Augie Ray

How the media gaslights people on #COVID19:

In one article, it says, “The uptick of cases likely isn’t cause for alarm, though: most Covid cases are mild” and then buries this quote from an epidemiologist: “Covid is likely to remain in the leading causes of death in the United States for the foreseeable future.”

If a leading cause of death can be easily prevented with simple mitigations, then how is ANY uptick in cases not a reason for concern?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hanwenzhang/2023/08/03/covid-cases-are-on-the-rise-heres-what-you-need-to-know/?sh=2b84dc12744a

Covid Cases Are On The Rise—Here’s What You Need To Know

Covid cases are back on the rise just before the upcoming flu season rolls in.

Forbes
Aug 4, 2023 at 5:11pmWeb
Show threadGlenn FleishmanAug 4, 2023
@augieray I mean, we apparently could have been wearing masks during flu season just in high-transmission situations (transit, medical contexts, etc.) and dramatically reduced its transmission and saved 10,000s of lives a year and 100,000s of hospitalizations…yet social norms prevented us. So we’ve slingshotted back to that. The article notes that COVID might reduce to flu levels of death…most of which are preventable, too.
Show threadThird spruce tree on the leftAug 4, 2023

@glennf @augieray When SARs came around and we had hand sanitizer bottles everywhere in the office and we used them a lot I noticed that winter I didn't fall sick - usually its 4-5 /yr.

Since, every winter cold & flu season I have a sani bottle on my desk or wash my hands thoroughly after touching any thing - door handle, microwave buttons - in the office. Works a treat; most germs you get transfered from hand to eyes/mouth.

I think sanitizers and masks are just the new normal if you ask me.

Show threadErik HaugenAug 4, 2023
@tezoatlipoca @glennf @augieray Yeah, I appreciate the ubiquitous sanitizers thing at work.
Show threadErik HaugenAug 4, 2023
@glennf @augieray I think air filtration/etc would be a lot more effective than masks, but yeah.
Show threadHFMAug 4, 2023

@augieray Any increase no matter the extent is an “uptick”; any decrease no matter the size is a “sharp drop”

@ParanoidFactoid

Show threadAlexisDyslexicAug 4, 2023

@augieray just heard an old coworkers passed away. I talked to him in 2020 and he seemed anti-VAX then (before the vaccine came out). He seemed fine with mass death and was really against the lockdown. Don't think he was including himself in that calculation. The conversation didn't go very far when we realized we were on thr opposite side of the spectrum.

He died of organ failure & alcholism. No idea how many times he did or did not have covid. He was under 50.

Show threadAugie RayAug 4, 2023
@alexisdyslexic It's sad when people die prematurely because they couldn't make the right decisions.
Show threadAlexisDyslexicAug 4, 2023
@augieray 100%
Show threadJo LambertAug 4, 2023
@augieray I have covid. It hasn't been my idea of mild - spent 3 days in bed in the dark and had a week off work (don't think I have ever had so long off and I am old).
Show threadAugie RayAug 4, 2023
@JoDavies Sounds like my bout two months ago. I hope you recover fully and quickly.
Show threadJo LambertAug 4, 2023
@augieray Thank you! Am lucky to be being well looked after, and feeling loads better, but infuriating to hear it being dismissed as mild.
Show threadbeforewisdom Aug 4, 2023

@augieray

@DenisCOVIDinfoguy @auscovid19

You may find this feed useful.

Each Friday the total number of Americans killed by Covid 19 is updated.

Each Friday the number of Americans killed in the last week by Covid 19 is posted.

https://mastodon.social/@WeeklyAmericanPandemicDeaths

Show threadUrsidinoj/The BjornsdottirsAug 4, 2023
@augieray Obligatory Forbes Sites isn't Forbes reminder
Show threadnatriumchlorideAug 4, 2023
@augieray it's disturbing, willing to do absolutely nothing to save lives because taking action might turn out to be slightly inconvenient 🙁
Show threadDr. Eric J. Fielding, PhDAug 4, 2023
@augieray They mean not a cause for concern by the media company owners.
Show threadeuonymineAug 4, 2023
@augieray only the United States?
Show threadLivAug 4, 2023
@augieray That begs the question: why on earth did the CDC decide to do away with boosters?
Show threadQuinn ComendantAug 4, 2023

@augieray I want to address this statistic because misinformation may undermine your intention of keeping people safe: Covid isn’t the leading cause of death, it’s the fourth most common. That’s still a huge portion and completely unacceptable!

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7218a3.htm

I’d be curious to learn why the epidemiologist misspoke.

#factcheck

Provisional Mortality Data — United States, 2022

This report describes overall death rates, causes of deaths, and rates of COVID-19-associated deaths in the U.S. during 2022.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Show threadErik HaugenAug 4, 2023

@com @augieray The quote is "in the leading causes", not "the leading cause". I guess that's true?

(Ranking causes of death and getting precise numbers like "4th" is meaningless, of course – but generally it always looks like this: ~40% CVD, ~40% cancer, then the remainder is dominated by things like accidents and respiratory illnesses (flu/cold/covid/etc) – that was the case before covid, during covid, and now)

Show threadAugie RayAug 5, 2023
@com It drives me a bit crazy how many people on Mastodon will reply without taking the time to actually read the original post. No one said COVID is THE leading cause of death. I posted a quote that it is "s likely to remain in the leading causes of death." There was no misinformation posted.
Show threadJ.H.NoyesAug 4, 2023
@augieray I don't understand how they can say COVID is mild. Even asymptomatic infections cause a tremendous amount of damage. Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it isn't happening.
Show threadGreySkiesAug 4, 2023

@augieray

Because most people think THEY won't be the ones that die or get disabled from it or take away any harm whatsoever. Only other people, so it's perfectly fine apparently.

Show threadBenderIsGreat34Aug 5, 2023
@augieray if it’s a leading cause of death then it’s not mild is it. Heart disease is probably THE leading cause of death and no one ever calls that mild.
Show threadFlowermobAug 5, 2023
@augieray Who reads forbes?
Show threadGlennMGAug 5, 2023
@augieray
We seem to struggle coming to grips with the world having changed and not going back to yesterday's aspirations.
Show threadTimeRevenantAug 5, 2023
@augieray I have had the damn virus three times already in spite of vaccinations. I no longer concern myself with it. If it takes me down for the count, so be it. There is far more to life than worrying about a virus with a less than 1 percent mortality rate, especially after I survived another illness with a 30 percent mortality rate. I am not making light of it as 1% mortality with an over 300 billion population in just the U.S. is still a lot of deaths but I no longer worry.
Show threadEllieAug 5, 2023

@augieray Oh, a bunch of death in the fungible resources managed by the human resources not a concern to rich assholes. Some loss is expected. Our individual well being is irrelevant as long as there's a pool of unhoused/hungry people ready to step into line and profits continue being extracted.

#capitalism

Show threadDr. SportelloAug 5, 2023
@augieray @glennf I believe deaths are heavily skewed towards the unvaccinated elderly. If you’ve received all yours boosters, your chances of living are really, really good.
Show threadAugie RayAug 6, 2023
@DrSportello @glennf You VERY much miss the point of the risks of COVID. It is not about death. It hasn't been about mortality for two years. Now, it's about Long COVID, disabilities, and long-term risks like diabetes, cardiovascular damage and perhaps even cancer. It is important people of all ages try to avoid repeated infection.
Show threadJ.H.NoyesAug 5, 2023

@augieray

Articles I'd like to see:

Covid cases are on the rise. Here's how to hold your elected officials and employers accountable.