I get what the goal and point is based on the way the system operates, whether I agree or not, but when it comes to who truly is more worthy of life or death, if someone has to make that choice, that's far beyond what the system takes into account overall. Is it really the best way, is a question to take into account.

In today's world, more and more, we're going beyond the 'basics of each sector'. Should what you do in your private time, non medically, matter when it comes to hospitalization? If so, then the same should apply to say, business/work. In today's world, what you said or did in private decades ago can ruin your business or career and more. The scope of 'what fits this sector' also tends to keep expanding in many sectors.

If the system just simply took who's first in line, it would be a more fair system, when it comes to privacy anyway. If you save who seems to be the 'good guy' based on their better health upkeep, but that guy is a really sick and twisted person who acts on it, while the lesser healthy 'bad guy' is a stand up guy who's work contributes vastly to society, but dies due to the wait, did you really do the right thing? What if perhaps they're both sick and twisted and act on it? What's worth saving and is there anything that isn't?

I basically just questioned how far should the privacy invasion go when it comes to who's worth saving and who's not, or at least who's more worthy of being given a better shot at life than someone else. It's a very difficult question to know when to stop the bleed once you go beyond just take who's next in line.

I agree, however who's next in line doesn't work either, see scalping... You'll end up with a situation where less honest doctors can sell you a pre-order to a transplant which you might need in the future but not yet. Just get in line, so you're in front by the time you might need it.

The real solution is to combat scarcity. With Covid-19 taking up beds, that's a solve-able problem, get more beds. How many more beds did we get since the pandemic started? They keep promising to add beds, but we're still running out. Of course it's a lot harder to add more staff.

Transplant scarcity is a problem. You basically need to make driving and other activities less safe to increase supply :/

I think the system we have now is the best we can do, focus on transplant life.

The world isn't fair, doubt it will ever be. There is new medication that might actually help my wife's chronic disease, however it's not covered, and we simply can't afford it. My wife wouldn't take it out of principle anyway (US $250 per pill, take daily) to see if it can help. A treatment for those that can spare 100K a year. So it's waiting for something else or until the price goes down, patents released. At least transplants don't go to the highest bidder!

The vaccination rate in Japan has finally surpassed the USA. Just in time for Biden to sign executive orders with new protocols. I am hoping Japan maintains the vaccinations to at least 90% of eligible people. We will have to live with it worldwide, but at least there should be safe havens.

Weekly update. Worldwide cases are trending down, mostly thanks to good progress in Asia, Africa and South America


In total 4.02 million new cases were reported last week (down from 4.43 million) to a total of 224,610,652
Also another 63,565 more deaths were reported (down from 68,528) to a total of 4,629,789

Europe is pretty much the same week over week, USA had a big disruption in tracking from Labor Day.

The continents

Asia reported 1.53 million new cases (down from 1.74 million) and 24,451 more deaths (down from 27,120)
North America reported 1.28 million new cases (down from 1.41 million) and 18,913 more deaths (slightly up from 18,668)
Europe reported 866K new cases (868K last week) and 10,913 more deaths (slightly up from 10,492)
South America reported 181K new cases (down from 226K) and 5,398 more deaths (down from 7,087)
Africa reported 142K new cases (down from 181K) and 3,745 more deaths (down from 4,996)
Oceania reported 13.6K new cases (up from 12.1K) and 145 deaths (165 last week)

Corners of the world

USA reported 1.04 million new cases (down from 1.16 million) and 12,082 more deaths (up from 11,530)
India reported 256K new cases (down from 296K) and 2,094 more deaths (down from 2,853)
Iran reported 176K new cases (down from 214K) and 3,831 more deaths (down from 4,262)
Brazil reported 119K new cases (down from 152K) and 3,170 more deaths (down from 4,357)
Japan reported 89K new cases (down from 136K) and 419 deaths (387 last week)
South Africa reported 43.3K new cases (down from 68.6K) and 1,447 more deaths (down from 1,974)
Canada reported 26.9K new cases (up from 24.8K) and 164 deaths (116 last week)
South Korea reported 12.3K new cases (slightly up from 12.0K) and 40 deaths (43 last week)
Australia reported 11.7K new cases (up from 9,364) and 44 deaths (41 last week)

New Zealand is succeeding in keeping the virus under control, 7 day average is down to 20 new cases a day.

Europe in detail

The UK seems to have hit a ceiling, stopping at 38K new cases per day.
Spain, France and Denmark are heading back down, the rest still drifting up or remaining the same.

Global vaccination rate is now 29.46%. While we're debating when to add booster shots
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/amid-talk-of-boosters-global-vaccine-disparity-gets-sharper-1.5581474

In the developing world, supply is limited and uncertain. Just over 3 per cent of people across Africa have been fully vaccinated, and health officials and citizens often have little idea what will be available from one day to the next. More vaccines have been flowing in recent weeks, but the World Health Organization's director in Africa said Thursday that the continent will get 25 per cent fewer doses than anticipated by the end of the year, in part because of the rollout of booster shots in wealthier counties such as the United States.

