliban’s hostility to vaccinations may trigger a COVID-19 spike in Afghanistan, say medical experts.

www.scidev.net

 

[Hussar]

Last I looked Australian prime minister not to popular either. It's not about saving people but serving the plutocrats but I think they can't even to prretend to care for the middle class.

Today's numbers 83 (82 yesterday) 511 cases, 32 in hospital 2 stable in ICU.

They thought it would peak in 8-10 days this is 11 or 12 I forget. Compliance is getting harder so diminishing returns.

Vaccine number two had the option to wait another 3 weeks for ideal results but idk if they will have supplies in 3 weeks or what things will be like in 5 weeks once it takes effect. 1.8% of the population getting vaccinated daily.

Yeah, but, let's be honest here. Your WORST day would be most country's BEST. I'm in the same boat. My students were talking about how Japan is so dangerous right now. And, yup, we're having our worst days right now. ((And, then there's the question of honesty in the reporting which is a separate issue)) But, again, Japan's worst days, right now, are equal to Canada's cases right now. And Canada has 1/4 the population, probably 1/100th the population density and has vaccinated FAR more than Japan has.

Good and bad are pretty relative.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yeah, but, let's be honest here. Your WORST day would be most country's BEST. I'm in the same boat. My students were talking about how Japan is so dangerous right now. And, yup, we're having our worst days right now. ((And, then there's the question of honesty in the reporting which is a separate issue)) But, again, Japan's worst days, right now, are equal to Canada's cases right now. And Canada has 1/4 the population, probably 1/100th the population density and has vaccinated FAR more than Japan has.

Good and bad are pretty relative.

Yeah I'm not sure how this one's gonna go. Take vaccine now worry later.

 

[Hussar]

I'll just leave this here:

Taliban ban on jabs may trigger COVID-19 spike

The Taliban’s hostility to vaccinations may trigger a COVID-19 spike in Afghanistan, say medical experts.

www.scidev.net

Yeah, I was trying REALLY, REALLY hard not to use the "T" word. I had to rewrite that post about three times to avoid it.

((Gack, I'm trying so, so very hard not to dive into politics here. Sorry if I'm going too far.))

 

[J.Quondam]

Yeah, I was trying REALLY, REALLY hard not to use the "T" word. I had to rewrite that post about three times to avoid it.

((Gack, I'm trying so, so very hard not to dive into politics here. Sorry if I'm going too far.))

Yeah, good point. I've spoilered the headline it in my post.
And, mods, apologies; i can delete if it crosses the line.