Frontline Doctor Dispels Covid Fear

[_Themis]

For me, I don't really care what works, as long as it works.

I would love it if it did work. The problem is people believing things without demanding good evidence and accepting things as fact from people who have no idea and in many cases should be seen as obvious idiots, like Donald Trump. Unfortunately most lack training in critical thinking and are not well equipped to make good decisions in a modern world very different then the one humans evolved to survive in.

[_Themis]

Even if that misinformation is potentially lethal?

Every time you put a pill in your mouth is an experiment. We're not willing to risk much in medicine these days and because of this I'd say more often than not many treatments do little to nothing. I understand the first duty is to do no harm. But sometimes you have to take chances if you want a shot at a better quality of life.

People survive better when they don't take every pill someone says will cure what ever they have. How much snake oil are you drinking these days?

[_Dr Exiled]

For me, I don't really care what works, as long as it works.

I would love it if it did work. The problem is people believing things without demanding good evidence and accepting things as fact from people who have no idea and in many cases should be seen as obvious idiots, like Donald Trump. Unfortunately most lack training in critical thinking and are not well equipped to make good decisions in a modern world very different then the one humans evolved to survive in.

Sure, conduct proper testing and question everything. Don't automatically believe the doctors that are offering the hydroxychoroquine/zinc/erythromycin remedy or the remdesivir remedy. However, we shouldn't shut down one side of the debate either. The goal should be finding something that works so we can get back to normal.

[_Themis]

The goal should be finding something that works so we can get back to normal.

That should be the goal, but that is not what is happening with these cure-all type of claims being made, and not all sides of the debate are equal. Many debating are doing so from extreme ignorance and gullibility.

[_Chap]

However, we shouldn't shut down one side of the debate either.

Madonna and Donald Trump Jr tweeting is not part of any debate that contributes towards finding effective medication for any disease. It's just vanity stuff from people whose careers depend on attracting and keeping followers and likes. The less we hear from people like that on a vital life-or-death topic, the better.

The real debate takes place amongst professionals in the pages of peer-reviewed journals. It's not perfect, but as noted above, there are self-correction mechanisms that not only filter what gets published, but even pull stuff later found to be faulty. That does not happen in the Twittersphere.

[_Gunnar]

Sure, conduct proper testing and question everything. Don't automatically believe the doctors that are offering the hydroxychoroquine/zinc/erythromycin remedy or the remdesivir remedy. However, we shouldn't shut down one side of the debate either. The goal should be finding something that works so we can get back to normal.

Who can argue with that? However, as I understand the situation with hydroxychloroquine, except for one small study of that drug conducted in France, most studies seem to have shown that it has little to no beneficial effect on covid-19 that clearly outweighs the potential risk of using it. Ir would be great, though, if it turned out to be effective, as it costs a lot less per dose than Remdesivir, and it can be administered orally. However, the overall testing results for hydroxychloroquine don't seem to bear that out so far.

There are some early indications that favipiravir may be a more effective alternative than Remesivir,

The patients given the drug in the Chinese city of Shenzhen tested negative for the virus with a median of four days after becoming positive — much lower than the average of 11 days for those who were not given the medicine, according to the Guardian.

The US trials — which will take place at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester — would involve around 50 or 60 patients with COVID-19, the Globe reported.

Researchers would give one group the drug along with care typical for coronavirus patients, while the control group would only receive the normal standard of treatment, sources told the newspaper.

Dr. Keith T. Flaherty of Massachusetts General Hospital said the favipiravir study was among the more promising of around 30 clinical trials considered by the hospital.

“We have to prioritize, and this absolutely rose to the top,” Flaherty told the outlet.

And favipiravir can also be administered orally.

[_Gunnar]

The real debate takes place amongst professionals in the pages of peer-reviewed journals. It's not perfect, but as noted above, there are self-correction mechanisms that not only filter what gets published, but even pull stuff later found to be faulty. That does not happen in the Twittersphere.

Yes! This is a point that can hardly be overemphasized. I wish there weren't so many people, especially amongst our political leaders, who seem utterly incapable of grasping it.

[_ajax18]

Sure, conduct proper testing and question everything. Don't automatically believe the doctors that are offering the hydroxychoroquine/zinc/erythromycin remedy or the remdesivir remedy. However, we shouldn't shut down one side of the debate either. The goal should be finding something that works so we can get back to normal.

Maybe somerhing that helps is worthwhile too, especially when a cure is not available.

[_Jersey Girl]

Japan has very few covid cases. 2.6% unemployment. They wear masks. There's your solution, xanax.

- Doc

I'm happy to wear a mask. Why couldn't we just wear masks when this started?

We could have. We did. Why didn't you? Do you need someone to tell you how to protect yourself? You're a doctor for pete sakes.

[_Jersey Girl]

My question was why we couldn't just wear a mask instead of enduring the six weeks of unemployment we endured in my own line of work. It was even longer for those of us under liberal governors.

Oh I see where you're coming from now. Those of us who already had masks were wearing them. The task force didn't tell people to wear masks because the country soon started to run out of PPE in covid units so they didn't want consumers depleting the supply chain, the President failed to use the DPA to make manufacturers produce the masks needed by the general public so the supply chain itself was interrupted where almost no one in the medical field could get their hands on them without governors contracting with foreign countries and actually airlifting their own PPE to their location. Online sales of PPE died out early on because--like I said the supply chain fell apart and everything was depleted by medical use.

People starting sewing masks in their homes. For essential personnel including medical personnel.

Because the President of the United States FAILED to use the DPA to produce what the hell we all needed. That's why he shoved everything off on the governors to fend for themselves.

What else do you want to know and why don't you already know these things? I get the feeling when I read some of your posts that you just woke up from a long snooze asking how the television program ended. Have you or have you not been monitoring this virus since it's onset?

Because I have and I'm just a Jersey Girl. It's like everyone has to help you play catch up with the last 6 months. Why?

The truth is that the President still isn't using the DPA to our advantage as I am typing this very post. I don't know about anyone else but I see a second lock down ahead of us. Why?

Because the President has FAILED us.