The Politics of Covid 19, mask wearing and the vaccination process

[Ralph-Wiggum]

https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1 ... 41441?s=20

Spoiler:

My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied

[Skinypupy]

Good news: Our company announced a vaccine requirement last week, that goes into effect on Oct 1.

Bad news: Within an hour of that announcement, they also sent out an invite for a large farewell dinner for all local staff (a couple hundred people) for one of our execs that's retiring. It will be held in a big indoor hotel ballroom next week, and everyone is expected to attend.

I'm trying to figure out how to get out of it without getting in too much trouble.

If it’s not being billed as an office meeting I don’t see how work can ding you for not going to a dinner.

To clarify, there wouldn't be any formal consequences. The company line would absolutely be "it's totally fine, you do what you feel is best for you and your family".

It's the potential informal/office politics sort of consequences that might hurt. I.E. "You know who didn't show up for the CEO's retirement dinner? Skinypupy. If he can't even bother doing that, then maybe he's not really committed enough to be management material after all..."

I typically don't get sucked into any of that nonsense, but I'm currently in a spot where I'm trying to move up a bit in the org. Missing out on a big black tie, "hobnob with all the bigwigs" sort of event could potentially hurt those prospects. Frankly, it kinda pisses me off that I even need to consider this.

What's the vaccination rate? We've had a few similar but smaller send-offs and everyone was vaccinated. No bad outcomes.

It's Utah, and the pandemic is over here. You didn't hear?

Utah is around 55% vaccinated overall. Unfortunately, my company has lots of ultra-conservative Mormon MAGA types, so I would guess we're probably around that rate or lower as an organization.

I asked our HR director this morning if we had any options to attend virtually if we have unvaccinated kids at home, and I got the exact response I expected ("Please do whatever you think is best for your family").

[Smoove_B]

What's funny is that she actually gave good masking advice in a another Tweet. But yeah, I'm totally going to be talking about that guys balls in my class at some point.

In not-great news, I am just reading this morning that Israel is getting ready to roll out a 4th shot to try and deal with breakthrough cases. What an absolute cluster F. There are nations that haven't even received a single shot, America is a mess, and Israel is about to attempt a poorly guided plan for a 4th round of shots.

[raydude]

What's funny is that she actually gave good masking advice in a another Tweet. But yeah, I'm totally going to be talking about that guys balls in my class at some point.

In not-great news, I am just reading this morning that Israel is getting ready to roll out a 4th shot to try and deal with breakthrough cases. What an absolute cluster F. There are nations that haven't even received a single shot, America is a mess, and Israel is about to attempt a poorly guided plan for a 4th round of shots.

What I don't get is how the cousin knew he was impotent after getting the shot. Is that a thing now - checking sperm motility after getting a Covid shot? Or was that an inference from getting swollen balls. "Oh shit, my balls! I must be impotent now!"

[Archinerd]

That reminds me, I need to call all my cousins and get an update on their sperm counts.

[LawBeefaroni]

https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1 ... 41441?s=20

Spoiler:

My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied

"And why weren't you vaccinated?"
"I told the medical advice of Nicki Minaj."
"Ok, you are in the "Just Pray on It" wing, right behind the dumpsters. Ivermectin will be provided twice daily..."

[stessier]

I liked this take.

https://twitter.com/PhillyD/status/1437552779464040451

[El Guapo]

You know, come to think of it I haven't fathered any children since I got vaccinated...

[Smoove_B]

I liked this take.

Yeah, it's waaaaaaaaaay more likely he has Gonorrhea than a testicle-swelling reaction from the COVID-19 vaccination. But I suppose it does provide a convenient excuse...

[Smoove_B]

These people have to be trolling their members, right?

[Isgrimnur]

It's pronounced "fleece".

[Max Peck]

These people have to be trolling their members, right?

No, that seems to be what they're all about.

People Are Eating Horse Paste To Fight COVID. These Doctors Are One Reason Why.

