COVID Again Rampant in Jax

[BridgeTroll]

Since actual words have actual meaning... well... you already know.  Calling him snake is part of his avatar... like being called bridge...or troll... or lake... or taca... or jlt...or even adam.

Do you always butt into other people's conversations?  Kinda weird...

[BridgeTroll]

Ok... your a partisan.  One man's pander is another's support.

LOL.  I guess anyone with an opinion or thought different from you is a "partisan."  I get it.  And what does that make you?  Are you a Trump/DeSantis cultist?

FACT:  COVID is out of control in Florida while DeSantis pretends and acts otherwise.
FACT: Courts have overturned unreasonable laws promoted by DeSantis to "enhance" his standing with the Trump crowd.
FACT:  DeSantis is putting kids and their families at exceptional risk by hindering mask mandates in schools.
FACT: DeSantis has hypocritically taken or usurped many powers (e.g. health, land use, school policy, etc.) away from local entities (e.g. municipal and county governments and school boards) while harping about Washington managing Florida.
FACT:  "Free market" DeSantis has banned businesses from imposing vaccine mandates for their employees and customers.
FACT:  DeSantis, with ambitions for higher office, panders to the Trump crowd and spends lots of time in other states at "events" to promote himself.
FACT:  DeSantis sent law enforcement officers paid by Florida taxpayers to Texas to mettle in the immigrant situation that is the business of Texas and the Feds.
FACT:  DeSantis has refused to take Fed funds (paid by Florida taxpayers) that most every other state has accepted to pay for Medicaid and healthy meals to children while the State complains about the costs of such programs.

I could go on, but, as you can see, there are a lot of "facts" about DeSantis that many, myself included, do not find to our liking.  Again, in your book, that makes me "partisan" I suppose.

Most of the "facts" you listed contain opinion not fact... especially regarding motives for actions taken.  As for my feeling on Trump and DeSantis... Trump I have denounced numerous times and you should know that.  I  have also stated that I disagree with DeSantis mask mandate for schools (while understanding there is a government overreach issue). Sooo... not partisan... but certainly to the right of your political viewpoints... but that's not really difficult.

[Adam White]

Since actual words have actual meaning... well... you already know.  Calling him snake is part of his avatar... like being called bridge...or troll... or lake... or taca... or jlt...or even adam.

Do you always butt into other people's conversations?  Kinda weird...

Okay - fair play on the “snake” thing. I totally forgot we were talking about Snaketoz!

As far as butting into other people’s conversations - this is a forum? Doesn’t seem to stop you.

And yes, words have meanings. Which is why “Snake” was right.

[BridgeTroll]

Since actual words have actual meaning... well... you already know.  Calling him snake is part of his avatar... like being called bridge...or troll... or lake... or taca... or jlt...or even adam.

Do you always butt into other people's conversations?  Kinda weird...

Okay - fair play on the “snake” thing. I totally forgot we were talking about Snaketoz!

As far as butting into other people’s conversations - this is a forum? Doesn’t seem to stop you.

And yes, words have meanings. Which is why “Snake” was right.

Well... if you look back... Mr toz was addressing me specifically rather than the forum as a whole

[Charles Hunter]

Since actual words have actual meaning... well... you already know.  Calling him snake is part of his avatar... like being called bridge...or troll... or lake... or taca... or jlt...or even adam.

Do you always butt into other people's conversations?  Kinda weird...

Okay - fair play on the “snake” thing. I totally forgot we were talking about Snaketoz!

As far as butting into other people’s conversations - this is a forum? Doesn’t seem to stop you.

And yes, words have meanings. Which is why “Snake” was right.

Well... if you look back... Mr toz was addressing me specifically rather than the forum as a whole

Am I commenting in an open discussion forum ... or butting into a private conversation? Just a random member of the forum commenting here.
This platform is an open discussion forum. If you want to have a private conversation, use the My Messsages feature of this open discussion forum - or Messenger or some other platform.

[BridgeTroll]

Since actual words have actual meaning... well... you already know.  Calling him snake is part of his avatar... like being called bridge...or troll... or lake... or taca... or jlt...or even adam.

Do you always butt into other people's conversations?  Kinda weird...

Okay - fair play on the “snake” thing. I totally forgot we were talking about Snaketoz!

As far as butting into other people’s conversations - this is a forum? Doesn’t seem to stop you.

And yes, words have meanings. Which is why “Snake” was right.

Well... if you look back... Mr toz was addressing me specifically rather than the forum as a whole

Am I commenting in an open discussion forum ... or butting into a private conversation? Just a random member of the forum commenting here.
This platform is an open discussion forum. If you want to have a private conversation, use the My Messsages feature of this open discussion forum - or Messenger or some other platform.

Your input is appreciated...

[jaxlongtimer]

Ok... your a partisan.  One man's pander is another's support.

