Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Because of time zone differences I have only just read this thread and my first impression is that I am impressed by the respectful tone of the discussion. Obviously there are strongly held opinions on the subject but there have been level headed, well set out responses back and forth. Long may it continue.
Now my two cents worth. The world is on a learning curve. The future is the undiscovered country. The present is rather terrifying and the way forward is unclear. Personally, I do not think it profitable to squabble about matters medical, nor do I value commercial interests over human life so it is not surprising that I support public health policies that aim to restrict levels of infection within vulnerable communities.
Yesterday I had a visit with my grand daughter and her adorable baby who will have his first birthday early in September. It is for them that I surrender to the sensible advice of the epidemiologists to stay home unless I have a good reason for going out. For them I will wear a mask and practise social distancing when I do go out. For them and all the other young families I will ignore spokespeople who have an agenda that is more political than scientific.
It is my thinking that right now that there is no cure for COVID 19. Nor is there a vaccine. It reminds me of my childhood when polio was a dreaded disease. It was called infantile paralysis for good reason. It was a virus and antibiotics were ineffective. There was no vaccine available back then. Some people were infected and got over it with little damage, others were crippled for life and others died because they could not breathe unless placed in an iron lung, the forerunner of modern intubation. Some of these poor people were destined to spent the rest of their lives flat on their backs in the iron lung, looking at the world via a mirror.
An Australian nurse, Sister Kenny, had an idea for treatment of polio patients that was not a cure but which had good results as a kind of physiotherapy to restore muscle function. The medical profession pooh poohed her methods because she was only a lowly nurse. Her methods were controversial. Much later she was recognised for her efforts in recovery.
I remember seeing children crippled by polio and I also remember the joy when vaccines were made available to all school children, at first by injection and later a different on by serum on a sugar cube. It took years to develop these vaccines.
Today there are scientists all over the world working on developing a vaccine for corona virus, something that has never been achieved before. They are close but which one will be first on the market and which one will be the most effective in the long run is yet to be determined. At the same time, other scientists are testing various treatments that might save the lives of people who come down with severe symptoms of COVID 19. Every idea short of voodoo is worth looking at but caution must be exercised. Too many people advocating one approach over another have a vested interest in the one they are spruiking. Political advantage and/or financial gain are obvious motivations. So are crackpot philosophies.
Me, I place my trust in those who patiently collect the data and apply the scientific method.
Now my two cents worth. The world is on a learning curve. The future is the undiscovered country. The present is rather terrifying and the way forward is unclear. Personally, I do not think it profitable to squabble about matters medical, nor do I value commercial interests over human life so it is not surprising that I support public health policies that aim to restrict levels of infection within vulnerable communities.
Yesterday I had a visit with my grand daughter and her adorable baby who will have his first birthday early in September. It is for them that I surrender to the sensible advice of the epidemiologists to stay home unless I have a good reason for going out. For them I will wear a mask and practise social distancing when I do go out. For them and all the other young families I will ignore spokespeople who have an agenda that is more political than scientific.
It is my thinking that right now that there is no cure for COVID 19. Nor is there a vaccine. It reminds me of my childhood when polio was a dreaded disease. It was called infantile paralysis for good reason. It was a virus and antibiotics were ineffective. There was no vaccine available back then. Some people were infected and got over it with little damage, others were crippled for life and others died because they could not breathe unless placed in an iron lung, the forerunner of modern intubation. Some of these poor people were destined to spent the rest of their lives flat on their backs in the iron lung, looking at the world via a mirror.
An Australian nurse, Sister Kenny, had an idea for treatment of polio patients that was not a cure but which had good results as a kind of physiotherapy to restore muscle function. The medical profession pooh poohed her methods because she was only a lowly nurse. Her methods were controversial. Much later she was recognised for her efforts in recovery.
I remember seeing children crippled by polio and I also remember the joy when vaccines were made available to all school children, at first by injection and later a different on by serum on a sugar cube. It took years to develop these vaccines.
Today there are scientists all over the world working on developing a vaccine for corona virus, something that has never been achieved before. They are close but which one will be first on the market and which one will be the most effective in the long run is yet to be determined. At the same time, other scientists are testing various treatments that might save the lives of people who come down with severe symptoms of COVID 19. Every idea short of voodoo is worth looking at but caution must be exercised. Too many people advocating one approach over another have a vested interest in the one they are spruiking. Political advantage and/or financial gain are obvious motivations. So are crackpot philosophies.
Me, I place my trust in those who patiently collect the data and apply the scientific method.
