*** OFFICIAL *** COVID-19 CoronaVirus Thread. Fresh epidemic fears as child pneumonia cases surge in Europe after China outbreak. NOW in USA (2 Viewers)

[Doug B]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

 

[Doug B]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

 

[Murph]

In 2022 docs were giving out Paxlovid like candy even after EPIC-SR was stopped early for futility.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

Cool. I don't.

It's always hard to view history while you are living it, but I'm landing on the view that we will look back on the period 2016-??? as a noteworthy time in American history. If we're lucky, it will be like the 1930s and late 60s/early 70s, when things got weird and ugly for a while, but I'm not optimistic about that. We knocked too many load-bearing walls, and we are now re-learning lessons about why it is bad to have people covering their faces in public, for example, that should have received greater attention before.

 

[belljr]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

 

[Joe Schmo]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

 

[AAABatteries]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

Cool. I don't.

It's always hard to view history while you are living it, but I'm landing on the view that we will look back on the period 2016-??? as a noteworthy time in American history. If we're lucky, it will be like the 1930s and late 60s/early 70s, when things got weird and ugly for a while, but I'm not optimistic about that. We knocked too many load-bearing walls, and we are now re-learning lessons about why it is bad to have people covering their faces in public, for example, that should have received greater attention before.

You are equating people who are wearing masks with brown shirts? Maybe I haven't followed this conversation correctly, but this makes no sense to me.

The older black gentleman I know at the office with comorbidities that has chosen to wear a mask is doing it because he has "brown shirt" ideology?? Feels like I'm missing a big point in this discussion.

 

[Joe Schmo]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

Cool. I don't.

It's always hard to view history while you are living it, but I'm landing on the view that we will look back on the period 2016-??? as a noteworthy time in American history. If we're lucky, it will be like the 1930s and late 60s/early 70s, when things got weird and ugly for a while, but I'm not optimistic about that. We knocked too many load-bearing walls, and we are now re-learning lessons about why it is bad to have people covering their faces in public, for example, that should have received greater attention before.

You are equating people who are wearing masks with brown shirts? Maybe I haven't followed this conversation correctly, but this makes no sense to me.

The older black gentleman I know at the office with comorbidities that has chosen to wear a mask is doing it because he has "brown shirt" ideology?? Feels like I'm missing a big point in this discussion.

Masks were a virtue signal and still are in a different way. I think.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

Cool. I don't.

It's always hard to view history while you are living it, but I'm landing on the view that we will look back on the period 2016-??? as a noteworthy time in American history. If we're lucky, it will be like the 1930s and late 60s/early 70s, when things got weird and ugly for a while, but I'm not optimistic about that. We knocked too many load-bearing walls, and we are now re-learning lessons about why it is bad to have people covering their faces in public, for example, that should have received greater attention before.

You are equating people who are wearing masks with brown shirts? Maybe I haven't followed this conversation correctly, but this makes no sense to me.

The older black gentleman I know at the office with comorbidities that has chosen to wear a mask is doing it because he has "brown shirt" ideology?? Feels like I'm missing a big point in this discussion.

You and I are having two totally different conversations. Perhaps I am the one living in the bubble. Enjoy the next few years.

 

[AAABatteries]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

Cool. I don't.

It's always hard to view history while you are living it, but I'm landing on the view that we will look back on the period 2016-??? as a noteworthy time in American history. If we're lucky, it will be like the 1930s and late 60s/early 70s, when things got weird and ugly for a while, but I'm not optimistic about that. We knocked too many load-bearing walls, and we are now re-learning lessons about why it is bad to have people covering their faces in public, for example, that should have received greater attention before.

You are equating people who are wearing masks with brown shirts? Maybe I haven't followed this conversation correctly, but this makes no sense to me.

The older black gentleman I know at the office with comorbidities that has chosen to wear a mask is doing it because he has "brown shirt" ideology?? Feels like I'm missing a big point in this discussion.

You and I are having two totally different conversations. Perhaps I am the one living in the bubble. Enjoy the next few years.

I’m just not following - genuinely. We can just drop it but I was trying to understand. Also, not sure if enjoying the next few years is snark but I enjoy every year. Nothing outside of personal catastrophe is going to change that.

