Hi all,

I'm quite far off from the initial email thread topic, but I'd like to share my perspective on this email thread. I hope that we can end the day with as many brain cells as we started.

In college, I took a course called, "Climate change, psychology, and human behavior." In this course, we not only discussed the fundamental science of climate change, but also methods to communicate these things effectively with others. Climate change is a massively complex scientific phenomenon, poses legitimate risk to our lives and livelihoods, and the problem changes faster than we can understand it. Because of all these things, simply communicating about climate change is massively difficult, and communicating effectively is one of the best tools we might have to work together to face the challenges ahead... Climate change is like the pandemic.

I love talking about this course - one of the things I learned is that around these complex topics, so-called "fact-based" debate is not fact-based at all. So I will not correct Weogo Reed, and I will not cite my sources. Instead, I will present the following infographic from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) about identifying and responding to vaccine misinformation.

image.png

1: Don't engage with vaccine disinformation online
2: Don't overreact. Just because you see it, doesn't mean it's widely believed.
3: Correct vaccine misinformation with family and friends privately.
4: Spread pro-vaccine messages.
5: Get vaccinated and get loud about it.

p.s.
Liz, in response to your initial question, the San Luis Obispo contra dance had a meeting in May, was planning a tentative start in September, but we've cancelled September through December. All further dances are to be determined. I worked as a Covid-19 tester from August 2020 to January 2021, and my guess is that we'll see the same flu/college/holiday season spike this winter, and cases will stay high until this spring.

Get your vaccines! The FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine, TODAY! Encourage folks you know to schedule their appointment. If you are reading this and haven't, or know people who haven't, I encourage you to reconsider. It's the fastest way we can dance again.

In line with CCDH point 1, I will not respond to this email thread further.

John Little

On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 8:25 AM Weogo Reed via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi Folks,

     I'm not on a hill, looking for a fight or intending to harm, insult
or shame anyone.
The best outcome of this exchange is for all of us to be a bit more
educated.

CDC / NIH / FDA:
     Historically the CDC and NIH were sources of current, accurate
health information.
Small and low-income countries often used CDC/NIH recommendations
verbatim as their health guidelines.
 From what I see today, they appear remarkably slow to acknowledge some
current science.

Vitamin D:
     "Several recent studies have looked at the impact of vitamin D on
COVID-19. One study of 489 people found that those who had a vitamin D
deficiency were more likely to test positive for the virus that causes
COVID-19 than people who had normal levels of vitamin D.
      Other research has observed high rates of vitamin D deficiency in
people with COVID-19 who experienced acute respiratory failure. These
people had a significantly higher risk of dying. And a small, randomized
study found that of 50 people hospitalized with COVID-19 who were given
a high dose of a type of vitamin D (calcifediol), only one needed
treatment in the intensive care unit. In contrast, among the 26 people
with COVID-19 who weren't given calcifediol, 13 needed to be treated in
the intensive care unit."
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-and-vitamin-d/faq-20493088
Note that the current RDA(Recommended Daily Allowance) is for bone health.
For optimal health, it may be more.

 From Liz:
"Sunshine and fresh air will not keep you safe."
     Partially correct.  They can increase your health and improve your
body's covid response.
Sunshine helps your body produce Vitamin D.
      Time outside for me generally equals exercise  -  in the garden,
doing construction, walking/hiking and more.
For the past year and a half, my one gig as a sound person was outside,
providing audio for
the local state university's graduation in May, with everybody masked
and spaced 6'.

Liz wrote:
"And then there's this:
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19"
f    There's wide evidence the FDA is out of date on their Ivermectin
information.
I suggest reading this website: https://covid19criticalcare.com/

Moderna safety under review:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-probing-moderna-vaccine-increased-heart-inflammation-risk-washington-post-2021-08-20/

Deaths from Covid 'incredibly rare' among children:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01897-w

      With an extremely low covid risk for children, and some risk from
any medicine,
Is vaccinating children for covid the wisest choice?

Liz wrote:
"The nation's hospitals are filled with young, otherwise healthy, mostly
unvaccinated
people dying of Covid."
Can you please provide data?
I couldn't find hospitalization data for young, unvaccinated people, but
did find this for deaths, based on age:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographicsovertime
With so few deaths among the young, might it be accurate to say there
aren't that many in hospitals?

Ron wrote:
"We need everyone vaccinated."

Is natural immunity or vaccine-acquired immunity better?
     Here's one voice:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/dr-makary-says-natural-immunity-is-more-effective-then-vaccine-immunity/ar-AAMX3sM
     From the BBC today:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58270098
There are many points of view to this question, and it may boil down to
what's best for an individual.
     I suggest we consider what we really need is for everybody to be
healthy and
have covid immunity, not necessarily vaccination.

     For Americans, 42% are obese:
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Could this be a more significant health issue than covid?
Would you support an effective Public Health campaign for obesity
education and reduction?
     Someone I love dearly is morbidly obese.
I remember when he was slim and healthy.
He now has multiple health issues that are known to be caused by
obesity yet says the health issues are causing the obesity.
(May be a bit of both?)
Currently he is taking multiple medications and seeing a psychiatrist that
isn't helping him be healthier, just more drugged.

     If I got anything wrong here, please correct me and cite your sources.

Thanks and good health,  Weogo
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