The Front Line Covid Critical Care Alliance has been boosting ivermectin, new reporting shows, and gaining a large following online.

In recent months, untold numbers of Americans have ingested ivermectin after seeing it hyped by the likes of Joe Rogan, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) with the false hope it would treat or prevent COVID-19. The drug is primarily known for deworming animals, and there is little medical support that a pill form for humans works on treating anything but parasites, which the coronavirus is not. In the process, people have wreaked havoc on their intestinal tracts — you don’t want to know — and worse, gained a false sense of confidence as the pandemic numbers once again crest and intensive care beds in several states fill up.

This didn’t happen overnight: A HuffPost review of social media channels and YouTube reveals that the FLCCC played a central and previously unreported role in this infodemic. Though other groups have become instrumental in promoting ivermectin, “it ultimately began with the FLCCC,” said San Francisco-based ER Dr. Graham Walker, who has treated COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic and has closely watched the growth of ivermectin misinformation.

Users in Facebook groups with thousands of members like “IVERMECTIN MD TEAM” will post about updates to the FLCCC protocol, or ask if the group has made any statements to verify new ivermectin information, according to screenshots reviewed by HuffPost. The groups are largely used to share tips for how to procure ivermectin, often referring people to SpeakWithAnMD.com, a telemedicine platform propped up by right-wing, anti-vax group America’s Frontline Doctors.

That group’s role appears incidental to many experts. “I never associated America’s Frontline Doctors with ivermectin specifically. I’ve always thought of them as a fringe, anti-mask, pro-Trump group with anti-vax rhetoric versus actual medical advice,” said Walker. “The FLCCC introduced ivermectin to the world as a potential cure for COVID and has also promoted it heavily.”

But somewhere along the way, the group’s quest to make the human version of an anti-parasite medication the standard of care for COVID merged with the anti-vaccine crusade, with many people flocking to their local tractor supply store in lieu of getting vaccinated, and leading to dangerous side effects.

[Smoove_B]

Right, all that is a mess but they're literally calling their helpful COVID-19 tips, "I-MASK".

Or are they stiggin it to me and I don't even realize it?

[TheMix]

It's pronounced "fleece".

That appears to be true. I didn't even notice the FLCCC on the first glance.

[Daehawk]

How do they keep a medical license?

[Archinerd]

It's a parody, right?

[Skinypupy]

These people have to be trolling their members, right?

Wait...that's an actual thing?

[Archinerd]

These dipshits won't even back their own message.

From their own website disclamers;

Public Health Notice

The Ivermectin/Mask+ Protocol is not a substitute for preventive measures. Patients using the preventive protocols should follow all measures recommended by public health authorities, including social distancing, masking and vaccinations as appropriate.

[LordMortis]

It's pronounced "fleece".

[Smoove_B]

Some good info on why you shouln't trust the FLCCC protocol, in case you're dealing with friends and family that are suddenly hot on the idea. The Huffington post article that was shared above is good, but I like this presentation better:

What’s most shocking to me is that the FLCCC protocol, which is being passed around as a PDF, does not include any kind of pregnancy warning on its instructions for using these drugs. Several other drugs in the protocol have a note about pregnancy: There’s a note that the iodine nasal spray should only be used for five days if the patient is pregnant, a footnote that the safety of ivermectin in pregnancy has not been established, and a note recommending pregnancy as one of the risk factors to use when deciding whether to use antibody therapy.

...

If a loved one is taking ivermectin or if they say something about following an internet protocol, please check in with them, even if you don’t think they’ll listen to you. You might not be able to convince them not to eat horse paste, but they deserve to know that they’re taking medications that have potentially serious side effects.

I’ve only noted two of the more dangerous ones here, but every medication has a list of warnings and contraindications that should be considered, and a list of potential side effects to watch out for. Some medications should not be taken together, so if a person is already on other prescription or over-the-counter medications, it’s important to know if a new one is safe to add to the mix.

[Freyland]

Both the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Internal Medicine have sent out emails essentially threatening doctor's accreditation status of determined to be spreading false medical information, for what it's worth.

