11 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

There will be over 200,000 dead Americans by the end of November.

I’m obviously not saying that people don’t die from this, but those numbers are pretty inflated given how loose they are labeling COVID deaths. I saw earlier today that someone died in a motor cycle crash in Florida and it was ruled a COVID death because he tested positive for the virus. The hospitals are financially incentivized to label cases as COVID positive. Are cases like that 10% of the deaths? 40%? No idea. But it’s hard to take the listed death count as the true count. 

2 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

I’m obviously not saying that people don’t die from this, but those numbers are pretty inflated given how loose they are labeling COVID deaths. I saw earlier today that someone died in a motor cycle crash in Florida and it was ruled a COVID death because he tested positive for the virus. The hospitals are financially incentivized to label cases as COVID positive. Are cases like that 10% of the deaths? 40%? No idea. But it’s hard to take the listed death count as the true count. 

The studies that I have read in no way support the proposition that COVID deaths are significantly over reported. In fact, several suggest under reporting, especially early on.

If a patient dies of a stroke and is COVID+, they are registered as a COVID death.  The issue is, if a patient dies of a stroke, it may have been provoked by COVID.  Or maybe it may have been part of the daily wave of stroke deaths.  On the individual level, we don't even know.  Same thing goes for heart attack, cancer, etc.

You can just look at hospital admissions for those things to get a sense for whether or not COVID is triggering increased incidence of these diseases.  The issue is that people aren't going to the hospital out of COVID fear.  So the observable incidence of all these deadly problems has collapsed.  

The easiest way to know how your community is doing is ICU bed/ventilator numbers.  If they are low, then the COVID disease burden is fine.  If not, then, well, you have a problem.

18 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

I’m obviously not saying that people don’t die from this, but those numbers are pretty inflated given how loose they are labeling COVID deaths. I saw earlier today that someone died in a motor cycle crash in Florida and it was ruled a COVID death because he tested positive for the virus. The hospitals are financially incentivized to label cases as COVID positive. Are cases like that 10% of the deaths? 40%? No idea. But it’s hard to take the listed death count as the true count. 

I’m not saying your wrong,  but I’ve seen multiple iterations of similar stories like this with no actual proof. I also think it’s interesting Florida has 8,000 more expected deaths YTD with only 4,000 being COVID

I just finished The Old Guard on Netflix and it was pretty cool. Hope there will be more.

13 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

The studies that I have read in no way support the proposition that COVID deaths are significantly over reported. In fact, several suggest under reporting, especially early on.

I'm not saying the studies that you read are wrong but you can find studies that support arguments that the world is ending and this virus isn't going away and you can find studies that show this just like the flu.

The problem is which studies can we truly believe and trust and which ones show what Americans are really going through.

I've read studies and articles by doctors that would contradict you 100%.  Articles and studies that show that if I MIGHT have been near someone who had Covid then I am presumed to also have Covid.  Another positive case being added to the daily increase with no testing done but let's show higher numbers to add to the doom and gloom.  

That's the most frustrating part for a lot of middle ground people.  Who are you supposed to believe anymore?  For everyone doctor that says my mask protects you and yours protects me there is another doctor out there saying masks can cause just as much damage and don't work.  Shoot the N95 mask cases say right on the side, does not prevent Covid spread.

I'm asking these questions not to slight the studies you've read but to show why there is so much disconnect and confusion.  I'd love just honest to goodness answers.

27 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

I’m obviously not saying that people don’t die from this, but those numbers are pretty inflated given how loose they are labeling COVID deaths. I saw earlier today that someone died in a motor cycle crash in Florida and it was ruled a COVID death because he tested positive for the virus. The hospitals are financially incentivized to label cases as COVID positive. Are cases like that 10% of the deaths? 40%? No idea. But it’s hard to take the listed death count as the true count. 

USA Today reported in April that if you’re on Medicare and you come in with pneumonia to the hospital it’s 5K. If it’s ruled as COVID-19 pneumonia they get 13K. If you get put on a ventilator it drastically goes up to 39K.
 

 

For people who think deaths were over reported for COVID, all  you really have to do is look at deaths before COVID, and deaths after the pandemic hit.

We dont know who really died of the covid or the stroke if they had both... or COVID and the heart attack, etc... but when you look at the data and see that overall deaths increased in march, april, may... then you know that difference is due to COVID. That is how you know how big an impact on deaths the disease had even if you dont know what exactly killed each individual that died.

Overall deaths went up significantly, and the common denominator is COVID. 

 

Now if overall deaths go back down, and COVID deaths remain steady, then youll know they are being over reported. 

