(03-19-2020 12:53 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Clearly we don't take the flu as seriously as we should. That still does not change the fact that citing flu deaths to try and diminish or explain this away is reckless and dangerous. It's reckless because just citing it does not factor in death rates nor developed vaccines and cures for the flu.

You know that vaccines for flu are literally only 50% effective, right? And even that assumes that they get the specific strain in the 'mix' for the year... meaning they're even less effective than that. Go read the packaging on the flu shots and you'll see something like this.... Double blind test... 4000 people in each group. Contraction rate of the placebo group is about 80 per 4,000. Contraction rate for the vaccinated group is about 40 per 4,000... and ONLY testing for the strains specifically included in the vaccine, which is at most, 4 of the dozens of known (much less new) variations. Despite all of this information, there are millions of Americans who don't get the vaccine, and many of those claim that they get the flu FROM the vaccine... which is biologically false. The 50% is meaningful because the number is so low to begin with.... but it's really only impacting about 10% of the people who get the vaccine. Doesn't mean it isn't worth it, especially to those most vulnerable... but facts are important.

As to 'cures' for the flu, we don't have a cure for the flu. What we have is something that, if taken within 48 hours of contracting the disease, shortens the symptomatic period from roughly 5 days to roughly 4 days.

Talk about spreading 'reckless and dangerous' information.

More significantly, there have been thousands of references from all corners from day one to the idea that we do not have the experience with this disease that we have with others, and anyone who doesn't know that is a moron. If you expect ANY politician to fully describe the 'disclaimer' on medical or statistical information every time they reference that information, you're not remotely being realistic.

You hold Trump to a standard that you don't follow, nor do any of those you support. IN the simplest example, Obama said 'if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor'. He did not add the caveat (as long as your doctor is willing to provide the same services for less money when he doesn't have to).

More to the point, there isn't one single person of any note who has said the things you speak of, who hasn't also said all the things you want them to. They just didn't always give the 5 minute answer to the same questions they've answered already... or that the professionals they're getting their information from haven't formally presented.

You're looking for and making up reasons to be offended/injured, Tom.


ETA: This goes to what I spoke of earlier. People like you seem to want to be told that millions can die if you don't take aggressive action.... and failing that, you can't be bothered to wash your hands, cover your cough or stay away from others if you're symptomatic. Where have you been while 50,000 people per year in the US alone have died from the flu? Back there thinking we have a reliable vaccine and a cure.

I'm not saying you personally actually believe the former, Tom... I'm using the direct counter to your complaint about Trump. Here people HAVE the facts and have for years and they willfully ignore or misinterpret them. The solution is for people to listen to ALL of the information. This isn't remotely a global killer but failure to take simple precautions can cause unnecessary deaths.

If instead you start spreading rumors that 'millions could die', or that 'a negative test is important to know how to act'.... then when vastly fewer than millions die, we continue to ignore the 50,000 flu victims per year that die because we wouldn't cover our coughs.

That's how we GOT here in the first place

Whether COvid-19 or SARS or MERS or Influenza A, MANY people can die because you won't wash your hands. Wash your damn hands.