Tag: Science

WH Backs Herd Immunity Statement Signed By Such Notables As Drs. Johnny Bananas And Person Fakeman

WH Backs Herd Immunity Statement Signed By Such Notables As Drs. Johnny Bananas And Person Fakeman

The New York Times reports:

The White House has embraced a declaration by a group of scientists arguing that authorities should allow the coronavirus to spread among young healthy people while protecting the elderly and the vulnerable — an approach that would rely on arriving at “herd immunity” through infections rather than a vaccine.

Many experts say “herd immunity” — the point at which a disease stops spreading because nearly everyone in a population has contracted it — is still very far-off. Leading experts have concluded, using different scientific methods, that about 85 to 90 percent of the American population is still susceptible to the coronavirus.

Sky News reports:

Sky News found dozens of fake names on the list of medical signatories, which anyone can add to if they tick a box and enter a name. These included Dr. I.P. Freely, Dr. Person Fakename and Dr. Johnny Bananas, who listed himself as a “Dr of Hard Sums”. One medical professional on the list gives his name as Dr Harold Shipman, a general practitioner in the United Kingdom. A GP called Harold Shipman killed more than 200 of his patients before he was arrested in 1998.

Sky News also found 18 self-declared homeopaths listed on the open letter as medical practitioners, despite the fact that homeopathy has no scientific underpinning or clinical evidence to support its use. In addition, the letter has been signed by well over 100 therapists, including massage therapists, hypnotherapists, psychotherapists and one Mongolian Khöömii Singer who describes himself as a “therapeutic sound practitioner”.

This is a death sentence for a lot of people in the country.  This is the government saying it is better for a lot of people to die, get sick and have huge medical bills than the government doing anything, paying anything, helping in anyway for people to live and be safe.   Basically this is the tRump administration throwing their hands up and saying we don’t have a plan and don’t know what to do while we are afraid of the pain we will face if we do what we know needs be done.   

Think on it, the rest of the world knew what to do and they reduced deaths of their people and their economies are still going, they never took the great hits ours did.  Stop thinking the US is the entire world, that is killing us.   This idea of herd immunity is basically saying your life and your suffering means nothing as long as you keep the wealthy making their money from the stock market.   Your life is worth nothing compared to the money the wealthy desire.   That is the entire thing.  tRump doesn’t care if you die, in fact he doesn’t care if you live, to him you are nothing.  If you are not wealthy or you can not help him personally you are only fodder, only to be used until useless then discarded.   Hello People do you not see the point and issue?  tRump wants far more people intimidating poll watchers to prevent people from using their right to vote than he has to preventing the spread of Covid across the country.  

tRump and his ilk have drawn the lines, it is them and their profits over your life.   I mentioned before how every governor telling people to return to how things were before Covid also are not the ones at risk.   The ones demanding the opening of schools so the working parents can be free to go back to the jobs that do not exist are not putting their kids in the public schools, not having their families shopping in stores or malls.   They want you to do what they think their families are above doing.    It really pisses me off.   Hugs

Redfield voices alarm over influence of Trump’s new coronavirus task force adviser

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/redfield-voices-alarm-over-influence-trump-s-new-coronavirus-task-n1241221

CDC Director Robert Redfield took aim at Covid-19 task force member Scott Atlas, telling colleague in an overheard call that “everything he says is false.”

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has grown increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump, pushed by a new member of his coronavirus task force, is sharing incorrect information about the pandemic with the public.

Dr. Robert Redfield, who leads the CDC, suggested in a conversation with a colleague Friday that Dr. Scott Atlas is arming Trump with misleading data about a range of issues, including questioning the efficacy of masks, whether young people are susceptible to the virus and the potential benefits of herd immunity.

“Everything he says is false,” Redfield said during a phone call made in public on a commercial airline and overheard by NBC News.

Redfield acknowledged after the flight from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., that he was speaking about Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no background in infectious diseases or public health. Atlas was brought on to the White House task force in August.

