Katz COVID Reality Check20: What Now?

[@qdogg290]

It's refreshing to hear an expert address the giant elephant in the room -- the unhealthiness of the nation and what role it plays in the pandemic. There's so much shame being levied at the indiscretions of those who willfully partake in activities which increase the spread. Yet, nothing is ever said about what one could do to ensure a better outcome upon infection. The obesity rate in this country is 42.4%. Imagine how the complexion of the pandemic would change if it were under 10%? Imagine how our precious and finite health resources would be relieved of the heavy burden they are under right now? While we should encourage individuals to be responsible for the sake of others, we are remiss in failing to address personal responsibility, the importance of a good diet and regular exercise.

[@iwpsurf]

Thanks for being a calm voice of reason. Keep up the excellent work.

[@jedDiamond]

David, So important to share your wisdom and experience. I wish you were a member of the task force, but glad that Michael Osterholm is a member and seeing him more in front of national media. Please know that your information is being heard and shared widely through my own network, and I'm sure many others. Please keep putting out this information, particularly important in this "in between time" we're in now.

[@patty-cf7jj]

He never would be chosen because the Biden camp thinks herd immunity is an outrageous concept.

[@morganleblanc730]

Thank you for the common sense, intelligent approach, speaking on science, logic, nutrition and health. It's always been my opinion that the people who suffer obesity are those of greater risk. Everyone should strive to be healthier.

[@NJRenewableEnergy]

Thanks again for the update. I really wish you had been chosen to the Biden task force.

[@Otisbear480]

He is probably happy he wasn't chosen

[@tomletten5132]

Thanks so much for your perspective Dr. Katz! Why are countries like Brazil and India, which were in crisis, now doing so well? (specifically their new. covid cases per 100,000 are so low) Are they nearing herd immunity or is there another reason? Maybe you can cover this in your next update. Thank you again Dr. Katz and keep up the good work. I'm plant based and discovered you and your website because of your advocacy.

[@sunny51pats]

Thank you Dr. Katz for your updates and I love your new book!

[@eileenkast4982]

I don’t think the mask issue is that simple. I wouldn’t mind wearing it to see grandma but that’s not the case. We are forced to wear it eight hours a day during work and I had to put my gym membership on hold because I cannot breathe with it riding a bicycle even if no one is around me they will not let you even pull it away from your face about 2 inches. Concerning children wearing masks I think mask mandates in school are absurd, unnecessary and damaging. I’m a physical therapist and I need to demonstrate movement patterns while speaking and often I’m gasping for air. We need common sense in this arena.

[@paulkhrooger3556]

Couldn't agree more. What we're doing to kids is morally repugnant, not rooted in science and psychological abuse. My anger with authorities on this front is boundless and will never forgive them for this. I will take it a step further. They don't work and likely lead to higher infection rates. Leaving aside the body of RCT evidence showing the ineffectiveness of this tool of NPI, just look at the places that have had mandates for months now and with high compliance. Specifically, I will single out Italy and Spain. Inside and outside they wear masks. Look at the numbers. Same with my home province of Quebec. We had the premier making the laughable and false claim that we need to be 'more intelligent' than the virus (fake left Barry Sanders!) and the ay to outwit 1.5 billion year-old viruses is with a piece of artisanal cotton. Quebec has been trampling on civil liberties since July with pernicious decrees and yet cases have done nothing but go up since then. Now go look at Norway, Sweden and Denmark. They don't wear masks. Quebec has a higher death rate and more cases per million than Sweden. We lock down and wear masks. This has to be critically assessed. So while I understand what Dr. Katz is saying, I respectfully disagree. Voluntary sure. I wear one when asked. Mandates not so much. Never mind we keep hearing some experts talking about wearing them permanently. Yikes! So for me, the trade-offs are not worth it.

[@cynthiacools-lartigue5297]

I agree. These homemade masks are not helping anything but keep the narrative alive. If masks were the saviour than we wouldn’t be seeing spread. When I see people outside in our cold weather here in 🇨🇦 I am saddened to think what makes that person so scared, or so compliant that breathing in their own air while alone outside makes no sense. We are driven by fear and not common sense.

