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Dr. Francis Collins, who headed a lot of the nation's responses, has been talking to Congress. Here are some excerpts:

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/exclusive-form...

The nation’s top public health official during the Covid-19 pandemic admitted that the origins of the coronavirus remain up for debate, the lab-leak theory is not a conspiracy, and there was no scientific evidence to support the government’s social-distancing guidance.

Collins used to head the NIH. Some of what he said:
“Do you recall science or evidence that supported the six-foot distance?” a staffer asked Collins about the Centers for Disease Control’s social distancing guidance during the pandemic.

“I do not,” Collins said.

“Is that I do not recall or I do not see any evidence supporting six feet?” the staffer replied.

“I did not see evidence, but I’m not sure I would have been shown evidence at that point,” Collins said, according to the transcript, adding that he has not seen evidence since then to support the CDC’s six-feet guidance.

In other words, a lot of the guidance was seat-of-the-pants flying.

Dope1: In other words, a lot of the guidance was seat-of-the-pants flying.

Well, duh.

Here's what the National Review did not include in its article:

QUESTION: The public health people, we talked about this earlier, if you're a public health person and you are trying to make a decision, you have this very narrow view of what the right decision is and that is something that will save a life. It doesn't matter what else happens. So you attach infinite value to stopping the disease and saving the life, you attach a zero value to whether this actually totally disrupts people's lives, ruins the economy, and has many kids kept out of school in a way that they never quite recovered.

Do you think that that calculation, the infinite value to the public health measure versus the zero value to the other kind of unintended consequences was a mistake?

COLLINS: I'm glad you're asking. I made those comments in the context of what it was like in March or April of 2020. People have forgotten just how devastating the situation was with trailer trucks pulling up outside the morgue because the morgue couldn't handle all the dead bodies, thousands of people dying every day.

I am a public health person, I'm a physician. I swore the Hippocratic Oath. I was speaking about myself in that quote. For me trying to make a decision or contribute to a decision about mitigation measures, my number one -- basically my sole concern had to be saving lives. That's what I was there for.

I knew there were other parts of the government that were also a part of making big sweeping decisions, and I counted on them to cover such things as the economy, such things as education. But that was not my role, that was not why I was there.

So I'm unapologetic for focusing on saving lives. I think that was my responsibility, that was my calling. And especially at that point, that felt very compelling.

Keep in mind, in terms of the harms that were done that you've described with prolonged closures of schools, those were state and local decisions. The government made general recommendations. States had to decide what to do.

There were trailer trucks of dead bodies in major cities. Not enough PPE -- medical care personnel wearing garbage bags as gowns -- and Trump pitting states against one another to fight over masks and ventilators. They were recording one million cases of Covid every four days and 3,000 to 4,000 Americans dying every day.

Of course they were flying by the seat of their pants during the worst public health emergency in a century.

But some orange guy said it would go away like magic and if not, to just inject some disinfectant.

EASY-PEASY.

Oh, it had some support, but you're Western. I was paying some attention to the West, bu the most experienced people were on the East, with one German fellow being a pro in the area, so I listened to them. Their guidance was very similar to Japans three Cs.


Three Cs”<avoid> (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings)

Notice the last two involve social distancing by avoidance? So social distancing was accepted across cultures, but different approaches.

Singapore and Japan had nice articles and videos on how Covid could stay in the air for hours and Singapore wanted you to have less AC and open the windows. Japan made these nice videos showing you how it could stay in the air and circulate inside AC building and rooms. And the Asians have a mask culture so there was no problem with wearing masks. I had no problem wearing a mask indoors, etc. Many expats eschewed the maks for their politics, but we didn't have much Covid where I was.

The full transcript is here:
https://www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/...

Here's what the National Review did not include in its article:

Always with the dishonest aspersions. They linked the transcript.

There were trailer trucks of dead bodies in major cities. Not enough PPE -- medical care personnel wearing garbage bags as gowns -- and Trump pitting states against one another to fight over masks and ventilators. They were recording one million cases of Covid every four days and 3,000 to 4,000 Americans dying every day.

And who was the guy that didn't refill the PPE stocks? Do you remember that? None other than Barack Obama.
And states "fighting each other" for things like ventilators?

Hardly. https://rapidvent.grainger.illinois.edu/
Was never more proud of my Alma Mater.

Dope1: And who was the guy that didn't refill the PPE stocks? Do you remember that? None other than Barack Obama.

After the republicans won the 2010 election the Obama administration released a budget request for $655 million for The Strategic National Stockpile, an increase of $59 million. But Congress ultimately allocated $534 million for the 2012 fiscal year, a 10% cut from the prior year.

Across-the-board cuts hit the CDC, which managed the stockpile at the time. Overall funding for the stockpile dropped to its lowest in 2013, to about $477 million.

The Associated Press reviewed federal purchasing contracts and found "federal agencies largely waited until mid-March of 2020 to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers." While HHS said early in the pandemic that the stockpile had 13 million masks, that was only a fraction of what hospitals needed, the AP found.

