CR: COVID-19 --Political Talk

[OneOfTheOutOfFocusGuys 2153]

7 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

I will lie about my vax status to get out of indoor employee events.

I swear I’m an anti vaxxer!

Then how do you explain this text book I found in your office?

it’s not mine! I’ve never seen that!

And this subscription to The Lancet?

I only get it for the comics.  I promise!

sir, your last name is Pfizer. 

no relation! No relation!

 

book ’em  

 

[cactusflinthead 27628]

 

[Gatorubet 30789]

Yep.  I’ve said it before.  The further out into the boondocks you get, the higher the odds your doctor is a dipshit.  Also I’ve known dozens of surgeons who start in the city and keep moving further out as their subpar results are better known - sadly they usually do well set up in some bumblefuck outpost.  
Of course there are exceptions but it’s certainly a fact that the stupid ends up concentrated rurally.  

The fewer there are in a locale, the more they protect each other. Med Review Panels make for great friendships.

[Francisco 2.0 32612]

Might as well put this here.  There's some seriously fucking stupid people on this planet, and the fact that someone who graduated high school in 2016, has no health or medical background, is telling the mother of a toddler with cancer to quit going to to the hospital for treatment and just have a healthy diet as treatment and is one of the administrators of this Facebook group is reason enough it ought to be deleted from the planet.

Germ theory denialist Facebook group went from 147 members in April 2020 to 18.4K now.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/deep-dive-into-stupid-meet-the-growing-group-that-rejects-germ-theory/

 

Quote

Listen up, sheeple: COVID-19 doesn't exist. Viruses don't cause disease, and they aren't contagious. Those doctors and health experts who say otherwise don't know what they're talking about; the real experts are on Facebook. And they're saying it loud and clear: The pandemic is caused by your own deplorable life choices, like eating meat or pasta. Any "COVID" symptoms you might experience are actually the result of toxic lifestyle exposures—and you have only yourself to blame.

 

Quote

As utterly idiotic and abhorrent as all of the above is, it's not an exaggeration of the messages being spread by a growing group of Darwin-award finalists on the Internet—that is, germ theory denialists. Yes, you read that correctly: Germ theory denialists—also known as people who don't believe that pathogenic viruses and bacteria can cause disease.

As an extension of their rejection of basic scientific and clinical data collected over centuries, they deny the existence of the devastating pandemic that has sickened upwards of 200 million people worldwide, killing more than 4 million.

 

Quote

Germ theory denialism isn't new. It can be traced back to the origin of germ theory itself, often to the contemporaries of Louis Pasteur named Claude Bernard and Antoine Béchamp. Both came up with opposing hypotheses to Pasteur's enduring germ theory. Bernard proposed the concept of milieu intérieur, which suggests that the body's internal environment—or terrain—maintains its equilibrium. The state of the terrain, rather than the presence of pathogens, ultimately dictates whether disease will develop (which is not an entirely crazy idea, given what we now know about the microbiome and the immunocompromised). Meanwhile, Béchamp—considered a bitter crank and rival of Pasteur—suggested that pathogenic bacteria are produced by human tissue as a response to a harmful change in the terrain. Thus, bacteria do not causedisease; they are merely a self-created symptom of it—which is clearly just incorrect.

 

Spoiler

The scientific and medical communities left these ideas behind in light of Pasteur's findings and, later, Robert Koch's foundational concepts for microbial pathogenesis, Koch's postulates. But it seems they have endured in a fringe community, with their interpretations and explanations shifting and morphing over time. And with the devastating global pandemic, the denialists seem to be having something of a renaissance.

A germ theory denialist emailed me and pointed to a Facebook group called "Terrain Model Refutes Germ Theory," where a particular strain of germ theory denialism is thriving. An administrator for the group noted in April that the group had reached 15,000 members, up from just 147 members in April of 2020. Now, just a few months later, the tally is up to 18,400.

Toxic ignorance

While the depths of human stupidity on display across the Internet rival that of the Marianas Trench, the audacious ignorance on display in this group is truly stunning. In the group's current take on germ theory denialism, bacteria are merely scavengers and are a symptom of disease. Viruses are considered cellular debris and cannot cause disease or transmit from one person to another.

According to the group members' delusions, there is only one disease in existence: toxemia. This disease is caused by toxic exposures that occur by leading a dirty, unnatural lifestyle, which causes damage to your terrain. All disease symptoms are merely a sign that your body is trying to "detox." If your body isn't able to detox, the disease will progress through seven levels, the last one being cancer. The type of symptom you're experiencing can help identify the kind of toxic exposure you've had. If you remove the toxic component of your diet or environment, you'll recover—though if you reach the seventh level, it can be hard to come back from.

