LA epidemic update and local medical care

[bdcochran]

My girlfriend and I went to different sites for the first virus shot.

The paid administrator for scheduling a second shot has fallen down on the job. When she finally got through, she was told simply to show up today at any time on the site where she received the first shot and then if she was not handled, just go find some place in the next week. So she went and showed up, got her shot and when she got home, she received an email to go at a time already past.

I haven't received my notice. Not worried. I can get the second shot over the next two months. By that time, maybe the paid administrator (who has everyone's name, email address, phone number, and date and time of first shot) will have figured out how to do its job.

The state and county decided this week to allow "elective surgeries" again, on a limited basis. A sister-in-law is a very advanced physician in a different state. My brother says they took a big hit in income last year because of the decision that "elective surgeries" should not be done. She is a pediatric surgeon. It isn't like the new borns were seeking facelifts or cosmetic plastic surgery.

So, I get to have surgery on Friday. I had tried to stop all doctor and dentist visits and be fully covered in January 2020. Well, you try to have everything up to date and still you might have problems.

[Mac66]

How'd your surgery go?

[bdcochran]

Doing the exercises. Stitches come out on Monday morning. Will probably do the specific exercises for a few weeks. Now my exercise program (overall) takes all day. I also fell down after the surgery and I took my first walk yesterday. Like the Terminator said:"I'll be back". thank you.

[bdcochran]

As fully anticipated, the word is now official in Los Angeles, reduced to laymen's terms: "we will let you know sometime when you can come in for your second dosage. You might get it within the 42 day window and maybe not. Disregard our previous failures, we can now blame on failure on the weather."

I kept my card. I will be examining whether a stamp can put on for the second shot that may not come.

[bdcochran]

I had the second shot last night. Less than even the two days notice that was the most recent proclamation. First time I have ever been sore after a shot.

The good news is that my situational awareness alerted me to question what I was seeing. The brand new car in front of me was being driven by an erect blonde. However, she was not driving fast as people are wont to do with a new car. Sure enough. She was cheating and had a passenger . The discussions/comings and goings of supervisors spent about 1/2 hour. However, I read a book and did flash cards (word on one side and definition on the other side) so it didn't bother me. Always be prepared for delays and occupy your time fruitfully.

[bdcochran]

Local medical care update:
1. I was able to see my primary doctor for the first time in 3 years.
2. I was able to have a minor surgical procedure on the left hand.
3. It turned out to be a good time to load up on long term first aid type items as people are already spending their monies on entertainment items and the stores were loaded with what I needed for the next shutdown.

Based upon my background, I know hospital construction, medical procedures, delivery of medical services, and so forth. The whole handling of this shutdown was political and not based upon science. There is nothing learned and the facilities are completely inadequate for the next emergency.

As Dave would say from his experience as a lawman, you are really are on your own most of the time, but you don't know it. From the medical angle, the same is true. Get your glasses, masks, food, vitamins, minor surgeries, tests and check ups, and dental work because you are really on your own, you just don't know it.

[bdcochran]

Before people jump in:
1. I don't care whether you get or decline the vaccine.
2. Whatever your decision, you can not go back and change your mind.

Los Angeles started allowing people of 16 to get vaccinated last week. This week, you can walk in. First time shots are down 50%. 8% of the people getting the first shot do not return for the second shot. Uber is offering 10 million free rides. You can go to the pharmacy in the two largest food chain stores and get the shot for free.

So, I drive by the park. Baseball. Hundreds of kids crowded together in the stands, unvaccinated. Ok, so some will get sick for two weeks. Hundreds of parents in their 30s and 40s. Two weeks ago, they could not get the shots. Shots not effective until two weeks after the injection. So, most of the adults in the crowd, unmasked, had no viral protection. Good luck to them.

$40 million spending program to get athletes to hype the shot routine.

We are at the political end of the epidemic. We are not at the medical end. As I say, I don't care whether you get . . . a polio shot, a shingles shot . . . wash your hands or wear a mask. Just take responsibility for your decision with the understanding that YOU made the decision and are willing to take the consequences.

