Coronavirus

[Z Buck McFate]

Ivermectin causes sterilization in 85 percent of men, 2011 Nigerian study finds​

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The study conducted by researchers in Nigeria screened 385 patients with river blindness to investigate the effects of ivermectin on sperm function. For the study, the ivermectin tablets were used by patients.​

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Of the 385 patients screened, 37 were eligible for further testing and had normal sperm counts, while the “remaining patients had very low sperm counts and were therefore not used for further tests or were too weak” when initial screening was performed, according to the study.​

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PolitiFact rated this false. It did seem pretty preposterous, but it's not like that's enough to rule it out these days. We've been pelted non-stop with things for five years now about the right that seem too absurd to possibly be true - on a progressively more unreal scale as time has gone on - that oftentimes ended up being more crazy than the original story let on. So it's weirdly reassuring that sometimes the preposterous claim (about the right) really is just a preposterous claim.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I am ready to bet that this winter is going to suck.

 

[Red Herring]

Denmark is opening up again as 83% of all Danes 12 years or older are vaccinated.

 

[JAVO]

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

- C.S. Lewis

 

[Luminous]

Actions have consequences.

Don't want to get the shot? Don't work for a company that requires it. Or pay for yourself to get tested every week instead. Don't like it? At least you CAN go and work outside of your house without fearing that you'll get so sick, you'll die if you catch covid.

Don't want to get the shot or wear a mask? Fine, but don't be a selfish asshole and stay the fuck at home so you aren't risking the lives of people who don't have any choice in the matter AT ALL. They've been staying at home where they're safe for months with their lives on hold.

I'm so sick of all these people being contrary just for the sake of being contrary, being selfish, purposefully ignorant and purposely stupid, acting like this is some hoax or game. Grow the fuck up.

 

[Totenkindly]

Texas Embalmer Shares Nightmare COVID Experiences: 'Unlike Anything I've Seen Before'

"I don’t know how much longer I can keep working this way," the funeral professional told HuffPost.

www.yahoo.com

...It wasn’t until about late November or early December of last year when the surge really hit us in Texas, and then it was just awful. Just awful. We were pulling 22- and 36-hour shifts, and we were short-handed to begin with. We went like that until about the middle of March. At that point about 65%, or maybe a little less, of the bodies we were receiving had COVID.

The death rate in general over the past few years has been unprecedented. The baby boomer generation has begun to die, and we are seeing more bodies than ever before. Add COVID to that and we’re reaching a breaking point.

We get bodies out of ICU regularly, but not in the condition that these COVID bodies are in.

We’ve just had to buckle down and do the best that we can. The internet has been a blessing because it allows all of us embalmers to communicate and find out what issues everyone is having because so much of this has been unlike anything we’ve seen before. We get bodies out of ICU regularly, but not in the condition that these COVID bodies are in. They’re tremendously swollen. If they’ve been on a ventilator, that often completely runs down their immune system. It also opens them up to a lot of sepsis and secondary infections that tend to hang around hospitals, like penicillin-resistant staph infections.

These folks were so swollen they were completely unrecognizable. We were also getting sent a lot of people who had died from COVID in nursing homes back at that time, and many of them had not been dead very long at all. Generally when we embalm, we utilize a major artery to inject the embalming fluid and we use its adjoining vein for drainage. The blood tends to settle out because it’s no longer flowing and it’ll gravitate to the dependent part of the body. The longer a body sits, the more blood clots that they develop. I was having people that had only been dead for a few hours and there were major clotting issues. The clots were the size of pancakes ― you never, never see those with someone who didn’t die of COVID.

I’ve been doing this for 30 years and pretty much everywhere I’ve worked has been medium to high volume. I’m not one of those embalmers that works at a place that just does 50 or 60 bodies a year. So I’ve done this long enough and I’ve seen enough that I would know when something different pops up. COVID is unlike anything I’ve seen before...

Only a partial excerpt, it's a focused view on difficulties with dealing with bodies... and obviously it's hard to restore / make presentable a body that has suffered such deterioration.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Worldometer


It seems that globally the current wave is easing and we are going down for a few weeks now.

 

[ceecee]

Betadine is the new ivermectin, apparently. Come for the renal failure, stay for the dialysis.

 

[Maou]

PolitiFact rated this false. It did seem pretty preposterous, but it's not like that's enough to rule it out these days. We've been pelted non-stop with things for five years now about the right that seem too absurd to possibly be true - on a progressively more unreal scale as time has gone on - that oftentimes ended up being more crazy than the original story let on. So it's weirdly reassuring that sometimes the preposterous claim (about the right) really is just a preposterous claim.

I never understood why they vilified Ivermectin/Avermectin to begin with, as "Horse dewormer", when its been a legitimate medicine in use for over 80 years that treats a variety of illnesses. They also had that story about ivermectin overdoses taking up ICU beds, which was also proven to be false. Of course you got those people who buy animal forms (which, if you live in america is a cheap alternative to huge hospital bills) and get the dosage wrong, but I highly doubt that that is common. It's uses in other things is not that well studied either, so research should be done to see if it can help Covid regardless. Because that drug has been effective in treating things like Dengue fever, HIV, Zika, and Influenza.

