The Morning Rant [Dave in Fla, Guest Monkey]

Will we ever get a rational public health policy?

Over the holidays a study was published in the European Journal of Epidemiology that examined the correlation between Covid infection rates and vaccinations during the first two weeks of September. This was the point when the delta variant was moving through the world. The study examined 68 countries and 2,947 US counties and found no difference in the infection rates based on level of vaccination in the population. Countries/counties with 25% vaccination rates were equally impacted as those with 70%. In fact, a small increase could be found in the data where high vaccination areas had slightly higher infection rates. For example, Portugal and Iceland at over 75% vaccination rates had about the same infection rate as Vietnam and South Africa where the vaccination rate is around 10%.

The fact that this data is readily available to any data researcher, and that this information is never reported by health officials, or the media, is a clear indication the public health is not what is driving policy. Instead, the focus remains on pushing ineffective strategies such as vaccination of children. If our ruling class actually wanted to mitigate Covid, they would put forward a real policy, not the incoherent incantations against evil spirits that they do now.

As much as the media and political class hate him, rational public health policy has been defined by Ron DeSantis in Florida. From the beginning of the worldwide Covid crisis, he has been consistent on following the best scientific data available, in order to protect Floridians. This hasn't always meant that the correct decisions were made, but when new data became available, he would shift policy to deal with the facts on the ground.

At the start, he followed the same lockdown policies that most other states and countries followed. When it became apparent that the data didn't support lockdowns, and that the state economy was being harmed, he was among the first to lift the lockdown, and he has never considered returning to an that ineffective strategy.

Also, he followed the research showing the most vulnerable population was the elderly, a demographic where Florida exceeds other states that had high infection rates, such as New York and Michigan. He bucked the Medicare and hospital establishment and refused to allow Covid patients to be returned nursing homes. This alone is the major reason why the Covid death rate in Florida is so much lower than in New York, Michigan, and California, despite having a much higher percentage of at-risk individuals.

More recently, he set up treatment centers for monoclonal antibody treatments for severe Covid illnesses. These are state-funded and no cost to the patient. He has literally saved thousands of lives by using the most effective measures available, while ignoring "the science" being spouted by the CDC and the WHO. If it works, it is supported in Florida. If it doesn't, it is ignored.

If the medical establishment were to enact rational public health policies, it would look like this.

1) Recognize that Covid is endemic and quit pretending like it can be eliminated or "beaten". Begin to shape health policy around mitigating the disease, exactly like we have been doing with influenza since 1918.

2) Eliminate mask policies, except in high-risk environments, such as nursing homes. When masks are used, mandate use of the N95 masks. It is pointless to keep wearing a useless piece of cloth, when they have been proven to provide no benefit.

3) Vaccination should be completely optional and encouraged for high-risk people only due to age or obesity. Also quit pretending that they provide more than marginal protection. The simple fact is that natural immunity is much more effective than the vaccines, and they pose inherent risk. I personally feel they are a mistake, but there isn't enough data to show the risks outweigh the benefits, yet.

4) Increase the push for the public to utilize preventative measures, such as the vitamin D/Zinc/Quercetin cocktail to increase body immunity. As a society, most people do not get enough Vitamin D to stay resistant to many illnesses, a product of our increased lack of outdoor activities.

5) Utilize therapeutics for people who become symptomatic, including Ivermectin or the new drugs from Pfizer and Merck. In severe cases the use of monoclonal antibodies as alternatives to hospitalization, or other therapeutics as the monoclonal therapies become less effective due to virus mutations.

6) Increase the availability and use of testing. Quit pretending that only the unvaccinated need to be tested. Anyone who is symptomatic should be tested, and it should be easy for people to do so.

7) Finally, encourage the one beneficial change in society that came out of this last 2 years. Establish a culture of staying home and self-isolating when you are sick. Going to work when you have a cold has been typical for our business culture prior to Covid. This is the one cultural change that I think is beneficial to encourage, and a lot more useful than spending tax dollars pushing the vaccines.

I don't expect any such policy to be enacted, which is why the public distrusts the medical intelligentsia and their media enablers. Fortunately, I get the live somewhere where Covid policy is rational and appropriate therapies and mitigation strategies are followed. It is a shame more state and country leaders (I'm looking at you Australia) don't follow the successful DeSantis model.

And since there were some complaints Monday about the lack of Who dis, pictures...

And for the 'ettes

posted by Open Blogger at 11:18 AM

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