29 minutes ago, placeholder said:

 Just for a change, why not try addressing the facts raised rather than resorting to an all-purpose rant.

Plenty of facts in that article, how about reading it?

28 minutes ago, transam said:

Even though their lives were saved by jabs..................? 

PS. I think your drum is just about worn out....????

This particular exchange was about lockdowns and their consequences.

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Funny how every time anti-vaxers want to try to criticize agencies like the CDC, they end up dredging up studies or commentary by ECONOMISTS...

 

Though as in your case, neither you nor The Hill article the guy wrote make it clear the guy's field of expertise has nothing to do with either public health or COVID, though he does have a background in hospital finance.

 

"Carl J. Schramm is an internationally recognized leader in entrepreneurship, innovation and economic growth."

 

https://ischool.syr.edu/carl-schramm/

 

"Carl J Schramm is an American economist, entrepreneur, author"

 

"Schramm is recognized internationally as a leading authority on innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth."

 

https://carlschramm.com/about-me/

 

Next time I need advise or expertise about the COVID pandemic, I'm sure he WON'T be the first person I'll ask!

 

 

An economist seems quite fitting to comment and assess the economic consequences of lockdowns.

 

One of the numerous points raised in the article you didn't read is the fact that a poll revealed growing defiance of Americans towards the CDC.

 

As always, you're looking for ways to disqualify the author rather than address and debate the content.

The CDC has faced numerous challenges during the pandemic.... including but not limited to:

 

--political interference by political appointees during the Trump  Admin., and misinformation by the president himself.

--underfunding and underinvestment in capabilities to respond to emerging threats.

--and the changing/shifting scientific realities that occurred as the coronavirus surfaced and then continued mutating.

 

That said, the CDC recognizes it can and needs to do better, hence the recent developments:

 

In an effort to address its missteps during Covid, CDC plans an ‘ambitious’ agency overhaul

Aug. 17, 2022

 

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency that has had its reputation battered by a series of missteps in the Covid-19 pandemic, and a slow response to the monkeypox outbreak, will undergo an “ambitious” overhaul, Director Rochelle Walensky announced Wednesday.

 

In an email to staff, Walensky said the renewal effort will focus on making the agency more nimble and responsive to needs that arise in health emergencies. The priority will be to gather data that can be used to rapidly dispense public health guidance, rather than craft scientific papers."

 

(more)

 

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

 

 

25 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

One of the numerous points raised in the article you didn't read is the fact that a poll revealed growing defiance of Americans towards the CDC.

I did read the entire opinion piece, and suffice to say, I believe a lot of the negative public attitudes toward the CDC have been pushed by, and reside in, the anti-vax, COVID denying/minimizing right-wing and their mountains of COVID and vaccine related misinformation.

 

Note that it's at least in part Republicans in Congress right now who have been blocking additional funding allocations to buy more COVID medications, test kits, even the new vaccines.

 

"The Biden administration purchased 171 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna's updated vaccines this summer, but only after reallocating about $5 billion in funds intended for other pandemic resources. Amid resistance from Republicans, Congress failed to reach a deal on supplemental funding and so in June, the Biden administration's top health officials decided they needed to find another way."

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/politics/joe-biden-booster-shots/index.html

 

That meant having to halt the federal program offering free at-home COVID test kits, pull funds for Personal Protective Equipment and reduce funds to promote the use of the new vaccines, among other redirections.

 

"The funding trade-off also means that it will might be harder for the US to detect and slow transmission in the fall and winter months as testing will likely become more scarce once again. "

 

Can't lay this one at the doorstep of the CDC. Rather, it's politics and federal lawmakers who believe in bogus stuff like ivermectin.

 

4 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Plenty of facts in that article, how about reading it?

That article has offers on evidence that Sweden fared well without resorting to strict measures. 

 

And it's indicative of the quality of the article you linked to that it cited a paper by 3 right wing economists. It's been substantially trashed by epidemiologists. Among other flaws, it changed the definition of lockdown to a very lax one to get the desired result.

Fact check: Working paper isn't proof COVID-19 restrictions don't work, experts say

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/02/18/fact-check-working-paper-isnt-proof-lockdown-dont-work-experts-say/6749032001/

On 9/4/2022 at 12:39 PM, Neeranam said:

Not sure to get another vaccine or not. 

I have health issues after Covid but not sure if they were caused by the vaccine or if the vaccine made the issues less serious.

Read some of the articles on Covid and vitamin B12 deficiency. Long Covid seems to have similar symptoms to Pernicious Anaemia. I haven't had Covid but I did get this from the vaccine. Bear in mind it will take about 2 months for the Vitamin B12 to kick in if you start taking daily supplements.

A post with numerous entirely unsourced claims has been removed.