[Max Peck]

Right, all that is a mess but they're literally calling their helpful COVID-19 tips, "I-MASK".

Or are they stiggin it to me and I don't even realize it?

Well, now you made me go and look at their website. I hope you feel good about that.

The "I-MASK+ protocol" isn't anti-mask (technically, it's pro-mask), but they're adding a layer of nonsense to masking/distancing/hygiene by advising people to take ivermectin (which they seem to characterize as an anti-viral drug) as a prophylactic as well as a post-infection treatment, in addition to a grab-bag of other stuff. Technically, they're not even anti-vax -- just really, really pro-ivermectin.

And a grift, since they are soliciting donations.

[LawBeefaroni]

Aren't those the same ER/ICU docs that held the press conference to denounce masks and lockdowns last year? Or was it a Congressional "hearing"?

Also, just last year? Fuck, what a decade COVID has been.

[Daehawk]

Good thing people have Nicky to depend on and not their own brains.

[LawBeefaroni]

My 5YO son has spent 30% of his life under COVID protocol. And counting. Fuck some old politician whinging about "we just need to get back to normal".

This is normal now. Ability to adapt is a key characteristic for survival, both individually and as a species.

[Unagi]

Well, I mean they are Conservatives. Adaptation is what they stand against.

[LordMortis]

Saw a series of a variant on this lawn sign in front of Lutheran church on the drive in this morning. I see it all over progressives cars, etc... but never at a Christian church. It kinda warmed my increasingly angry and jaded heart this morning. Science is real was the one that stuck out.

[raydude]

Interesting to see the trickle-down effect of vaccine mandates at the Federal level. The mandate for Federal government agencies to be vaccinated obviously affects NASA. NASA sent out an email saying all the NASA contractors also need to comply. And just this week the Lab sent out an email saying the previous policy of "vaccinate or weekly test" that was scheduled to start in October is now out the window and replaced by "vaccinate or get accommodation from Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator".

It will be interesting to see whether any employees leave APL as a result. I'm betting it won't be a lot, given the benefits and interesting work at the Lab.

[Carpet_pissr]

Saw a series of a variant on this lawn sign in front of Lutheran church on the drive in this morning. I see it all over progressives cars, etc... but never at a Christian church. It kinda warmed my increasingly angry and jaded heart this morning. Science is real was the one that stuck out.

We've had that sign in our front yard for months (wife's idea). It's not uncommon to see it around (and on bumper stickers, etc).

OTOH, drive maybe 30m from my house, and you put that on your lawn at your own risk. At minimum, you would be putting the sign itself at risk.

[Daehawk]

I was thinking. Maybe Nicky Minaj's cousin got his shots in his testicles.

[Zaxxon]

The Atlantic is running an opinion piece today. suggesting that parents ramp up pressure on the FDA: Parents of America, Unite!

I think that has no chance of working at this stage, but some other portions are interesting to me...

President Joe Biden has offered little explanation as to why so many must wait. “We can’t take shortcuts with that scientific work,” he said last week. But after telling the public nothing of what the delay was, he assured the audience, the “nation’s top doctors are committed to keeping the public at large updated on the process.” And this past weekend, a little news did slip out: Pfizer expects to submit its data from its trials on 5-to-11-year-olds “in the coming weeks.” But that information is still not not detailed enough, and that timeline is still not soon enough. ACT UP had it right years ago: The FDA doesn’t know how to respond to a crisis, but citizens can pressure it to do what’s right.

...

The opponents cited reports of a few cases of a side effect—myocarditis, the inflammation of the heart muscle—in young men. Rare, transitory, and usually not fatal—and anyway what was the rush to vaccinate children?

...

