COVID Stupid

[AG_PhamD]

https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/17/cdc-ambitious-overhaul-covid-missteps/

Looks like the CDC is finally admitting their COVID response was not up to par. Not to say I told you so, but remember when I was criticized for saying such blasphemous things? When it comes to public health my number one concern is public health. Politics should play no role in the response of a public health disaster.

I’m glad to see this evaluation and restructuring occurring so that the next epidemic will hopefully be handled better. The Monkeypox response has already been a bit of a disaster, but hopefully moving forward future the response outbreaks won’t be such a mess.

I can only hope other departments, such as the FDA, HHS, etc also reflect on how they can better streamline their response. I also think it’s important they study how to better communicate with the public to help mitigate false information, conspiracies, politicization, and confusion.

 

[Eric]

https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/17/cdc-ambitious-overhaul-covid-missteps/

Looks like the CDC is finally admitting their COVID response was not up to par. Not to say I told you so, but remember when I was criticized for saying such blasphemous things? When it comes to public health my number one concern is public health. Politics should play no role in the response of a public health disaster.

I’m glad to see this evaluation and restructuring occurring so that the next epidemic will hopefully be handled better. The Monkeypox response has already been a bit of a disaster, but hopefully moving forward future the response outbreaks won’t be such a mess.

I can only hope other departments, such as the FDA, HHS, etc also reflect on how they can better streamline their response. I also think it’s important they study how to better communicate with the public to help mitigate false information, conspiracies, politicization, and confusion.

You have to admit that their responses to it were all over the place. At the same time it came on so sudden and evolved every couple of months so I thought they did the best they could all considering, they may not have been sure what was right but they had our best interests at heart. Going forward I agree that they can learn from this and be more prepared next time around. Thinking about it i don't think we've seen anything this drastic since the Spanish Flu.

 

[AG_PhamD]

You have to admit that their responses to it were all over the place. At the same time it came on so sudden and evolved every couple of months so I thought they did the best they could all considering, they may not have been sure what was right but they had our best interests at heart. Going forward I agree that they can learn from this and be more prepared next time around. Thinking about it i don't think we've seen anything this drastic since the Spanish Flu.

I’m sure they did the best they could considering what they were dealing with organizationally and I would never accuse the CDC as intentionally not working in the public’s best interest, but it’s many remarkable mistakes and lack of planning and contingency plans.They appear to have been caught totally flatfooted and unprepared to deal with anything of this scale- which to be fair is always going to be extremely difficult.

You’d think they would have learned there lesson but even looking at the Monkeypox outbreak response has been a total mess- look tot my post in the Monkeypox thread if you want to read about that. There was also a great article in the WaPo recently outlining just how painfully ridiculous the government response has been. Keep in mind Monkeypox is a decently well known quantity, an infinitesimally smaller outbreak, far less resource intensive, AND we already have a vaccine. And yet here are are. The Swine Flu response was also quite poor, by CDC officials own admission. So I would say this is very much a trend over the past 20-30+ years when it comes to anything beyond a tiny outbreak of a rare disease.

We have been lucky that COVID has a fatality rate of less than 1%- not to gloss over the millions of people who have died or have had their lives severely affected. But imagine if the next pandemic has a fatality rate of 5% or 15% or 50%…

We need a better organized whole of government response to future public health crises. There’s too much bureaucratic nonsense in the way of responding quickly which is needed when you have an epidemic. What has happened in the past is what it is and there is nothing that can be done to change that, other than learn the many lessons to be learned.

 

[Yoused]

We need a better organized whole of government response to future public health crises.

Well, we did – until '18, when Obama disbanded the CDC's pandemic response team and then our hero Captain HCQ was unable to fight through the jungle of red tape to where he could tear off the head of the fiendish Dr. Fauci.

I mean, in the face of a major public disaster, insanity and chaos are not exactly the best way to deal with it.

 

[AG_PhamD]

Well, we did – until '18, when Obama disbanded the CDC's pandemic response team and then our hero Captain HCQ was unable to fight through the jungle of red tape to where he could tear off the head of the fiendish Dr. Fauci.

I mean, in the face of a major public disaster, insanity and chaos are not exactly the best way to deal with it.

This frankly is a media talking point that doesn’t really hold up when you dig into what this department was, how big it was, how many people were in this department, the fact it had only existed for 2 years, and that the units responsibilities were reassigned. And it was actually John Bolton that reorganized the department and it was actually part of the National Security Council, not the CDC. And the focus of this department was more geared towards bioweapons defenses.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/20/was-white-house-office-global-pandemics-eliminated/

One of the primary responsibilities of the CDC is epidemic/pandemic monitoring and response. Besides, the NSC probably would not be the one taking the lead in organizing a response in terms of things like testing development and public health programs. Even if you go back to the CDC’s AIDS response in the 80’s compared to Europe their response is pretty embarrassing. And the recent Monkeypox failures are this point given all that happened with COVID and the fact we have a reasonably effective vaccine is really just inexcusable.