 

The group notes that a sick person has no one but themselves to blame for their illness. "Blaming disease on viruses or bacteria is an easy cop out," one post in the group's "guide" section reads. "It's not good business to tell a client that they have caused their own miseries, so the medical profession has blamed suffering on everything but the individual's own failure in the game of living."

So how do you avoid toxic exposures and failing at life? Basically, you just eat a lot of fruit and cut out all things "not fit for man." That includes meat, dairy, eggs, breads, pasta, soy, nut and seed oils, potatoes, garlic, onions, cereals, salt, fermented foods, coffee, supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and any other intoxicating substances. Oh, and all evidence-based drugs, medical treatments, and vaccines—obviously.

If you are not convinced by the group's ideas and point to medical experts who say wild things like "viruses can make you sick" and "protein is necessary for a healthy diet," you are embarrassingly mistaken. According to the group, all doctors are simply brainwashed puppets, controlled by a profit-driven pharmaceutical and medical research community determined to convince everyone that they need to buy magic pills to stay healthy. "The germ theory is nothing but a massive profit driver for the disease industry," germ theory denialist Nora Lenz said in a video hosted on the site. The group members know better, of course, because, you know, they've read a lot of stuff on the Internet—like a lot!

“Facts-inated”

"There are people with masters [sic] degrees that fell for this pandemic charade," one group member posted. "And there are high school dropouts that can see through all the deception of the media. That's why being smart isn't measured solely on being educated by colleges."

Indeed, the denialist who led me to this Facebook group—Robert Yaklin—did so to point out my ignorance. "I couldn't resist contacting you when I read that you are interested in infectious diseases," Yaklin wrote, seemingly referencing the fact that I have a doctorate in bacterial pathogenesis. "While I'm sure you believe that such a thing exists because you have been indoctrinated to believe in germ theory, it is no more proven than the theory of a flat earth. I suggest working toward getting fully "facts-inated" by reading about Terrain Model. There is plenty to keep you busy reading at the Facebook group "Terrain Model Refutes Germ Theory" for months if not years or longer. Don't feel bad just because so many things you have believed will be revealed untrue." (If only my PhD advisor had known about this Facebook group!)

 

In subsequent email exchanges, Yaklin compared believing in disease-causing bacteria to believing in Santa Claus or the Easter bunny. "The idea of viruses causing anything is even more far-fetched," he wrote.

As for an explanation of the current pandemic caused by a contagious coronavirus, Yalkin said it is due to "a group of people with similar diet and habits [who] are likely to be taking on a similar amount of toxins, and therefore their bodies are likely to exhibit similar detox symptoms around the same time."

And as for following public health measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission, Yalkin simply said, "There are no public health experts recommending wearing a mask or getting vaccinated. There may be people who call themselves public health experts, but they are virtually clueless about actual health, having received training and indoctrination in the cult of disease and drugs."

The nonsense he spewed was straight from the pages of the Facebook group, of course. Based on recent activity, two of the more active administrators for the group are Lauren Whiteman, who said she took over the group in April of 2020, and Lauren Takacs.

Misinformation and moderation

Whiteman appeared in the video with Lenz and said she had studied hygiene theory for five years. She claimed that her natural diet cured all of her health issues and cured blindness, deafness, and seizures in the dogs she fosters. This has apparently given her authority to provide medical advice, telling people in the group that vaccines are "extremely dangerous and harmful to health." In one exchange, she claimed that a person diagnosed with COVID-19 had low blood oxygen levels because of poor lifestyle choices. "The cause of oxygen deficiency is wrong health habits," she declared. "Wrong foods going in, taking drugs, not living in alignment with your physiology."

Whiteman did not respond to an interview request from Ars.

According to her public Facebook posts, Takacs graduated from high school in 2016 and has no health or medical background. However, that didn't stop her from recommending to one group member that she no longer needed health insurance, simply because she was following the terrain model lifestyle. In another post, Takacs suggests that a mother of a 3-year-old with cancer should stop bringing her son to the hospital for treatments, which she called "poisonings." Instead, she recommended feeding the toddler fruits and vegetables as treatment.

Takacs did not respond to an interview request from Ars.

Ars also reached out to Facebook to understand how all of the health misinformation and falsehoods in the group fall in the company's moderation policies. The social media giant is said to be actively monitoring the site, reviewing posts, and removing violating material. Broadly, if a group repeatedly breaks rules, Facebook will permanently remove it.

"We take strong action against content that violates our COVID-19 and vaccine policies," a Facebook spokesperson told Ars in a statement. "We continue to monitor for misinformation on our platforms and we will continue to enforce against any account or group that violates our rules.”

