Community Chat

[Lali1]

---

@CrazyDaisy wrote:

---

@bikerbabe wrote:
Today’s NYT

A top expert at the World Health Organization on Tuesday walked back her earlier assertion that transmission of the coronavirus by people who do not have symptoms is “very rare.”

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, who made the original comment at a W.H.O. briefing on Monday, said that it was based on just two or three studies and that it was a “misunderstanding” to say asymptomatic transmission is rare globally.

“I was just responding to a question, I wasn’t stating a policy of W.H.O. or anything like that,” she said.

Dr. Van Kerkhove said that the estimates of transmission from people without symptoms come primarily from models, which may not provide an accurate representation. “That’s a big open question, and that remains an open question,” she said.

Scientists had sharply criticized the W.H.O. for creating confusion on the issue, given the far-ranging public policy implications. Governments around the world have recommended face masks and social distancing measures because of the risk of asymptomatic transmission.

A range of scientists said Dr. Van Kerkhove’s comments did not reflect the current scientific research.

“All of the best evidence suggests that people without symptoms can and do readily spread SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19,” scientists at the Harvard Global Health Institute said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Communicating preliminary data about key aspects of the coronavirus without much context can have tremendous negative impact on how the public and policymakers respond to the pandemic.”

---

When experts disagree, who is right. 

---

Sometimes we have to listen to our gut and do what feels right. 

[AuntG]

Confusing to say the least. Experts, and the WHO, change their advice as they have the benefit of hindsight. As far as nursing homes, I'd venture a lot of the cases stemmed from a sick employee coming to work. I'm talking about your basic sickness with mild symptoms, but in that environment, those symptoms can become deadly to the elderly residents.

[Bhvbum]

---

@GrailSeeker wrote:

---

@busymom22 wrote:

I never trusted WHO or even the CDC and their "experts" as there are too many political ramifications and connections.  Their findings and advice have flip-flopped so much that it just confuses the American public even more.

It really feels like there is an agenda to keep people in a state of perpetual fear.  I know some who are so scared that they hang on every word of WHO or CDC.  Use precautions, stay home if you are at risk, but we have to open things up as much as possible.

---

I totally agree.

@Greeneyedlady21mentioned HIV.  That is another example of a communicable disease that was politicized.  Forty years later, still no vaccine for it, and HIV has now been down-played considerably, though it is considered the disease behind changes in civil rights and HIPAA laws.  

---

About 700,000 people have died in the US from aids over 30 years

We have about 120,000 people who have died from Covid in 3.5 months.

[bikerbabe]

I haven’t read every post here but just a couple of thoughts that maybe we should keep in mind:

The media jumps on anything that anyone says regarding COVID and it spreads like wildfire.

Our understanding of most major infectious diseases is based on massive data bases of information collected over decades, even centuries. COVID is only months old! Researchers are releasing data at a record pace in order to help each other. Studies that normally would take years are being done in a matter of a few months. While there will always be a few unscrupulous actors in the mix, the majority of the medical community are just trying to help. It does not surprise me at all that there is conflicting data or advice. In fact, I would say it’s expected for something so new.

As an aside, I don’t want to call out any names but, I’ve seen multiple posts about a cheap miracle cure for Covid. I wish someone would tell my patients because that has not been my experience. Nor has it been the experience of the physicians that I’ve spoken to at my hospital. I suspect the treatment will eventually settle on a multi-drug regimen.

[GrailSeeker]

Here is the original press briefing given by Maria Van Kerhove, head of the World Health Organization’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit.

This is hard to find this morning, less than 24 hours after the briefing.  Mostly articles saying that what she says has been "walked-back".  She seemed pretty sure of what she was saying yesterday during this briefing.  So what has changed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQTBlbx1Xjs

[Greeneyedlady21]

---

@bikerbabe wrote:
I haven’t read every post here but just a couple of thoughts that maybe we should keep in mind:

The media jumps on anything that anyone says regarding COVID and it spreads like wildfire.

