SarahJadeHunterJul 13, 2023
Augie Ray

I think it's gotten to be common to suggest we over-reacted to #COVID19. It's crazy to think anyone would claim we over-reacted to an infectious pandemic virus that claimed at least 7 million lives (and probably many more, given excess death data).

But one thing I think people really miss is that all those precautions in 2020 helped to ensure billions of people avoided their first infection until after they had the increased protection of vaccines. Caution in 2020 saved many, many lives.

Jun 22, 2023 at 10:51amWeb
Show threadIan StuartJun 22, 2023

@augieray It reflects how concerned we are at losing people. Apparently, to many, losing nearly 1 in 1000 was an acceptable loss and having to change their lifestyle temporarily to save more lives wasn’t worth it.

What people need to appreciate is with increased #COVID19 precautions we might have avoided newer strains of the virus (and with less precautions we could have caused more deadly strains to develop).

#COVID19Deaths

Show threadtomJun 22, 2023
@IanStuart @augieray And that's it exactly. If we let it rampage and mutate uninhibited what would we have done if a mutation appeared with a horrendous mortality rate?
Show threadjohn r red-horseJun 23, 2023

@IanStuart

Isn't the number in the USA closer to 1 in 300 people who died of COVID-19? I believe that that number is not 1 in 300 who got infected; it's absolute.

It's a pretty darn stunning number in my view...

@augieray

Show threadJ.H.NoyesJun 22, 2023

@augieray

I'm not so sure about that. What you say is certainly true of Wuhan-Hu-1 through Delta. The data is less encouraging for the Omicron lineage. The vaccine does not work well enough against the Omicrons to justify letting it rip--vaxed or knave, I doubt it is going to make much difference in terms of chronic morbidity.

@Charlotteshhhh

Show threadOkazuYuriJun 22, 2023
@augieray It was obvious to anyone with sense that we under reacted then dropped all pretense of precaution much too early. Now I will spend the next 40 years afraid to get COVID, because it will kill me and I can trust no one.
Show thread🌻 Welcome Back 🌻Jun 23, 2023
@EricaFriedman @augieray
Correct takeaway 👆🏻
Show threadVaguely here 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈Jun 22, 2023

@augieray I think we underacted, massively. If we'd have concentrated on saving people not 'the economy'* we could have done so much better. And now we're abandoning the public health work that did so much good - removing the funding for progress on that - and held hopes for us actually not screwing it so badly next time.

* which needs the damn people, so work on the people first.

Show threadJames Smith 💾Jun 23, 2023
@augieray see also: the Y2K bug. It was all fine, but only because of the vast amount of work that people did to fix it up front. I wonder what the word is for that sort of logical fallacy?
Show threadLaux Myth (aka Martin)Jun 23, 2023
@augieray
Disaster preparedness and crime prevention researchers have seen this over and over. I forget what it is often called but comparison to the Y2K bug is a good exemplar. If you do avoid a problem or most of a problem but it inconveniences many, then after those affected will huff that ‘it was nothing in the first place’.
Show threadKevJun 23, 2023
@augieray the USA and UK really outdid themselves didn't they
Show threadcostrikeJun 25, 2023
@augieray I'm just glad it's 'over.'
Show threadAugie RayJun 25, 2023
@costrike It isn't over. It's still mutating. And people's immunity is declining. I think this fall and winter will be an eye-opening one for folks in the Northern Hemisphere.
Show threadcostrikeJun 25, 2023
@augieray I follow. I tried to signal this with the 'scare quotes.'