 

[Gally]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

I thought it was a UPS driver

 

[Joe Schmo]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

I thought it was a UPS driver

Doug Heffernan agrees!

 

[nirad3]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

I thought it was a UPS driver

Same.

And wow to this conversation still having legs.

 

[Francis Furillo]

Using Dana Carvey's Grumpy Old Man voice to read some of these post makes this thread much more entertaining.

 

[WVU Alum]

Using Dana Carvey's Grumpy Old Man voice to read some of these post makes this thread much more entertaining.

I prefer the Church Lady, but sure.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Wearing face masks did not reduce risk of COVID infection after first omicron wave, research suggests

New research from the University of East Anglia has found that wearing face masks did not lower the risk of COVID infection following the initial surge of the omicron variant.

medicalxpress.com

This latest research found that prior to omicron BA.2, never wearing a mask was associated with an increased risk of around 30% in adults and 10% in children.

But by the second omicron wave (mid to late February 2022 onwards) there was no protective effect from mask wearing in adults and possibly an increased risk of infection in children.

 

[Max Power]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

I thought it was a UPS driver

Same.

And wow to this conversation still having legs.

I have covid comeback on my 2024 bingo card

 

[AAABatteries]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

I thought it was a UPS driver

Same.

And wow to this conversation still having legs.

I have covid comeback on my 2024 bingo card

If we go back to full time remote work it may be worth it to some of us.

 

[Max Power]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I dont know what a brown shirt is but I still see occasional people in a waiting room or shopping with a mask on

brown shirts= nazi/palestinian supporter assault gangs

I thought it was a UPS driver

Same.

And wow to this conversation still having legs.

I have covid comeback on my 2024 bingo card

If we go back to full time remote work it may be worth it to some of us.

That would probably have to be Bird-Flu crossing over to go back to that level.

 

[Max Power]

North Carolina Senate voted to ban face masks in public over concerns protestors are using covid era norms to hide their identities while committing crimes.

 

[Joe Schmo]

North Carolina Senate voted to ban face masks in public over concerns protestors are using covid era norms to hide their identities while committing crimes.

Really?? North Carolina is just now realizing people hide their face when commiting crimes??? Like this hasn't been happening forever? yeesh

And how are they going to prevent someone who is sick or does not want to get sick from wearing a mask in public? That is inhumane and stupid.

 

[Joe Schmo]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...ask-ban-bill-passes-state-senate/73716924007/

 

[Joe Schmo]

Let's change the law so we can stifle protests and curail the 1st amendment!

Great idea!!

Now, about restrictions on guns...

Whoa! That's a bridge too far!

 

[Sleestak]

North Carolina Senate voted to ban face masks in public over concerns protestors are using covid era norms to hide their identities while committing crimes.

Really?? North Carolina is just now realizing people hide their face when commiting crimes??? Like this hasn't been happening forever? yeesh

And how are they going to prevent someone who is sick or does not want to get sick from wearing a mask in public? That is inhumane and stupid.

I think it was illegal to wear a mask in public prior to COVID. A cop wouldn't pester grandma over it back then, and I doubt they would make trouble for a person doing it now if they weren't part of a crowd.

Still, relying on a cop for forbearance, rather than simply clarifying the law (which was an option, but the NC Rs voted no) seems stupid. Anyway, this is as just basic election year pandering. Tough on crime. Stoke those fears. Normalize the notion that protesting is bad behavior. Doesn't have to make complete sense.

 

[Max Power]

North Carolina Senate voted to ban face masks in public over concerns protestors are using covid era norms to hide their identities while committing crimes.

Really?? North Carolina is just now realizing people hide their face when commiting crimes??? Like this hasn't been happening forever? yeesh

And how are they going to prevent someone who is sick or does not want to get sick from wearing a mask in public? That is inhumane and stupid.

I understand where they were coming from, although I disagree with an outright ban on masks. There was probably a happy medium, but these aren't the times we're living in.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

North Carolina Senate voted to ban face masks in public over concerns protestors are using covid era norms to hide their identities while committing crimes.

Good. It should have been apparent by the summer of 2020 that "domestic terrorism" would be a downstream effect of masking that we didn't consider initially. Now that the pandemic is over, this seems like a good time to revert to the norm.