 

[jimmyjazz 47332]

25 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Germ theory denialism isn't new. It can be traced back to the origin of germ theory itself, often to the contemporaries of Louis Pasteur named Claude Bernard and Antoine Béchamp. Both came up with opposing hypotheses to Pasteur's enduring germ theory. Bernard proposed the concept of milieu intérieur, which suggests that the body's internal environment—or terrain—maintains its equilibrium. The state of the terrain, rather than the presence of pathogens, ultimately dictates whether disease will develop (which is not an entirely crazy idea, given what we now know about the microbiome and the immunocompromised). Meanwhile, Béchamp—considered a bitter crank and rival of Pasteur—suggested that pathogenic bacteria are produced by human tissue as a response to a harmful change in the terrain. Thus, bacteria do not causedisease; they are merely a self-created symptom of it—which is clearly just incorrect.

So if my healthy self hops on a plane in NYC, flies to Africa, gets bitten by a mosquito and soon comes down with yellow fever, it wasn't the virus carried by the mosquito that caused the disease, but rather a coincidental manifestation of my unhealthy internal "terrain" that exists due to my diet and lifestyle?  Had I stayed in NYC I would have also shown the symptoms of yellow fever in that same timeframe?

That's some genius-level medical theory right there.

[Post Oak 20588]

1 hour ago, WhatTheBuck said:

“Ms Mitchell said her partner, a Cambridge University graduate, decided against having a coronavirus jab after reading material on social media.”

Social media - how otherwise educated people turn stupid. 

Social media has done to others what they warned us Ozzy Osbourne, NWA and video games would do.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19334]

38 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Might as well put this here.  There's some seriously fucking stupid people on this planet, and the fact that someone who graduated high school in 2016, has no health or medical background, is telling the mother of a toddler with cancer to quit going to to the hospital for treatment and just have a healthy diet as treatment and is one of the administrators of this Facebook group is reason enough it ought to be deleted from the planet.

Germ theory denialist Facebook group went from 147 members in April 2020 to 18.4K now.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/deep-dive-into-stupid-meet-the-growing-group-that-rejects-germ-theory/

 

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The scientific and medical communities left these ideas behind in light of Pasteur's findings and, later, Robert Koch's foundational concepts for microbial pathogenesis, Koch's postulates. But it seems they have endured in a fringe community, with their interpretations and explanations shifting and morphing over time. And with the devastating global pandemic, the denialists seem to be having something of a renaissance.

A germ theory denialist emailed me and pointed to a Facebook group called "Terrain Model Refutes Germ Theory," where a particular strain of germ theory denialism is thriving. An administrator for the group noted in April that the group had reached 15,000 members, up from just 147 members in April of 2020. Now, just a few months later, the tally is up to 18,400.

Toxic ignorance

While the depths of human stupidity on display across the Internet rival that of the Marianas Trench, the audacious ignorance on display in this group is truly stunning. In the group's current take on germ theory denialism, bacteria are merely scavengers and are a symptom of disease. Viruses are considered cellular debris and cannot cause disease or transmit from one person to another.

According to the group members' delusions, there is only one disease in existence: toxemia. This disease is caused by toxic exposures that occur by leading a dirty, unnatural lifestyle, which causes damage to your terrain. All disease symptoms are merely a sign that your body is trying to "detox." If your body isn't able to detox, the disease will progress through seven levels, the last one being cancer. The type of symptom you're experiencing can help identify the kind of toxic exposure you've had. If you remove the toxic component of your diet or environment, you'll recover—though if you reach the seventh level, it can be hard to come back from.

 

The group notes that a sick person has no one but themselves to blame for their illness. "Blaming disease on viruses or bacteria is an easy cop out," one post in the group's "guide" section reads. "It's not good business to tell a client that they have caused their own miseries, so the medical profession has blamed suffering on everything but the individual's own failure in the game of living."

So how do you avoid toxic exposures and failing at life? Basically, you just eat a lot of fruit and cut out all things "not fit for man." That includes meat, dairy, eggs, breads, pasta, soy, nut and seed oils, potatoes, garlic, onions, cereals, salt, fermented foods, coffee, supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and any other intoxicating substances. Oh, and all evidence-based drugs, medical treatments, and vaccines—obviously.

If you are not convinced by the group's ideas and point to medical experts who say wild things like "viruses can make you sick" and "protein is necessary for a healthy diet," you are embarrassingly mistaken. According to the group, all doctors are simply brainwashed puppets, controlled by a profit-driven pharmaceutical and medical research community determined to convince everyone that they need to buy magic pills to stay healthy. "The germ theory is nothing but a massive profit driver for the disease industry," germ theory denialist Nora Lenz said in a video hosted on the site. The group members know better, of course, because, you know, they've read a lot of stuff on the Internet—like a lot!

