4 ms·

>Wait, you do understand that people are saying to get the flu shot so people don't get the flu, right? For sure, but I don't happen to agree. It was on the n

>Wait, you do understand that people are saying to get the flu shot so people don't get the flu, right? For sure, but I don't happen to agree. It was on the news here in Japan this morning - flu cases have pretty much disappeared this season - presumably because everyone is wearing masks. >Where do you get your data about annual influenza deaths? If you have a good source, I'm willing to take a look. I can look for it, but IIRC the several 10,000 annual influenza deaths are a statistical projection. There was an article somewhere from someone in ER during the peak of the COVID-19 deaths saying they had pretty much never seen an actual influenza death - and that was the experience of other people in ER - so there was a mismatch between the statistical projection and lived experience. >It's important not only so you don't get sick, but also so you don't spread it to others who may have a weaker immune system. We're all in this together. The best way to do that is to wear masks. Here in Japan - nobody here ever said that "masks don't work for non-medics who haven't been trained to put them on properly". So we don't now have the problem with lots of MAGA folks running around saying "masks don't work".

phobosanomaly 6y ago
It would be wonderful if we were anywhere near as diligent with masks as folks in Japan have been. Unfortunately, masks became a political issue here in a way that probably had nothing to do with those dumb CDC press releases. Masks were cleverly and intentionally linked to a sentiment of 'freedom' and 'fascism' in an almost astonishing way. This kind of thing doesn't even raise eyebrows here anymore: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/us/new-york-mask-bar-death-trnd/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/us/new-york-mask-bar-death-tr... I don't know how much of it you've seen in Japan, but this country is divided, scared, and hopeless in a way that nobody I've talked to can claim to have experienced in their lifetime. People's family members are dying, people are losing their jobs, people are being evicted, people are losing their businesses, politicians are locked in a geriatric MMA grapple, and there's no vision for how we're getting out of this.
- delhanty 6y ago
  Actually, I'm generally pro-freedom where there is no obvious victim. But that's not true in this case. The way I see it is you can suffer the more modest loss of freedom of mask wearing now. Or you can ignore that and have lockdowns imposed on you later. >Unfortunately, masks became a political issue here in a way that probably had nothing to do with those dumb CDC press releases. You want to believe that, but I think in your heart you know that is not true. Those messages seeped into the public consciousness. I'd be astonished if they're not being cited by MAGA et al against you now. Generally, if you treat people like children, like the CDC did, they won't respond by behaving like adults.
  - phobosanomaly 6y ago
    Please remember who the director of the CDC was at that time. https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-director-trump https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-d... Robert Redfield was a Trump appointee coming from directorial positions at organizations putting out "abstinence-only education for HIV prevention." https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-director-trump https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-d... He is about as representative of your average doctor, as Donald Trump is representative of the average North Dakotan.

phobosanomaly 6y ago

It would be wonderful if we were anywhere near as diligent with masks as folks in Japan have been. Unfortunately, masks became a political issue here in a way that probably had nothing to do with those dumb CDC press releases. Masks were cleverly and intentionally linked to a sentiment of 'freedom' and 'fascism' in an almost astonishing way. This kind of thing doesn't even raise eyebrows here anymore: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/us/new-york-mask-bar-death-trnd/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/us/new-york-mask-bar-death-tr... I don't know how much of it you've seen in Japan, but this country is divided, scared, and hopeless in a way that nobody I've talked to can claim to have experienced in their lifetime. People's family members are dying, people are losing their jobs, people are being evicted, people are losing their businesses, politicians are locked in a geriatric MMA grapple, and there's no vision for how we're getting out of this.

delhanty 6y ago
Actually, I'm generally pro-freedom where there is no obvious victim. But that's not true in this case. The way I see it is you can suffer the more modest loss of freedom of mask wearing now. Or you can ignore that and have lockdowns imposed on you later. >Unfortunately, masks became a political issue here in a way that probably had nothing to do with those dumb CDC press releases. You want to believe that, but I think in your heart you know that is not true. Those messages seeped into the public consciousness. I'd be astonished if they're not being cited by MAGA et al against you now. Generally, if you treat people like children, like the CDC did, they won't respond by behaving like adults.
- phobosanomaly 6y ago
  Please remember who the director of the CDC was at that time. https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-director-trump https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-d... Robert Redfield was a Trump appointee coming from directorial positions at organizations putting out "abstinence-only education for HIV prevention." https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-director-trump https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17150322/robert-redfield-cdc-d... He is about as representative of your average doctor, as Donald Trump is representative of the average North Dakotan.