4 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

USA Today reported in April that if you’re on Medicare and you come in with pneumonia to the hospital it’s 5K. If it’s ruled as COVID-19 pneumonia they get 13K. If you get put on a ventilator it drastically goes up to 39K.
 

 

I mentioned this a while back but my poor 93 year old grandmother was tested 5 times for Covid....5 freaking times.  You can't tell me they weren't trying their hardest to find her positive for these reasons.  

2 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

For people who think deaths were over reported for COVID, all  you really have to do is look at deaths before COVID, and deaths after the pandemic hit.

We dont know who really died of the covid or the stroke if they had both... or COVID and the heart attack, etc... but when you look at the data and see that overall deaths increased in march, april, may... then you know that difference is due to COVID. That is how you know how big an impact on deaths the disease had even if you dont know what exactly killed each individual that died.

Overall deaths went up significantly, and the common denominator is COVID. 

 

Now if overall deaths go back down, and COVID deaths remain steady, then youll know they are being over reported. 

Not disagreeing with you, but are there charts out there that show monthly overall death counts in the US? Not categorized by cause of death, just deaths? 

1 minute ago, bpac55 said:

I mentioned this a while back but my poor 93 year old grandmother was tested 5 times for Covid....5 freaking times.  You can't tell me they weren't trying their hardest to find her positive for these reasons.  

Do you understand why the "payment" happens? 

Thats reimbursement for what the cost of treatment actually is. Its not the hospital making money as the media portrays it. The hospital is just being reimbursed. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Do you understand why the "payment" happens? 

Thats reimbursement for what the cost of treatment actually is. Its not the hospital making money as the media portrays it. The hospital is just being reimbursed. 

 

 

But why test a 93 year old woman with Alzheimer's 5 times? OK test 1 negative, let's double check with a 2nd...nope 3 more test.  All within 2 days.

7 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

But why test a 93 year old woman with Alzheimer's 5 times? OK test 1 negative, let's double check with a 2nd...nope 3 more test.  All within 2 days.

I dont know what they were doing. But if she had COVID theyd have ended up spending more money to treat her. Thats why theyd get that big reimbursement. 

Hospitals lost money. Majorly. Our hospital system is giving no raises this year. 

2 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

I mentioned this a while back but my poor 93 year old grandmother was tested 5 times for Covid....5 freaking times.  You can't tell me they weren't trying their hardest to find her positive for these reasons.  

Honestly my issue with testing is what I said this on this board about a month and a half ago. one of the labs out here which my dad works with every day (also family friend who runs that particular lab) informed my father and I that we need to get better testing for COVID-19 and other coronaviruses  They need a differentiating test between them. It’s right on the CDC.gov website that you could test positive for the antibodies of COVID-19 but it’s might not even COVID-19 and it’s another coronavirus which is commonly associated with the common cold. That’s a huge issue no one seems to be discussions or talking about. Our theory for the last couple months along with my friend who works in the lab And dad has been some of the people who are testing (don’t know the exact number) positive for antibodies/Covid 19 who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms might not have actually have COVID-19. they possibly had coronavirus 229E (or another coronavirus) and a possible reason why they didn’t have symptoms or severe symptoms is due to antibodies built up from a previous common cold. Now the really sick that have to go to the hospital be put on a ventilator,  I believe tested positive for COVID-19. And i believe it’s a pandemic. But i also believe some asymptomatic/mild symptom had it but i also believe there’s a portion who were told that but it wasn’t Covid 19 and the cdc putting this out there kind makes me think that’s highly possible 
 

2 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

I dont know what they were doing. But if she had COVID theyd have ended up spending more money to treat her. Thats why theyd get that big reimbursement. 

Hospitals lost money. Majorly. Our hospital system is giving no raises this year. 

I've valued your medical opinions and first hand experiences on here.  I'm lucky to still be employed in the hospitality industry and you can bet your bottom dollar no raises for us either.  It sucks.  

I'm just speaking out of frustration for my grandmother who has been suffering with a fading memory for the last 9 years.  She had no help on her floor from nurses, didn't know how to use the call button, when to eat or drink so I can only imagine all of the testing too.

28 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

I just finished The Old Guard on Netflix and it was pretty cool. Hope there will be more.

How was Chiwetel in it?

You guys were talking about favorite actors earlier today and he's def one of mine.

Just now, bpac55 said:

I've valued your medical opinions and first hand experiences on here.  I'm lucky to still be employed in the hospitality industry and you can bet your bottom dollar no raises for us either.  It sucks.  

