That's how epidemiologists are, and how they are trained. They are not trained to think in nuance and/or how their pretty single-minded directives (which are targeted, exclusively, to avoid spread.) I get it, and trained the way they are, this is how they think. I was rereading my sister's article where the head of one of Seattle's Epidemiology Intelligence Service was quoted on multiple occasions on the need to "incite paranoia."
I don't really like that much because they're trained to be excessive extremists, and in a pandemic this can be a good thing. But they are NOT trained to see beyond the end of their nose, without any thought to where their actions might lead us next. It is a single-minded focus and to be fair, there are times it's needed. There are also various other approaches which can be observed. The bottom line though is our country did a very poor, after the fact, sort of halfway job of it. I get Seattle has way less deaths, but what is the next step now everyone is housebound? Less illness== less immunity. I don't personally know where to draw the line.
But, I LOVED the article I clicked on next:
How Does the Coronavirus Behave Inside a Patient?
This is a far more nuanced approach than epidimiology. It's also highly useful in allowing people to get
through this sucker and it's written by an ONCOLOGIST who understands the use of tracking markers VERY thoroughly IN the body, not just positive or negative.
Whether this is a "pandemic" or not, I think it's information well worth pondering and heeding for the next one that comes. Because they do, and we aren't good at them at ALL. God help us if we DO get a very fatal one.
The bottom line is illnesses spread very rapidly across the world these days, and there are certainly indicators social distancing can save lives in COVID initially, as can masks and gloves etc. I am not arguing the truth or lies about that. HOWEVER, I don't know how static our country can get. I do think overall, the parts of the country recommending it, closing schools, and etc., well they had the best outcomes for NOW.
However, the remainder which is what Public Health is about, is how do we get people back out (or keep those HAVING to be out like healthcare workers) without necessary PPD equipment safer. The article there is an interesting look about the dose making the poison.
So, in theory, we could expose most not exposed in the gentlest of fashions and immunity could spread, without deaths. India has some interesting approaches I guess and if they are doing what they did with smallpox I very much doubt they'd be letting us know, etc. Probably because the WHO would mobilize military force to stop them.
I'm not much better or worse, symptomatically to be honest, other than more tired with every passing day. I hear my next 4 days should determine if I am hospitalized or not. I've pretty much given up on daytime Tylenol for me because it makes little difference so I'd rather save my liver. Tylenol has never done much for me so I take it at night only so the chills and shakes don't keep me up. In a few days, I will probably switch to Advil which has seemed to work better for me.
I don't really "get" keeping your temp down actually I thought it was better to let your body have at it but actually my headache got so bad I was like, "damn it" and just took some Advil because frankly I have never had a temperature day and night for this long of a time. I kind of feel like my body needs a break and my headache is impossible to manage.
So it is what it is and my guess is it will work better. I should know in an hour or two.
I still don't feel anywhere near death and like, that's good. I've been sleeping a bunch and well life is somewhat burdensome. We can't stay cloistered forever. Either my husband has gotten it asymptomatically or he hasn't gotten it yet. Other than your normal precautions, eh. He probably has those killer T cells.
I usually fight off infections fast but like, I have been trying to restore my iron levels with probably intermittent success. I was fine until my work doctor put me on Syn
throid 8 months ago but well, since stopping it this is the first normal period I have had, working out my natural thyroid back to normal. I'm guessing that is making it worse for me, but I was having periods like the red sea every two weeks and I told her and she did not care. She did not care until she put me into full on TSH suppression with a super high T4. "Wait for the bloodwork." Uh huh. I was not anemic before then and now I am, been taking b12 and eating liver because frankly I can't take iron pills for a multitude of reasons.
It's a PITA but more in a marathon not a sprint way. And I am fairly certain I was asymptomatic long before this started to go down. I just, am very tired, but have nothing indicating I need to go the hospital. It's just gonna suck for a while is my prediction.
I will certainly say I have been wrong before and could be again.
Anna