 

[Vendrah]

I never understood why they vilified Ivermectin/Avermectin to begin with

In here, its because the right wing used Ivermectin and Chrloroquine and maybe even something else selling them as the cure for COVID and then saying: "here is the cure for COVID, now go to work your lazy communists that wants to live from the state", and some billionaires here did promoted this so they could get things running as normal again as if COVID is just a regular flu that has been with humanity for thousands of years. That is why they vilified it here - should be similar to US, with the Republicans. In this case, neolibs here split up, since some neolibs still wanted everything open but some others did listened to reason... and there was the neolibs who were flocked with those elite who found a way to exploit and get even richer with COVID (seemed to happen globally, you had pointed out).

 

[Virtual ghost]

Now we should keep a look at the countries like Spain. Since they are fairly large country with fairly lose culture, however they vaccinated 3/4 of the population from what I see and most of the people who remained are probably minors. What is fairly close to the desired 80+% of the people that are vaccinated (plus they aren't fully done with vaccinations) . Therefore now we will see in the near future what will be the effect of all this, even if colder weather is coming in the fall.



Thus far the numbers/trends look promising.

Worldometer Spain

One week after: so far so good, it is still dropping towards pretty low levels.
I mean if this will really work and end the pandemic locally that will surely start mass vaccination of unvaccainated in certain countries. Since this will be a narrative changer. What should then create the points of stability globally, from which the world should start to clear out regarding the pandemic. Since the biggest problem with the vaccine is probably that people actually have to take it, since only at 80+% of people vaccinated it should start to give it's effect fully (by making sure the virus has no clear path and that it is being chocked/attacked in pretty much all hosts).

 

[Maou]

In here, its because the right wing used Ivermectin and Chrloroquine and maybe even something else selling them as the cure for COVID and then saying: "here is the cure for COVID, now go to work your lazy communists that wants to live from the state", and some billionaires here did promoted this so they could get things running as normal again as if COVID is just a regular flu that has been with humanity for thousands of years. That is why they vilified it here - should be similar to US, with the Republicans. In this case, neolibs here split up, since some neolibs still wanted everything open but some others did listened to reason... and there was the neolibs who were flocked with those elite who found a way to exploit and get even richer with COVID (seemed to happen globally, you had pointed out).

From my perspective, it was just people saying HCQ might be useful, then everyone attacking them for it. While posting stories (much like ivermectin) of people self dosing with animal versions. If one was false, the other might have been too. It wasn't just "republicans" pushing for a return to normal. Remember, its the mega corporations that wanted people back to work. Most mega corporations are Democrats. If the severity of covid was needlessly exaggerated, their concerns were legitimate. The only people who benefited from covid, were liberal dominated companies after all.

 

[JAVO]

In case anyone wants to see the actual numbers and trends on hospital, icu, and ventilator capacities in Ohio, see the graphs at the bottom of this page. Note that all values are based on the expanded case definition (a probable case). My understanding is that these numbers are people with covid, not necessarily hospitalized due to covid.

https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/.../key.../hospitalizations

Other states and countries have similar sites. Look at the real data, not media reports.

Compare the last two graphs with this one:

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3840149/

 

[Vendrah]

From my perspective, it was just people saying HCQ might be useful, then everyone attacking them for it. While posting stories (much like ivermectin) of people self dosing with animal versions. If one was false, the other might have been too. It wasn't just "republicans" pushing for a return to normal. Remember, its the mega corporations that wanted people back to work. Most mega corporations are Democrats. If the severity of covid was needlessly exaggerated, their concerns were legitimate. The only people who benefited from covid, were liberal dominated companies after all.

Weren't your right-wing equivalent (the republicans) pushing for a return to normal? It was in where I live. If most mega corporations are democrats, and they want people back to work, and they control the democrat party, then wouldn't democrats favouring quarantine a paradox?

 

[Maou]

Weren't your right-wing equivalent (the republicans) pushing for a return to normal? It was in where I live. If most mega corporations are democrats, and they want people back to work, and they control the democrat party, then wouldn't democrats favouring quarantine a paradox?

That is the thing, I don't think the push to stay open was inherently left or right. This whole division thing is just to pit people against each other. It varied by state, and their individual progress in dealing with covid. I don't think its fair to judge how fast they shut down, and how fast they reopened. As this was entirely a case by case thing and was a decision by the governor. Whether or not you agree with them personally, I don't think anyone inherently was making bad decisions. Because of several factors involved in running a state, the frequently changing information about covid. The lack of testing etc. All states shut down within a month regardless.

I know some states wanted to remain open while their cases were low. I believe they had that right to judge that as its a case by case thing. My own state and a few other red states pushed to be under lockdown just as fast as some Democratic run states (Ohio was one of the first). A lot of states shut down together in clusters/within a day of each other. Some Republican run states had some of the longest shutdowns of the country (New Mexico). I think only 7 states pushed to remain open the entire time, and they are all low population states.

