2 hours ago, kimamey said:

I'm planning on coming back soon but reading the full article is a bit worrying. If insurance covers it then ok but if not then it's a lot of money at risk.

Insurance is key.  Specifically one that also covers asymptomatic sickness.  Some won't cover your hospital stay unless you're sick.

30 minutes ago, Scott said:

The US is not the most obese country in the world.  Please don't post false information.  

 

True.  And the difference between the US and many other Western nations isn't that much.  They're all overweight.  It's a global problem.

100% debunked by peer review here:

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-a-preprint-looking-at-the-impact-of-lockdowns-as-posted-on-the-john-hopkins-krieger-school-of-arts-and-sciences-website/

I've seen studies that said lockdowns had minimal impact on business. Hard to tell with so many differing studies

24 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Luckily, every POTUS has always a predecessor to be blamed for... 

Except the last who inherited a country doing extremely well. The current one wasn't so lucky.

P.S. I'm no fan of any of the recent presidents.

2 hours ago, mommysboy said:

It is markedly less serious than previous variants and overall not at all serious on an individual basis.  The problem is that this variant is highly infectious, so that millions perhaps tens of millions get infected within a very short time frame, so even though the death rate per million is low this can result in a significant number of deaths across a population.  It should also be noted that deaths are mainly confined to the unvaccinated and those who sadly are vulnerable.  It's really upsetting that we can't protect the latter imo but I think specific cures are coming online now.  To a vaccinated person in otherwise reasonable health it really isn't a serious disease- it was, but really isn't now.  We can't define a disease by the way we are currently doing so- or everything becomes dangerous, even colds.

Agreed. But it is serious if you have an immediate need for a hospital bed now. They are all taken by unvaccinated patients. This just happened one of my friends. Serious!

Just now, LosLobo said:

Australia's CHO's prediction today :

 

Professor Kelly said Australia was “definitely past the peak” of the current Omicron outbreak but warned it would not be the last wave of the variant or the coronavirus.

 

COVID-19 deaths to rise as country prepares for winter flu and coronavirus wave (smh.com.au)

I read a good article on the spanish flu pandemic.  I think it was the 4th wave that was just as bad as the first.  People had gotten tired of battling the virus and let their guard down.  It wasn't a more dangerous variant, just easier to infect people because of their actions.

We've seen that here.  Waves after Songkran, etc.

1 hour ago, cardinalblue said:

Why waste good organs on poor decision making people?

 

send them to Molakai….

Molakai isn't what it use to be!  My friend lives there and says it's beautiful!! LOL

2 hours ago, LukKrueng said:

Care to explain this statement? Do you mean if you're vaxed you can't get infected/get sick/die from it or to if you got it once you're immune for life? Because both those arguments were proven wrong 

It do you mean there has never been not there will even be another such devostating deadly and dangerous virus? Because that is also not correct.

Ummm...I said it's a once in a life time thing.  Didn't mention vaccinations.  Why try to read so much into it????

23 minutes ago, connda said:

But but but - there is no "flu" any longer.  Guess there is no need for flu shots?  ????

No flu?  wow...pure misinformation.

6 minutes ago, chieftan said:

He gave up and passed the burden to the states, claiming covid will not get solved at the federal level and probably a much sounder strategy.

And sure, everywhere you look there are fat people in America, obesity is very obvious.

Actually, it was a terrible strategy as each state did things according to their tribal politics.  Republicans shunning science in favor of re-election odds.

43 minutes ago, Credo said:

Rural states have been hit particularly hard.  Mississippi has the highest with 364/100,000.   This is followed by Arizona, also very rural.  Rounding out the top slots are places like Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma -- all very rural.   

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109011/coronavirus-covid19-death-rates-us-by-state/

 

A lot of the low vaccine states are also heavy republican states, with lower levels of education.  Which follow the misinformation spewed by their leaders. 