“Facts-inated”

"There are people with masters [sic] degrees that fell for this pandemic charade," one group member posted. "And there are high school dropouts that can see through all the deception of the media. That's why being smart isn't measured solely on being educated by colleges."

Indeed, the denialist who led me to this Facebook group—Robert Yaklin—did so to point out my ignorance. "I couldn't resist contacting you when I read that you are interested in infectious diseases," Yaklin wrote, seemingly referencing the fact that I have a doctorate in bacterial pathogenesis. "While I'm sure you believe that such a thing exists because you have been indoctrinated to believe in germ theory, it is no more proven than the theory of a flat earth. I suggest working toward getting fully "facts-inated" by reading about Terrain Model. There is plenty to keep you busy reading at the Facebook group "Terrain Model Refutes Germ Theory" for months if not years or longer. Don't feel bad just because so many things you have believed will be revealed untrue." (If only my PhD advisor had known about this Facebook group!)

 

In subsequent email exchanges, Yaklin compared believing in disease-causing bacteria to believing in Santa Claus or the Easter bunny. "The idea of viruses causing anything is even more far-fetched," he wrote.

As for an explanation of the current pandemic caused by a contagious coronavirus, Yalkin said it is due to "a group of people with similar diet and habits [who] are likely to be taking on a similar amount of toxins, and therefore their bodies are likely to exhibit similar detox symptoms around the same time."

And as for following public health measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission, Yalkin simply said, "There are no public health experts recommending wearing a mask or getting vaccinated. There may be people who call themselves public health experts, but they are virtually clueless about actual health, having received training and indoctrination in the cult of disease and drugs."

The nonsense he spewed was straight from the pages of the Facebook group, of course. Based on recent activity, two of the more active administrators for the group are Lauren Whiteman, who said she took over the group in April of 2020, and Lauren Takacs.

Misinformation and moderation

Whiteman appeared in the video with Lenz and said she had studied hygiene theory for five years. She claimed that her natural diet cured all of her health issues and cured blindness, deafness, and seizures in the dogs she fosters. This has apparently given her authority to provide medical advice, telling people in the group that vaccines are "extremely dangerous and harmful to health." In one exchange, she claimed that a person diagnosed with COVID-19 had low blood oxygen levels because of poor lifestyle choices. "The cause of oxygen deficiency is wrong health habits," she declared. "Wrong foods going in, taking drugs, not living in alignment with your physiology."

Whiteman did not respond to an interview request from Ars.

According to her public Facebook posts, Takacs graduated from high school in 2016 and has no health or medical background. However, that didn't stop her from recommending to one group member that she no longer needed health insurance, simply because she was following the terrain model lifestyle. In another post, Takacs suggests that a mother of a 3-year-old with cancer should stop bringing her son to the hospital for treatments, which she called "poisonings." Instead, she recommended feeding the toddler fruits and vegetables as treatment.

Takacs did not respond to an interview request from Ars.

Ars also reached out to Facebook to understand how all of the health misinformation and falsehoods in the group fall in the company's moderation policies. The social media giant is said to be actively monitoring the site, reviewing posts, and removing violating material. Broadly, if a group repeatedly breaks rules, Facebook will permanently remove it.

"We take strong action against content that violates our COVID-19 and vaccine policies," a Facebook spokesperson told Ars in a statement. "We continue to monitor for misinformation on our platforms and we will continue to enforce against any account or group that violates our rules.”

 

EVERYONE here still on Facebook needs to report that group for False Information regarding health.  Fuck them.

[Beau Vine 55893]

1 hour ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

I will lie about my vax status to get out of indoor employee events.

[cactusflinthead 27628]

It might not work. But, here's the link to their page and the report button.

The tiny red Facebook in the article is the link to their main group page. I followed the prompts to the report option.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/germtheory.vs.terraintheory/learning_content/

Edited August 8, 2021 by cactusflinthead

[Bullneck 19573]

Have you been vaccinated for schedenfruede?

Quote

Ex-Newsmax Host Who Attacked ‘Lying Freak’ Dr. Fauci Over ‘Scamdemic’ Has Died Of COVID

Get vaccinated, Dick Farrel told friends before he died.

By Mary Papenfuss

Former Newsmax host and right-wing Florida radio commentator Dick Farrel — who mocked vaccines, the “scamdemic” and “lying freak” Dr. Anthony Fauci — has died of COVID-19.

A very different Farrel, 65, told friends to get vaccinated, as he struggled with the virus. He died Wednesday, WPTV reported

 

“COVID took one of my best friends! RIP Dick Farrel. He is the reason I took the shot,” Farrel’s close friend Amy Leigh Hair wrote on Facebook. “He texted me and told me to ‘Get it!’ He told me this virus is no joke and he said, ‘I wish I had gotten it!’”