Our understanding of most major infectious diseases is based on massive data bases of information collected over decades, even centuries. COVID is only months old! Researchers are releasing data at a record pace in order to help each other. Studies that normally would take years are being done in a matter of a few months. While there will always be a few unscrupulous actors in the mix, the majority of the medical community are just trying to help. It does not surprise me at all that there is conflicting data or advice. In fact, I would say it’s expected for something so new.

As an aside, I don’t want to call out any names but, I’ve seen multiple posts about a cheap miracle cure for Covid. I wish someone would tell my patients because that has not been my experience. Nor has it been the experience of the physicians that I’ve spoken to at my hospital. I suspect the treatment will eventually settle on a multi-drug regimen.

---

That's what some people don't understand, or don't even want to try to understand due to agenda/narrative driven reasons. The newness of it, and the ever changing information as a result of that. Plus we expect everything these days to have an instant solution, we expect immediate gratification. When you can have anything at your house by the touch of a button on your phone, some people expect everything to be that way.

[shoesnbags]

The first I heard of this was this morning on NBC, where Dr. Gupta thoroughly discredited the statement made by WHO.  He said that it was based on 3 studies out of China, while there are dozens of studies internationally that show the exact opposite. He felt that this was terribly irresponsible of WHO to make this statement - that it could  set back much of the progress made by social distancing, mask wearing, etc. Personally, I'm sick and tired of conflicting advice and will go with what makes sense for me. That won't be advice coming from WHO.

[suzyQ3]

---

@busymom22 wrote:

I never trusted WHO or even the CDC and their "experts" as there are too many political ramifications and connections.  Their findings and advice have flip-flopped so much that it just confuses the American public even more.

It really feels like there is an agenda to keep people in a state of perpetual fear.  I know some who are so scared that they hang on every word of WHO or CDC.  Use precautions, stay home if you are at risk, but we have to open things up as much as possible.

---

@busymom22, I'm not hanging my hat on this latest from WHO, but this particular news contradicts your belief that all they want to do is ramp up fear.

[Dinaki]

I also heard yesterday that Greece will start accepting passengers coming from any States in August.

Now I will need to wait for them, when will they  accept passengers coming from the UK as I alwalys fly British Airways.

My routes are, Atlanta to Heathrow, Heathrow Athens and vice versa. So fingers crossed!

[suzyQ3]

---

@Lipstickdiva wrote:

---

@Stray wrote:
That has not been the experience in N Jersey. We lead in Covid-19 testing nationally. Our statistics do not support the WHO “theory”. My own friends were asymptomatic or very mild that passed in a day. I’ve lost 4 friends who did not exhibit symptoms until they were in the final stages. There is a pre clinical or prodromal period in most communicable diseases where they are contagious. How would you determine those factors? They in fact are silent carriers. The answer social distancing and masks in the presence of an out of control outbreak with no therapy, no cure, no vaccine and a high death toll. A new virus highly virulent and highly contagious that targets high risk citizens. They had it right. It doesn’t matter about the “rarity”. They are playing games with words. Children were supposed to be almost immune from the disease but here in NJ, we are seeing PIMS. Most parents would rush their kids to a pediatrician if sick but they don’t display severe symptoms at first or the same as adults but they do spread the disease. We’ve had two young teachers die in our town under 30 from seemingly well children. I find the WHO statement dangerous and no agency tracks disease globally better than the CDC. Countries that contained the virus early and quicker were even more austere with measures. Didn’t the WHO say masks weren’t necessary but retracted that statement a couple of weeks ago and told us to wear masks? It’s so simple to do and I don’t really see it to be an imposition to possibly save my life and that of others

---

@Stray, I'm not sure about WHO but the CDC initially said masks shouldn't be worn and then came out and said they were necessary to protect others so they should be worn. 

---

@Lipstickdivaif memory still serves me, I believe that a good deal of the rational behind their not supporting masks was that they feared for a shortage among health workers.

BTY, not everyone is on board about the efficacy of the masks we non-health people are wearing. I have read an excellent piece by one epidemologist who debunks the now well-advertised use of masks.

I wear one here when I go into a market because otherwise they won't let me in. But I don't wear one when exercise walking, so I am a scofflaw. I am very careful about distance, though.