Vaccines and Therapeutics 2.0 & 3.0 Merge

[Themis]

For those who are at greatest risk, a booster may make sense. But we don't have good data on how much good a booster will do in general and whether there are any additional risks.

Add to that we have a moral obligation to get as many shots as quick as we can to those around the world who need it.

[Moksha]

A gang of marauding Texas tourists viciously beat a waitress at the Carmine restaurant in New York City. The waitress had asked them for the required proof immunization card when the Texans went berserk. It is imagined that they were screaming "Give us Trump and food or we will injure all of you".

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/c ... e/3277565/

[Atlanticmike]

To anyone reading this thread, I have a couple of questions. Do you know what your BMI is? Is it under 25% ? What's your resting heart rate? What's your blood pressure? Do you smoke? Do you drink alcohol? How's your diet? Do you exercise, if so do you exercise enough to get your BMI under 22% ? Have you had your blood tested to see if you're deficient in things like vitamin D? Do you get out in the sun at least once a day? How's your water intake, do you drink a crap ton of water? All questions that should be asked right now during this pandemic but rarely ever talked about.

Being healthy and in tip top shape allows your immune system to work properly with the least amount of stress. But!! 99% of the time people talk about is the vaccines, the vaccines!! If you're reading this and have no idea what your BMI is, go get it checked, now! If it's in the high 20s or more, start losing weight. By losing weight your heart rate will lower. Your blood pressure will stabilize. Also mental health is a huge factor in normalizing your blood pressure and heart rate. So many people are sitting in front of the TV or their phone screen worrying about the virus and the vaccines, while being 30 to 80lbs overweight with health problems that could be more manageable if they just lost weight, exercised, and ate correctly. Common fxxxin sense is free.

[Xenophon]

Count it as an anecdote of 1 but here was my experience with COVID. I'm not going to offer anything more than my word on this so if you needed more, tough cookies.

My background: I am 6'1" and a buck eighty-five currently, I've intentionally pushed my weight up to 200 when I was more into strength training but I didn't like how I felt. I lift weights 3 to 4 days a week. I ride my bike to work when I go into the office (only 2 or 3 days a week) , it is 6 miles door to door. I hike regularly including at least one major trip to much more difficult terrain once a year. I do not eat the "standard American diet" and I only drink occasionally. I don't smoke. As I type this my heart rate is 53 beats per minute.

I contracted COVID back in August of 2020 and it kicked my ass. I couldn't even consider working for 10 days and I suffered significant side effects for nearly 2 months after. I fortunately didn't require hospitalization but that is likely only because of the previous care I've taken. For weeks it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I dropped about 15 pounds. I also suffered from serious brain fog. My job is highly analytical and I'm honestly fortunate my employer values me because my work was sub par for at least a month. My memory and recall was frankly just crap.

My recovery has been pretty good, within 3 to 5 months I was back to about my physical peak, although I feel like I get winded faster but it is hard for me to tell if that is COVID or other factors finally catching up to me.

I agree with you AM that taking care of your health is vital, but it is only part of the equation. My wife and I got the vaccine the second our age bracket was able to. I know that my story as a relatively healthy individual is not the norm, but I'm not taking any further chances.

[Atlanticmike]

I never said health was the only part of the equation. But it should be the part we as a society are concentrating on the most. Just turn on the tv. Everything is vaccine, vaccine, vaccine. America has an Epidemic of obesity and laziness that is helping the pandemic kill more people than it should be. If you've never noticed how bad the overweight problem is, go to Walmart during lunch one day and sit out front and watch the people going in and out of Walmart. Quickly, you'll realize why heslth insurance is through the roof. You ever seen the movie Wall-E? Yeah, that's us in 30 years. Fat people everywhere complaining about their health.

[Alf'Omega]

My neighbor being overweight doesn't present a threat to me or my family.

My neighbor who refuses to vaccinate during a pandemic represents a threat to both.

[Xenophon]

I never said health was the only part of the equation. But it should be the part we as a society are concentrating on the most. Just turn on the tv. Everything is vaccine, vaccine, vaccine. America has an Epidemic of obesity and laziness that is helping the pandemic kill more people than it should be. If you've never noticed how bad the overweight problem is, go to Walmart during lunch one day and sit out front and watch the people going in and out of Walmart. Quickly, you'll realize why heslth insurance is through the roof. You ever seen the movie Wall-E? Yeah, that's us in 30 years. Fat people everywhere complaining about their health.