A Birmingham, Alabama, pediatric infectious-disease specialist, David Kimberlin, appearing on the former Biden senior adviser Andy Slavitt’s podcast on August 30, revealed more. “Here’s the problem: The few additional subjects are not going to tell you anything at all about rare side effects,” he said. “We are not likely at all to learn anything from an additional thousand subjects enrolled in terms of any rare side effects which may or may not be there … You need an additional hundred thousand to see that, and that’s not a desirable sample size … I personally would not have introduced the additional subjects. The original design was adequate.”

...

Parents, too, can both protest and embrace science. ACT UP showed the world that the FDA isn’t the only arbiter of “the science” and that its dilatory procedures cannot be defended simply by invoking the word science. Schools all over America are open. Pediatricians are begging for action. If the FDA wants the parents of American children to wait for its bureaucracy, maybe as long as three more months, it must offer a better reason. And if it can’t, then give us the vaccines already.

I don't have the expertise to know whether this expanded trial is really so useless in determining incidence of rare side effects (though intuitively it would seem to make sense, since even the expanded trial is very small). But if that's true? This delay seems like a terrible mistake given the Delta surge we're currently expriencing.

[El Guapo]

I have to imagine that the pressure on the FDA to move quickly will be intense.

[Smoove_B]

I am guessing the pressure to make sure there isn't a single vaccine-attributable death in children is overpowering the desire to make sure kids aren't dying from COVID-19. I know it sounds counterintuitive because clearly vaccines would help prevent actual childhood deaths that we know are happening as a result of COVID-19. But if a child is given a Pfizer shot and they die? Above and beyond the tragic death, the damage to trust will likely be irreparable for a large segment of the population moving forward - a population that needs to be vaccinated now and will likely need to be vaccinated against other diseases in the future. Trust is already wobbly; this would be a crippling blow to vaccination programs.

[Zaxxon]

I imagine that's it, but you'll excuse me if I'm less than receptive to the idea of willfully raising my children's risk in order to reduce some nebulous future risk.

[Smoove_B]

They are in a tremendously difficult position here. While it sounds crazy (because it was 45 years ago), the ghost of the Swine flu 'debacle' of 1976 is likely at the forefront of their thoughts.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html

Waiting in long lines at schools and clinics, more than 40 million Americans -- almost 25% of the population -- received the swine flu vaccine before the program was halted in December after 10 weeks.

More than 500 people are thought to have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome after receiving the vaccine; 25 died. No one completely understands the causes of Guillain-Barre, but the condition can develop after a bout with infection or following surgery or vaccination. The federal government paid millions in damages to people or their families.

[LordMortis]

Tim passed away. Kristi is out of the hospital but apparently she has diabetes going off the chart.

It's weird. I don't feel a sense of mourning at all for him. I have become so broken. I have no malice or anything. I just don't feel the loss. He did his part of the great stupid, rolled the dice and lost and that's all I can feel at this time. Of course, I'm still terrified for my mother and feeling protective of her being exposed to the great stupid.

[Zaxxon]

Condolences.

[Smoove_B]

Of course, I'm still terrified for my mother and feeling protective of her being exposed to the great stupid.

Mortis, is there someone your mom really trusts or that she really respects that can help her bridge this gap? More and more I'm reading it's been the power of conversation that gets people vaccinated. It's just the matter of having the right of people involved.

[LordMortis]

Of course, I'm still terrified for my mother and feeling protective of her being exposed to the great stupid.

Mortis, is there someone your mom really trusts or that she really respects that can help her bridge this gap? More and more I'm reading it's been the power of conversation that gets people vaccinated. It's just the matter of having the right of people involved.

Beyond the great stupid portion of the family? That would somehow come from church and I know not how that would be. It's not like she's not seeing the sick and dying through church already.

[Smoove_B]

Beyond the great stupid portion of the family? That would somehow come from church and I know not how that would be. It's not like she's not seeing the sick and dying through church already.

Yes, her church leader that could speak with her personally and encourage her to strongly consider the shot would be perfect - assuming said individual isn't a garbage person. Even if she has a doctor she's been seeing for decades that you could call and let them know what's happening. It's so frustrating, I know. I wish I could help but she probably wouldn't trust me.