Arizona isn't that rural, IMHO.  Phoenix is a massive city now.  But yes, many parts of the state are just desert.  Totally unpopulated! LOL

53 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

I haven't followed the course of the pandemic in the US, and rely for most of my knowledge from the UK and Europe. If the USA is out of step it could be to a general low level of public health, and inadequate hospital services particularly to the poor, vaccine coverage for instance, together with a general disregard for individual health.  

 

"Sure, some go to the hospital with a broken arm, are found out to have covid, but what's your point?  If they die of covid, that's the cause of death.  Not a broken arm."

 

' broken arm'  I'm not talking about broken arms but am talking about a range of serious  chronic diseases coincident with old age.  That's my point!

'If they die of covid'- they are dying of the serious disease they were admitted for in the main. That's my point.

 

Some unfortunates are dying purely of covid that is true, and this is in the main wholly avoidable because of vaccinations.  I wouldn't like to see global policy decided because of the utter stupidity of a troublesome minority of one particular country.  That's my point!

The level of public health in the US isn't much different from the UK or Europe.  Same with hospital services.  Vaccine coverage isn't good, mainly due to politics and misinformation.

But some are admitted with a serious disease, find out they have covid, it gets worse, and that's the cause of death.

It's complicated.  But in the end, covid is our enemy.  Time to end this pandemic and get every one vaccinated and boosted.

3 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

An organ transplant to an individual is not an 'overall' decision though.

 

The true nature of those deaths is somewhat open to debate to say the least.

 

Now over 50% of hospitalizations are for other complaints, and covid19 entirely incidental, often completely symptomless.

 

Perspective is required imo.  We simply can't have one standard of reasonableness for one disease only.  Imagine if those same parameters were set for ..... anything!  Life would grind to a halt. Even a nasty cold would be the cause for lockdown and would be named on death certificates. 

 

I can understand why someone, from Taiwan or New Zealand say, might be behind the curve.

 

 

The true nature of the deaths in the US is not open to debate, to say the least.  Sad some try to downplay the significance of the pandemic.

Sure, some go to the hospital with a broken arm, are found out to have covid, but what's your point?  If they die of covid, that's the cause of death.  Not a broken arm.

This is a once in a lifetime pandemic, hopefully.  So yes, we can have one standard just for this virus.  Like nations have been doing for 2 years now.

Don't compare a cold with covid.  That's ridiculous.

There's a huge difference between an IDL and IDP.  The former being worthless if confronted by the police.  The latter being recognized.  And required in many foreign countries.  You can normally still rent a car without one, but if involved with the police, problems can arise.

You can only get an IDP at the land transport office.  And not required in the UK as our licenses here have English on them.

It does help prevent getting the virus.  The key word here is "incidence".

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7105e1.htm?s_cid=mm7105e1_w

As of January 8, 2022, during Omicron predominance, COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization rates in Los Angeles County among unvaccinated persons were 3.6 and 23.0 times, respectively, those of fully vaccinated persons with a booster, and 2.0 and 5.3 times, respectively, those among fully vaccinated persons without a booster. During both Delta and Omicron predominance, incidence and hospitalization rates were highest among unvaccinated persons and lowest among vaccinated persons with a booster.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Being up to date with COVID-19 vaccination is critical to protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00104-8

Quote

 

The pandemic’s true death toll: millions more than official counts

Countries have reported some five million COVID-19 deaths in two years, but global excess deaths are estimated at double or even quadruple that figure.

 

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The US only has a fraction of the world population and my queries concern the entire world population ( unless stated otherwise ).

It's actually not much different in most of the civilized world. And as we know, many cases and deaths are not reported at all.  Especially in Africa.

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't believe in organ transplants full stop.

There are better ways to use the resources.

A bit heartless for those in dire need.  Like ones with hereditary diseases or those in accidents.  I'd say this is a good way to use the resorces.  Save lives.

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Might have worked with a compliant population, but can't see it happening with western society. Some of us are not going to be ordered around too much.

And therein lies the problem.  Those who refuse science and don't trust their government.  And thus, the pandemic extends.