If you want to talk about Trump’s failures on COVID there is plenty to talk about there- particularly around his messaging and creating a system where states were bidding against each other. But the whole narrative around the “pandemic response unit” (which is not its name) does not really hold up to scrutiny.

I’ve read the article by the former director or whatever of the program and there is no compelling argument that had she been in power there would have been anything different or how she would have avoided the problems that occured. I can’t imagine a 12 person team buried somewhere in the NSC with zero authority and no technical resources would have been the people organizing the whole of government response that occurred or been the ones creating tests when none existed.

The reality is the government made grievous mistakes (or completely idiotic decisions) from top to bottom on this one. Government meaning the organizations from the White House (under Trump… and Biden… not to mention many previous admins dating back decades in the sense of failing to promote adequate preparedness) to CDC, FDA, HHS, State/Local authorities, etc.

Obviously given the nature of the virus, much of the illness and death was unavoidable. But missteps on things like public communications, PCR testing roll out, rapid test availability, medical supply resource allocation, nursing home safety, etc should have never happened the way that they did.

And surely COVID will be rearing it’s head once again in a matter of months- likely around Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years, but perhaps even sooner. We should have a new vaccine by then to better target the major variants that have arisen since 2019 (omicron). We just need to make sure it’s produced and distributed efficiently and focus on an effective public health campaign to encourage uptake.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Panel: Trump staffers pushed unproven COVID treatment at FDA

Panel: Trump staffers pushed unproven COVID treatment at FDA

WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials in the Trump White House tried to pressure U.S. health experts into reauthorizing a discredited COVID-19 treatment , according to a congressional investigation that provides new evidence of that administration’s efforts to override Food and Drug Administration...

apnews.com

 

[Deleted member 215]

Biden says the pandemic is over. Is he correct?

Joe Biden says the COVID-19 pandemic is over. This is what the data tells us

While cases have decreased dramatically, there are still thousands of cases being reported across the world, and hundreds of people are still dying from it every day in the United States.

www.npr.org

 

[Eric]

Biden says the pandemic is over. Is he correct?

Joe Biden says the COVID-19 pandemic is over. This is what the data tells us

While cases have decreased dramatically, there are still thousands of cases being reported across the world, and hundreds of people are still dying from it every day in the United States.

www.npr.org

I'll always take the word of the actual CDC before that of any politician. We need to see an official statement here, not just hyperbole during election season.

 

[lizkat]

I'll always take the word of the actual CDC before that of any politician. We need to see an official statement here, not just hyperbole during election season.

Well it can't be totally over yet since one of my brothers (vaxxed and boosted) just got some variant... damn!

 

[Eric]

Well it can't be totally over yet since one of my brothers (vaxxed and boosted) just got some variant... damn!

It's super transmissible, now that the new booster is out (though only a week old) let's hope that people take advantage of it. Hoping the best for your brother.

 

[mollyc]

i don’t think someone (preferably a health official) saying the pandemic is over means no one will get it anymore. it just means it isn’t killing people at high rates. the goal has always been to make this endemic, livable with, like the flu or regular colds.

 

[Eric]

i don’t think someone (preferably a health official) saying the pandemic is over means no one will get it anymore. it just means it isn’t killing people at high rates. the goal has always been to make this endemic, livable with, like the flu or regular colds.

They have specific criteria around what technically dictates it as a pandemic, the CDC has not been perfect but they're still the gold standard and have done the best they could considering how dynamic and evasive this virus has been. When they come out and say it's over they'll have data to back it up, until then I won't personally take anyone's word for it.

 

[Cmaier]

They have specific criteria around what technically dictates it as a pandemic, the CDC has not been perfect but they're still the gold standard and have done the best they could considering how dynamic and evasive this virus has been. When they come out and say it's over they'll have data to back it up, until then I won't personally take anyone's word for it.

My main beef with the CDC has been the awkward social engineering. “If we tell people to get a booster, they‘ll think the original shot is no good and won’t get it.” “If we authorize a delta vaccine, then people will lose confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines” “if we tell people to wear n95 masks they’ll stop wearing masks entirely.”

Stop playing 3D chess.

 

[Roller]

The pandemic is not over, despite Biden’s proclamation. 400-500 Americans are dying daily, and variants that are more immune-evasive than ever are already circulating.

This doesn’t mean we’re in the same situation as we were in 2020. But I’m afraid even more people will believe they can safely abandon all mitigation strategies. Simple measures like masking on public transportation & indoor settings would make a difference., but that won’t happen.

What Biden should have said is that we’re in a different phase that is better than before, but we have to fund a major effort to develop nasal vaccines, novel therapies, and long COVID, as well as push for improved ventilation in buildings.

It’s also worth noting that the brunt has been borne by low income folks and POC. Unfortunately, that makes it easier for people who have ready access to vaccines and other healthcare to buy into the “pandemic? what pandemic?” narrative.

 

[ronntaylor]

Well it can't be totally over yet since one of my brothers (vaxxed and boosted) just got some variant... damn!

