... the politicization of Houston area health care. How will anyone ever have full trust in what they hear or read from TMC in the future knowing they will succumb to political pressure (from whatever side might be in power at the time)?
It is weird. Who knew that people that spend many decades training and working on these types of things would know more than you or I?
Herd immunity is not achievable anyway since antibody last a few months. The solution is mass test and trace
Exactly....... which is what the leading scientists were saying many months ago but some folks did not listen to. What I am seeing, especially amongst the entitled is this idea that we can compromise with the virus. We cannot........ it is what it..... we are the ones that need to adapt.
Not interested in defending Abbott here, but I wouldn't make that jump yet. I think the initial charts were showing standard ICU capacity - not total possible ICU capacity. The initial charts were not clear on that, and it led to confusion. There is value in both charts - standard ICU capacity and total ICU capacity. It's the job of the dataviz person to make it clear to the reader what the dataviz is showing. The new versions should clarify that these charts are showing total ICU capacity, which is standard + expanded ICU beds. It would also be of use to show historical ICU capacity (both standard and expanded) to give readers more context around the numbers, and to highlight whether or not ~90% is as dire as it sounds (because it sounds bad!).
You are right that there is value in both charts. However, there is no way TMC executives order the charts to be changed if Abbott doesn’t request a meeting with them concerning negative publicity. Let’s lay out the facts. First, TMC was using standard ICU charts every day before the meeting with Abbott. Second, the day before the meeting with Abbott, TMC executives issued a press release illustrating how close they were to maximum ICU capacity and urging people to follow social distancing protocols. Following their meeting with Abbott, the very next day, the charts went offline and TMC executives issued a press release saying they have emergency ICU capacity if needed, and there is no reason to panic. If you think the meeting between Gov. Abbott and TMC executives had nothing to do with the change in direction, I have some nice beachfront property to sell you. This is Texas’ version of Ron DeSantis firing one of his public health experts because she wouldn’t fudge numbers to make the state look better, except TMC executives gave in to the governor’s request, and Abbott lacked the authority to terminate them.
It was fake news that the TMC was out of capacity. This was confirmed by the TMC hospital CEOs on Friday. The media couldn't be trusted not to stir up hysteria, which could lead to sick people not going to the hospital. It was the right decision to restrict the data, as the media wasn't trustworthy enough to report it accurately. They prioritized panic p*rn to get more eyeballs and clicks, to boost their ad revenues.
No one knows how long antibodies last. But if they don't last, then mass testing and tracing won't do any good anyway, because there's literally no way to stop the virus regardless. It would be like trying to mas test and trace for a common cold or flu. ALL of our current potential solutions - from testing and tracing to vaccines - rely on the idea of people becoming immune to it after they've had it.
Fair points good post but giving up and treating it like an untraceable unquaratinable deal is not the answer either. Regardless of immunity length with a supposition of even 90 day immunity being enough that mass test and trace could solve. Perhaps I am still in denial phase and you have moved on to acceptance? An indictment that we 'coulda' so I need to catch up to you? Maybe but the fire engines still headed to the towers on 9/11. Perhaps a fitting analogy. You test.. you trace.. you fight..you quarantine? This notion of 'no biggie' is flawed too. Its not all good 1/3 population is risk and long term damage , ending life 10 years early ( link i posted) So..if we did a national campaign of test over a 10 day period with proper technology we could potentially do something to then isolate it out. It would need to be an effort like never seen before but if we are the greatest country in the world then we do it. All this money for economy a mass testing program. This should be on of bidens top moves and no serious plan avoids or doesnt look at testing. Even a short term immunity could be enough to curtail / contain. Its not the common cold
Yeah, I'm inclined to think by this time the protests are contributing to the spike. I'd say probably the main culprit is opening up businesses, but protests would contribute and we've given it enough gestation time at this point to reasonably assume that some patients rolling into hospitals today contracted at a protest. There's no problem admitting that. We knew while we were marching that it'd contribute to the spread of the virus, but some things are worth the risk.
I like your parenthetical aside at the end: the ultimate "hey, the Dems could come up with Trump-scum sycophant types, too!" "Hello, Mister President." "Governor Abbott. Bad press?" "I'll take care of it."