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Bullneck

[Bullneck 19573]

7 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

EVERYONE here still on Facebook needs to report that group for False Information regarding health.  Fuck them.

Reported!!

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19334]

3 minutes ago, Bullneck said:

Have you been vaccinated for schedenfruede?

 

[cactusflinthead 27628]

Cross-posted from the Karen thread.

The replies are gold. 

 

[Anastasis 23718]

16 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

EVERYONE here still on Facebook needs to shoot themselves in the face.

Fify 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19334]

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

Fify 

Meh.  I’m on it to keep up with folks spread all over the world.  It’s quick and easy. 

[BrickHorn 18450]

32 minutes ago, Bullneck said:

Former Newsmax host and right-wing Florida radio commentator Dick Farrel — who mocked vaccines, the “scamdemic” and “lying freak” Dr. Anthony Fauci — has died of COVID-19.

This is starting to feel like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark when all the arrogant Nazis are super jazzed to harness the power of God for their own stupid shit and then He melts their faces off. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by BrickHorn

[cactusflinthead 27628]

 

[OneOfTheOutOfFocusGuys 2153]

Holy shit. 

[horn4life 3840]

I guess the only thing that is now a constant with Covid is when you think you have seen the dumbest fucking political stance in your life.  The GOP finds a new way to "raise" the bar of stupidity to a higher level.

Greg Abbott's new school guidance measures are so fucking dumb as to be flabbergasting even for that dolt.  If the kid next to your kid at school had covid... it's none of your or your kids fucking business.  Because.... gotta always but always protect the stupid non-scientific parents that Abbott knows are in his corner.  Our Governor's ONLY covid policies are designed to make sure the stupid, don't actually get called out or known as stupid.  The freedom to infect others is more important than protecting the population from the stupid. 

[Gatorubet 30789]

I’m sorry Texas, but y’all are estopped from making fun of any other state.

……OK, you can still make fun of Florida.

[Bullneck 19573]

32 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

Nelson: Ha Ha!

[RomaVicta 30637]

16 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by RomaVicta

[Aqua Buddha 14809]

37 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

As a "lib," I don't feel owned.

[RomaVicta 30637]

6 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

It’s tragic that they’re taking others out with them.

Tragic for those they kill; reprehensible for those doing the killing and infecting.

People in their prime, teenagers, children, and babies are catching the variant. The Death Cult is replaying their response to the initial outbreak. It's Trumpian mass murder yet, oddly, it's not a crime.

Maybe we should develop a nerve gas that is effective only on the unvaccinated to protect the country. I'm kidding, I guess. 

Idiot World stands flat footed again as this new tidal wave of disease rumbles over the beach and inland. Denizens of this world grab onto the clothing of those trying to seek higher ground. 

There is no excuse for this. This is not what citizens do. They hate engine and Trump have done this to us.

They would be shown little mercy under my hand. 

[Brisketexan 107031]

Well yeah. This is not reality based. 
 
The American south is a self imposed 3rd world shithole. 

Jesus Christ man I know you’re not this dense. 
clearly I wasn’t comparing Savannah to Brazzaville. I was commenting on the fact that a large portion of the south has a current covid death rate per capita on par with countries whose citizens’ primary concern is access to drinkable water. 
But these morons’ brains are so addled with GOP encephalopathy that instead of taking the vaccine that’s been readily available for months they are consuming apple flavored horse dewormer. They’re only one step above recommending shark fins or rhino horn powder as a cure. 

Yep. Maybe Anastasis would be happier with the semantic correction of “the South has a single-minded dedication to become a 3rd world country, and is proceeding in that direction post-haste, having already hit several of the markers.”

It’s no joke. Outside of the biggest urban areas, the story of the south, today, is one of wretched poverty, ignorance, and despair….each of which is clung to defiantly as a talisman for “our way of life.” We’re busy literally committing collective suicide. Shit, maybe Anastasis is right - we aren’t 3rd world, because even 3rd world countries aren’t THAT fucking dumb.

Edit: and we don’t even need to get into our Texas electric grid, which reminds me of the stories my friend told me of going to visit family in Honduras, where they learned not to count on reliable electricity, and simply worked around it. You know, the way that every Texan who can afford a generator or power wall is doing shit RIGHT NOW.

[pyrohornIII 4847]

I grew up being told Texas had the best roads, the best schools, and other social structures that made us truly exceptional.    We're not even average anymore.  

 

24 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

I’m sorry Texas, but y’all are estopped from making fun of any other state.

……OK, you can still make fun of Florida.

 

[Nicole44 22326]

I’m in on 777? Asking for a friend.

[RomaVicta 30637]

2 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19334]

Question for @Biff Tannen and anyone else who had a breakthrough case, what were your symptoms?  How long did you feel bad and how are you feeling now?

