Daily review 24/08/2021

27 comments on “Daily review 24/08/2021 ”

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1. mauī 1

   24 August 2021 at 7:56 pm

   Encouraging to see that Vitamin D and Zinc vitamin supplements were all gone at my supermarket, there was still plenty of Vit C though. It indicated to me that people are prioritising their personal health in these times. Well done everyone.
   • Incognito 1.1

     24 August 2021 at 8:01 pm

     Were you in the meat & fish or vegetable & fruit section? The nut bar was stocked up ok
     • Anne 1.1.1

       24 August 2021 at 8:14 pm

       Yeah… I fell for all that stuff a long time ago – fish oil too. Then I discovered the meat & fish and vegetable and fruit section and I don't need them any more. 😎
     • mauī 1.1.2

       24 August 2021 at 8:15 pm

       No, I was in the Health aisle.
     • bwaghorn 1.1.3

       24 August 2021 at 8:33 pm

       Heh. I remember hearing a dr say that vitamin supplements are good for making expensive urine.
       • Incognito 1.1.3.1

         24 August 2021 at 8:44 pm

         Urine tends to go bright-yellow, that’s true. Depending on life style and circumstances, some people do benefit from certain supplements. However, to take them willy-nilly doesn’t make much sense to me.
         • McFlock 1.1.3.1.1

           24 August 2021 at 8:50 pm

           I find it quite depressing that people who will moan about vaccines and "big pharma" will mindlessly take supplements and worming medications – I wonder how many of the producers of the contents of the "health aisle" are under the same corporate umbrella as big pharma medicine manufacturers.
           • Incognito 1.1.3.1.1.1

             24 August 2021 at 10:15 pm

             
       • Molly 1.1.3.2

         25 August 2021 at 7:39 am

         Paid for my own Vitamin D test after getting diagnosed with breast cancer, to find out it was ridiculously low.

         Oncologist then prescribed Vitamin D. Apparently, adequate Vitamin D levels can protect you from developing breast cancer by up to 50%, and women over the age of 50 often lose the ability to metabolise Vitamin D from the exposure to the sun.

         This information would have been useful several years ago, especially after my first diagnosis.

         But here it is for anyone who wants it. Do want you want with it, my sisters have decided to supplement with very inexpensive Vitamin D.
   • Rosemary McDonald 1.2

     24 August 2021 at 9:53 pm

     Millions of views worldwide in 18 languages AND her peers gave her an award for this work.

     (She's an actual Doctor, a GP, and hasn't been threatened with being struck off for her 'nutbar' ways… so perhaps she's doing something right.)
     • Incognito 1.2.1

       24 August 2021 at 10:05 pm

       One cannot argue in 18 languages with an actual GP who knows a thing or 2, of course, and got an award, of all things. Wow, so many views! (NB 514,801 views is only just over half a million) And so many likes (7.3K; how many ‘millions’ is that again?).

       I love nuts. And they are good for you too.
     • Drowsy M. Kram 1.2.2

       24 August 2021 at 11:29 pm

       Rosemary, this interesting video (uploaded over a year ago, and a little less than two months after President Trump suggested using disinfectants to treat Covid-19 infections), features some reassuring advice on managing the symptoms of mild Covid-19 infections at home, so thanks for posting it (again?)

       Please note that from 5:40 Dr Ramanathan recommends the use of Betadine in mouth rinses/gargles, and adding Betadine to nose drops / nasal sprays. While dilute Betadine shouldn't do any harm (as long as it's not ingested), the manufacturer doesn't recommend its use to treat Covid-19 infections. One can only speculate about the reasons why the manufacturer of Betadine wouldn't recommend its use to treat Covid-19 infections – maybe because it's not an effective treatment?

       Our Response to COVID-19
       Read about our commitment to safety as we navigate coronavirus here.