You also gotta consider the factor of precedence. This scale of lockdown has never happened before in USA. I think some states were hesitant of exercising such authority, especially red states. As red states would be far more wary of the government, and more likely to openly protest the lock downs. Which could lead to violent escalation.

Then the factor of economic stability. Not all states main assets were something that could easily be switched to "work from home", in fact, the majority of states probably make money on production and mining, when it comes to their exports. Otherwise, all the revenue comes from taxes. If people are not working, then the state isn't making money. If the state isn't making money, then they have nothing to spend on aid. So it becomes a balancing act, that cannot be maintained for too long before the state starts having issues.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I think my sibling may be an anti-vaxxer. I know where I won't be visiting during the holidays. Shame because I haven't gotten to see my nephew in over 2 years.

 

[Vendrah]

That is the thing, I don't think the push to stay open was inherently left or right. This whole division thing is just to pit people against each other. It varied by state, and their individual progress in dealing with covid. I don't think its fair to judge how fast they shut down, and how fast they reopened. As this was entirely a case by case thing and was a decision by the governor. Whether or not you agree with them personally, I don't think anyone inherently was making bad decisions. Because of several factors involved in running a state, the frequently changing information about covid. The lack of testing etc. All states shut down within a month regardless.

I know some states wanted to remain open while their cases were low. I believe they had that right to judge that as its a case by case thing. My own state and a few other red states pushed to be under lockdown just as fast as some Democratic run states (Ohio was one of the first). A lot of states shut down together in clusters/within a day of each other. Some Republican run states had some of the longest shutdowns of the country (New Mexico). I think only 7 states pushed to remain open the entire time, and they are all low population states.

You also gotta consider the factor of precedence. This scale of lockdown has never happened before in USA. I think some states were hesitant of exercising such authority, especially red states. As red states would be far more wary of the government, and more likely to openly protest the lock downs. Which could lead to violent escalation.

Then the factor of economic stability. Not all states main assets were something that could easily be switched to "work from home", in fact, the majority of states probably make money on production and mining, when it comes to their exports. Otherwise, all the revenue comes from taxes. If people are not working, then the state isn't making money. If the state isn't making money, then they have nothing to spend on aid. So it becomes a balancing act, that cannot be maintained for too long before the state starts having issues.

For here, in Brazil, it partially was. No one from the left here were pro-stay opening people. From the right-wing, vast majority was pro-stay open people. The president from the right-wing here was pro-opening all the times. States had partially their own freedom to close or open, and it relates to right/left wing orientation to some degree, specially if we take account to Bolsonaro. But there are some people from right-wing here who regret supporting Bolsonaro and went against him and did local lockdowns. But in general, lockdowns were not much of a thing here.

We have to accept a right and left division in general, even though we reject it to ourselves (both of us). If they are meant to divide people? Well, to some extent, as some other things like religion.

 

[Virtual ghost]

One week after: so far so good, it is still dropping towards pretty low levels.
I mean if this will really work and end the pandemic locally that will surely start mass vaccination of unvaccainated in certain countries. Since this will be a narrative changer. What should then create the points of stability globally, from which the world should start to clear out regarding the pandemic. Since the biggest problem with the vaccine is probably that people actually have to take it, since only at 80+% of people vaccinated it should start to give it's effect fully (by making sure the virus has no clear path and that it is being chocked/attacked in pretty much all hosts).

Spain 3700 new infections, but 8400 cured people.

 

[ceecee]

I think my sibling may be an anti-vaxxer. I know where I won't be visiting during the holidays. Shame because I haven't gotten to see my nephew in over 2 years.

I know how you feel. I haven't seen my in-laws since 2018. I'm not even sure if Finland is allowing anyone from the US yet.

I've fired now, two, dental practices after their hygienists told me, happily, that the were not vaccinated. I'm not messing with that kind of idiocy - health care providers are an entirely different thing in the vaccinated/non vaccinated situation. I feel anyway. So it's now the first thing I will be asking as I have to find all new providers due to moving.

 

[Luminous]

I know how you feel. I haven't seen my in-laws since 2018. I'm not even sure if Finland is allowing anyone from the US yet.

I've fired now, two, dental practices after their hygienists told me, happily, that the were not vaccinated. I'm not messing with that kind of idiocy - health care providers are an entirely different thing in the vaccinated/non vaccinated situation. I feel anyway. So it's now the first thing I will be asking as I have to find all new providers due to moving.

How frustrating! I'm really glad you're taking care to make sure they are vaccinated. When they're that close to your face, it's just idiotic that they wouldn't get vaccinated. I love my dentist's office. I went in before we had vaccines, and I still felt pretty safe as they minimized contact with everyone, had filters running, were wearing all the protective gear they could, etc, and after the vaccine was available, told me they were vaccinated. I haven't been to the doctor since the whole thing started, except for a telehealth appointment, so I'm not looking forward to that, but at some point, in person exams need to be done.