Meet "Dr Jo"
Hello fellow denizens of C99. I've not been around these parts for some time. I wasn't sure how long it had been until I looked at my account. My last comment was just after Thanksgiving and I've not actively participated since July. No, I haven't been ill, thanks for your concern, or so busy that I couldn't drop in to join the conversations.
No. I have only lurked now and again out of morbid curiosity and to see if the state of the site has changed. Some, maybe. But not in a meaningful or beneficial way I'd say. But that's only my opinion. It's good all opinions are equally correct at C99 or I might be in for an unwanted argument.
The truth is that after freely participating and contributing to keep the lights on since 2016 when I showed up on the doorstep as a TOP refugee, I had to step away. Were I the sensitive sort I'd swear I was reliving the spring of 2016 in many ways. Since last spring I've dithered over correcting the error of not engineering a ban from TOP by saying exactly what I think here. (Cue the "Well leave then." calls from the anti-censorship crew.) Not my style. When I'm done with something I always just walk away not looking back.
I, more or less, had walked away when a couple of things happened recently. The first one isn't exactly recent. I discovered "Dr Jo" on Quora. I'm a contributor in one of the aviation spaces there. I read about what interests me and answer questions if I have the appropriate expertise. Quora used to be a place to ask questions and receive answers from people whose area of expertise and knowledge might be useful. Accuracy and factual responses were the norm. Now that baseless opinion equals expertise and trumps actual knowledge, not so much do we find accurate and factual answers. We need a fine screen sifter to filter out the bullshit. Quora can be as toxic as anywhere on the interwebs. Idiots, trolls, malcontents, know nothings, and damn fine writers as well as highly accomplished and knowledgeable experts write there. The Biggest Loser, AKA Orange Mussolini, and COVID-19 has brought out all of them. "Dr Jo" is one of the excellent writers and overachievers with excellent credentials in several medical areas and computer science. While any goober can claim to be a doctor on the internet this guy/gal leaves none of the telltale signs of a fake. My physician friends agree. Over several essays I'm going to offer the rest of you a chance to judge for yourselves.
What brought me back was something that happened about a month ago. Someone I've known for a couple of years did something that I never expected from him. He's a former US Navy pilot and expat here in Cuenca. He lost his amazing wife to a long fight to heart disease a few months ago. We met each other in a expat group that gets together every week. There are a wide variety of people from many different walks of life and worldviews. There are a couple of things we all have in common that hold us together despite a wide variety of differences. For the most part our bond is as expats who tend to have each others' backs. Or so I thought.
We stopped meeting when the country shutdown hard with significant restrictions due to a worldwide pandemic. The restrictions were intended to protect the health of the people and, more importantly, prevent the collapse of the healthcare system. The healthcare system is not very robust even though it serves reasonably well. Not much would be necessary to cause a total collapse. The restrictions and mandates did their job. The public health authorities and the government got off on the wrong foot and made early mistakes like almost every country did. Since the early days they have done the best in most categories related to COVID of any country in Latin and South America. We're doing well now despite a huge surge in cases that seems to be slowing. I've gone from knowing about 10 who had COVID to knowing dozens in a couple months. Our meetings followed the mandates, guidelines, and shutdown for almost a year before being able to reopen face to face. Some people came back, some didn't. Those who didn't usually have high risk factors and/or ill health. We agreed on bio security measures that met the needs of our most vulnerable. More than a year later we had become quite comfortable with our success. We'd had few infections, none traceable to our meetings, despite several differences in measures depending on the meeting day.
Omicron changed all that. The unvaccinated got sick, were sicker, and got reinfected at a scary rate, even some our more careful members got sick too. Far, far fewer of the vaccinated got sick, were usually no more than inconvenienced, but also a few of both vax categories got reinfected despite having gotten the bug, being vaccinated and boosted. I've heard about a single vaccinated member who spent more than a week of really feeling bad. That includes the husband of one member who has an artificial heart valve.
My friend was unvaccinated. I should have expected that but didn't really think about it. He showed up a couple weeks ago with the sniffles, a nasty cough, and sat away from most of us saying he didn't feel all that bad and just had a cold, definitely not COVID. He even joined a couple of us at lunch. The next week he said that he was pretty sure he had COVID. The five people in his house were all positive. He hadn't been tested. Lines were a couple blocks long, donchaknow? Then went on a rant about not being vaccinated because it's dangerous and doesn't work. Besides, every vaccine until this one has been 100% effective so he knows this one is bullshit. And on and on. He'd known that he probably had COVID the week before too. Yeah. A group on another day had four suddenly come up positive on the same day. They immediately suspended meeting.