I'm just speaking out of frustration for my grandmother who has been suffering with a fading memory for the last 9 years.  She had no help on her floor from nurses, didn't know how to use the call button, when to eat or drink so I can only imagine all of the testing too.

yeah your feelings are justified. but they may be leading you to improper conclusions. But I dont have the answer for you there either. 

How is she though? Did she pull through from whatever sickness she had?

Anybody watch the 30 Rock reunion special? Yikes. It was basically a Peacock TV promotion with some 30 Rock sprinkled in. It was painful to watch. 

I was hoping for something closer to the Parks and Rec special, which was really well done (and doubled as a fundraiser). This one was a total sellout for Peacock. No wonder so many local NBC affiliates refused to air it. 

3 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

I've valued your medical opinions and first hand experiences on here.  I'm lucky to still be employed in the hospitality industry and you can bet your bottom dollar no raises for us either.  It sucks.  

I'm just speaking out of frustration for my grandmother who has been suffering with a fading memory for the last 9 years.  She had no help on her floor from nurses, didn't know how to use the call button, when to eat or drink so I can only imagine all of the testing too.

I can tell you from out in Arizona,  Pima college out here has a nursing program but I wouldn’t trust anyone in my family to go to one of those nurses and my dad any time a family Member goes into the hospital makes sure none of have a nurse from that program. A lot of them aren’t capable of the job they are being asked. I can’t speak for elsewhere but out here it’s been a problem even before the pandemic hit 

Just now, HazletonEagle said:

yeah your feelings are justified. but they may be leading you to improper conclusions. But I dont have the answer for you there either. 

How is she though? Did she pull through from whatever sickness she had?

She's back home thanks for asking.  Still a daily battle for my aunt, who moved back home and the caregiver to deal with her, feed her, clean her the whole 9.  Just one of those things that sucks about Alzheimer's.  The fear now is her strength is coming back too fast but not enough and she's going to try to get out of bed and not be able to support herself leading to a fall.  

Deep down she's still there, she knows her family.  I love to joke around with her.  She forgets what you tell her in about 15 minutes so she will ask what I'm up to and I make up wild stories and she loves it.

Best thing though is to talk about her youth, what she used to love, what the 30s and 40s were like, the music she listened to.  She loves to talk about how far a dime would go and how they would sneak into movies, go to dances and talk to boys.  When she talks about memories she can go on for hours.

1 minute ago, Green Dog said:

How was Chiwetel in it?

You guys were talking about favorite actors earlier today and he's def one of mine.

I had to look up who that is.

He was a big plot device without a whole lot of screen time. ie Judie Dench in bond movies. 

I dont know how to critique acting performances. I just enjoyed the movies action, and overall premise. 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Green Dog said:

How was Chiwetel in it?

You guys were talking about favorite actors earlier today and he's def one of mine.

 Meh, one of those movies he was just there, really. I agree he’s pretty good but he just wasn’t really a main actor in it 

Has anyone else on here watched Oliver stone’s untold history of the US on Netflix? I watched the first Two episodes. It was good if you love history and not exactly portrayed in the same way you might have been taught it. 

1 minute ago, bpac55 said:

She's back home thanks for asking.  Still a daily battle for my aunt, who moved back home and the caregiver to deal with her, feed her, clean her the whole 9.  Just one of those things that sucks about Alzheimer's.  The fear now is her strength is coming back too fast but not enough and she's going to try to get out of bed and not be able to support herself leading to a fall.  

Deep down she's still there, she knows her family.  I love to joke around with her.  She forgets what you tell her in about 15 minutes so she will ask what I'm up to and I make up wild stories and she loves it.

Best thing though is to talk about her youth, what she used to love, what the 30s and 40s were like, the music she listened to.  She loves to talk about how far a dime would go and how they would sneak into movies, go to dances and talk to boys.  When she talks about memories she can go on for hours.

Glad to hear she pulled through.

The rest put a s mile on my face reminding me of my grandmother. Whenever my family would visit her she always talked to my sister about those same things and you can literlaly seem them light up thinking of those memories. It seems to bring them so much joy to remember those things. Thats awesome. 

5 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

 Meh, one of those movies he was just there, really. I agree he’s pretty good but he just wasn’t really a main actor in it 

Thats true of most action movies. Theres not usually any awards being won for acting in them. Usually all the same story line. But theyre just pure entertainment.

I would say the "Hes not my boyfriend" speech was actually pretty moving. Nice delivery there.

There may have been one or 2 other moments in the movie where I was like "woah I felt that" but I already forgot what they were