Bobref

Nor is science a popularity contest. And the idea that Dr. Fauci is a spokesperson for the vaccine industry is, of course, ludicrous. Of course, he is pro-vaccine. Show me a highly regarded immunologist who isn’t. But he’s been the Director of NIAID since Reagan was President. None of us knew his name until 6 months ago. That’s a pretty lousy industry spokesperson. As far as a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, Dr. Fauci has been frequently misquoted and misrepresented on that subject by those with a political agenda. See, e.g., https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/meme-misrepresents-faucis-position-on-vaccine-trials/.

True science is neither “Left” nor “Right.” The fact that you think it is tells anyone all they need to know.

Your characterization of Dr. Fauci’s role reflects your bias. Everything that you’ve talked about happened during the last 6 months. The man has been the director of NIAID for 36 yrs., and has devoted his entire professional life to Public Health Service. He’s been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He’s one of the greatest scientists in the history of the field. You and the rest of the clueless character assassins should be ashamed of yourselves. Nobody is happy about what has gone on for the last several months. I guess some people just have to have a scapegoat.

One of the frequent battle cries of the folks who apparently believe that the coronavirus emergency was a liberal plot to wreck the economy for political reasons is the “fact” that all of the protesters and rioters gathering unmasked did not cause a spike in COVID-19 cases. Turns out it’s not so much a “fact” as it is one of those politically-driven assertions that, if repeated enough, becomes unquestioned. https://www.foxnews.com/us/la-protests-linked-to-covid-spike-garcetti LA Mayor Garcetti admits 'connection' between coronavirus outbreak and protests, after downplaying link "We are certain that there is going to be spread" By Nick Givas | Fox News Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that public protests are likely causing the number of citywide coronavirus cases to spike, just two days after claiming there wasn't "any conclusive evidence" showing a connection between the two. Garcetti, a Democrat, was speaking at a press conference concerning the recent Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles when he was asked if the demonstrations were contributing to the spread of COVID-19. He claimed he'd consulted with Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County's director of public health, and determined the protests were in fact contributing to the spread of the virus. “I talked again with Dr. Ferrer about that this morning. She does think some of the spread did come from our protests," he said. "It’s not the act of protesting – that’s a great and American thing to do no matter what your opinion is… but protesting without maintaining physical distancing, without wearing your mask, without having sanitizer – we just have to be smart. Whether you’re at a protest or at your home, whether in your workplace or whether you’re out shopping, these rules don’t change.” He added, “We do believe there is a connection, we don’t believe that everybody has been doing this safely and wherever you can, please stay at home.” Fox News reached out to the County Health Department for comment and received a video of a Wednesday interview with Dr. Ferrer, where she affirmed the statement. "In situations where people are close together for longer periods of time and it’s very crowded, we are certain that there is going to be spread. So, we’ve never said that there’s no spread from people who were protesting," she explained. After being asked earlier in the video if government officials were downplaying the protests' effect on coronavirus stats, she said, "We’ve been really honest and said from the beginning that for any people that are in crowded situations for long periods of time – which long for us means more than 15 minutes – where you’re in close contact with people, less than six feet apart and people aren’t wearing a cloth face covering you have a heightened risk of either transmitting the virus if you are an asymptomatic spreader, or getting the virus from someone else who is spreading because they also are an asymptomatic spreader." This clashed with statements made by Garcetti during the Tuesday press conference, however, where he called the idea a hypothesis and minimized the potential impact mass public demonstrations were having on the number of COVID-19 cases in the city. "We follow the data closely," he said, according to Fox 11. "There's no evidence yet that the protests led to much spread though it's something that Doctor Ferrer has hypothesized, but we haven't seen any conclusive evidence there."

Umm.... no. Dr. Fauci is the Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, one of the institutes operating under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health. He is easily one of the most accomplished scientists in the history of his field, having contributed groundbreaking research for over 30 years. You and the other folks who constantly paint him as a buffoon because, as a spokesperson for an entire research discipline, there are times when new research findings conflict with others, are only displaying your own ignorance about the scientific process in general, and the massive effort ongoing with respect to SARS-CoV-2 in particular. Or, perhaps, you are letting your political desires get the better of logical judgment. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/anthony-s-fauci-md-bio

There it is! It’s officially the start of the high school football season.

I agree wholeheartedly. But I freely confess I have no ready answer. Not sure there is one. Perhaps the thought is to try to limit the number of cases to the greatest extent possible in the hopes of development of a vaccine or more effective treatment for the vulnerable demographic.

If you think I was comparing rape to a viral illness, you are simply mistaken. I was comparing the attitude of those who view infection as inevitable with the General’s attitude toward an inevitable rape. The comparison was to the attitude toward an inevitable, but bad, experience. My bad for being unclear.

Interesting. Many, many people (by no means just here on the GID) seem to have the viewpoint “there’s no vaccine, so SARS-CoV-2 will inevitably go through the entire population. Might as well get it over with.” Reminds me of the Bobby Knight quote about rape: I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it. You don’t see many groups of 30 kids if left to their own devices. Organized sports activities expand the opportunities for virus transmission exponentially. No one can really deny that.

The problem is not so much with the kids. A healthy teenager is unlikely to get seriously ill, although it certainly has happened. The problem is when they leave the locker room and go home and spend time with their parents, siblings, and friends. The more people with COVID-19, the greater chance it’ll get to the immune-compromised, diabetics, the elderly.

Link so we can contribute?

Bite your tongue.