I ask becuase Thursday, I noted that I would wake up and go to sleep congested (normal for me with my sinus and allergy history).  However, I also had a bad headache.  Since, I have had a sore throat, a slight cough (not rattling, really more clearing the throat kind), scratchy voice, slight headache, but still have sense of taste and smell, and do not get winded, even when doing something strenuous.  I

I think this is most likely just an allergy or sinus issue rearing its head.  I have not gone to get a test, as I wanted to see how I felt a day or two in. I am wearing a mask at all times, have foregone my exercise classes, going out, and have stayed at home.  However, I feel much better today, headaches are gone, and I am thinking I am going to re-enter life tomorrow even though I am still a little croaky (I feel fine).  

[Mole 4344]

My breakthrough was post nasal drip and fatigue to start. It turned into nasal congestion, loss of smell, sore throat, headache, and shortness of breath. I maybe had a mild fever for one night. Now it’s fatigue and some residual head congestion. Symptoms started a week ago Thursday, peaked this past week Wednesday, and I felt like I was truly getting better on Friday.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19334]

1 minute ago, Mole said:

My breakthrough was post nasal drip and fatigue to start. It turned into nasal congestion, loss of smell, sore throat, headache, and shortness of breath. I maybe had a mild fever for one night. Now it’s fatigue and some residual head congestion. Symptoms started a week ago Thursday, peaked this past week Wednesday, and I felt like I was truly getting better on Friday.

Gotcha.  Thanks.  I have had a level of post nasal drip for the last 3-4 months.  Admittedly, no real fatigue.  The headache is the most worrisome to me as that seems to be something everyone I know who has COVID has.  Then again, when I have allergies, I get those headaches until the pressure eases.  

When you had the congestion, was it both sides, or was one side worse than the other?

[Doc Sam Beckett 5908]

11 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Question for @Biff Tannen and anyone else who had a breakthrough case, what were your symptoms?  How long did you feel bad and how are you feeling now?

I ask becuase Thursday, I noted that I would wake up and go to sleep congested (normal for me with my sinus and allergy history).  However, I also had a bad headache.  Since, I have had a sore throat, a slight cough (not rattling, really more clearing the throat kind), scratchy voice, slight headache, but still have sense of taste and smell, and do not get winded, even when doing something strenuous.  I

I think this is most likely just an allergy or sinus issue rearing its head.  I have not gone to get a test, as I wanted to see how I felt a day or two in. I am wearing a mask at all times, have foregone my exercise classes, going out, and have stayed at home.  However, I feel much better today, headaches are gone, and I am thinking I am going to re-enter life tomorrow even though I am still a little croaky (I feel fine).  

Pretty much exactly what you are experiencing. Congestion to start, thought it was allergies. Mild fever, chills and would have sworn it was a sinus infection before it started turning around. Small dry cough, but never experienced any trouble breathing. The hack at the urgent care clinic prescribed HCQ and horse paste even though I was vaccinated and felt like I was turning the corner. I can mail those to you if you want them lol

 

Curious for others, but I feel like every anecdotal breakthrough case I have read on this board has been the Pfizer vaccine. My friends that I was with all had Moderna and all came through unscathed. Anecdotal, but interesting nonetheless. 

[Francisco 2.0 32612]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

EVERYONE here still on Facebook needs to report that group for False Information regarding health.  Fuck them.

 

No worries.   Facebook is on to the next big thing:  a Prayer tool.

(I have zero issues with prayer. But this is unseemly.  It's just another way Facebook can target individuals now.  The data of individuals using the prayer tool will just use an algorithm send those folks something that has absolutely nothing to do with religion...like covid denialism or worse).

 

https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-religion-coronavirus-pandemic-d9b626cfeba71fc6a2a479af832addcb

 

Quote

The Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, a Southern Baptist megachurch, was among the pastors enthusiastically welcoming of the prayer feature. 

“Facebook and other social media platforms continue to be tremendous tools to spread the Gospel of Christ and connect believers with one another — especially during this pandemic,” he said. “While any tool can be misused, I support any effort like this that encourages people to turn to the one true God in our time of need.”

 

Quote

Adeel Zeb, a Muslim chaplain at The Claremont Colleges in California, also was upbeat.

“As long as these companies initiate proper precautions and protocols to ensure the safety of religiously marginalized communities, people of faith should jump on board supporting this vital initiative,” he said.

Under its data policy, Facebook uses the information it gathers in a variety of ways, including to personalize advertisements. But the company says advertisers are not able to use a person’s prayer posts to target ads.

 

Quote

The Rev. Bob Stec, pastor of St. Ambrose Catholic Parish in Brunswick, Ohio, said via email that on one hand, he sees the new feature as a positive affirmation of people’s need for an “authentic community” of prayer, support and worship. 

