And that's with poor compliance! Imagine what we could do if we could get everybody on protocol together for a couple weeks. (Yes, I realize what a stupendously difficult thing that would be.)Pandemic silver lining: public health anti-COVID measures like masking, distancing, and more rigor in hand washing seems to have driven one of the major influenza strains into extinction. So far this year, no instances of that strain have been cultured from humans.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Overview
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Reminds me of a What If? about trying to eradicate the common cold by just isolating everyone from each other for a few weeks. (I couldn't find it on his site, just google "XKCD What If Common Cold" to find it.)And that's with poor compliance! Imagine what we could do if we could get everybody on protocol together for a couple weeks. (Yes, I realize what a stupendously difficult thing that would be.)
Woot! A bit of good news. Broke our previous record. 4 days now without a new case:
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Growing up in a medical household, I’ve gotten to hear my Dad’s frustration at the annual death toll for seasonal influenza every year. Despite the vaccines and simple health care measures that hinder its spread, it‘s still one of the biggest causes of preventable deaths there is.And that's with poor compliance! Imagine what we could do if we could get everybody on protocol together for a couple weeks. (Yes, I realize what a stupendously difficult thing that would be.)
Yeah. One thing I hope remains a part of normal life after the pandemic is wearing a mask if you're symptomatic and have to leave your house for school or work. It could clearly have a huge impact on the flu season every year, but with how many antimaskers exist right now for Covid-19, it probably won't be as common as it should be.Growing up in a medical household, I’ve gotten to hear my Dad’s frustration at the annual death toll for seasonal influenza every year. Despite the vaccines and simple health care measures that hinder its spread, it‘s still one of the biggest causes of preventable deaths there is.
“Money.” That’s the word you’re looking for.Heck, people should just stay home when they're sick. I have no idea why so many people go to work or send their kids to school when they're sick, but they really shouldn't.
That's definitely a major part of it, but I know people that still send their sick children to school even when they're old enough to stay home by themselves.“Money.” That’s the word you’re looking for.
In our American system, if you don’t have childcare, paid sick leave, and the like, not going to school/work when sick is a luxury. Add to that a dash of “keeping up with the Joneses”, and you have an interesting intersection for economics and public health.