Suppose that you’re slightly fatter than the ordinarily chubby American (average BMI of 27, which is “overweight”). Maybe your BMI is 28.5, for example. Would it make sense to chow down at illegal holiday gatherings this year in hopes of hitting an “obese” BMI of 30? At that point, you could get priority for the COVID-19 vaccine.
13 thoughts on “Should fat Americans chow down in order to become obese and get the COVID-19 vaccine?”
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Recreational marijuana is now legal in several additional states and, of course, here in Massachusetts, Land of the Minutemen. A couple of days ago I was en route to a doctor’s appointment, listening to one of the few remaining classic rock stations and their crew of superannuated adolescent morning DJs. They were doing their schtick reading from the police blotter, bantering about the guys who were arrested for heroin/hard drug trafficking and weapons violations. I won’t mention the ethnicities of *all* the last names, but they overwhelmingly trended Latinx. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
One of the DJs noted: “Well, at least marijuana is legal in MA so if you’re growing your own and you have a dozen plants, you can’t smoke all that, and you can just give pot as a stocking stuffer and stay out of trouble.” The next DJ picked that up and ran with it: “That’ll help with the holiday conversations. Just turn on the TV, pop The Road Warrior into the DVD and sit back. It’ll also cut down on the leftovers, which are always a big pain for the wife and I. We always wind up gaining 10 pounds because nobody else eats the leftovers.”
Since marijuana dispensaries are “essential businesses” and we’re coming into the big-eating grand finale holidays, this problem might take care of itself! Lots of people could pick up enough BMI points to qualify by the time New Years celebrations are over if they get started soon!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King-Size_Homer
Youyang Gu has a new website, estimating time-to-arrival of herd immunity in the US!
https://covid19-projections.com/path-to-herd-immunity/
https://twitter.com/youyanggu
Sometime around August 1! Astonishing. How’s that for confirming the MIT Tech. Review estimate that everything would go on for at least 18 months after March, 2020?
https://covid19-projections.com/path-to-herd-immunity/
“What will America look like in August?” < Me.
"Under this model, the researchers conclude, social distancing and school closures would need to be in force some two-thirds of the time—roughly two months on and one month off—until a vaccine is available, which will take at least 18 months (if it works at all). They note that the results are “qualitatively similar for the US.” < MIT Technology review.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/03/17/905264/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing-18-months/
> We’ll adapt to and accept such measures, much as we’ve adapted to increasingly stringent airport security screenings in the wake of terrorist attacks. The intrusive surveillance will be considered a small price to pay for the basic freedom to be with other people.
“Thank you! Thank you for my basic freedoms, MIT Technology Review!” – America, August 2021.
“”I am gravely disappointed. Again you have made me unleash my dogs of war. Look at what remains of your gallant scounts. Why? Because you’re selfish.” – Greeting From the Humungus, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Greetings from the Humungus, Hizzoner and the Ayatollah of Rock n’ Rolla! – Bill de Blasio:
“What is increasingly clear is that all forms of restrictions have to be on the table at this point,” de Blasio said. “At the current rate we are going you have to be ready now for a full shutdown, a pause like we had back at the end of the spring.”
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/de-blasio-nyc-should-prepare-for-full-shutdown
I believe the most useful form of restriction which should be on the table is a long-term jail cell for de Blasio for usurping tyrannical powers and blatantly violating constitutional and civil rights of his subjects.
Can’t believe how acceptable it became for the vaccine to be stalled in bureaucracy for a month while the rest of the world approved it. Only after creating some emergency approvals could it finally make any progress in the FDA, otherwise they would never be allowed to approve it.
@lion2: There was absolutely no way in this Universe that Pfizer’s trial results were going to be released to the world before at least one week after November 3. Even Angela Merkel could tell you that.
Aren’t prisoners in MA getting it first? Get yourself locked up. Or maybe think about it for a second, prisoners can’t vote so why are they getting it first?
When they get around to me I’m going to donate my doses to the zoo. Remember those lions and tigers getting ‘rona? That was sad and I don’t want that to happen again.
Before the election many scientists were concerned about a politics driven rush to approve a vaccine without enough testing. Japanese experts seem less panicked and are still expressing concerns.The director of the Japanese Society of Clinical Virology says the risk of vaccine enhanced disease appearing after the initial immunity fades is so large he won’t yet risk a shot even though he is elderly.
The FDA acknowledged in its review of Pfizer’s vaccine that “vaccine-associated enhanced disease…an important risk…. over time…. potentially associated with waning immunity”. i.e. there is a risk that after the initial sterilizing immunity fades and people do develop infections: that the infections may be more severe than if they hadn’t been vaccinated. Even though FDA & Pfizer acknowledge the issue: the risk isn’t mentioned in the information they have for patience and healthcare practitioners. If people are going to learn to trust vaccines: they need to be fully informed about *all* risks so they can decide for themselves whether to take the vaccine.
Since severe cases of COVID-19 are due to a dysfunctional immune reaction: it seems there should be concern regarding the risk of a dysfunctional immune reaction after a vaccine’s initial sterilizing immunity fades. Will it be a higher risk or lower? Only longer testing will determine that. Even animal studies aren’t enough since it appears severe covid-19 reactions in humans aren’t exactly the same as far as I’ve read so far.
There are links to the FDA’s review, journal articles, and more information, including a petition and meme about the issue, at BuildVaccineTrust.com I’ve always been pro-vaccine, I’ve no trouble with any prior CDC recommended vaccine, and hope they will eventually get this one right: but if the public thinks they are hiding risks from them about this vaccine, they will lose trust in the process. They are risking a backlash against this vaccine, as well as others.
Please consider posting and tweeting about the issue. I just started the site late Sunday, so there is only 1 signature on the petition so far, since unfortunately I’m not an influencer and am using a pen name to avoid being “canceled” due to the panic everyone is in regarding the virus and their impatience to get a vaccine.
OT: Inspiring example of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!”:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vietnam-condom-recycling-police-raid-factory-used-resale/
I just heard from someone I mentioned this blog to that their post hadn’t appeared. I’m guessing it just went to a moderator, but since I’ve posted before mine might not.
They have concerns that public doesn’t fully realize that an “Emergency use Authorization” doesn’t mean the vaccine is safe. In fact the FDA has major concerns about problems that may appear in the future and wouldn’t have shown up in such a short trial, and Pfizer acknowledges the issue. The info is at a site with lots of credible sources linked, BuildVaccineTrust.com It just went up yesterday I take it, and I hadn’t gone through everything or signed the petition there (no one has yet it seems, no one likes being first). It seems to be an important issue, but its not clear how someone with no media profile raises it publicly.
Fat or not, there will be Americans who will refuse to take the vaccine and those who will take it without any question and show for it. Those two groups will have at it and the news media will do their thing to get ratings.
I honestly don’t see how the vaccine will end or ease any of this mess that our scientist, government and media put us in and I say this not just for the US but for the world. Until when you have a way to prove that a vaccine will eradicate COVD-19 with 100% certainty and until when you have a way to vaccinate every living human on the planet, covidfear will not go away.
Here is just one example of how silly this has gotten. Public libraries in my state of MA, when you return a checked out item, the item is disinfected and sits ideal and isolated for at least 7 days before it goes back into circulation. OK, so that shows our government is looking after us, but what about mail that I get from USPS? Are mails also being quarantine before they make it to my mailbox? What about cash money?