(Before somebody asks, I was okay with widespread masking in 2020 but am not okay with it now because the cost and benefits were different in 2020 than they are now).

 

[Francis Furillo]

The new dominant variant:

What to Know About COVID FLiRT Variants | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A new family of COVID variants are becoming dominant in the U.S. at a crucial time for vaccine decision-making.

publichealth.jhu.edu

 

[McBokonon]

The new dominant variant:

What to Know About COVID FLiRT Variants | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A new family of COVID variants are becoming dominant in the U.S. at a crucial time for vaccine decision-making.

publichealth.jhu.edu

New COVID variant be like, "Do you wash your chest with Windex? Because I can see myself in your lungs."

 

[Doug B]

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I see that as a wholly separate thing from 2020-22 COVID preventative masking (and the few shoppers you still see around here in retail/groceries wearing masks).

Cool. I don't.

Logically, that suggests you regard the cancer-patient old lady wearing a mask today at the Piggly Wiggly as kind of sketch.

To be clear, that was the comparison I was attempting to make -- "an old lady masking while grocery shopping in 2024" held up next to "a masked campus protestor in 2024".

To me, the general run of people masking in 2020-22 were like the 2024 old lady: masking to prevent a personal COVID infection or to break the chain of transmission in their area. IOW, the people back then masking in public, generally, weren't doing it for naked socio-political point-scoring. Were some virtue-signalling? Yes. A big enough portion to where you could just assume all masking people were virtue-signalling? Nowhere near, IMHO. Remember, I'm talking about "back then", and not about 2024 campus protests.

 

[Sparky Polastri]

This is a pretty short sighted decision. It's also something I've come to expect in a country where it's apparently too difficult to discern the difference between a person wearing a mask for health reasons and a person wearing a mask trying to cause trouble. That's the only logical reason I can think of for the grossly generalized law in lieu of one more nuanced and thought out.

 

[Max Power]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I personally know a half-dozen people who still wear masks out and about. All of them do it as a habit that is tied to their underlying health issues. All are over the age of 60.

Do I still periodically see (seemingly) random people who don’t fit that demographic wearing masks? Yep.

Do I know that they don’t have underlying health issues? Nope.

Do I care if other people choose to wear a mask? Not really. It’s a personal choice. Their decision to wear a mask doesn’t impact me.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

On this one particular topic, I will absolutely never stop reminding people that I told them so three years ago. You didn't have to be a virologist to see this. You just needed a very basic understanding of how scientific funding agencies work and decent mental model of human behavior when people get caught with their pants down.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

On this one particular topic, I will absolutely never stop reminding people that I told them so three years ago. You didn't have to be a virologist to see this. You just needed a very basic understanding of how scientific funding agencies work and decent mental model of human behavior when people get caught with their pants down.

I recall multiple people in here saying this, including you. And it’s spot on. I see this type of professional denial from people in my industry firsthand. It’s basic (bad) human instinct.

 

[Max Power]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

On this one particular topic, I will absolutely never stop reminding people that I told them so three years ago. You didn't have to be a virologist to see this. You just needed a very basic understanding of how scientific funding agencies work and decent mental model of human behavior when people get caught with their pants down.

The paper trail was always there. I think the problem was that our leadership, media, whoever... wanted to elevate these same public health officials to guide our response. We pushed truth and accountability to the back burner and told ourselves it was better that way.

Gain of function needs to be a whole separate conversation. The US banned it from being done on US soil because it was too dangerous, but we continued to fund it in other countries with less security protocols. Both options suck, and I'm not sold the reward outweighs the risk here.

 

[Sparky Polastri]

Gain of function research is not illegal in the US.

 

[Max Power]

Gain of function research is not illegal in the US.

You seem to be correct. My mistake. I thought we had banned it in the US.

 

[Scoresman]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I personally know a half-dozen people who still wear masks out and about. All of them do it as a habit that is tied to their underlying health issues. All are over the age of 60.

Do I still periodically see (seemingly) random people who don’t fit that demographic wearing masks? Yep.

Do I know that they don’t have underlying health issues? Nope.

