Do you want the blue pill or the red pill?

[Old Hickory]

Why Facts Don’t Matter to People | The Daily Economy

"COVID-19 has forced many of our well-intentioned friends into what some call liminal space—'a space where you have left something behind, yet you ...

www.aier.org

In The Matrix, the main character Neo is offered the choice between a red pill and a blue pill by rebel leader Morpheus. The red pill represents an uncertain future—it would free him from the enslaving control of the machine-generated dream world and allow him to escape into the real world, but living the "truth of reality" is harsher and more difficult. On the other hand, the blue pill represents a beautiful prison—it would lead him back to ignorance, living in confined comfort without want or fear within the simulated reality of the Matrix. As described by Morpheus: "You take the blue pill...the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill...you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." Neo chooses the red pill and joins the rebellion.

Enjoy!

 

[easyrider]

I;m glad that some one explained this. Elon Musk said to take the " red pill" which was interpreted to be political by many.

Bill

 

[bluehende]

Can you tell me how this graph showing virtually zero cases is possible when last week there was an average of over 30,000 cases a day.

 

[Conan]

I read your post and I read the article. Neither seem particularly factual.
I did notice the condescending tone.

 

["Roger"]

Can you tell me how this graph showing virtually zero cases is possible when last week there was an average of over 30,000 cases a day.

Tracking it down, the graph is for NY only. The article quoted by the OP presented it as if it were for the US.

So how much faith do you want to put in that article??

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

I place great faith in the following quote:

John Kenneth Galbraith’s famous observation: “Faced with a choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy with the proof.”

Sadly, I see it everywhere; in science as much as in any other field of human endevour. . .

 

[bbodb1]

I would suggest a visit to the Oracle......

 

[bbodb1]

Wait!
The media is the matrix!

 

[bbodb1]

From the article:

.....Like North Koreans, many Americans don’t know the natural rights they have and so do not know when their rights are being violated. ...[/B]

Swing! And a miss.

 

[Brett]

Undoubtedly some people are swallowing crazy pills .....

 

[chellej]

I get really frustrated with the news as they state how many new cases there are. They always seem to ignore how many tests there were and what the rate of infection is. To me that seems the more important figure. If last week you did 1000 tests were run and there were 100 cases...10 %. If this week they do 10000 tests and 200 new cases ...2%...Is there really a spike...or are we just testing more people..SMH

 

[dioxide45]

I also recall reading or hearing that they are counting positive antibody tests in the counts of new COVID cases. If so, it would just mean that someone who had COVID in the past and may no longer be infectious is being counted as a new case. If true, why would they do that rather than report the numbers separately?

ETA: Source

Scientists Warn CDC Testing Data Could Create Misleading Picture Of Pandemic

The CDC combines results of a test that spots people who are actively infected with results from another one that looks for antibodies. Scientists say it could create a false picture of the pandemic.

www.npr.org

 

[Brett]

I get really frustrated with the news as they state how many new cases there are. They always seem to ignore how many tests there were and what the rate of infection is. To me that seems the more important figure. If last week you did 1000 tests were run and there were 100 cases...10 %. If this week they do 10000 tests and 200 new cases ...2%...Is there really a spike...or are we just testing more people..SMH

no need to get frustrated - statistics are published every day
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/us-cases-deaths.html

But the difference between a "spike" or "just testing" ... could be a political contentious social issue !
I'm hoping the people that test positive wear a mask .... or social distance

 

[bluehende]

I get really frustrated with the news as they state how many new cases there are. They always seem to ignore how many tests there were and what the rate of infection is. To me that seems the more important figure. If last week you did 1000 tests were run and there were 100 cases...10 %. If this week they do 10000 tests and 200 new cases ...2%...Is there really a spike...or are we just testing more people..SMH

I have heard a lot of references to the positivity rate. And it is not good news. Certainly the media focus' on Florida and NY because they are the two extremes. Here is a good tool to give you the answer to your question

Daily Testing Trends in Usa - Johns Hopkins

See daily changes in tests performed and positivity rates in Usa

coronavirus.jhu.edu

The cliff notes. The US positivity rating is up from 4.4 to 5.7 over the last 3 weeks. New york which has the most testing is sitting at 1.0. The troubled ones are fla having gone up about 3 fold. Like you said if increased testing correlated with the positives these rates would be steady.