       Betadine® Antiseptic First Aid Products Usage Guidelines
       There have been consumer questions about the use of Betadine® Antiseptic First Aid products against COVID-19. The health and safety of our consumers is paramount. Here are some frequently asked questions with answers:

       Q: Can I use Betadine® Antiseptic First Aid products to kill the coronavirus? No

       Q: Can I gargle with Betadine® Antiseptic First Aid Solution to prevent or treat Covid-19? No

       Q: Can I use Betadine® Antiseptic First Aid Solution as a cleaning solution to kill germs and viruses in my house? No

       Betadine® Antiseptic Sore Throat Gargle Usage Guidelines
       There have been consumer questions about the use of Betadine® Antiseptic Sore Throat Gargle against COVID-19. Here are some frequently asked questions with answers:

       Q: Can I use Betadine® Antiseptic Sore Throat Gargle to kill the germs that cause COVID-19? No

       Q: Does gargling with Betadine® Antiseptic Sore Throat Gargle kill the coronavirus? No

       At 16:30 Dr Ramanathan also mentions the use of hydroxychloroquine, which I think has been largely abandoned as a Covid-19 treatment.

       Ivermectin is all the rage now, although remarkably its manufacturer (Merck) also doesn't recommend using it to treat Covid-19 infections. I suspect other treatments will be touted in due course – after all, desperate times call for desperate remedies.

       Fortunately, with only 26 tragic Covid-19 deaths, NZers have largely avoided desperate Covid health outcomes, so far.

       Unite against Covid-19
       https://covid19.govt.nz/
       • Rosemary McDonald 1.2.2.1

         25 August 2021 at 9:00 am

         I reckons, Drowsy M.Kram, that you should send off an email toot sweet to the NZ Medical Council and complain about this doctor and the advice she is offering.

         You should do this immediately to prevent any further harm.

         Prove your commitment to the Team of 5 million… and please, keep us posted on your progress.

         Also, I suggest you challenge the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners and demand that in the interests of Public Health and Safety they withdraw the award they gave Dr. Ramanathan and issue a public statement that her message is harmful disinformation.
         • Incognito 1.2.2.1.1

           25 August 2021 at 9:58 am

           Why? In one language: we all know Betadine is good for sore throats. Just wear a mask for prevention and wash your hands with ordinary soap for at least 20 seconds and ideally with warm-hot water.

           Views 1 Likes 1
         • Drowsy M. Kram 1.2.2.1.2

           25 August 2021 at 4:42 pm

           Like I said, Rosemary, imho that June 2020 video "features some reassuring advice on managing the symptoms of mild Covid-19 infections at home" – just slightly concerning that it might give some viewers the impression that Betadine products are effective treatments for Covid-19 infections/symptoms.

           At least that's the impression that I got – did you? Should I watch it again do you think and do a transcript of the relevant sections, just to be absolutely sure?

           I aim to revise my evidence-based views when new evidence becomes available. Hope my GP has a similar philosophy, but it's not for everyone, that’s for sure.
       • mauī 1.2.2.2

         25 August 2021 at 10:33 am

         Yeah remarkable alright, remarkable that Merck would site safety concerns for using their own drug that has been safely used for decades. Make of that what you will..

         "Merck Challenges Safety & Validity of All Ivermectin Studies for COVID-19, Despite Having Donated Billions of Doses to Less-Developed World to Fight Parasites & Accumulating Positive Data"

         https://trialsitenews.com/merck-challenges-safety-validity-of-all-ivermectin-studies-for-covid-19-despite-having-donated-billions-of-doses-to-less-developed-world-to-fight-parasites-accumulating-positive-data/
         • Drowsy M. Kram 1.2.2.2.1

           25 August 2021 at 3:23 pm

           mauī, because of my evidence-based belief that dosing with ivermectin to ward off and/or treat symptoms of coronavirus infections is silly, I won't be doing that.

           Why a big Pharma like Merck would choose to warn against using ivermectin to treat Covid is anyone's guess – I'm guessing they're simply being responsible.

           Ivermectin Shows No Clear Benefit in the Treatment of Covid-19
           New trial results find no statistically significant effect [12 August]

           There is a slight silver lining to this new trial. Fluvoxamine, another cheap repurposed medication, showed quite impressive benefits on the risk of hospitalization. While there was no improvement seen in people’s risk of death, it still points toward fluvoxamine potentially being a very effective treatment for people with early or mild Covid-19, which is a truly fantastic finding.

           So while we can all commiserate over the fact that ivermectin is looking less and less likely to be effective, we can celebrate both the amazing researchers who’ve done this work and the increasing likelihood that fluvoxamine could actually be a very useful drug for Covid-19. This is the first good trial to show such a benefit, but as I said, it was big and a very solid piece of work, so it’s looking likely that the fluvoxamine is indeed effective just as it’s looking likely that ivermectin is not.