LA stats on infections and deaths, cummulatively. Then associated with the highest and lowest two shot vaccination rate by zip code. Nice measurement. The lowest zip code with shots had 10X the deaths and 4-5X the infections. There is clean water. There is free medical care for indigents in California. There is television and radios available for the news. I even compared two, side by side zip codes with differing asiatic backgrounds. Dramatically different rates of vaccination and illness. The difference is culture, sanitation practices and Vitamin D ingestion as well as diet. They differ substantially.

[Mac66]

So, what's the correlation between zip codes and infection rates? Mask use? Vaccinations? Which is highest, which is lowest? Or is there any correlation?

In Michigan, they started rolling out vaccinations for everybody two weeks ago. We were at an all time high with infections, deaths but it's starting to go down now. But not as a result of vaccinations since it takes weeks for them to be effective and there is a two week gap between the first and second shot. So basically there should be a month before the vacs are at peak effectiveness. So what explains the drop? Have we reached herd immunity? Has everyone who is susceptible already had it?

This whole virus thing has been baffling to me. Govt restrictions seem to have had no effect on infection rates/deaths. I believe the rate of compliance hasn't changed. People who comply with the restrictions comply, people who don't, don't. Millions of people have been vaccinated since January yet the infection rates have climbed over the last few months and the plague continues. Maybe we should have just let it runs it's course and be done with it.

[bdcochran]

Answers:
1. Low zip code with 2 shots had 10x the number of deaths and 4-5x as many reported cases over the one year period than the higher vaccinated zip code.
2. Same free medical care available. Same clean water available. Same trash pick up.
3. When "asiatic predominant" zip codes were compared, adjoining each other with one having low vaccination rate and the next having the higher vaccination rate, the worse zip code had the same discrepancy. Has to be sanitation within the culture as the two communities are adjoining each other. I have already written about a woman school teacher having her class wash their hands before school and after lunch and having an absentee level 50% lower than other classes in the same school.
4. the drop may be attributable to people getting more vitamin D. I have already written about a woman doctor in Denmark doing an unscientific study of why kids are sicker in the winter time although kids are playing with each other all year round in crowded conditions - less sunlight and less vitamin D.
5. Masks can slow a spread and does not prevent. 6 foot social distancing is a joke when you can spit further than 6 feet.
6. Look at the t.v. news. Massive numbers of young people and middle aged people, unvaccinated in a herd along the boardwalk in Santa Monica, CA.
7. There is a political end to an epidemic. We are there now.
8. Historically, there is usually a medical end to an epidemic. With viruses, it is about 3 years. Before antibiotics, about 20% of the American adult population had some form of venereal disease. The % of the world population with Aids is also going up. So, some afflictions will not go away.
9. You will not have herd immunity. When you add up all the people who pass on getting a vaccine because:
a. it is a government conspiracy;
b. I am here illegally and the government wants to deport me;
c. I can't read or write;
d. I will go get a shot when I have time, right now I have better things to do;
e. The vaccines were never tested;
f. It is a conspiracy against black Americans;
g. I believe only in holistic medicine and laying on of hands;
You will never have enough people getting vaccinated.
Why should this come as a shock to you. Everyone dies. 90% of Americans who are not lawyers die without a will. 50% of the lawyers die without a will. I have a nephew without a will. He has a two year old. His wife is diabetic, serious level. He is a lawyer. I keep asking him why he doesn't do a will. Hell, my wife died at age 40. We had an estate plan.

So make your choice. You cannot go back and change your mind.
W

[Mac66]

I read recently that the overall death rate has plummeted this year. That means that while the virus killed a number of people last year, those people were high risk and the virus killed them sooner rather then them dying later. In other words, the overall death rate is down this year compared to last year because the weak have already died due to the virus and not because of other causes.

The other thing I read is that morbid obesity (and corresponding ailments) seems to be the primary factor in whether the virus is lethal or not. The two relatives (an elderly aunt and a cousin's husband) I have who died from covid were both obese and diabetic.