LOL.  I guess anyone with an opinion or thought different from you is a "partisan."  I get it.  And what does that make you?  Are you a Trump/DeSantis cultist?

FACT:  COVID is out of control in Florida while DeSantis pretends and acts otherwise.
FACT: Courts have overturned unreasonable laws promoted by DeSantis to "enhance" his standing with the Trump crowd.
FACT:  DeSantis is putting kids and their families at exceptional risk by hindering mask mandates in schools.
FACT: DeSantis has hypocritically taken or usurped many powers (e.g. health, land use, school policy, etc.) away from local entities (e.g. municipal and county governments and school boards) while harping about Washington managing Florida.
FACT:  "Free market" DeSantis has banned businesses from imposing vaccine mandates for their employees and customers.
FACT:  DeSantis, with ambitions for higher office, panders to the Trump crowd and spends lots of time in other states at "events" to promote himself.
FACT:  DeSantis sent law enforcement officers paid by Florida taxpayers to Texas to mettle in the immigrant situation that is the business of Texas and the Feds.
FACT:  DeSantis has refused to take Fed funds (paid by Florida taxpayers) that most every other state has accepted to pay for Medicaid and healthy meals to children while the State complains about the costs of such programs.

I could go on, but, as you can see, there are a lot of "facts" about DeSantis that many, myself included, do not find to our liking.  Again, in your book, that makes me "partisan" I suppose.

Most of the "facts" you listed contain opinion not fact... especially regarding motives for actions taken.  As for my feeling on Trump and DeSantis... Trump I have denounced numerous times and you should know that.  I  have also stated that I disagree with DeSantis mask mandate for schools (while understanding there is a government overreach issue). Sooo... not partisan... but certainly to the right of your political viewpoints... but that's not really difficult.

LOL. Your title including "troll" is most appropriate.  I will not be "trolled" further on this matter. 

[Snaketoz]

If you love your grandma, get the vaccine.  It isn't perfect, but please tell me anything that is preferable.

[jaxlongtimer]

I saw this "partisan" article and wanted to share it with BridgeTroll so he can tell us how DeSantis's appointment of Florida's new surgeon general shows us the governor is taking COVID seriously.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that the state's new surgeon general will be Joseph Ladapo, a UCLA researcher known for opposing evidence-based mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and lockdowns.

Instead, Dr. Ladapo advocates for the controversial idea of embracing "the reality of viral spread" to achieve herd immunity.

"Florida will completely reject fear as a way of making policies in public health," Ladapo said in a press conference Tuesday after DeSantis announced his appointment. Fear, he said, has "been unfortunately a centerpiece of health policy in the United States ever since the beginning of the pandemic and it's over here. Expiration date: it's done."

Florida has been one of the hardest-hit states in the pandemic, particularly amid the current wave driven by the hypertransmissible delta coronavirus variant. In early August, the Sunshine State accounted for 20 percent of all COVID-19 cases occurring in the US. Throughout the wave—which is finally receding in Florida—DeSantis has opposed vaccine mandates and fiercely fought mask mandates in schools.

Ladapo appears to share his thinking. In a series of opinion pieces in The Wall Street Journal, Ladapo has argued against mask mandates and vaccine mandates and played up fears about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, which have been found to be remarkably safe as well as effective. Meanwhile, Ladapo has pointed to unproven and ineffective treatments, such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, as treatments for COVID-19.

In the press conference Tuesday, Ladapo declined to say that he would promote vaccines and downplayed their role in helping bring an end to the pandemic.

"The state should be promoting good health, and vaccination isn't the only path to that," Ladapo said. "It's been treated almost like a religion, and that's just senseless. There's a lot of good pathways to health, and vaccination is not the only one. So, we support measures for good health—that's vaccination, losing weight, it's exercising more, it's eating more fruits and vegetables, everything. We support it all."

To be clear, while losing weight, exercising, and eating fruits and vegetables are generally good for health, they will not prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection or transmission.

But preventing spread of the pandemic coronavirus does not appear to be a priority for Ladapo. In the press conference, he noted that he has signed the Great Barrington Declaration, a controversial document written last year that promotes the idea of obtaining herd immunity by allowing the virus to spread.

The document has been roundly rebuked by leading health experts and public health agencies, including the World Health Organization.
"It's scientifically and ethically problematic," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the document at the time. Allowing the virus to run free "means allowing unnecessary infections, suffering, and death," he added.

To date, there have been more than 42 million cases of COVID-19 in the US and more than 676,000 people have died. The COVID-19 pandemic is now the deadliest disease event in US history, exceeding the estimated 675,000 US deaths during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

In addition to being done with fear, Ladapo also said he was done with misinformation. Over the past year, "people have been taking the science, and they've been misrepresenting it," Ladapo said. With DeSantis standing behind him, Ladapo vowed: "That will never be a problem here."

Just last week, DeSantis quietly stood by at another press conference while a Gainesville city employee spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, saying "the vaccine changes your RNA," which is false.