Do I care if other people choose to wear a mask? Not really. It’s a personal choice. Their decision to wear a mask doesn’t impact me.

My wife and I still mask at grocery stores and stuff only when it's close to an exciting trip or event we have planned. COVID ruined enough of our plans, it's a small preventive action to take to not have that happen again.

It's not even a COVID thing anymore. We just realized getting sick with anything sucks and it especially sucks if it cancels plans we have.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

On this one particular topic, I will absolutely never stop reminding people that I told them so three years ago. You didn't have to be a virologist to see this. You just needed a very basic understanding of how scientific funding agencies work and decent mental model of human behavior when people get caught with their pants down.

The paper trail was always there. I think the problem was that our leadership, media, whoever... wanted to elevate these same public health officials to guide our response. We pushed truth and accountability to the back burner and told ourselves it was better that way.

Gain of function needs to be a whole separate conversation. The US banned it from being done on US soil because it was too dangerous, but we continued to fund it in other countries with less security protocols. Both options suck, and I'm not sold the reward outweighs the risk here.

I don't think we ever talked about this topic before the pandemic, but if we had, I'm 100% sure I would have been on the pro-GOF side. I've always been an optimist when it comes to technology and scientific advancement, and I'm completely sure that my views on GOF research would have aligned with that general worldview. Obviously I have changed my mind on this one. I was previously operating under an assumption that the people in charge of this sort of stuff were basically competent, honest, and trustworthy, and that they were taking the same types of precautions that I would naturally undertake if I were funding this type of work. I was completely wrong to put any trust in these people, and I will never that mistake again, ever. This was definitely an area where I was making a mistake previously, and I've learned better in the meantime.

 

[Desert_Power]

What we're seeing instead is that we now have a group of folks - most of whom were probably a little on the fragile side to start with - having adopted the covid mask as an identifier for their little hate rallies.

Wait -- are you talking about (a) college-kid protesters wearing masks, or (b) masked people going about their daily errands near where you live?

My first read was (b), and I was thinking masks in retail settings would be thin on the ground in your area.

(a). The only people who I see wearing covid masks these days are brown shirts.

It seems to me that that should be grounds for reflection.

I personally know a half-dozen people who still wear masks out and about. All of them do it as a habit that is tied to their underlying health issues. All are over the age of 60.

Do I still periodically see (seemingly) random people who don’t fit that demographic wearing masks? Yep.

Do I know that they don’t have underlying health issues? Nope.

Do I care if other people choose to wear a mask? Not really. It’s a personal choice. Their decision to wear a mask doesn’t impact me.

My wife and I still mask at grocery stores and stuff only when it's close to an exciting trip or event we have planned. COVID ruined enough of our plans, it's a small preventive action to take to not have that happen again.

It's not even a COVID thing anymore. We just realized getting sick with anything sucks and it especially sucks if it cancels plans we have.

Stay out of NC apparently

 

[Doug B]

(Repost from last June 22. In my mind, I remembered that we were making these posts "a few months ago")


I still don't think "gain-of-function" should now be dirty words in virological circles. Don't think that gain-of-function research should now be a never-ever-ever thing.

However:

• Gain-of-function research should be done in isolated areas and not in or near population centers. It it's important enough research, the extra cost of isolation is justified. If it's just "curiosity research", then the expense is not justified and too bad for those grant-seekers.
• Ideal location (if perhaps unrealistic) would be something like Antarctica. Next best would be out in the ocean on an atoll or similar. Maybe an abandoned deep-sea oil rig. Least best, but perhaps still acceptable, would be in unpopulated land areas. US states like Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana have sufficient open area for this kind of exercise. Much of interior Australia, as well.
• Researchers would have to treat their gain-of-function research "tours" as much like space-shuttle missions or ocean-exploring expeditions. They should expect to be away from their ordinary life for weeks -- or even months -- at a time.
• When researchers both head to the remote research facilities and head back home, there needs to be a lengthy quarantine (2-3 weeks) and extensive blood testing (or similarly comprehensive testing for infection). All such tests have to be triply redundant. Really, if it's not overkill, it's not enough testing.

