Since I'm in the heart of Faucistan, I can endlessly procrastinate by sharpshooting Covid hysterics and vax supremacists on local social media.
Last year of course I'd point to Sweden, but I was assured this was "disinformation" and Sweden was actually a disaster, the Covid charnel-house of Europe.
Last week I pointed to it again, and was told Sweden was successful because "took it seriously from the beginning", pointing to an article that showed it didn't do absolutely nothing in response.
Stuff like this is why I gave up trying to convince them. Sometimes it's worth presenting evidence and arguments for the sake of any open-minded or like-minded readers, in the unlikely event there are any. Or just for one's own amusement. But these folks themselves can shoehorn ANYTHING into their priors, and retcon anything without a shred of self-awareness.
Still, this makes me hopeful that in another year or two, they'll all be saying OF COURSE lockdowns, masks, etc. were obviously stupid...
I am not in a panic stricken part of the country, but I did same thing with the Sweden data all of last year and this year- and I saw the exact same change in arguments.
Yeah I've seen that for awhile. Like at first why aren't they doing anything.... then well they took it seriously from. Sure after it went thru their nursing homes they took it seriously....
But even then I'd ask them well how did they take it seriously. Almost always get told they fully locked down and masked.... nope they took it seriously in a way that made sense and is more in line with what we historically have done with protecting the vulnerable and limited quarantining of sick. Rest of the country basically life like normal
Shoot, I don't even get, "well they took it seriously." I get...nothing. A blank stare. A non-response, a change of subject. It's like I didn't say anything, didn't present any evidence, nothing.
It's maddening! The same people who browbeat me with Sweden being a "cautionary tale" are absolutely silent. Fucking crickets.
Then they browbeat me for not running out and taking the jab.
Of course the person who said that to me didn't know the first thing about Sweden or anything else. She just assumed the facts her belief system required:
(P1) "Taking it seriously" produces good results.
(P2) Sweden got good results
(∴) Sweden took it seriously.
Both a false premise (it doesn't produce good results) and the fallacy of affirming the consequent (other things may produce good results).
Sweden will continue to reap the benefits of their sane approach to COVID for many years. The US will likewise reap what it has sown - distrust of public health, the FDA and CDC, and a population increasingly burdened with mental health problems.
I, too, have often wondered if they were the one and the same -- somewhat akin to the good Kirk and the bad Kirk in Star Trek original "The Enemy Within." Well, I'm showing my age now. Regardless, the viewpoints of both are greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
One comment I would have is that the largest % of the population-baby boomers- is getting old and so there will be more deaths in that age group covid or not. Plus most are overweight and have multiple comorbidities.
Do you think Delta will also charge employees for each additional BMI point? Because, like you said, each additional BMI point adds about $200 to monthly health care costs.
I mean, it would only make sense, right? Can I get a +$200 credit for going to the gym?
Thanks Gato. Love your writing, keep up the great work
Sean, agree completely. I thought the same thing, and not only with BMI. We engage in all sorts of high-risk behavior that adds to healthcare costs - and there are no similar penalties, particularly for group insurance. But yes, the "fat and lazy" America we know and love is the primary issue. We eat too much and are too sedentary. It is just that simple. And we eat a lot of crap.
The recent Gato post with the image from Wall-E (cute robot, excellent social commentary) is spot-on. In a sense, the covid vaccine is a microcosm of our broader healthcare behavior. Isn't there a shot I can take to change my weight/size/activity? It is so much easier than committing to taking better care of ourselves. That is way too hard!!
Great post! I have been trying to find data in the USA for each month by deaths, icu, or hospital admission for covid based on age and comorbidities. Does such a thing exist????
The data isn't going to be clean because metro areas everywhere are controlled by the Covidians, even in red states. I live in TN, and Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville were lockdown and mask mandates for most of last year and this Winter/Spring.
So my co-worker is convinced that children must be given the jab because "just look at the kids down in Florida; they're getting hit HARD by this new variant!" Am I missing something? I don't recall any data indicating there is a rise in hospitalizations or deaths in children anywhere, let alone Florida.
It’s the typical media trick of using scary anecdotes from rare cases to create a sense of a trend. That and RSV and other viral infections misdiagnosed as the vid.