I don't know what all you've been seeing but I've heard the media and health leaders hounding on rising obesity across the world my entire life. There are countless government and private sector initiatives to try to tackle that problem. The issue I see with raising health/weight in a vaccine conversation is it reads as if you view that as mutually exclusive. It also takes significantly more work, effort, and time to be healthy and during a pandemic anything that can be done in the immediate now should be the priority. We agree that treating your body right is a great step for your overall well being and there is no better time to start than now but as people are getting sick right this second, it seems worth emphasizing that there is a tool available to you that is free and widely available.

[Xenophon]

Damn Xeno. Glad you are feeling better.

You and me both. I wouldn't have wished it on my worst enemy. I've had the flu once in my life and I balk every time I hear them compared. It wasn't even close for me.

In the "Tale of Two Diseases", my wife was entirely asymptomatic. Thank goodness for me because her ability to care for me likely helped me feel I could stay out of the hospital.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Count it as an anecdote of 1 but here was my experience with COVID. I'm not going to offer anything more than my word on this so if you needed more, tough cookies.

My background: I am 6'1" and a buck eighty-five currently, I've intentionally pushed my weight up to 200 when I was more into strength training but I didn't like how I felt. I lift weights 3 to 4 days a week. I ride my bike to work when I go into the office (only 2 or 3 days a week) , it is 6 miles door to door. I hike regularly including at least one major trip to much more difficult terrain once a year. I do not eat the "standard American diet" and I only drink occasionally. I don't smoke. As I type this my heart rate is 53 beats per minute.

I contracted COVID back in August of 2020 and it kicked my ass. I couldn't even consider working for 10 days and I suffered significant side effects for nearly 2 months after. I fortunately didn't require hospitalization but that is likely only because of the previous care I've taken. For weeks it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I dropped about 15 pounds. I also suffered from serious brain fog. My job is highly analytical and I'm honestly fortunate my employer values me because my work was sub par for at least a month. My memory and recall was frankly just crap.

My recovery has been pretty good, within 3 to 5 months I was back to about my physical peak, although I feel like I get winded faster but it is hard for me to tell if that is COVID or other factors finally catching up to me.

I agree with you AM that taking care of your health is vital, but it is only part of the equation. My wife and I got the vaccine the second our age bracket was able to. I know that my story as a relatively healthy individual is not the norm, but I'm not taking any further chances.

Good, Lord. You’re the David Goggins of the board. Great job on your lifestyle, and glad to see you made it through all that mess. Very motivating.

- Doc

[Jersey Girl]

I know the answers to these!

Do you know what your BMI is?

Yes. Though there are controversies regarding the BMI.

Is it under 25% ?

25.1

What's your resting heart rate?

60-65 bpm

What's your blood pressure?

96/58 the other day

Do you smoke?

If I'm with certain relatives back East and they offer me one, then I do.

Do you drink alcohol?

Never

How's your diet?

Heart healthy and I cheat

Do you exercise, if so do you exercise enough to get your BMI under 22% ?

Yes but not enough to get below 22 and I wouldn't.

Have you had your blood tested to see if you're deficient in things like vitamin D?

All the flippin' time.

Do you get out in the sun at least once a day?

Year round. I live at high altitude. I'm in the sun even inside the house.

How's your water intake, do you drink a crap ton of water?

Constantly. I live at high altitude.

So, all that said, while your questions sound reasonable on the surface, they are naïve'. Blood pressure, heart rate, and blood levels all fluctuate throughout the day. If you ate something crappy the day before fasting blood labs, it'll spike your levels. Eat healthy the next day, fast and draw blood the next day, your levels will come out fine. (Ask me how I know.)

Furthermore, all of those levels (BP, HR, BMI, etc.) are age dependent. Example, a BMI of 22 would be unhealthy for me. It's low enough as it is which is why I let my weight fluctuate a bit coupla pounds up and down.

Your questions are fine though they ignore variances in what is recommended for persons of different ages/genders, as well as the fluctuations I mentioned.