Ventilators Aren’t Going to Cure COVID-19. Here’s What They Can Do. | Talking Points Memo

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1304293

Here’s why Donald is suddenly against the WHO. Look at footnotes!
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This is fascinating. Clearly we have so much to learn about this disease. One of the odd things is the range of symptoms which run from none at all in perhaps 50% of cases, to mild illness, up to serious illness and death. There are very few illnesses which have that wide a range of presentations.

While age and pre-existing conditions are certainly factors, they aren’t the whole story, since there are quite a few cases of young healthy patients who end up extremely sick or dead. There are studies looking at genetics, which may play a role, as might the viral inoculum. If we can learn this better, it will help. Taking risks knowing you face a few days in bed is a very different thing than risking death or permanent disability.

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sad, butt true!

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And keep in mind that the virus has mutated. I read a report that so far there 3 distinct varieties of this virus…sorry don’t know where I saw this. There may differences between these varieties in the way our bodies respond to them…let alone the differences from person-to-person in the state of their health and such.

And this might be just an aside, but what genius thought that ventilator was a cure in the first place. That’s like saying a heart-lung machine is a cure for heart disease.

Sorry to be negative, but that’s a really dumb headline for this story. I’ve never heard anyone claim that ventilators were going to cure anyone and, in fact, quite early on doctors knew that ventilator use cut both ways.

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Agree. I wish TPM would quit flogging this story. Medical professionals who know what they’re doing need tools, and ventilators are a tool. I don’t look to TPM for medical advice, and it’s not why I paid for ad-free. Tempted to opt out if this is the best TPM can do.