Thank you for this ( pegden and baral are FAVES) - and also for the Bari Weiss podcast recommendation with dr makary. Please know, without you and the likes of the above, I personally would be at risk to become completely hopeless. You used the word misery...no better word to describe what politicians are inflicting on us and our kids.
We must stop depending (and betting) on vaccines to beat this pandemic. They must be reprioritize to be one tool in a tool box along with early outpatient treatments, rescue inpatient treatments and mitigation measures.
The FDA will hold its meeting on the Merck molnupiravir and Pfizer’s Paxlovid will follow soon after. Both meds need to be started within 3 days of onset. Our health system is incapable of that kind of speed from test to treat. So if the FDA is smart they will recommend these meds be dispensed by primary care physicians as a prepack for high risk individuals with instructions to be started immediately upon test positive results. Monoclonal antibody treatments should be encouraged and made even more accessible. It’s time to think outside the vaccine limited box and as eluded to in this post to stop doing the same thing over and over because that is the definition of insanity.
Should we also not wait and see if the new variant is, in fact, more harmful than prior variants? Is it not just as possible that it may be less deadly, and therefore more efficient in dispersing itself amongst a population by being less likely to kill the host?
I am still puzzled why those around me who are the most adamant mask proponents are all wearing cloth masks rather than more effective options. Also mystified by the money being spent on asymptomatic testing at schools/colleges with apparently zero interest in better studies of the impacts of mask wearing and lockdowns given the huge impacts these have on society in general and children most importantly. Probably because those most impacted have the least power.
Travel bans can't stop a virus from mutating and if any mutations occur they occur anywhere, spreading if possible. As Berenson is fond of observing "vitus gonna virus". Whether lockdowns actually can work as intended for more than a very short period of time is still debatable. Politicians need to be a bit braver and allow the public the freedom to decide their personal risk. The fearful population can elect to isolate as they see fit.
I do agree with Dr Eileen: distribute test kits along with instructions via all possible avenues. Have referral forms at the ready should someone test positive to receive the earliest possible treatment. Inform the public through public health channels regarding the early treatment process.
I just wanted to add that Portugal is not currently in a lockdown state but intends to be after Christmas. I was there in August and spoke with my family today, they have never stopped wearing masks (mostly N95 and surgical) in stores. Just wanted to correct the record.
Thank you for this ( pegden and baral are FAVES) - and also for the Bari Weiss podcast recommendation with dr makary. Please know, without you and the likes of the above, I personally would be at risk to become completely hopeless. You used the word misery...no better word to describe what politicians are inflicting on us and our kids.
We must stop depending (and betting) on vaccines to beat this pandemic. They must be reprioritize to be one tool in a tool box along with early outpatient treatments, rescue inpatient treatments and mitigation measures.
The FDA will hold its meeting on the Merck molnupiravir and Pfizer’s Paxlovid will follow soon after. Both meds need to be started within 3 days of onset. Our health system is incapable of that kind of speed from test to treat. So if the FDA is smart they will recommend these meds be dispensed by primary care physicians as a prepack for high risk individuals with instructions to be started immediately upon test positive results. Monoclonal antibody treatments should be encouraged and made even more accessible. It’s time to think outside the vaccine limited box and as eluded to in this post to stop doing the same thing over and over because that is the definition of insanity.
Thanks, I agree with these points. Curious Vinay if you have any viewpoint on the AHA study?
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.144.suppl_1.10712
Should we also not wait and see if the new variant is, in fact, more harmful than prior variants? Is it not just as possible that it may be less deadly, and therefore more efficient in dispersing itself amongst a population by being less likely to kill the host?
I am still puzzled why those around me who are the most adamant mask proponents are all wearing cloth masks rather than more effective options. Also mystified by the money being spent on asymptomatic testing at schools/colleges with apparently zero interest in better studies of the impacts of mask wearing and lockdowns given the huge impacts these have on society in general and children most importantly. Probably because those most impacted have the least power.
Travel bans can't stop a virus from mutating and if any mutations occur they occur anywhere, spreading if possible. As Berenson is fond of observing "vitus gonna virus". Whether lockdowns actually can work as intended for more than a very short period of time is still debatable. Politicians need to be a bit braver and allow the public the freedom to decide their personal risk. The fearful population can elect to isolate as they see fit.
I do agree with Dr Eileen: distribute test kits along with instructions via all possible avenues. Have referral forms at the ready should someone test positive to receive the earliest possible treatment. Inform the public through public health channels regarding the early treatment process.
THANK you Vinay and well done. Japan. IVM. Early treatment works.
I just wanted to add that Portugal is not currently in a lockdown state but intends to be after Christmas. I was there in August and spoke with my family today, they have never stopped wearing masks (mostly N95 and surgical) in stores. Just wanted to correct the record.
I look forward to your weekly thoughts!