Extending an olive branch to @DannEllenwood, @Howe, and @Temptation. Life is too short. FBI Hires Top-Rated Italian Bodyguard Hiluigi Clintonelli To Protect Ghislaine Maxwell July 2nd, 2020 884.3kShares 683.4kSHARE 91.6kSHARE SHARE BRADFORD, NH—Following the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell for sex abuse charges, the FBI is taking no chances in keeping her safe while she awaits trial. Sparing no expense, the FBI has hired top-notch Italian bodyguard Hiluigi Clintonelli. “It's-a me, Clintonelli!” said the world-renowned bodyguard arriving at the prison. Thanks to the particularly glowing reviews from high-profile individuals such as President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew, all federal prison security checks were waived for Hiluigi. “There’s simply no one else that we trust to execute this job as she can.” “Mamma mia, this simply will not do!” exclaimed Hiluigi Clintonelli as she forcefully cleared the room. She warned that anyone other than her could be a threat to Ghislaine’s life. Clintonelli also connected all camera feeds to her personal server to ensure that all recorded video was properly secured.

Pretty sure that was sarcasm.

Isn’t that another worthy objective? Pretty sure there’s medication you can take to address that paranoia.

That was a worthy objective. But it’s not the only one.

I don’t know if it’s stylish ... but it’s certainly a style. I’d call it “1980s pimp.”

Uh-oh. https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-travel-order-emergency-quarantine-update/6294458/ SHARE: CHICAGO (WLS) -- Anyone traveling to Chicago from states that have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases will have to self-quarantine for two weeks, starting Monday. The order takes effect on Monday, July 6, for travelers from the following states: -Alabama -Arkansas -Arizona -California -Florida -Georgia -Idaho -Louisiana -Mississippi -North Carolina -Nevada -South Carolina -Tennessee -Texas -Utah Chicago leaders announced the order on Thursday. "These are states that are seeing new cases of COVID at the rate we were seeing here in Chicago and Illinois back when we were under our stay-at-home order," said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. There are exceptions to the order, including essential work and medical travel. WATCH: Chicago's top doctor discusses potential travel order Those traveling into Chicago from other states will not yet be required to quarantine themselves, Dr. Allison Arwady said Wednesday. Speaking to ABC7 on Wednesday, Chicago's public health commissioner hinted this could be coming. "We've been looking at other states that have done this," Dr. Allison Arwady said. "We definitely are considering it, I would say considering it strongly. It's important if we're thinking of doing this that we're doing this to do it in a way that's consistent as it can be I think with other places that have made that decision." According to the Chicago Department of Public Health, the states designated in the travel order have a significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19. A state will be designated if it has a case rate greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 resident population, per day, over a 7-day rolling average. Essential workers who must travel to Chicago must provide a certified note from their employer so that it can be reviewed by the health department and Chicago police. Essential workers will be subject to requirements that include limiting their activities to work-related activities and avoiding public spaces as much as possible. Non-essential business travelers are also required to comply. Exceptions to the order for personal travel will be permitted for medical care and parental shared custody. Back in May, Chicago health officials reported more than 1,000 cases and 50 deaths per day. Now the city is seeing well under 200 cases and about eight deaths per day. For Aurora resident Kim Schulz, she said even though the order doesn't apply to her family's upcoming Florida trip, they plan to minimize their exposure when they come back for the safety of others. "I think that we'll probably be a little bit more cautious, plus I have grand babies so you know, we got to be really careful around them too," Schulz said. WATCH: Illinois COVID-19 cases flattening as other states see surges To avoid an uptick like other states, Illinois and Chicago health officials warn that it's really a matter of personal responsibility, rather than policy, right now. The president of the Illinois Restaurant Association is optimistic business won't immediately suffer. "Our neighboring states are not on the list," said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association. "If our neighboring states do get put on the list, it could make it a little tougher for the hospitality industry here in the city of Chicago." If family and friends are coming to visit, family members who did not travel from a designated state are not required to self-quarantine. "If people are coming to visit you from Chicago, you really want to make them aware of this," said Clint Henderson, a travel expert and senior news editor for The Points Guy. "The airlines and hotels have been very flexible in the age of coronavirus, so have them call their airline, have them call their hotel and ask them what their policies are. Most of the time they are able to get their money back if they have to cancel their trip." The order will remain in effect until further notice. The city said that individuals found in violation of the quarantine order are subject to fines of $100 - $500 per day, up to $7,000. You can read the full emergency travel order and find frequently asked questions about the order on the Chicago Department of Public Health website.

I applaud any answer that employs Latin.

I’m not sure what a “gotcha” question is. But from context, I’m guessing it’s a question which, if answered, will reveal the illogic of the type of thinking you are exhibiting here.

You just like the way he dresses.

Here’s a shout out to all those freedom loving guys who are taking a stand against wearing masks.

@DannEllenwood, serious question. How is the below different from what you are advocating?

Dann, it is no sin to be ignorant. That simply means uninformed on a particular topic. There are a lot of subjects on which I am ignorant, because I simply don’t have the knowledge. Ignorant does not mean stupid. ”Willful“ ignorance, on the other hand, is something else.

Yeah, I couldn’t post next week’s links yet. You asked for the science. I provided it. Where’s yours? ... That’s what I thought. Your opinion, like those of some other frequent fliers on here, is driven by your personal desires and your personal politics. Not by science ... or logic. They say misery loves company. I guess ignorance does, too.