When did a disease/science become political

(Bob M) #1

I follow a cardiologist in Texas on Twitter. Follow him because he’s a cardiologist who believes in low carb. I can count the number of those on one hand.

He was complaining that his hospital went from 3 covid patients to the point where his rounds were 100% covid patients. And he was constantly responding to STEMIs for these patients:

https://www.ecgmedicaltraining.com/what-is-a-stemi/

And people freaked. They accused him of lying, they wouldn’t believe him without video (? why not), accused him of getting more money to handle covid patients (not true) and also lying…

He lives in RGV, which just got hammered by covid. He’s simply reporting the facts.

Can no one report facts on a disease anymore?

And then there’s Fauci, who has death threats against his family:

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/05/899415906/fauci-reveals-he-has-received-death-threats-and-his-daughters-have-been-harassed

Dr. Fauci was on This Week in Virology, which I listen to as a podcast:

https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-641/

He seemed extremely level-headed and just told what thought the science said. That’s it.

You can listen. It’s only 30 minutes long. Decide for yourself.

When did we get to the point, and why can’t we believe, scientists and doctors anymore?

I realize they f-ed up nutrition, but that doesn’t translate to viruses.

(Edith) #2

It’s sad, but I believe that Trump’s constant attacks on the news media have made his followers suspicious of everything.

People believe what they want to believe. When something contradicts that belief, they think it’s a lie no matter how much evidence one presents against it.

Do you really think those naysayers would believe a video if that doctor showed them what’s happening at his hospital? They would say he faked that, too.

(Rebecca ) #3

In 58 years I never thought I’d be seeing any of the stuff going on right now…but out if respect I won’t get political on here.

#4

media is not truth and neither are ‘reality tv shows that are scripted’ and more. We have always been herded. Herded by the ‘above’ to do in mass as they will and I tell ya one thing…there is truth between the lines but where does it fall? Honestly it is a personal call for each person and with the social media and fake vids and more out there???

So again, personal to what ‘we feel’ as individuals who holds truth cards to me.

We show pics of starving kids in 3rd worlds countries yet I saw a report that said they ‘seek out those individuals’ who are so in jeopardy and that is not the normal case…just to get your money. Now where does my thoughts lie?

I blame those who report truths and blame those who lie and where in heavens can we ever fall on full truth. Ain’t happening ever.

So do you as you need, believe ‘pics and vids and words’ but real science says it all in the end but that is about physical things in life…what about the humanity of life?

I don’t know truly thru it all. Older I get worse I see and hear and read which is why I am now one ‘who doesn’t watch news’ or read crap or I am older and don’t do social media basically so…dino I am :slight_smile: but I feel darn good about my life personally and do my thing thru what I feel is my actions and what I need to hear so?

just a jumbled mess truly. Politics rule us and move us and herd us. Not one doubt about that. Do you thru it all is about all I can say on it.

(GINA ) #5

Science being political is nothing new. Galileo spent the end of his life under house arrest. John Yudkin knew in the 50s that sugar was the real problem, not fat, but was drowned out by Ancel Keyes, the US government and the big $$$ behind processed foods. ‘Don’t pull a Yudkin’ became a warning to scientists not to go against the status quo or risk losing your funding and reputation.

(GINA ) #6

The virus isn’t political, but politicians response to it certainly has been. What has closed or been banned vs what hasn’t makes it clear.

Going to a protest is OK, but going to church is not. In some places even sitting in your car for outdoor church services can get you in trouble. Even worse, one kind of protest is OK, but another is not. Regular people can’t have a funeral with more than a few people, but a politician can.

We hear that ‘the data’ doesn’t tell us that there was any spread from protests, but then we find out contact tracers were told not to ask about attending protests.

There is no way to stand back and look at the response to the virus and think it isn’t political.

(Elmo) #7

Confirmation bias. (I think that’s really it…)

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #8

So we’ve gone full political. All right, here goes. The political enemies of President Trump have used COVID-19 as just another stick to beat him. To whit, back in March, I think it was, Trump made a positive comment about hydroxychloroquine. Therefore, his political enemies, who include Anthony Fauci by the way, have been anti-hydroxychloroquine ever since. Despite evidence of its effectiveness from countries around the world, hydroxychloroquine remains verboten in the USofA. And in spite of several studies done in the USofA itself! So, you want politics, OK…

Hydroxychloroquine works and by refusing to allow its wide-spread use by physicians, the USofA has suffered tens of thousands of deaths that could have been prevented. Those deaths are on all you anti-Trump partisans.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/08/07/theres-a-mountain-of-evidence-that-hydroxychloroquine-is-an-effective-treatment-for-covid-19-n763953

How many lives were lost because the Democrats and the media claimed that taking hydroxychloroquine would kill you? They want the public to blame Trump for the 160,000 deaths that have resulted from the virus, but in reality, the death count would be much, much lower had they put their rabid Trump Derangement Syndrome on hold for the greater good and had an open mind about hydroxychloroquine.

#9

[Taking out this post because it was too explicitly political. My intention was to extend a hand across the aisle but I think I broke some forum rules. Sorry, everyone! I love you all :two_hearts:]

#10

There are a lot of doctors and scientists out there, and unfortunately they’re not all saying the same things. I’m trying to listen to as many folks as I can right now and I can feel the strain as I try really hard not to lock into a particular position but really just take in information. It’s so much easier to pick a side and defend it (and then paint the “other” side as wrong, evil, selfish, etc).

#11

@ctviggen

Here’s the perfect video for your post :slight_smile:

(Elmo) #12

This really need not be political - it’s actually the facts (not just certain half-true or cherry-picked ones) about the drug. (Trump, via his own statements, long ago placed himself outside the bounds of reality with respect to the virus crisis.)

https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2980

There’s a good review of real science, not just an opinion or somebody with a political ax to grind trying to sway people. One immediate observation is that hydroxychloroquine has too many harmful effects and adverse events. This does not mean that it never can have any beneficial effect, case by case, but it’s not worth it because of the negative factors, especially compared with the other drugs.

CovidDrugStudy
CovidDrugStudy.jpg798×764 155 KB

(Doug) #13

@ctviggen - Bob, how long did you think this thread would go? :wink:

Too political - let’s take a break here.

(Doug) closed #14