I've not been back to a meeting in three weeks. I won't go tomorrow either. I'm not upset with him. I let down my guard. That's on me. I let down my wife and son. I'd had contact due to my carelessness and could easily have brought it home. The ensuing discussions about bio security revealed several people who really couldn't care less that they might be a threat to others. They have the same attitudes, misinformed bullshit passing for knowledge, and certainty that made me to step away from C99. These were people, some of whom I had a casual relationship, who basically said they couldn't give a flip about anything but themselves. Good to know.
So why am I back? I'm pretty sure there's a bunch of you who couldn't care less what I have to offer. You already "know" everything about COVID you want to know. You've spent hundreds of hours in research. You know. Fair enough. Don't change your mind. Don't follow the next couple of links and the ones that will be in future essays featuring "Dr Jo".
The only thing I ask is that if you can be bothered to follow the links you'll do two things. First, don't read them looking for ways to rebut what "Dr Jo" writes. If you can't shut up the voices in your your head looking for what you disagree with and how to argue, then just don't read. Walk away. Second, try to connect with "Dr Jo". Read to understand the explanations he presents that most anybody can understand if they try. You can try to understand or you can argue but not both.
He's a Kiwi. His real name and credentials are:
Dr J.M. van Schalkwyk. MB. BCh. FCP(SA)(Critical Care). FRACP. Dip Data(S.Afr). (aka Dr Jo).
(No. I'm not going to decipher them for you. You guys tell me you're expert researchers. Do the research yourselves.)
I've been following him for over a year. He's far more tolerant of anti-vaxxers, the needle shy, the skeptical, those with valid, evidence based criticisms, and the stubborn than almost anybody with his experience in the subjects he writes about than anybody I know. It's wearing thin but he generally shows respect for the average unvaxxed person if not their nonsense opinions and ideas. Seeing people die from this disease when they didn't have to die does that to people. The worst you might have happen is you come to understand why so much about this virus and the science is difficult to decipher. He rigorously cites his sources though not in his first answer that I'm posting. He explains everything very well.
Now for the icing. I have nothing to say to some of you. I will not respond to your comments. If you want to argue or rebut do it among yourselves. Reading the Dose occasionally and seeing how you treat those who disagree with your groupthink and then reading that ghastly dog's breakfast on critical thinking leaves me with very low expectations. I've come to a place where I couldn't care less what some of you have to say. Many of you have become incomprehensible. Yet, I'm trying to understand this community. I want to know if there is anything here that is worth being a part of or not. I have really good ideas of what I expect to see. I don't expect much. Prove me wrong. I'm going to listen to you to see if there's anything here worthy of my time. If not, you won't have to put up with me for long.
Something to be proud of? Paragraph by paragraph, do the points make sense? What is your part in this state of affairs?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/06/us-covid-death-rate-vacc...
From Quora, "Dr Jo"'s answer to the question "Why can't we stop a covid pandemic?"
https://www.quora.com/Why-can-t-we-stop-a-covid-pandemic/answer/Dr-Jo-6?...
Comments
Interesting perspectives
Thanks for sharing.
question everything
Good to see you back...
I've been wondering about your scene in the South. Glad you've weathered the storm.
I've not read your links, but will. My take is everyone will get omicron. Being vaxed will most likely reduce symptoms. ggresh brought this to us which agrees with my take...
John Campbell and others also agree.
So my advice is lets get back to normal, especially by spring. I'm sorry you felt the community was in group think, I felt it was supportive research in search of best approach. Some are vaxed, some are not, some wear masks, some do not, but here at C99 we're all accepting of each others right to choose....at least of late.
Don't be a stranger. We tolerate all views, and yours holds equal weight to mine IMO.
Edit to add...I read you links. I see it very differently than Dr Jo....who remember in NZ has seen/treated very few if any cases. Dr's in the states (and around the world) have had very different experience using IVM and HCQ treating 1000's upon 1000's successfully.
As to the Guardian article, I've a couple of ideas. First the US gave a financial incentive to count a death with COVID as a death of COVID. So perhaps COVID deaths in the US are exaggerated. Secondly Americans are fat, diabetic, and have high blood pressure cause they eat shit. That set us up for bad outcomes. And lastly, we've had more total deaths in 2021 with vaccination than we had in 2020 without.
