How has the coronavirus affected your personal life?

[Ulu]

There is a huge problem with mandating vaccines.

If you tell people that they have to do something or else, almost half of them will at least try to refuse.

Along time ago, when I thought I wanted to be a professional salesman during the 80’s engineering slump, I was taught this:

People hate to be told, but they need to be reminded.

I think a lot of our “leaders” have never listened to that.

 

[skjl47]

Jeff, I can't answer those questions, anymore than anyone else on MFK, including yourself.

Not a put down, just pointing out what at this point should be rather obvious.

Hello; Interesting. I wrote out my take on the questions so far. I posted two links a while back with information related to the questions raised. I will continue to look for answers.

 

[RD.]

Yes, by all means continue to look for answers, Jeff. But please try to vett the sources, and/or their info, before posting it.
Not doing so only makes one look foolish.

 

[dogofwar]

Put yourself in the shoes of federal decision-makers who have the responsibility to make policies for the nation.

The first step is committing to a national strategy (vs. letting the pandemic take its course / 50 states warring for resources as part of 50 different strategies). It's much easier to say, "It's not my responsibility." But that resulted in hundreds of thousands of needless deaths here in the US.

Next is bringing together the advisory group of experts - people often with decades of experience and expertise in this field - to help federal decision-makers make these complex calls based on incomplete, sometimes contradictory data.

While I appreciate that people like Jeff want to second-guess decisions like whether people who have recovered from COVID should get vaccinated, this is a decision that our most learned experts have already debated - with full access to all of the relevant data (as well as random Youtube videos). And they decided that the benefits outweigh the potential risks.

The same is true for how to achieve an adequate vaccination level to safeguard our country, shut down community spread and bend the curve of hospital admissions. We tried carrots. Clearly those who could have responded to incentives would have by now. The next step is sticks, where federal authority allows. One of those sticks - in place of vaccination - is regular testing. Others are aligned with sticks that already exist for lots of other vaccines that are less politically charged.

 

[dogofwar]

Except of course that many other vaccines have been mandated for decades. Want to stay in the military, go to school or participate in lots of other aspects of life? You need to be vaccinated...

Workplaces with lots of unvaccinated people are *dangerous* workplaces. Our military is *less ready* to defend us with unvaccinated service members. And our first responders and health care workers who aren't vaccinated risk infecting the people who they are supposed to be helping.

We tried incentives. Lots of them.

So what's left?

There is a huge problem with mandating vaccines.

If you tell people that they have to do something or else, almost half of them will at least try to refuse.

Along time ago, when I thought I wanted to be a professional salesman during the 80’s engineering slump, I was taught this:

People hate to be told, but they need to be reminded.

I think a lot of our “leaders” have never listened to that.

 

[celebrist]

I often wonder how many people in hospital beds not receiving critical care should instead be at home in bed resting and staying hydrated like my wife and I did. Here in the USA it seems many people go to the doctor for anything and everything expecting a magic pill or something. it really challenges my empathy

 

[dogofwar]

A magic pill like the vaccine?

Believe me that anyone who doesn't need to be in a hospital right now is being sent home. The issue isn't just available hospital beds but the staff to manage them...

I often wonder how many people in hospital beds not receiving critical care should instead be at home in bed resting and staying hydrated like my wife and I did. Here in the USA it seems many people go to the doctor for anything and everything expecting a magic pill or something. it really challenges my empathy

 

[celebrist]

i have indeed heard there is a significant staff shortage in the medical field right now.

 

[RD.]

Believe me that anyone who doesn't need to be in a hospital right now is being sent home. The issue isn't just available hospital beds but the staff to manage them...

Exactly.

 

[dogofwar]

Indeed. There were staffing shortages, especially in key specialties and especially in rural and underserved areas, before the pandemic. During COVID surges, even normally well-resourced places fall short. As numerous people have mentioned, this pandemic has been absolutely brutal on our healthcare workforce. It's exhausting - mentally, physically and emotionally. And many have dropped out as a result.

i have indeed heard there is a significant staff shortage in the medical field right now.