The ideal set-up could be a pair of remote South Pacific atolls that are a relatively easy boat trip apart. One atoll would strictly be a quarantine facility where everyone stays on the way in and on the way out. Maybe arrival quarantines could be shorter than departure quarantines. Anyway, after clearing arrival quarantine, researchers could then move on to the second atoll hosing the gain-of-function research facility. Reverse the process to get back home.

Could do something similar with a pair of Antarctic facilities, or isolated land facilities.

 

[need2know]

Kinda forgot about covid. Kinda crazy how it's still an every day thing for some and not even a distant thought for others.

 

[Peggy]

Rare to see any masking going on anymore. Then you walk into a pocket like - every single person working at Barnes and Noble wearing them. I have no idea why, I just pay for my books and leave.

 

[Joe Schmo]

I just found out Barnes and Noble is still around. Go figure.

 

[nirad3]

Kinda forgot about covid. Kinda crazy how it's still an every day thing for some and not even a distant thought for others.

Only time I really think about it is when I see this thread bumped or if I'm traveling for work and see someone with a mask on. I'd venture to say that it's about 1% of the population based on my observance.

 

[Sparky Polastri]

Gain of function research is not illegal in the US.

You seem to be correct. My mistake. I thought we had banned it in the US.

We have several places that do this for all kinds of reasons. It would be short sighted to flat out ban it. This has been a practice/approach for decades and decades (if not centuries).

 

[Dr_Zaius]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

On this one particular topic, I will absolutely never stop reminding people that I told them so three years ago. You didn't have to be a virologist to see this. You just needed a very basic understanding of how scientific funding agencies work and decent mental model of human behavior when people get caught with their pants down.

The paper trail was always there. I think the problem was that our leadership, media, whoever... wanted to elevate these same public health officials to guide our response. We pushed truth and accountability to the back burner and told ourselves it was better that way.

I think the bold's part of it, but even more so nobody in Washington wanted to face the potential public response if there was somebody in DC that could be blamed for covid and all of the deaths and upheaval that it brought. I suspect it's also one of the reasons that nobody pushed too hard about China's lack of forthrightness about the whole matter - the US and China both had an interest in not allowing a "US-funded Chinese lab screwed up and destroyed the world" narrative getting any foothold in the public consciousness.

As far as gain of function broadly, I agree with Doug B that it should have safety guidelines erring on the draconian side. It's unfortunately human nature that people tend to get more and more lackadaisical about safety and proper procedure when they do something over and over. I may have even mentioned in this thread way back about the roofers I observed after our area got hit by a hailstorm. I saw one dude with a nail gun literally running across a roof nailing shingles down - I'm sure he was a lot more safety conscious his first day on the job.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

NIH finally admits taxpayers funded gain of function research in Wuhan.

On this one particular topic, I will absolutely never stop reminding people that I told them so three years ago. You didn't have to be a virologist to see this. You just needed a very basic understanding of how scientific funding agencies work and decent mental model of human behavior when people get caught with their pants down.

The paper trail was always there. I think the problem was that our leadership, media, whoever... wanted to elevate these same public health officials to guide our response. We pushed truth and accountability to the back burner and told ourselves it was better that way.

I think the bold's part of it, but even more so nobody in Washington wanted to face the potential public response if there was somebody in DC that could be blamed for covid and all of the deaths and upheaval that it brought. I suspect it's also one of the reasons that nobody pushed too hard about China's lack of forthrightness about the whole matter - the US and China both had an interest in not allowing a "US-funded Chinese lab screwed up and destroyed the world" narrative getting any foothold in the public consciousness.

As far as gain of function broadly, I agree with Doug B that it should have safety guidelines erring on the draconian side. It's unfortunately human nature that people tend to get more and more lackadaisical about safety and proper procedure when they do something over and over. I may have even mentioned in this thread way back about the roofers I observed after our area got hit by a hailstorm. I saw one dude with a nail gun literally running across a roof nailing shingles down - I'm sure he was a lot more safety conscious his first day on the job.

This. They figured that if they could obfuscate for a few years, nobody would care by the time the truth came out. And let's be honest - they were right.

 

[Doug B]

[Gain of function research on viruses] has been a practice/approach for decades and decades (if not centuries).

Whoa there, Sparky!

Before you ask: No, we don't have any phased plasma rifles in the 40-watt range