[@paulkhrooger3556]

@@cynthiacools-lartigue5297 It does lead to a kind of Stockholm Syndrome. I think Dr. Katz is looking at this from too much of a precautionary and pragmatic posture. We're human and masks signal fear. And for some false virtue and others a false sense of security. It's the one NPI we can let go of in my view. And science would back this move.

[@gtcstorm40]

forcing masks on workers and school children for long hours is despotism. I am so disgusted by what is happening. If it is voluntary, fine. But forcing it is wrong. The best way to "stay safe" for those afraid is to stay home.

[@charliepritt8230]

13 members of their COVID-19 advisory board, made up entirely of prominent-health experts. The panel will be led by three chairs: Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general; Marcella Nunez-Smith, an associate professor of medicine at Yale University; and David Kessler, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner. "Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts," Biden said in a statement. "The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations." Prominent doctors listed on the transition advisory board include Rick Bright, a former Trump administration official, who spoke out against the administration's approach to the pandemic after being fired. Others on the board: Dr. Michael Osterholm, former science envoy for health security on behalf of the State Department. Dr. Atul Gawande, former senior advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, former special advisor to the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama Administration. Dr. Celine Gounder, a medical doctor who specializes in infectious disease and global health at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Luciana Borio, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Loyce Pace, president and executive director of the Global Health Council. Dr. Robert Rodriguez, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine. Dr. Eric Goosby, expert on infectious diseases and Professor of Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine. Dr. Beth Cameron and Dr. Rebecca Katz will serve as advisors on COVID-19 and will work closely with the advisory board.

[@marthamiltich3190]

Thank you for the reason amidst chaos. I felt like I could breathe again after listening to this. There are many imperfect ideas of how to make our way through this, masks being one of them. We are all going to follow some of the guidelines to some degree. It is relieving to hear someone talk about which ones we might employ without the hysteria around the "long dark winter ahead" or the end of the world type frenzy in the media.

[@samanthanewton1340]

I talked to my doctor, he said I am mild to moderate risk. Just because I am overweight. I was tested for diabetes and high cholesterol, both negative. I am working on losing the extra weight. I gained all the weight because of stress.

[@matts1432]

I appreciate every video you upload . Thank you. I have a lot of questions. Please and thank you whether or not you respond. Why are we continuing the actions of the intial lockdown as it was in April with an estimated death rate of around 6%? Given the new numbers and comparing those to previous diseases, do you believe we will ever go back to "the way things used to be" - and why haven't we already if you do? Lastly - Given that the initial shutdown was based on a 6% death rate, do you think we would have still shut down if the suspected death rate was .8% or lower? If so, what do you think it would have looked like?

[@lindsaymiller4531]

I am curious about your opinion of members of his task force. Do they all advocate the “hammer and the dance” strategy with shut downs/lock downs? Or do you think they will be more pragmatic?

[@leahlyle]

Good question! I would like to know this too...

[@ghwk-phd2784]

Mike Yeadon, former vice president and leading respiratory disease expert for ((Pfizer)) and prof. Bhakdi, infectious disease microbiologist expert, university of Mainz, kzbin.info/www/bejne/emLSn6ttgcaBn9E kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ_Tn3WPnKx0iKc

[@rj421]

I agree with taking a scientific approach to solving this problem, but it seems that there's still much debate within the scientific community about the best way forward. Think Great Barrington Declaration, signed by many prominent scientists and health experts, yet was also widely criticized as being crazy by other experts. And again with Sweden's approach to managing the pandemic, put forth by their public health experts, but also quite different from how other countries took action. So, the science is far from settled on how best to manage Covid!

[@celesterobbwoody4346]

So grateful for you and I was so hoping you would be on that task force. Really hoping that resources go towards the policies and health promotion you champion and not towards plexiglass at schools and restaurants ( hello more plastic in our oceans) and more access to technology for our schools. Kids are suffocating on screens right now, though internet access and computers for those that don’t it have access is important. Biden alluded to these bandaids during the last debate, and I am overall disappointed that there hasn’t been a recognition that data can have a multitude of interpretations and subsequent policy guidelines by the Democrats and main stream media. I definitely was less excited to vote for Biden than I otherwise would have been if I had seen any reference to depth of discourse between reputable MD’s and scientists that don’t necessarily agree about how to interpret the data. The level of fear, and pandering to the most fearful, at the expense of hurting everyday Americans who are trying to keep afloat, has really led me to take a more critical view of my party of choice.

[@patty-cf7jj]

I’m a registered Independent and always have voted Democrat, but the fear mongering by the liberal media and the left and how they used it for political gain pushed me to the right. And after all the criticism of Trump politicizing the vaccine, right after the election it’s announced there’s a vaccine 90% effective and it’s part of Biden’s plan to get a vaccine distributed. Funny that.

[@celesterobbwoody4346]

@@patty-cf7jj yep. I’m tracking with you. So transparent to announce the vaccine the first business day after Bidden accepted....

[@kodowdus]

I would submit that it's time to reintroduce the concept of secondary prevention - specifically, the systematic *screening* of *high risk* individuals as opposed to the ad hoc "testing" of whomever comes to a clinician's attention.

[@seanseay9836]

You have been a voice of reason through this entire process. I so appreciate you for that. You have as well been extremely challenging and even demeaning to the current administration. Many times. The next 6 months will give you an opportunity to see if you are political or consistent. If you don't speak equally of the new administration, you are being political and inconsistent. Please be a consistent honest scientist.

[@sydneyalexander9459]

I too am wondering this...sadly, Dr. Katz already seems to have abandoned science for politics with his support of masks :-/

[@paulkhrooger3556]

Dr. Katz's advice is so sound and wise it will likely be ignored by officials. Speaking of which, should Americans worry about Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel possibly being part of this health task force? He doesn't strike me as someone who would go along with this.

[@joetoe9207]

He sure is bright and accomplished in public health. Why do you think Americans should worry about him? I don't think he'd think in this unscientific manner either.

[@paulkhrooger3556]

@@joetoe9207 He's written what I regard are rather controversial things.

[@joetoe9207]

@@paulkhrooger3556 Well, I know of one position he has that you must be referring to. So I sure know what you mean. I thought he was an odd choice for the role too.

[@paulkhrooger3556]

@@joetoe9207 Yeh. Not fit in my view. Bio-ethicists belong elsewhere. Personally.

[@joetoe9207]

@@paulkhrooger3556 Well, I think we've made a decision about age vs age years. I just heard that Sweden epidemiologist essentially say that they don't hospitalize people "who are unlikely to leave the ICU,." So I kinda think ethics are embedded in policy. I appreciate your kind manner! Good luck to you.

[@govtismiddlemanagement397]

What rights have military protected?

[@govtismiddlemanagement397]

How do they prove if people are protected if vaccinated?

[@ghwk-phd2784]

Come on Dr Katz you of all people understand the concept of critical analytical thought process! Please explain the scientific significance between wearing a mask and covering your mouth with your hand, inside your coat, arm or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze, a fundamental lesson we've all been taught and preached to since childhood. Yes now you have the microbial's on your hand that can be passed onto objects, but the same goes true every single time anyone touches their mask. The argument can easily be made and commonly observed, that mask wearers will spread far more pathogens than non wearers. Masks are being repeatedly and compulsively touched, adjusted, pulled up and down, put in a pocket, hanging off the ear, around the neck, forehead etc, etc. The mask is contaminated on the inside and out with hundreds to thousand of pathogenic viruses now on the hand ready to be spread onto objects. Zero statistical scientific difference. If anyone is trying to make the argument that it slows the transmission from the minuet particulates when we breath out, that is the equivalent to using a hockey net, for a window screen, to keep out mosquitoes, to a 20-30 nano-meter virus.

[@Kentuckygardener]

You’ve lost me. Your tone has changed now. Sorry, masks are NOT good for children to wear 10 hours a day. No way

[@glendas1617]

Visiting my 7 year old granddaughter last week and meeting her at the school bus, she removes the mask and says, "Finally, some fresh air!"

[@sydneyalexander9459]

Sadly, I do not think I can rely on Dr. Katz as a source of truth amidst the covid chaos anymore. Anyone who asserts that masks are a good idea has abandoned science.