 

[buzglyd]

I also recall reading or hearing that they are counting positive antibody tests in the counts of new COVID cases. If so, it would just mean that someone who had COVID in the past and may no longer be infectious is being counted as a new case. If true, why would they do that rather than report the numbers separately?

Grasshoppa, to ask the question is to answer it.

 

[Monykalyn]

The cliff notes. The US positivity rating is up from 4.4 to 5.7 over the last 3 weeks. New york which has the most testing is sitting at 1.0. The troubled ones are fla having gone up about 3 fold. Like you said if increased testing correlated with the positives these rates would be steady.

True-but we are now into "cluster" testing in some cases-take SW MO for example-home of a tyson plant where there was positive cases, spread to a church so now everyone is getting tested including 1400 plant workers. Of course they are going to find alot of positives and many many of them will be asymptomatic. And if asymptomatic are least infectious, don't require medical care and basically go along either way whether they'd known the covid status or not...does it matter?? I have not found anything that says asymptomatic cause severe infection with casual contact. If anyone has a study please link

 

[bluehende]

True-but we are now into "cluster" testing in some cases-take SW MO for example-home of a tyson plant where there was positive cases, spread to a church so now everyone is getting tested including 1400 plant workers. Of course they are going to find alot of positives and many many of them will be asymptomatic. And if asymptomatic are least infectious, don't require medical care and basically go along either way whether they'd known the covid status or not...does it matter?? I have not found anything that says asymptomatic cause severe infection with casual contact. If anyone has a study please link

Since tracing is new and tracing to an asymptomatic individual is virtually impossible you are asking for a lot. Can you show a study that shows spread from an asymptomatic person does in fact lead to milder cases? Many states that have been seeing increases for a couple weeks in cases are in fact seeing increased hospitalizations. Arizona has moved from 76 to 88 % of their ICU beds taken. Florida has risen too.

 

[bluehende]

True-but we are now into "cluster" testing in some cases-take SW MO for example-home of a tyson plant where there was positive cases, spread to a church so now everyone is getting tested including 1400 plant workers. Of course they are going to find alot of positives and many many of them will be asymptomatic. And if asymptomatic are least infectious, don't require medical care and basically go along either way whether they'd known the covid status or not...does it matter?? I have not found anything that says asymptomatic cause severe infection with casual contact. If anyone has a study please link

Here is the Texas hospitalization data fro the last three weeks from their department of health.

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[Cornell]

I mentioned this yesterday in another thread, but I'll mention again. Hospitalization increase in FL: We do not know if the increase in C19 positive hospitalizations is BECAUSE Of Covid or because patients were in hospital for other reasons and tested positive.

 

[Cornell]

Less sick in FL

 

[Brett]

Less sick in FL

and then more sick

better wear a mask in Florida !

 

[Conan]

I mentioned this yesterday in another thread, but I'll mention again. Hospitalization increase in FL: We do not know if the increase in C19 positive hospitalizations is BECAUSE Of Covid or because patients were in hospital for other reasons and tested positive.

The Texas hospital administrators quoted here make it pretty clear that no, these aren't individuals who were in hospital for other reasons and tested positive.

'The explosion has to slow down': Texas hospitals on edge as coronavirus cases surge

"It’s not like I can triple my capacity overnight because we have a lot of other patients,” said a hospital administrator in Houston.

www.nbcnews.com

And in South Carolina, Kentucky and Florida, cases are up while testing numbers are down.

 

[bluehende]

I mentioned this yesterday in another thread, but I'll mention again. Hospitalization increase in FL: We do not know if the increase in C19 positive hospitalizations is BECAUSE Of Covid or because patients were in hospital for other reasons and tested positive.

Your scenario could change the total covid hospitalizations but cannot account for the increase in total hospitalizations. Florida does not keep statewide numbers for hospitalizations so it is hard to get real numbers. Here is the closest I can find easily.

Florida Coronavirus Hospitalizations

In depth view into Florida Coronavirus Hospitalizations including historical data from 2020, charts and stats.

ycharts.com

 

[Talent312]

I saw my doc this week and told him:
I heard it said that if there were fewer tests, there'd be less COVID-19.
There seems to be a preference for the head-in-the-sand approach.
Of course, that means they won't see the bulldozer coming.
.

.



.

 

[Brett]

I saw my doc this week and told him:
I heard it said that if there were fewer tests, there'd be less COVID-19.
There seems to be a preference for the head-in-the-sand approach.
Of course, that means they won't see the bulldozer coming.
.
.

it also depends on the color of the pills that your doctor is taking