But hey we can agree to disagree. At least I don't have a problem with you seeing this differently than me. I've enjoyed our online relationship in the past and hope we can continue.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Glad to hear you are okay.
The honest truth for me is that I am not familiar with the Monolith you describe as being the essence of c99.
But, then, I'm a loner, wherever I go. So I don't really have a gang here, or anywhere else. I have individual relationships with folks, but no gang affiliation. I drop in and out of the Dose. If there are specific rules, they were not imposed on me. Perhaps I'm too much of an an iconoclast to bother with. Besides my opinions are always a few degrees off the norm. There is also undeniably good science discussed at the Dose, which is always a pleasure to read.
I have a lot of my own opinions and prognostications about Covid-19, and I am well read in the science, too. I have also learned or deduced many things about this virus that I will not say online, in any forum. I know people who prefer not to receive this vaccination. They all have different reasons. I don't keep track of those reasons. I do not know any person who is an anti-vaxxer or someone who has spent their lives protesting against inoculations. The serums that are available, globally, seem to be helpful to those who can tolerate them. Human scientists have never been able to produce a "vaccine' against a coronavirus, even after many decades of trying. So, it seems little fraught to suddenly call these serums, "vaccines." What we do know scientifically is that if everyone took the serums often, Covid-19 would be with us still, spreading, but far fewer people would become serious ill. Until a truly horrific mutation suddenly pops up and wipes everyone out. I must say, however, I am a little alarmed at the de-masking going on and alarmed at the assumption being made about the benign evolution of SAR-C0V-2 that (coincidentally) happens to match everyone's fondest hopes and dreams.
I know of only one one pandemic policy that currently stamps out the infection and allows all of society to operate normally. As a sane person, that is my preference. Geographically, however, I am not part of that policy group in China. So just like you, I am forced to endure life surrounded by potential "germ bags."
I've been on Quora for years at a stretch. Each time I leave, I leave for the same reason that you do. However, I have enjoyed substantial popularity there as a factotum.
Enjoy your visit here. It's nice to hear from you and learn that expat life is agreeing with you, with all its ups and downs. Hope you don't have to come back to the US any time soon.
I’m still left wondering why early treatment and prophylaxis
is such a non-factor in the way people evaluate our massive loss of life here in the USA. For virtually every other human disease early treatment is the first step to be taken to minimize harm and retard disease progression. Why not with COVID? Why were we only offered vaccines? I’m still waiting for my pharmacy to fill my doctor’s prescription, but without the blessing of FDA/CDC that’s not likely to happen.
Sure, increasing vaccine uptake percentage might have saved more lives, but the vaccines we were offered could never be a complete solution to ‘end’ the pandemic for the simple reason that they were unable to completely prevent either infection or transmission to others. They were more helpful at reducing hospitalizations and deaths, but clearly not capable of stopping COVID in its tracks, even in highly vaccinated Israel.
Adding prophylaxis and early treatment outpatient protocols to the vaccination efforts could have been a real game changer, but it was never seriously pursued by our national health authorities. They apparently had only one priority: vaccines. Not good enough for victory, now endemic status seems the best we can hope for.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
From the beginning,
as vaccines were being prepared, I took the position of treating the sick and dying with SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Try this, that, and the other. Treat symptoms. That was not the protocol, and is still not the protocol. I think that was wrong, and is wrong, and it does not matter if a person has been vaxxed or not, if they have symptoms that could lead to hospitalization and death, try SOMETHING.
I gotta say, if my husband or my brother got told to go home, wait until your lips turn blue, come to the er, get on a ventilator, a lawsuit would IMMEDIATELY ensue. Seems the drs. give that advice to both the vaxxed and unvaxxed. Why?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I'll be damned cuz that's the same protocol here in Illinois
I just had my annual physical and everything seems to be OK but I do need to lose some weight. OK I get it, I should eat less junk but I'm a devout Chocaholic
Any way back to the protocol. I asked my Doc if I can get IVM or any of the other propyholaxis (sp) meds if I tested + for Covid. I go a resounding NO, all we do is send you home and monitor how you're feeling. I was then about to tear a him a new arsehole but remembered he works for a corporation that is most likely owned be either a Hedge Fund or PE outfit. And besides all of this he is otherwise a pretty good Doc. Either way they tptb aren't doing a damn thing to keep the population healthy and safe. how in the hell can getting Vaxxed be the "ONLY THING" to keep one safe.
