GaryPinC

I'm sorry, I'm not going to simply accept your opinions without some actual, you know, evidence. The CDC has had set protocols and monitoring of influenza since 1956. Hospitals have set procedures when to test for influenza. I've shown you that testing was consistent, and other corroborating evidence supports the fact that influenza severity and occurrence took a big, multi year hit during Covid. Let's start with the nearly 1.5 million tests administered during the 20-21 season. Tested and recorded results. How are these incorrect or invalid? What actual evidence compels you to invalidate and declare the situation impossible? Near as I can find, all government hospital financial support was for either the uninsured or Medicaid/Medicare patients only. Procedural changes were made to enable quicker, more flexible care in a time of crisis. For example, eliminating the need for physician referral to test for Covid, allowing facilities designated rehabilitation only to be used as primary care beds, and loosening restrictions to enable quickly hiring more medical personnel. What government mandated procedural changes are you pointing at as being a problem? Many of these were started under the Trump administration and all financial programs were approved by Congress. The conspiracy I am referring to is the assertion that many hospitals across the country unlawfully and improperly diagnosed and cared for patients on a massive scale to take advantage of government funds, invalidating or overinflating covid and influenza numbers. Can you help me out with specifics and evidence to your arguments? To your point, I can't just accept your opinions when there's acceptable hard facts that indicate otherwise.

The stats are eye opening and are definitely unique but that was a unique moment in time. You do realize viral infections have a lot of overlapping symptoms? The only way to be certain is by testing, especially if the patient is in serious condition. That's why we're testing people. The testing rate was inline with historical rates, so on the surface the precipitous drop in positives roughly corresponds to the drop in influenza deaths you asked about. When I responded previously that the number of positives dropped to less than 1% of normal it's the same thing as you saying the illness rate dropped 99%. The stats are surprising but those are the stats, gathered using the same protocols and system as in previous years. You may feel they make no sense and there's a giant conspiracy here but I feel differently, especially as the death numbers were still reduced but starting to rise again during the 21-22 season. So it wasn't like one unbelievable year and the stats were back to normal next year. Also, here's an entire flu strain that hasn't been seen since before Covid: https://www.npr.org/2024/10/18/nx-s1-5155997/influenza-strains-disappearance-attributed-to-covid-protocols-alters-2024-flu-shot There are going to be a variety of factors behind this phenomenon. There are some convinced that simply the isolation, masking, and distance were behind this. I'm not confident in that simplicity, science needs time to understand it. Circling back to your original question and post, for me there are too many corroborating facts on far too large a scale to buy into your conspiracy theory. For reasons not yet fully understood, influenza took a big hit during Covid.

Certainly the cherry on the cake and maybe with Chicago's inept FO you are right.

The thing with Williams is he's a slow runner, limited escape-ability. As a rookie that's especially toxic and needs time to develop his mental game. I'm with others that the clock mismanagement is totally on Eberflus. Bad enough he hasn't sufficiently prepared his rookie QB for that scenario but job ending that he didn't recognize it and burn the last timeout to regroup and preserve clock time.

Interesting about your SIL, how often had she been getting Covid shots before that? Not unreasonable that too frequent of shots kept the immune system upregulated and fed into a rheumatoid condition. One of the cool things about Covid is the increasing knowledge about viral transmission. Years ago I got my first flu shot in Jan/Feb and got ill 2 days later. No real explanation why from the docs. A few years ago our hospital instituted mandatory flu shots in early fall and I've never gotten sick from them. What I realize now is that I had probably already had the actual flu before my first time flu vaccine, and much like the follow-up covid dose, my immune system was primed and responded overwhelmingly, resulting in feeling ill.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu-burden/php/data-vis/2020-2021.html Number of Specimens tested were essentially the same as the previous (mostly non-covid)year https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-people-die-flu/ At this point, yes, it was low two years in a row though I am always open to discussion as there is still much we didn't know. But, I trust the CDC didn't change their influenza data collection methods for these years and you can see the amount of tests administered is inline with a normal flu season. Should tests have been higher? Maybe, but it's not significantly lower and the amount of positives (not deaths) is less than 1% of normal! Were there hospitals that were using a positive covid test to gain funding? Most likely, but do I believe it was widespread enough to give us these numbers? Hell no, too many liability issues at stake. Much like the 2020 election that hyperinflated isolated incidents of voter fraud, the same mentality is at work here by the same people. Do you have solid, respected data that says otherwise?

Yes they did. If a patient has to be hospitalized from a viral infection, they're going to do their best to figure out which it is. Is it possible a positive Covid test precluded further testing? Possibly, but I didn't really discuss to that detail with the ER doc I work with. But if the patient is Covid negative they will run through their other tests to best help them save the patient's life. And Covid was everywhere. At the time when the science of it was so unknown medical professionals had to fear for their lives and their family's.

Influenza is easily tested for, your pet theory is extremely unlikely. "NIH Chief" Cholan has an MS and is Chief of the Data Standards Branch, National Library of Medicine. A former scientist who manages a library branch. Bravo "NIH Chief".