Also worth noting that when you include the Baltics along with the Nordics, Sweden is not an outlier in its geographic region in covid-attributed mortality. Since I wrote this post, Lithuania has surpassed Sweden and Latvia has come close. https://paulyowell.substack.com/p/the-nordics-and-the-baltics
The US is pathetic since certain people are in control. Speech is censured on social media so there's no discussion on covid or shots because if you disagree or share a different opinion on either, your post gets blocked, you're made to delete it, they delete it & if you're a dr, scientist or specialist, etc they suspend your account. They flip flop on all the info they give us. It's ridiculous. Common sense goes a long way. Once covid hit, all other health issues went away, including the flu. After about a year & a half, the cdc canceled its fda application for a particular test because it couldn't distinguish between the flu & covid. Duh. So aside from all the skewed # of cases anyway, they were obviously overcounted because flu cases were included. Of course, they won't mention that. They've been told that the lockdowns are more unhealthy than covid, but do they listen. No. Then they wonder why people don't trust them. Plus fauci sent the lab work for gain of function to the wuhan lab after the work was stopped in the US, & had money sent to the wuhan lab, then denied it when he was confronted & I saw the paperwork that proved he did it. I haven't trusted fauci since I learned of that while Trump was still in office. There's a ton of things I could tell but the bottom line is they've all proven they can't be trusted. Looking at biden & his Afghanistan fiasco. Those people have an agenda & they don't care about Americans. Period. They just play their games, manipulate everyone they can & attack those that don't follow them in numerous different ways. I've said from the beginning that they are out to ruin this country & every time I turn around, they do something worse than before. If something doesn't change, we won't have an America anymore. I've probably said more than enough but believe me, there's much more than this left to say.....
"so why is US health policy all about treating illness by selling drugs to those who are sick?"
There's no money to be made from healthy people...
Clinical medicine in the United State is dead. Medical schools, hospitals, and many doctors are wholly captured by Pharma. They diagnose test results and prescribe drugs (preferably still on patent).
the real el gato malo looks a little guilty, but everyone knows the sink is the best place to sleep.
Since I'm in the heart of Faucistan, I can endlessly procrastinate by sharpshooting Covid hysterics and vax supremacists on local social media.
Last year of course I'd point to Sweden, but I was assured this was "disinformation" and Sweden was actually a disaster, the Covid charnel-house of Europe.
Last week I pointed to it again, and was told Sweden was successful because "took it seriously from the beginning", pointing to an article that showed it didn't do absolutely nothing in response.
Stuff like this is why I gave up trying to convince them. Sometimes it's worth presenting evidence and arguments for the sake of any open-minded or like-minded readers, in the unlikely event there are any. Or just for one's own amusement. But these folks themselves can shoehorn ANYTHING into their priors, and retcon anything without a shred of self-awareness.
Still, this makes me hopeful that in another year or two, they'll all be saying OF COURSE lockdowns, masks, etc. were obviously stupid...
Yes it's their smug, intellectual dishonesty that is positively infuriating.
I am not in a panic stricken part of the country, but I did same thing with the Sweden data all of last year and this year- and I saw the exact same change in arguments.
Yeah I've seen that for awhile. Like at first why aren't they doing anything.... then well they took it seriously from. Sure after it went thru their nursing homes they took it seriously....
But even then I'd ask them well how did they take it seriously. Almost always get told they fully locked down and masked.... nope they took it seriously in a way that made sense and is more in line with what we historically have done with protecting the vulnerable and limited quarantining of sick. Rest of the country basically life like normal
Shoot, I don't even get, "well they took it seriously." I get...nothing. A blank stare. A non-response, a change of subject. It's like I didn't say anything, didn't present any evidence, nothing.
It's maddening! The same people who browbeat me with Sweden being a "cautionary tale" are absolutely silent. Fucking crickets.
Then they browbeat me for not running out and taking the jab.
Of course the person who said that to me didn't know the first thing about Sweden or anything else. She just assumed the facts her belief system required:
(P1) "Taking it seriously" produces good results.
(P2) Sweden got good results
(∴) Sweden took it seriously.
Both a false premise (it doesn't produce good results) and the fallacy of affirming the consequent (other things may produce good results).
But there's no arguing with religious fanatics.
> But there's no arguing with religious fanatics.
You said it!
They hate Sweden because it is the no-lockdown control which disproves the whole lockdown scam.
Sweden will continue to reap the benefits of their sane approach to COVID for many years. The US will likewise reap what it has sown - distrust of public health, the FDA and CDC, and a population increasingly burdened with mental health problems.
That is one gorgeous Gato
KatLee - indeed it is! I wonder if gatito bueno is this fella's smaller sibling? A photo of the little guy would also be fun
Yes! El gato malo, let us see gatito bueno. Wait. Could they be one and the same???
I, too, have often wondered if they were the one and the same -- somewhat akin to the good Kirk and the bad Kirk in Star Trek original "The Enemy Within." Well, I'm showing my age now. Regardless, the viewpoints of both are greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
One comment I would have is that the largest % of the population-baby boomers- is getting old and so there will be more deaths in that age group covid or not. Plus most are overweight and have multiple comorbidities.