Covid/The Great Reset has been a great divider of people, but I see a ray of sunshine coming from Canada especially and other places secondary. European countries lifting their mandates is another ray of hope, maybe just maybe soon this will be over. Maybe.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Curious
But other doctors who also have excellent credentials, but have different opinions on Covid are not trustworthy just because they believe differently from the ones you follow? This seems to be what most people who think anyone questioning the treatment options available or the safety of the vaccines seem to think. All the doctors who have found ways to treat Covid have years of experience in their field and have received enormous kudos for their previous work. That is until they went 'off script' from what Fauci was saying. Then they suddenly became anti vaxxers. Apparently it seems that is the rule people are following. Who gets to decide who is right?
Are you seeing what is happening in Israel, Scotland, Gibraltar and other countries where most people there are triple jabbed? Their hospitals are full of people who have been. And they are dying too. How does that fit your scenario of blaming it on the unjabbed? I think the blame for it should be on the virus not people who caught it.
And yet even though you are fully vaxxed you apparently don’t trust that you would be protected from someone who is unvaxxed who has Covid. You do know that the vaxxed can give it to you too right? But he’s bad for not getting vaxxed because he can spread it. I can’t follow that logic that only the people who are unvaxxed spreading it are bad, but if you get it from a vaxxed person that’s okay even though you are fully vaxxed? Explain how that makes sense cuz it makes no sense to me. I’d be blaming the vaccines and those who told you that if you get one then you would be safe from getting the Rona. And yes that is what we were told. I posted a video on it yesterday in the dose in case you want to watch it.
You’re right. I’m very concerned about myself since I am unable to get vaxxed for health reasons. But since I’m looking for other ways to keep myself above ground apparently I’m koo-koo for the things I read. Or are you saying that I should take the risk and get jabbed anyway so that you and others who think like you do can feel safe? Ima going to pass on that.
And yet you will not look at any of the information that is posted in the daily dose because YOU yourself know everything about Covid that you want to know? Fair enough.
Buy a mirror.
Many of unvaxxed have been saying that for over a year since the information on early treatments came out. But you have dismissed them because the voices in your head tells you to.
I’m sure I’m in this group. But…Wow. You come here to say that we should listen to your doctor, but you refuse to listen to us if we disagree with you? I’m not sure what to call that. But again why are your sources right, but mine are wrong?
So constantly debunking incorrect information with actual facts…just don’t know what to say about your opinion. Why should I listen to you since you have this hostility towards others who have different opinions? Did you think you’d change anyone’s mind with this attitude?
There have been lots of other essays that you might have enjoyed, but you have painted the whole site as being bonkers and have stayed away. That’s sad IMO.
I guess time will tell who has been wrong or right on the Covid stuff. It’s interesting though don’t you think that Pfizer wants to hide their information from us until long after we are dead. But what I find weird that I do read all information about it and can make up my own mind on it without any hostility towards others who believe different from me. I don’t call the vaxxed names or have hostility towards them. I wish they could return the favor towards those who aren’t. I wonder why that is?
Edited
Thanks for your point of view.
I think your bottom line is "to each his own" and don't shame the ones who disagree.
Anyway, well said.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I don't usually read Covid articles.
That is not because I know so much but because I'm 86 and just trying to muddle through with strategies that have worked for my health and life so far. Please remember that my early life was lived in the absence of antibiotics until my teens. Consequently, I take avoidance of disease and vaccination seriously. I have also learned a little science along the way and have learned some anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and the use of vitamins and minerals, and the need for a healthy physical regimen. The one person I listen to each day is Dr. John Campbell who is trained, experienced, knowledgable, and honest. That is much more than I can say for the spokesmen for the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, and most emphatically for politicians and other entertainers. In short, I agree with Dr. van Schalkwyk's thoughts and thank you for posting this message; however, I wish you had been less abrasive about it.
-Greed is not a virtue.
-Socialism: the radical idea of sharing.
-Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy, In a speech at the White House, 1962
And,
thanks for your point of view!
Stay well. Stay amazing. Stay brilliant.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Hmm,
I tend to live in the real doing construction and all. Theories are good and all but if it ain’t built right, you’re chucked!
Empirical: higher all cause mortality After ‘the jabs’ were rolled out.
Sure, That’s effective.
So much so that double jabbed And boosted in the most jabbed countries InTheWorld have the highest case rates And death rates. Sure,that’s effective.
So much so that the jabbed Still have to wear masks,, social distance, and squirt themselves if someone Coughs within two blocks. I’ve seen it happen after a bong hit session, wet crotches galore.