Good post, thanks. The entire thing seems vaguely and mildly familiar to DeShaun Watson with the Browns. I'm sure Berry and Stefanski have long wanted to move on .

I don't think they had much of a choice. I read Mara's parting statement to Jones and it sounded like he really loved him and didn't want him to leave.

It's important and Watt definitely has a knack for it. Quite frankly you can't go wrong with either of these guys, I just feel like Watt has less field awareness than Garrett. Myles also plays on a team that really doesn't have much to play for, so his chances to ice a game is definitely lower. This year he's also battling pain in both feet.

Watt's good, but much like Bruce, Garrett makes far more plays in the run game and down the LOS. Couple that with the fact that Cleveland doesn't have much to play for, despite Garrett's post game pressor.

Been to museums in Cleveland, NYC, Pittsburgh, Chicago and small ones out west so this one's gonna sound weird but the best family museum I've ever gone to is the Grand Rapids Public Museum. If you're ever stuck around Grand Rapids, I highly recommend it. They do an amazing job with their displays with a wide variety of items gathered from history and donors around that side of the state. Art, fashion, paleontology, games, natural history, engineering history, war history. It focuses on Western Michigan but has worldwide items donated by wealthy in the area. They recreated an entire street from the 1890's with all the shops that you walk into to see the appropriate artifacts. Aquarium tank with several young sturgeon from the Grand River. A large finnback whale skeleton a local Dr. had bought in Florida and displayed in his front yard for a year before donating to the museum.😂 Interesting collection that keeps you from getting bored for 2-3 hours.

Yes, everyone knows Mahomes sounds like Kermit. The added hair and jersey seem to indicate that also. It's a different kind of disturbing to pretend that this isn't a hanging of Mahomes as a joke. I'm not saying it's racism. But it is symbolic of the lynchings and systemic racism in the south and offensive to at least some members of the black community. I know because I've discussed with some of my friends/acquaintances. It's disappointing and it would be nice if these Mafia members had more class to find a different way to get this joke across.

I appreciate his passion for trying to make the play but I prefer my punter to act as safety. He's just asking to get lit up charging into all those personnel. Sooner or later a ST coach will notice this on film and assign someone to make sure he does.

I posted it after the game, but I feel that Bernard's intelligent enough he goaded Mahomes into making that throw. Kelce is his security blanket over the middle, especially late in games, everyone knows it. Stay far enough off him to make it look like an open window but keep a good angle and slam it shut once the ball is in the air.

They're all playmakers so I say definitely yes despite Benford injury concerns.

With Ty getting at least 30-40% of those runs. He hits heavy and in a hurry.

This year, he's finally a complete quarterback. That's the only complaint talking heads could preach on him, that he was trying the dumb hero throws too much instead of the open shorter routes. But other teams' fans all know how good the guy is and how fun it is to watch him play. For years now. If they can't openly say he's awesome it's because they're jealous we have him. All my non-Bills fan friends sure are.

People were talking that this game was almost meaningless, McD admitting the Chiefs are too good to kick the late field goal followed by staying aggressive on defense the last drive blows that perception out of the water. Now his players have lived it and that confidence has been created for next time. Let's hope he applies it to all the playoff teams past the first round. Continuous improvement McD, well done.

I agree with you about play action, I would also counter that all the boring plays are needed to set up the exotic in a game like this. This was always going to be a tough, grind it out game against a great defense and so as tough as it is to watch, it set up things like the second half flats pass to Shakir for a first down, TD pass to Samuel, and of course Josh's run. They had that 4th down perfectly defensed as they had seen the look a lot!😂 Lulling the defense to a bored state of mind so you can exploit a variation when needed for a big play. Running down the clock with the lead. I think this was purposeful, and especially because we held the lead. And it truly gives me hope for a Superbowl because it's next level stuff this year.

You're going too far with the irrefutable, but not having Bernard, losing Benford, and Von being limited goes beyond their injuries. All three are playmakers, excelling when the moments are the largest with game changing plays. Next man up, yes, but you can't replace losing that big-time factor.

Reminds me of watching the Bills' K gun during the 90's. Just breathtaking watching it click.

What do you bet Bernard goaded Mahomes into that pass. Stayed off Kelce just enough but kept a good angle between Mahomes and Kelce?

Thank you for noticing all that, this is exactly my point with McD. He's gotten us this far, but is he doing everything he can to get us over the playoff hump? Sure it's only a handful of snaps but the troubling aspect is his mentality and lack of emphasis on finding these guys max number of snaps. Set aside the debate of whether or not Elam and Bishop could replace the current starters. They appear to be the first option off the bench if a safety or boundary corner gets injured. What if the injury occurs in the playoffs? Will these guys be as ready as they can be? We know our future, it's certainly true that you get there by focusing one game at a time, but McD is the one leader who has to concurrently tweak and plan for this future now. And for me he appears a bit lacking.