In taking the title of surgeon general, Ladapo will be the top health official in Florida and oversee the state's health department. Ladapo will also be leaving his position at UCLA, where he focused on cardiovascular diseases and the cost-effectiveness of diagnostics. He will take a new position at the University of Florida, he said.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/floridas-new-surgeon-general-skeptical-of-vaccines-opposes-masks/

[BridgeTroll]

If I were to base the appointment dased solely on the doctors Covid stance as you have done I would agree with you that he is a poor choice. I disagree with the doctors apparent views regarding the treatment of the virus. I wish I could read the Wall Street articles he published. This would provide a more well rounded set of data than the singular partisan article you posted.

I do applaud the additional diversity to the administration and the doctors apparent expertise and focus on cardiovascular health in low income populations. He has published over80 peer reviewed research papers...

https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/joseph-ladapo

Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD, is a physician and health policy researcher whose primary research interests include assessing the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic technologies and reducing the population burden of cardiovascular disease. He is Associate Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine and cares for hospitalized patients. Previously, he served as a faculty member in the Department of Population Health at NYU School of Medicine and as a Staff Fellow at the Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Ladapo's research program, funded by the NHLBI, NIMHD, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, focuses on (1) patient-centered approaches to improving the health of individuals evaluated for coronary artery disease, and (2) behavioral economic interventions to promote sustainable cardiovascular health, including among adults with HIV. He also leads the health economic and quality of life evaluation of multiple NIH-funded randomized trials focused on cardiovascular disease and tobacco cessation. His national honors include the Daniel Ford Award for health services and outcomes research, and he was also a regular columnist for the Harvard Focus during medical school and residency, where he discussed his experiences on the medical wards and perspectives on health policy issues.

Dr. Ladapo graduated from Wake Forest University and received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his PhD in Health Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He completed his clinical training in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

https://www.uclahealth.org/sites/default/files/documents/Joseph-Ladapo-CV.pdf

So... to be clear... If I were picking a Covid Czar... Ladapo would not be my pick.  I don't know if he will be a good surgeon general... I need more information.

[Adam White]

Physicians are professionals trained in the diagnosis and treatment of disease (broadly speaking). They are not scientists. In many ways, getting an opinion from a physician about how to deal with an epidemic is akin to getting an opinion on bridge design from a builder, not a civil engineer.

Doctors are members of a very respected profession. Unfortunately, that *can* lead to them (and other health professionals) being given greater latitude when it comes to opinions on things they really aren't experts in.

[jaxlongtimer]

If I were to base the appointment dased solely on the doctors Covid stance as you have done I would agree with you that he is a poor choice. I disagree with the doctors apparent views regarding the treatment of the virus. I wish I could read the Wall Street articles he published. This would provide a more well rounded set of data than the singular partisan article you posted.

I do applaud the additional diversity to the administration and the doctors apparent expertise and focus on cardiovascular health in low income populations. He has published over80 peer reviewed research papers...

So... to be clear... If I were picking a Covid Czar... Ladapo would not be my pick.  I don't know if he will be a good surgeon general... I need more information.

Given that COVID is so significant as to overwhelm our medical system's ability to treat most any other ailment and that it is killing thousands of Floridians, I would say this person's approach to managing COVID is really the only serious qualification that matters at this time.  Don't you think it "odd" that DeSantis would find one of the rare medical "professionals" to take this job that also aligns with his perspective on COVID?  Being a great cardiovascular doctor in this position is of almost no use to the State right now.  For that matter, what he is quoted as saying he supports as his "health agenda" is "mom and apple pie" - any doctor would say the same so nothing special about him in that regard.

[BridgeTroll]

If you have more information than your original article please post.

[jaxlongtimer]

BridgeTroll, here is the latest from your new Florida surgeon general.  All discretion being removed from schools and local health officials. Not one mention of improving cardiovascular health!  His title should be "COVID only GENERAL" to better match how and what he will be doing.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s new Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, issued a new emergency rule Wednesday that states parents must be the ones to decide whether their asymptomatic children need to quarantine if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said parents were concerned about rules that would quarantine healthy students and prevent them from having a “normal functioning school year” and inconvenience their parents. He said parents will be notified of the test result.

“Quarantining healthy students is incredibly damaging ... it’s also incredibly disruptive,” DeSantis said during a news conference in Osceola County.

Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran celebrated the end of “chronic absenteeism” and he said he was grateful for DeSantis and Ladapo’s decision to issue a “common sense” rule.

Under the rule, parents or legal guardians will decide whether their child “attends school, school-sponsored activities, or be on school property, without restrictions or disparate treatment, so long as the student remains asymptomatic.”

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/09/22/new-fla-surgeon-general-parents-must-decide-whether-asymptomatic-kids-exposed-to-covid-should-quarantine/

[BridgeTroll]

I think you meant to say... our surgeon general...