The cupboards were not bare as Cheetolini claimed and, in fact, he failed to even begin to replenish the stockpile of N95 masks until mid-March of 2020, several months after the pandemic was underway.

As for those Illinois RapidVent concept ventilators, kudos to my state's university but I can't find any evidence of them actually making it into hospitals before the middle of May, 2020 or later.

Across-the-board cuts hit the CDC, which managed the stockpile at the time. Overall funding for the stockpile dropped to its lowest in 2013, to about $477 million.


So they didn't refill the PPE stocks. Thanks for verifying.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020...

The claim: The Obama administration used and did not replenish the nation’s emergency stockpile of medical supplies, including N95 masks

And the verdict?

Our rating: True
We rate this claim TRUE because it is supported by our research. There is no indication that the Obama administration took significant steps to replenish the supply of N95 masks in the Strategic National Stockpile after it was depleted from repeated crises. Calls for action came from experts at the time concerned for the country’s ability to respond to future serious pandemics. Such recommendations were, for whatever reason, not heeded.

And who was the guy that didn't refill the PPE stocks? Do you remember that? None other than Barack Obama.

Trump had 3 years to refill the PPE stocks.

Maybe he was too busy stealing from his charity.

Trump had 3 years to refill the PPE stocks.

Maybe he was too busy stealing from his charity.
***

I love the standard.

It assures me that more punishment will come.

And permanently.


Yes.... you people will say "man them 2020s were the good ol days"


It's on auto pilot now.

Boom

Ah yes the "truth is finally dribbling out"...

"People in counties that voted strongly for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election were nearly three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as people in pro-Biden counties."

And, "Excess mortality was significantly higher for Republican voters than Democratic voters after COVID-19 vaccines were available to all adults."

Truth.

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/25/1189939229/covid-de...

And, "Excess mortality was significantly higher for Republican voters than Democratic voters after COVID-19 vaccines were available to all adults."

And that's bad because... ?

And, "Excess mortality was significantly higher for Republican voters than Democratic voters after COVID-19 vaccines were available to all adults."

And that's bad because... ?

And you think that's alright because...?

>>>And, "Excess mortality was significantly higher for Republican voters than Democratic voters after COVID-19 vaccines were available to all adults."<<<

<<And that's bad because... ?>>

And you think that's alright because...? - Lapsody

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Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision.

Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision.

They can live on their knees if they want to.

Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision.

Herd immunity is real. When your decisions affect me, I should have some say about it. And vice versa. As a general principle. I'm sure we could find exceptions.

Plus, I disagree with some of the other posters' implications that red lives are less valuable. I suspect they were being facetious. But if we can reduce excess mortality in red states, that is a good thing. Excess mortality is bad, even if I vehemently disagree with their politics.

Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision.

So the party that claims they care about the sanctity of life chose behavior that increased their chances of death.

So the party that claims they care about the sanctity of life...

This only applies to fertilized eggs.

"Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision."

Yes everyone should have "the freedom to choose"!

Unless you are a Woman, of course, in that case the government should control your choices, your uterus and your life, 100%.

Amirite?

Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision.

That decision is as personal as driving drunk. Maybe they kill an unsuspecting person, maybe they don't.

Choosing to spread a contagious disease on a republic that spends a boatload of tax dollars to protect the public health is a violation of the public trust.

Typhoid Mary is the textbook example of a person knowingly and endangering (killing) the public.

It's kinda ironic that at the same time you people expressed great concern over infectious immigrants, you people cheered on the 'in-your-face' Covid spread-a-thons in which your people gleefully participated.

Your inability to grasp simple physics based science renders you incapable of making a rational response.

>>"Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision."<<

Yes everyone should have "the freedom to choose"!

Unless you are a Woman, of course, in that case the government should control your choices, your uterus and your life, 100%.

Amirite?

-----------------

No you are not right. I am pro-choice and posting history will show I have been consistent on that position.

Because the excess mortality Republicans had the freedom to choose. The outcome they suffered was a consequence of their personal decision.

But is it their personal decision? There is a lot of money in creating anti-science and conspiracy theories and telling people their own God given immune system is enough. A lot of money and power. If money and power influence people to make decisions not in their best interests by misleading them, was it their *personal* decision?

I am pro-choice and posting history will show I have been consistent on that position.

The anti-abortion plank is the NUMERO UNO cause of religionists and social conservatives. You support your people's crusade that denies female human beings the right to decide for themselves how they manage their bodies.

You and your people will are empowering the uterus police as they force women in red states to endure medical emergencies, pregnancies resulting from rape and incest.

"Ma'am, we have video of you, an unmarried woman, leaving a square dance with a man, also not married, at an unchristian hour of the night. We're going to need you to urinate in this cup for us, and uh, Officer Vagaetz here will need to observe you complying with the state's order on a bi-weekly basis for the next 12 weeks."

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