So now that Delta is charging employees $200 per month if they fail to vaccinate... https://www.wsj.com/articles/delta-air-lines-to-impose-200-monthly-surcharge-for-unvaccinated-employees-add-testing-requirements-11629902326?mod=hp_lead_pos1
Do you think Delta will also charge employees for each additional BMI point? Because, like you said, each additional BMI point adds about $200 to monthly health care costs.
I mean, it would only make sense, right? Can I get a +$200 credit for going to the gym?
Thanks Gato. Love your writing, keep up the great work
Sean, agree completely. I thought the same thing, and not only with BMI. We engage in all sorts of high-risk behavior that adds to healthcare costs - and there are no similar penalties, particularly for group insurance. But yes, the "fat and lazy" America we know and love is the primary issue. We eat too much and are too sedentary. It is just that simple. And we eat a lot of crap.
The recent Gato post with the image from Wall-E (cute robot, excellent social commentary) is spot-on. In a sense, the covid vaccine is a microcosm of our broader healthcare behavior. Isn't there a shot I can take to change my weight/size/activity? It is so much easier than committing to taking better care of ourselves. That is way too hard!!
Hey, what happened to the Frito's?
Great post! I have been trying to find data in the USA for each month by deaths, icu, or hospital admission for covid based on age and comorbidities. Does such a thing exist????
Do we have 2020 excess mortality in the US by state? Would be curious to see NPI severity vs excess deaths by state.
The data isn't going to be clean because metro areas everywhere are controlled by the Covidians, even in red states. I live in TN, and Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville were lockdown and mask mandates for most of last year and this Winter/Spring.
So my co-worker is convinced that children must be given the jab because "just look at the kids down in Florida; they're getting hit HARD by this new variant!" Am I missing something? I don't recall any data indicating there is a rise in hospitalizations or deaths in children anywhere, let alone Florida.
It’s the typical media trick of using scary anecdotes from rare cases to create a sense of a trend. That and RSV and other viral infections misdiagnosed as the vid.
Also worth noting that when you include the Baltics along with the Nordics, Sweden is not an outlier in its geographic region in covid-attributed mortality. Since I wrote this post, Lithuania has surpassed Sweden and Latvia has come close. https://paulyowell.substack.com/p/the-nordics-and-the-baltics
the consumer risk of the hypothesis "npi work" is about 80%.
sweden is control and us data buy itself is not supporting "npi works".
us 2020 all causes deaths was up ~10%.
us 2021 deaths are running just at excess line since end of winter uri season....
if vaxxes work only hard core anti vaxxers would refuse and they would not need to use the stick.
delta predominates 21-22 uri season may be near excess death line.
taking out npi's 20-21 shows that us public health (obesity, etc) is far inferior to sweden!
in nyc first round covid death cert's too many patients had unknown in the co-morbidity data element.
The US is pathetic since certain people are in control. Speech is censured on social media so there's no discussion on covid or shots because if you disagree or share a different opinion on either, your post gets blocked, you're made to delete it, they delete it & if you're a dr, scientist or specialist, etc they suspend your account. They flip flop on all the info they give us. It's ridiculous. Common sense goes a long way. Once covid hit, all other health issues went away, including the flu. After about a year & a half, the cdc canceled its fda application for a particular test because it couldn't distinguish between the flu & covid. Duh. So aside from all the skewed # of cases anyway, they were obviously overcounted because flu cases were included. Of course, they won't mention that. They've been told that the lockdowns are more unhealthy than covid, but do they listen. No. Then they wonder why people don't trust them. Plus fauci sent the lab work for gain of function to the wuhan lab after the work was stopped in the US, & had money sent to the wuhan lab, then denied it when he was confronted & I saw the paperwork that proved he did it. I haven't trusted fauci since I learned of that while Trump was still in office. There's a ton of things I could tell but the bottom line is they've all proven they can't be trusted. Looking at biden & his Afghanistan fiasco. Those people have an agenda & they don't care about Americans. Period. They just play their games, manipulate everyone they can & attack those that don't follow them in numerous different ways. I've said from the beginning that they are out to ruin this country & every time I turn around, they do something worse than before. If something doesn't change, we won't have an America anymore. I've probably said more than enough but believe me, there's much more than this left to say.....
Startlingly solid analysis. Appreciated!
Well, at least Sweden seems straight forward about how they count COVID deaths. We can't even get that out of our own health "experts."
Nice work, again. Thanks.
"so why is US health policy all about treating illness by selling drugs to those who are sick?"
There's no money to be made from healthy people...
Clinical medicine in the United State is dead. Medical schools, hospitals, and many doctors are wholly captured by Pharma. They diagnose test results and prescribe drugs (preferably still on patent).
the real el gato malo looks a little guilty, but everyone knows the sink is the best place to sleep.