I feel for your brother. Sending positive vibes.

I tested positive this weekend and have started on meds. >2 years being super vigilant -- always masked, and vaxxed & boosted -- meant nothing. I don't know if I caught it from recent travel to Virginia (first with absolutely no mask mandates in effect) or if my in-laws' foolishness is to "blame" for the infection. It is what it is.

I had already scheduled the bivalent booster, now it's delayed for at least three months. My PCP will be monitoring and advising after the special meds.

I think Biden just gave up as so many have COVID fatigue. I'm afraid that there will be a huge spike this Fall/Winter. Don't know what can be done with vaccines being widely available and people just giving up. There is not much to be done if people don't want to get boosted, let alone simply vaccinated.

450-500 dying daily doesn't signal an end to The Pandemic to me.

 

[Eric]

I feel for your brother. Sending positive vibes.

I tested positive this weekend and have started on meds. >2 years being super vigilant -- always masked, and vaxxed & boosted -- meant nothing. I don't know if I caught it from recent travel to Virginia (first with absolutely no mask mandates in effect) or if my in-laws' foolishness is to "blame" for the infection. It is what it is.

I had already scheduled the bivalent booster, now it's delayed for at least three months. My PCP will be monitoring and advising after the special meds.

I think Biden just gave up as so many have COVID fatigue. I'm afraid that there will be a huge spike this Fall/Winter. Don't know what can be done with vaccines being widely available and people just giving up. There is not much to be done if people don't want to get boosted, let alone simply vaccinated.

450-500 dying daily doesn't signal an end to The Pandemic to me.

Wow, sorry to hear that, especially after you've gone through all that effort to avoid it and I'm sure it's deflating. It just shows that we're all still vulnerable, hoping your booster is helping to keep this from becoming a bad case, sending thoughts your way and wishing you a speedy recovery.

I still wear my mask at all indoor settings and usually I'm one of the very few doing it, I agree that people have all but given up. Biden running around bragging about not wearing a mask doesn't help things either. Just want to hear what the professionals have to say.

 

[Herdfan]

Biden says the pandemic is over. Is he correct?

Joe Biden says the COVID-19 pandemic is over. This is what the data tells us

While cases have decreased dramatically, there are still thousands of cases being reported across the world, and hundreds of people are still dying from it every day in the United States.

www.npr.org

Not according to his own White House:

(CNN) — The Biden administration is largely downplaying President Joe Biden’s comments declaring the coronavirus pandemic “over,” suggesting his remarks signal a continuation of the White House’s evolving stance toward the pandemic over the past few months.

White House says Covid-19 policy unchanged despite Biden’s comments that the ‘pandemic is over’

(CNN) — The Biden administration is largely downplaying President Joe Biden’s comments declaring the coronavirus pandemic “over,” suggesting his remarks signal a continuation of the White House’s...

whdh.com

 

[Edd]

I’m in Mexico this week and mask use here is 10x greater than back home. A convenience store across the street requires them. I attempted to enter maskless the first day. Took a half step and a woman stared daggers into me and made a gesture across her face that said “come in without a mask and I’ll fucking kill you”. She unnerved me, I confess.

 

[lizkat]

I feel for your brother. Sending positive vibes.

I tested positive this weekend and have started on meds. >2 years being super vigilant -- always masked, and vaxxed & boosted -- meant nothing. I don't know if I caught it from recent travel to Virginia (first with absolutely no mask mandates in effect) or if my in-laws' foolishness is to "blame" for the infection. It is what it is.

I had already scheduled the bivalent booster, now it's delayed for at least three months. My PCP will be monitoring and advising after the special meds.

I think Biden just gave up as so many have COVID fatigue. I'm afraid that there will be a huge spike this Fall/Winter. Don't know what can be done with vaccines being widely available and people just giving up. There is not much to be done if people don't want to get boosted, let alone simply vaccinated.

450-500 dying daily doesn't signal an end to The Pandemic to me.

Yeah the meds are apparently working for the bro. He was feeling well enough to pitch a cartoon into the email, always a good sign. He has no clue where he got the variant. Always goes into stores masked and had a third booster scheduled. Sigh, now that's on the back burner for awhile I guess.

Feel better soon!!

 

[ronntaylor]

Yeah the meds are apparently working for the bro. He was feeling well enough to pitch a cartoon into the email, always a good sign. He has no clue where he got the variant. Always goes into stores masked and had a third booster scheduled. Sigh, now that's on the back burner for awhile I guess.

Feel better soon!!

Thanks! That includes others that sent positive vibes as well. At this point I don't how/where I got it. I always wear a mask and avoid places where there won't be heavy masking (especially when in Virginia). I suspect either Amtrak or my in-laws not being vigilant. Again, at this point it doesn't matter.

Just glad that I'm boosted and halfway through the meds. Caused GI issues the first couple days, and I've been super fatigued. But I hopeful that I'll be back to full strength by this weekend.

My PCP will check on my early next week to see where I'm at and assist me in scheduling a third booster.