Gestalt #14 – SARS-2 Pandemic

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

by monotreme1000  March 14, 2020
Death from a Blister

Calvin Coolidge was not a good President. I wondered why until I read a bit more about him.

His 16 year old son died because of a bacterial infection  after getting a blister from playing tennis. President Coolidge was never the same after his son's death. His son could have been saved if he had been given antibiotics. But they didn't exist yet.

Most people know that Americans live a lot longer now than they used to. But they don't really think much about why. They just assume that people are "healthier". Actually, this is not the case. There is no evidence that people today are intrinsically healthier than the past.

At the turn of 20th century, the life expectancy was 46 years for men and 48 for women. We live a lot longer today due to the application of science to medicine. In areas of the world without access to modern medicine, most people don't live much past 50. If we lose access to modern medicine, because Xi Jinping decides to cut off our supply of prescription drugs (he has threatened to do this) or because our hospitals are overwhelmed (see below), Americans will start to die in enormous numbers. And not just 80 year olds with pre-existing conditions.

The Dismissive Pundit Bedpan Brigade

I have about had it with journalists/pundits, who got a "D" in High School Biology and have the IQ of a jellyfish, telling their gullible listeners that SARS2 is no worse than the flu.

According to Dr. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the disease caused by SARS2 is 10 times worse than the flu. So, when you hear a number touted for the number who die of flu every year, multiply that by 10.

Recent CDC estimates suggest over 1 million Americans could die from SARS2 in the next year. But our hospitals would be overwhelmed long before SARS2 could kill that number. Imagine no access to medical care for car accidents, childbirth, dialysis, cancer treatment, etc.

To forestall this crisis, I suggest creating the Dismissive Pundit Bedpan Brigade (DPBB). All the pundits who dismiss the impact of SARS2 would be drafted into a group of low level hospital workers who will take on the menial, but necessary, tasks involved in treating huge numbers of infected patients.

Unfortunately, due to shortages of personal protective equipment, we cannot guarantee that the DPBB will have access to masks. But that shouldn't bother them. After all, its just the flu.

Get ready.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
Tabitha111 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: January 11 2020 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 11640	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tabitha111 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Gestalt #14 – SARS-2 Pandemic Posted: March 14 2020 at 6:57am
	by monotreme1000 March 14, 2020 Death from a Blister Calvin Coolidge was not a good President. I wondered why until I read a bit more about him. His 16 year old son died because of a bacterial infection after getting a blister from playing tennis. President Coolidge was never the same after his son's death. His son could have been saved if he had been given antibiotics. But they didn't exist yet. Most people know that Americans live a lot longer now than they used to. But they don't really think much about why. They just assume that people are "healthier". Actually, this is not the case. There is no evidence that people today are intrinsically healthier than the past. At the turn of 20th century, the life expectancy was 46 years for men and 48 for women. We live a lot longer today due to the application of science to medicine. In areas of the world without access to modern medicine, most people don't live much past 50. If we lose access to modern medicine, because Xi Jinping decides to cut off our supply of prescription drugs (he has threatened to do this) or because our hospitals are overwhelmed (see below), Americans will start to die in enormous numbers. And not just 80 year olds with pre-existing conditions. The Dismissive Pundit Bedpan Brigade I have about had it with journalists/pundits, who got a "D" in High School Biology and have the IQ of a jellyfish, telling their gullible listeners that SARS2 is no worse than the flu. According to Dr. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the disease caused by SARS2 is 10 times worse than the flu. So, when you hear a number touted for the number who die of flu every year, multiply that by 10. Recent CDC estimates suggest over 1 million Americans could die from SARS2 in the next year. But our hospitals would be overwhelmed long before SARS2 could kill that number. Imagine no access to medical care for car accidents, childbirth, dialysis, cancer treatment, etc. To forestall this crisis, I suggest creating the Dismissive Pundit Bedpan Brigade (DPBB). All the pundits who dismiss the impact of SARS2 would be drafted into a group of low level hospital workers who will take on the menial, but necessary, tasks involved in treating huge numbers of infected patients. Unfortunately, due to shortages of personal protective equipment, we cannot guarantee that the DPBB will have access to masks. But that shouldn't bother them. After all, its just the flu. Get ready.
	'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.' --Confucius