Hell, You still mask up and distance(let your guard down) so you Know how effective the jabs Aren’t!
And your good doctor from SA should know that cases Spiked IN SAafter they banned(literally) vitamin iv..
AND you bring the Guardiian(?!?) piece.
Ha.
We’ve All got a better chance of being hit and Killed by a texting, speeding, stoplight running IDIOT, than we do of dying from th ‘rona.
That last just happened to a coworker of the wife who was walking with the kids in the stroller. She saved the kids by pushing the stroller out of the way and sacrificed herself.
Live Your life, folks.
It’s the only one you can live.
I’ll echo the sentiments above wishing you well and congratulations on escaping USistan.
You know my writing style, this was Gentle.
Respect
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Two very good reads.
Thank you so much. Please keep them coming in spite of the slings and arrows. It’s a relief to have a different perspective allowed here, if it will actually continue to be allowed.
Much appreciated!
What does this mean?
No one here is stopped from writing about covid. If you insult folks, yeah, you'll be out of here. Any essays about covid will not be promoted to the front page. That's it, those are the only two restrictions pertaining to covid posts.
Your quip about "continue to be allowed" is bullshit.
I meant that the reception of comments
at The Dose that are not directly aligned with the philosophy of the “the regulars” over there is more than a little hostile, nasty, condescending, and dismissive. Therefore those contrary commenters are self-censoring because, speaking for myself, are very much made to feel our comments are “not allowed.” Not saying you are not allowing it as the site owner/admin.
FYI, the so called...
"regulars" have been reprimanded several times for exactly the reasons you list, one was banned. You may have missed all that.
Thank you.
I did not know that.
Good morning vtcc, welcome back and good to see you.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Beware non causa pro causa
I've never posted this specific bit of advice yet in c99, and today seems like a good time to do so. No, vtcc73's arrival did not cause me to do so
Non causa pro causa is a fallacy or more properly a family of fallacies in which something (A) not the cause of something else (B) is nonetheless mistaken for the cause of that other thing. Two specific instances are cum hoc ergo propter hoc (with this ergo because of this) and post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this ergo because of this). For a variety of reasons, some endeavors are fairly dependent upon or generative of statistics. Those endeavors are, accordingly, particularly at risk (INHO) of falling afoul of said fallacies. Biological, medical, health and epidemiological studies are some that are seemingly at enhanced risk of this.
CAVEAT: That something is fallacious doesn't mean that it is wrong. Over the years many observers noting that ship's crews that included certain things in their diets had a lower incidence of scurvy led those observers to conclude that said substances prevented scurvy. That was, generally, fallacious, but, nonetheless, in many cases, true, because meny of those substances contained vitamin C, which can prevent and does combat scurvy.
"When the rooster crows at the break of dawn, look out your window and I'll be gone" - Bob Dylan. Killing the rooster won't keep him around. Thinking so is fallacious.
Also fallacious. This type of argument, or thought, appears often in medical and epidemiological studies, though, generally, with some remotely plausible link between the two sets of data. It is nonetheless fallacious.
I have not contracted covid, and could erroneously link it to a host of factors, but, in all likelihood it is because, for various specific, identifiable reasons, I've been pretty much housebound for some time now. Like many other contagious diseases, one is less likely to get it if one doesn't come in contact with anybody who has it, which is most likely why I haven't caught it ... yet.
So, I think reviewing all the stuff posted online will reveal that vast realms of it is based on positive correlations or negative correlations. The inferences involved could be correct, but they could also be incorrect, or they could be correct but because of some other coincidentally statistically parallel factor. (The people in group x have zero incidence "because" they all eat lots of (substance x), BUT, oddly enough, they are cut off from almost all contact with the outside world, hmmmm.)
be well and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Bravo! The lens through which to view.
Especially all things COVID.
Thanks.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
There are so many reasons
why this makes me love you:
"When the rooster crows at the break of dawn, look out your window and I'll be gone" - Bob Dylan. Killing the rooster won't keep him around. Thinking so is fallacious.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Thank you.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I didn’t see this right away,
because, I have spend less time here of late.
We are like-minded. The two links you posted work for me.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
All opinions are not equally correct at C99
or anywhere else.
All opinions have an equal right to be expressed, unless expressing them does obvious, provable, and immediate harm to a member of the site (like shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater).
Without that distinction, there will soon be no public discourse worth mentioning.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver