By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
SvennoJ on 30 August 2021
Edit Thread
Torillian said:
RolStoppable said:

I didn't read over my post before submitting it, so yes, the part you take the most issue with was definitely poorly framed. The point I was trying to make there is that far too little is being done to keep people's immune system intact; it's no wonder that children and teenagers are the least threatened age groups, because they have been exposed the least to the traps of the modern lifestyle. The problem is all too often that the concern is about how to treat people rather than how to help people not to get chronic diseases and illnesses in the first place. Vaccination is a solution for the short term, but for the long term healthy eating needs to get much more attention. Obesity isn't the sole result that stems from unhealthy eating, because unhealthy eating can be linked to many problems, including concerning the heart.

I certainly concede that there aren't a lot of things that can cause death independently, but at the same time it should be clear that things other than COVID-19, such as the common flu, can be that tipping point that is the nail in the coffin. That's not to say that the flu is identical to COVID-19, but the difference in their danger lies first and foremost in the latter being much newer and therefore less researched. Despite global deaths related to the flu being estimated to range between 250-500k per year, there's no specific attention being paid to it.

*stuff I cut to make the quote chain less long* - Tor

I'll add an @Torillian here, because the last thing I am going to say is addressed at both of you: We've heard so much talk about returning to normality in the last 1.5 years, but it would be a waste of this opportunity to go back to the previous normal. Because said normal is just a path that puts all of us on a trajectory for things much worse than COVID-19 in the next three decades - and obviously even worse things afterwards.

I see, yes it's possible that people are just generally less healthy than they could be and that becoming healthier would save a lot of lives during these times. That's hard to quantify but it's conceivable. 

I too hope we don't go back to where we were, but I think I'd prefer we took illness more serious in general. I see those Flu deaths and think that we should take those vaccinations more seriously, allow people to mask up without stigma when they're sick, and make it more acceptable to take off from work when you'll ill so you don't spread it. But we should work on lots of issues, just different focuses for different people I guess. 

Agreed. A lot of problems come from sick leaf erring on the side of abuse. It's a tricky subject, many people send their kids to school anyway when they're sick(ish) because they have to go to work and have no options (and indeed go in feeling under the weather themselves as well) Hence schools being so efficient at spreading colds and flu around.

@RolStoppable There was no option not to lock down though. The initial plan in the UK to weather through the storm was not abandoned on the predicted loss of life from Covid-19, it was abandoned because it would overwhelm the healthcare system so much society would grind to a halt. Corpses piling up wasn't fear mongering. In fact, the worst or rather the reality was mostly kept off the news. What governments feared the most was panic breaking out, which luckily stayed contained to a raid on toilet paper.

The lock downs were the last resort to keep the healthcare system working and not end up in a situation as in Italy early on and India's big wave.

Looking back, there is no blame to put on doing too much. There is only blame to put on responding too slowly. Yet the problem there was, and still is, if you prevent the worst, people start wondering what all the fuss is/was about...

But yes, better health education and eating habits should be part of the school curriculum. It is sort of, but the problem is that unhealthy food costs less, is easier to get, better preserved, better shelf life, quick/easy to eat. Regulations are needed to chance the balance.

Btw teenage obesity is skyrocketing, they are not spared from the worst of covid-19 because of generally more healthy habits. Unfortunately the pandemic has only made that worse with online learning, sport activities closed, more game time, more depression, more unhealthy snacking.