Redfield testified before Congress this month that he suspects that a face covering could protect him from Covid-19 better than any future vaccine. Most public health officials share the view that masks are essential to stop the spread of the virus. Still, Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on how useful wearing them may be.

“If every one of us did it, this pandemic would be over in eight to 12 weeks,” Redfield said before offering a stark warning that contradicted the president’s assertion that the country is “rounding the corner” on the pandemic.

“We’re nowhere near the end,” Redfield said.

Before he joined the task force, Atlas was a frequent guest on Fox News, where he pushed to reopen the country and espoused views that more closely align with Trump’s opinions during the health crisis. Since his addition to the task force, Atlas has become the medical expert who spends the most time with the president, and his profile has been elevated in recent weeks by his appearing in the White House briefing room when Trump speaks with reporters.

Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who attended near-daily briefings with the president alongside Redfield in the spring, have, at times, voiced their disagreements with Atlas as the number of coronavirus cases has surged, climbing by 22 percent in the last two weeks, according to data reviewed by NBC News. Two dozen states reported higher numbers than during the previous seven-day period. More than 204,000 people have died of the virus in the United States, with 7 million infected so far.

There is a concern among Redfield and others that Atlas continually briefs the president and misrepresents what other health experts have said in sworn testimony, according to a member of the task force.

There is more at the link above.   Look it is clear that this Dr. Atlas is a radiologist, so is way out of his field.   He clearly has far more concern with his profit in his stock portfolio than the health of the people.   Herd immunity means it is cheaper to let a portion of the herd die than to proactively take steps to protect the entire herd.   The death is an accept financial cost.    We humans are the herd.    In the US population that would be millions of people.   These people worry more about their profit than our lives.    Hugs

Long Island student who keeps showing up for school on remote days suspended for a year

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-teen-suspended-for-a-year-after-protesting-remote-learning-20200915-qnpksvo3mzayvis7diu6kytw5q-story.html

A Long Island student has been suspended for a year after repeatedly defying his school’s remote learning schedule, insisting that classes should always be held in person — even during a pandemic.

The 17-year-old was initially suspended for five days last week after attending in person-classes when he was scheduled for remote learning. He continued to defy school officials and appeared in person again last Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in an arrest on criminal trespass charges.

The William Floyd School District has set up a hybrid learning schedule to lower the number of students attending classes in person, an effort aimed at reducing their exposure to coronavirus in accordance with state guidelines.

But Stow continued to protest the decision and even picketed outside the school Monday, arguing that virtual learning is not good enough and that students should be in school every day.

“The written determination of the hearing officer was made after an exhaustive hearing at which numerous witnesses testified to Mr. Stow’s repeated insubordination and disruption despite being given multiple opportunities to avoid suspension,” the district said in a statement.

In an interview with WABC last week, the teen’s parents said they stood by their son and disagreed with the five-day suspension.

“Kids need to be in school every day. Virtual learning is not learning,” said his mother, Nora Kaplan-Stow. “My son is being suspended because he wants to be in school.”

But an online petition condemning his actions has drawn more than 2,000 signatures, many of which came from Stow’s own classmates.

In a statement following his arrest Thursday, school officials described his behavior as a “publicity stunt” and called his actions “irresponsible and selfish.”

“He arrived wearing a neon green shirt — for high visibility — with a contingent of media just outside the fence line trying to capture him getting arrested as he entered the building,” they wrote.

More at the link above.  Notice how he and his parents do not care about any other kid or teacher.   Notice he feels he is above the rules.   He seems to be trying to make a statement and I bet if you asked about his political leanings or his parents view of Covid 19, you would find he is a tRump supporting Covid denying asshole.   He lost a year / or a quarter of a year if he behaves of schooling to prove a political point while trying to claim he feels school is so important.   He doesn’t care about in person school, just as he did not care about the other students he would have displaced or put in danger.   A perfect little maga soldier.    Hugs