           As before, it’s still possible that ivermectin works, and I sincerely hope that I’m proven wrong. But as the evidence stands now, it really doesn’t look good.

           Unite against Covid-19
           https://covid19.govt.nz/
2. In Vino 2

   24 August 2021 at 8:17 pm

   Ahh Granny Herald now giving prominence to Scomo ranting: "Boo hoo. I couldn't do it in my country, so it is futile for silly Jacinda Ardern to pursue elimination again in NZ."

   With any luck it will go the same way as Trump foolishly saying NZ was 'over, gone' when we had a small outbreak, but soon went back to zero community transmissions, making Trump look stupid to anyone with more than 5 minutes of memory.

   I would love NZ to prove arrogant Scomo wrong in much the same way – but we will have to stick rigorously with lockdown until it becomes truly apparent that we can't beat Delta.

   I hope and believe that with a few weeks we will beat Delta. Stand firm NZ – it would be great to make Scomo's inadequacies blatantly obvious. (As if the guy does not try to do so himself..)
   • Incognito 2.1

     24 August 2021 at 8:27 pm

     In some ways, this feels bigger than the Olympics.
     • In Vino 2.1.1

       24 August 2021 at 9:01 pm

       We already have the paralympics – welcome to the pandemilympics.
       • Incognito 2.1.1.1

         24 August 2021 at 10:16 pm

         Are we at the bottom or the top of the tables? I can never tell.
3. Joe90 3

   24 August 2021 at 10:04 pm

   Don't get crook.

   We've actually done this modelling – full reopening with 70% coverage of 12+yo leads to about 1.5m cases and 1700 deaths over 2 years, with nWe'veumbers in hospital peaking at 3500 – which would overwhelm system and lead to deaths elsewhere.

   https://thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/article/PIIS2666-6065(21)00165-6/fulltext

   https://mobile.twitter.com/phydyn/status/1430044596839403525
   • Incognito 3.1

     24 August 2021 at 10:13 pm

     Prevention is better than cure. Vaccination on its own doesn’t fully prevent infection. Enough said.
4. RedLogix 4

   25 August 2021 at 12:31 am

   Finally Caspian Report covers Afghanistan. It's exceptionally well done:
   • Stuart Munro 4.1

     25 August 2021 at 6:28 am

     Shirvan is always good value it seems.

     But blaming the landlord reforms on Marxism (though it may have inspired them) misses the point – policies fail in implementation because they have not been properly thought through and the challenges anticipated.

     We saw this with Max Bradford's power reforms, and we saw it in the introduction of the wretchedly ineffectual quota management system in fisheries. The latter wiped out both new entrants and the smaller operators who had provided a reservoir of skills to the larger players and to related industries like shipping. And, far from a market measure stimulating growth, the QMS put many fish stocks into long term decline. The policy was as absurd and counterproductive as the Afghan landlord lending restrictions – it hadn't been worked out properly.
     • RedLogix 4.1.1

       25 August 2021 at 10:42 am

       Yes I totally get your core point here – that regardless of the ideology motivating it, poorly thought through policy is what does the damage. And as you say taking out the small local players undermines industries as a whole. We tend to forget that people progress in their skills as they get older but we all have to start somewhere.

       In my early 20's and 30' I wasn't earning all that much in some pretty underwhelming roles – but I was learning the core skills that now decades later are of huge value to me. But absent those early opportunities the door would have been forever closed.

       Back to Shirvan's piece – I found it a sobering and somewhat shocking history lesson. The current tragedy playing out in Kabul has it's roots going back decades.
       • Stuart Munro 4.1.1.1

         25 August 2021 at 6:52 pm

         I raised the point in part because Solon's reforms, a particular favourite of mine, though directed at landlords, were both effective and good for the Athenian economy of the time.

         Rack-renting tenants was made less profitable (by removing its end stage, debt bondage), and the monied classes were encouraged to invest in productive enterprises for the purposes of trade. Artisans (as opposed to the low-wage workers various industry groups in NZ have (illegally) recruited), called demiurgos, lifted both the local access to premium goods, and the overall value of Athenian trade.

         Rent-seeking enterprises (which includes things like gambling) are not desirable if the object is to create a thriving economy – the ostensible motivation behind the many annoying and largely ineffectual neoliberal policies that blight contemporary NZ. Treasury would know this, were they competent, and act accordingly, had they a shred of professional responsibility.

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