But “even while this is a ‘good thing,’ it is not necessary the deeply authentic community that we need,” he said. “We need to join our voices and hands in prayer. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder with each other and walk through great moments and challenges together.”

Stec also worried about privacy concerns surrounding the sharing of deeply personal traumas.

 

Spoiler

“Is it wise to post everything about everyone for the whole world to see?” he said. “On a good day we would all be reflective and make wise choices. When we are under stress or distress or in a difficult moment, it’s almost too easy to reach out on Facebook to everyone.”

However, Jacki King, the minister to women at Second Baptist Conway, a Southern Baptist congregation in Conway, Arkansas, sees a potential benefit for people who are isolated amid the pandemic and struggling with mental health, finances and other issues.

“They’re much more likely to get on and make a comment than they are to walk into a church right now,” King said. “It opens a line of communication.”

Bishop Paul Egensteiner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Metropolitan New York Synod said he has been dismayed by some aspects of Facebook but welcomes the feature, which bears similarities to a digital prayer request already used by the synod’s churches.

“I hope this is a genuine effort from Facebook to help religious organizations advance their mission,” Egensteiner said. “I also pray that Facebook will continue improving its practices to stop misinformation on social media, which is also affecting our religious communities and efforts.” 

The Rev. Thomas McKenzie, who leads Church of the Redeemer, an Anglican congregation in Nashville, Tennessee, said he wanted to hate the feature — he views Facebook as willing to exploit anything for money, even people’s faith. 

But he thinks it could be encouraging to those willing to use it: “Facebook’s evil motivations might have actually provided a tool that can be for good.”

His chief concern with any Internet technology, he added, is that it can encourage people to stay physically apart even when it is unnecessary. 

“You cannot participate fully in the body of Christ online. It’s not possible,” McKenzie said. “But these tools may give people the impression that it’s possible.” 

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union of Reform Judaism, said he understood why some people would view the initiative skeptically.

“But in the moment we’re in, I don’t know many people who don’t have a big part of their prayer life online,” he said. “We’ve all been using the chat function for something like this — sharing who we are praying for.”

Crossroads Community Church, a nondenominational congregation in Vancouver, Washington, saw the function go live about 10 weeks ago in its Facebook Group, which has roughly 2,500 members. 

About 20 to 30 prayer requests are posted each day, eliciting 30 to 40 responses apiece, according to Gabe Moreno, executive pastor of ministries. Each time someone responds, the initial poster gets a notification. 

Deniece Flippen, a moderator for the group, turns off the alerts for her posts, knowing that when she checks back she will be greeted with a flood of support.

Flippen said that unlike with in-person group prayer, she doesn’t feel the Holy Spirit or the physical manifestations she calls the “holy goosebumps.” But the virtual experience is fulfilling nonetheless. 

“It’s comforting to see that they’re always there for me and we’re always there for each other,” Flippen said. 

Members are asked on Fridays to share which requests got answered, and some get shoutouts in the Sunday morning livestreamed services.

Moreno said he knows Facebook is not acting out of purely selfless motivation — it wants more user engagement with the platform. But his church’s approach to it is theologically based, and they are trying to follow Jesus’ example. 

“We should go where the people are,” Moreno said. “The people are on Facebook. So we’re going to go there.”

 

[Francisco 2.0 32612]

 

 

[Anastasis 23718]

43 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Outside of the biggest urban areas, the story of the south, today, is one of wretched poverty, ignorance, and despair….

How is this different than upstate New York or most of Ohio. 

Y'all are some real self loathing sons of bitches. Need to go flaggellate yourselves in the corner. 

[gmr548 16704]

Yep. Maybe Anastasis would be happier with the semantic correction of “the South has a single-minded dedication to become a 3rd world country, and is proceeding in that direction post-haste, having already hit several of the markers.”

It’s no joke. Outside of the biggest urban areas, the story of the south, today, is one of wretched poverty, ignorance, and despair….each of which is clung to defiantly as a talisman for “our way of life.” We’re busy literally committing collective suicide. Shit, maybe Anastasis is right - we aren’t 3rd world, because even 3rd world countries aren’t THAT fucking dumb.

Edit: and we don’t even need to get into our Texas electric grid, which reminds me of the stories my friend told me of going to visit family in Honduras, where they learned not to count on reliable electricity, and simply worked around it. You know, the way that every Texan who can afford a generator or power wall is doing shit RIGHT NOW.

Also has a life expectancy squarely in line with West Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky,Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Interesting that Anastasis mentioned travel. My job has sent me to lower socioeconomic areas all over the south. Third world, or at least third world adjacent, is an apt description. To be sure, it’s not the only part of this country where that’s true, but it’s certainly the part where it’s both most widespread and heavily concentrated. There is a whole other side of America out there that most college grads with white collar jobs, living in major metro areas, posting on college football message boards rarely if ever see.