Just get your shot when it is available. Next to it preventing the worst, including hospitalization, it will also save you a lot of money. The average Covid-19 hospital stay cost is $23,000

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cihi-covid19-canada-hospital-cost-1.6168531

The average cost of treating a COVID-19 patient who needs intensive care in Canada is estimated at more than $50,000, compared with $8,400 for someone who's had a heart attack, a new report says.

Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows the average cost for patients being treated for the virus is more than $23,000, which is four times higher than a patient with influenza.

Sure we have the luxury of 'free' healthcare (treatment), so the individual is never charged that. However we all end up footing the bill for anti vaxxers needing hospitalization.

So you think an anti-vaxxer moron who made his bed and is reaping what he's sewn should get ICU treatment over a cancer patient?

Wow, I... I don't even know what to say. You're okay with someone dying of cancer because Person A is a fucking moron who refused to get vaccinated. Try telling his/her family that.

Also, obesity, smoking, etc., etc. are addictions, not getting vaccinated isn't. You're comparing apples and oranges.

I wholeheartedly and 100% disagree. Yes, it TOTALLY should be decided who is and who isn't entitled to treatment. I truly hope all the governments of the world start making people responsible for their actions and make them face the consequences of them. It someone feels he is not fit to live in a society, then society doesn't have any responsibility with him.

Throughout history there have been times where leaders and governments have been given the ultimate power of deciding who is more deserving of life and who is less deserving of it. In all the times it was tried it never ended well.  I can assure you, you do not want any politician or government deciding your fate.  You might think you are on the winning side or what you think is the right side, but what about when you're on what the government or politician deems to be the wrong side?

I would never put my trust with the government.

You know, in Spanish there is an old saying that goes: "Your freedom ends where the freedom of your neighbor begins, and vice versa." That basically means that, in order to coexist with each other, we humans need to sacrifice some of our freedom, otherwise we would just kill one another. We have agreed not to break into each other houses, not to take what the other has bought with their own money, not to sexually posses anyone we are attracted to just because we are stronger, not to drive at a certain speed, not to cross the red light and let the other pass even if that means that we're going to be late for work, etc, etc. There are literally hundreds of things we have agreed NOT to do. So to put it another way, we are not 100% free, we have never been 100% free, and we CANNOT be 100% if we want to coexist with each other. If your actions put the lives of the rest of the group in danger, then you're not a part of said group and should not be allowed into it. Period.

So yes, just like I have agreed to stop at the red light to let you pass, I'm willing to agree that we should all get vaccinated to get through this.

The better way to put it would be your freedom ends when you run out of places to sail off to.

Throughout history, for a while, people would give in and cooperate, even if they disagreed. This went on until enough people couldn't take it anymore, so they left. Much of the time even after leaving, they were forced to fight at some point to keep their new land, way of life, and lives. This pretty much no longer exists in a conquered globalized world where separate Govs are working together or playing follow the leader, instead of follow the people.

What happens when a considerable group of people have had enough and want out? If there's nowhere to go, what to you think their next move will be? I can assure you it won't be simply giving in, nor trying to reach Mars and 1776 it. (There's good reason why the matrix allows the 'red pills' to leave the simulation. Better outside than inside).

The current leader of the free world seems to think we should just leave others alone and try to talk nicely to them about it after 20 years of being too bossy while getting nowhere. Letting people learn the hard way through experience is much preferable vs forcing them and potentially causing physical conflict. That however requires foresight, patience, and being somewhat inconvenienced, which is something the world greatly lacks and just wont have today.

Who's in charge certainly matters, and so is the acceptance of the people. Forcing people to accept is not the way and can lead to extreme negatives. Same with forcing people to come together. We don't force personal relationships (in the west) no matter how physically intimate, and forced intimacy leads to prison. In some places forced marriage and forced birth is seen as the way. Are they correct or do they need to be coerced to what others worldwide think is right?

For example, if the Govs happened to create deadly chaos by attempting to force vax, that would be self defeating and awfully ironic wouldn't it? 

What good is trying to force someone/some place, to do something if it eventually leads to them leaving/separating, so you no longer have a say at all?

A good medical question to ask would be what would the vax situation look like everywhere right now if the American administrations hadn't changed in 2020? Just imagine this last year being led by the 'Commander in Bleach'. Some would say the situation could always be much much worse than it is as present.

There are ways to punish unvaxxes without blocking them from healthcare which is deadly and a ethical misstep. And smarter ways to enforce people into vaccination without directly sending them to shots 

Companies should be forced to fire non vaccinated workers or suffer legal responsibilities, and public spaces to require either covid tests or vaccines from customers and visitors. This would make public life near impossible. In Brazil unvaccinated people is already being blocked to attend public spaces (in few cities where vaccinated is advanced)

And of course, unvacinneted families should be responsible for paying all expenses for treatment. That's would never be a thing in USA as your system is already private, but I'm sure would be effective for countries with public healthcare