Bear with me: maybe COVID hospitalizations should be a bigger story than the hyped-up coverage of flu hospitalizations. Especially when COVID admissions are outpacing flu admissions 1.5 to 1, and this COVID surge is just getting started
The most fucked up policy decision global leaders made vis à vis COVID was telling the public that it was safe to send kids to school and to return to work.
We now have an entire generation of children and their parents who will suffer the effects of long COVID－ either directly or indirectly－ long after today's world leaders are long gone. smdh.
For folks that don't know: I led a public service project that made it possible for anyone in the U.S. to search for COVID-19 testing sites, and actually get accurate results back. I co-led a team of hundreds of volunteers from across the country to source data that shaped the pandemic response for 2 U.S. Presidential Administrations as well as state and local public health agencies responsible for 1 in 5 persons in the U.S.
I'm not just talking out of my ass.
Coders Against COVID. It me ⤵️
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSFEMA/bulletins/2883543
The data in this letter from Senators Warren (D-MA) and Smith (D-Minn) to retail COVID-19 testing providers? It me ⤵️
The data in this OpEd from Dr. Peter Hotez and U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia? It me. ⤵️
There are dozens of other examples. The upshot is simply: I was there. I did what I could to enable better decisions and to empower decisionmakers. Many others helped, but global leaders decided that it was time to move on, and we're all paying the price for their short-sightedness.
/end COVID rant
@DataDrivenMD I’m still masked in indoor public spaces, but definitely not the norm. It’s clear people’s willingness to comply have driven public policy for a while. I find what’s happening in China now fascinating to watch - a different public health approach (zero Covid policy and mass lockdowns) have come to the same place (individuals saying “we’re done” in increasing numbers).
I wonder if any countries (Japan?) had better Covid public health messaging and saw better results.
@amart @DataDrivenMD Yes, Japan had better messaging and has had much better results.
Covid is still one hell of an enemy, so they still have casualties, but they're doing far better. Japan's government talked about masks immediately and has continued to do so. Not enough about air purifiers (#HEPA) though, not enough about mask quality (#N95, #P100)
Dr. Jorge Caballero
Alan Martello
Nathanael Nerode