[YChang 3571]

Getting tested Tuesday…. Man I really hope this is just a cold I’m going through/recovering from. Warm, but not feverish. Stuffy nose and phlegmy. 

[elfenix 34782]

How is this different than upstate New York or most of Ohio. 
Y'all are some real self loathing sons of bitches. Need to go flaggellate yourselves in the corner. 

Ohio has really great tomatoes right now.

[Biff Tannen 46203]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Question for @Biff Tannen and anyone else who had a breakthrough case, what were your symptoms?  How long did you feel bad and how are you feeling now?

I ask becuase Thursday, I noted that I would wake up and go to sleep congested (normal for me with my sinus and allergy history).  However, I also had a bad headache.  Since, I have had a sore throat, a slight cough (not rattling, really more clearing the throat kind), scratchy voice, slight headache, but still have sense of taste and smell, and do not get winded, even when doing something strenuous.  I

I think this is most likely just an allergy or sinus issue rearing its head.  I have not gone to get a test, as I wanted to see how I felt a day or two in. I am wearing a mask at all times, have foregone my exercise classes, going out, and have stayed at home.  However, I feel much better today, headaches are gone, and I am thinking I am going to re-enter life tomorrow even though I am still a little croaky (I feel fine).  

Started off feeling like sinus infection and headache.  Lost taste and smell a couple of days in.  Just had a tiny cough, nothing bad.  Basically felt like I had water up my nose for a week.  Peaked around a week in (Friday) and now on Sunday I'm at about 90% and feeling better by the hour.  Hoping to be back to normal by tomorrow or Tuesday.  

Edited August 8, 2021 by Biff Tannen
Also, did my own anecdotal polling and every breakthrough case has been J&J or Pfizer. Moderna holding up so far.

[Anastasis 23718]

1 minute ago, elfenix said:

4 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

How is this different than upstate New York or most of Ohio. 
Y'all are some real self loathing sons of bitches. Need to go flaggellate yourselves in the corner. 

Ohio has really great tomatoes right now.

Only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes. 

[Anastasis 23718]

1 minute ago, Biff Tannen said:

Moderna holding up so far.

Moderna elites. 

[Homercles 10206]

19 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Yep.  I’ve said it before.  The further out into the boondocks you get, the higher the odds your doctor is a dipshit.  Also I’ve known dozens of surgeons who start in the city and keep moving further out as their subpar results are better known - sadly they usually do well set up in some bumblefuck outpost.  
Of course there are exceptions but it’s certainly a fact that the stupid ends up concentrated rurally.  

Edited August 8, 2021 by Homercles

[Brisketexan 107031]

How is this different than upstate New York or most of Ohio. 
Y'all are some real self loathing sons of bitches. Need to go flaggellate yourselves in the corner. 

If you’d like us to shit on Appalachia too, we certainly can. How about this: any area where you are likely to find confederate flags flown will have a distinct 3rd-world flavor? Does that work for you? Because they are also proud as hell to be that shitty.

[Gap03 3395]

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

[gmr548 16704]

How is this different than upstate New York or most of Ohio. 
Y'all are some real self loathing sons of bitches. Need to go flaggellate yourselves in the corner. 

1.) The rural south makes the rural rust belt look like Dubai and anyone who’s ever been off the interstate in both places knows that.

2.) Upstate New York still benefits from a state government funded by NYC. Rural Texas benefits from the economic power of the Big Texas metros. Mississippi, Arkansas, etc. largely do not have that.

3.) If you look up anything along the lines of per capita income, life expectancy, etc. by state or county you will see the south is in a class of its own at the bottom.

[Anastasis 23718]

Just now, gmr548 said:

3.) If you look up anything along the lines of per capita income, life expectancy, etc. by state or county you will see the south is in a class of its own at the bottom.

Have you actually been to a third world country?  Which one?

[Anastasis 23718]

41 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I ask becuase Thursday, I noted that I would wake up and go to sleep congested (normal for me with my sinus and allergy history).  However, I also had a bad headache.  Since, I have had a sore throat, a slight cough (not rattling, really more clearing the throat kind), scratchy voice, slight headache, but still have sense of taste and smell, and do not get winded, even when doing something strenuous.  I

I think this is most likely just an allergy or sinus issue rearing its head.

Have had much the same for the last couple weeks. Except I go out of my way not do anything strenuous. 

[Homercles 10206]

On a side note, props to whoever added Gritty rep because it is coming in quite handy again lately.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19334]

29 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

 

 

More proof the unvaccinated are fucking stupid.

[safe sex 12043]

@PenelopeWitherspoon Go get yaself tested