bitwizard comments

I would wager that about 50% of the population no longer believes in science. At least that is what it looks like from where I am sitting. Objective fact has nothing to do with your feelings or your beliefs. If you are not looking towards peer reviewed scientific data for the basis of your assertions, you have no right to participate in the conversation.

Critical thinking seems to always be chalked up to "alarmist outrage" on this board. How many waves have we seen occur thus far? 6? I, like anyone else, want things to go back to normal as soon as possible. But we need to transition gradually, not abruptly. Every time an SOE ends, hoards of people flood the streets with their back-to-normal mentality and cause another wave to occur. I am hopeful that the vaccine will have a major impact with regards to new infections occurring. But, if nothing else, I would like to hope we have at least collectively learned to take our time with reopening.

@Jimizo

So you're saying that this scientific study has been debunked by esteemed scientists who have proven otherwise?

Who exactly made any such study the object of ridicule?

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00084-5/fulltext

This contains all the details of a study performed in April 2021. I don't feel that linking a long term Scientific study showing the link between covid 19 and cognitive impairment is "narrative" based or biased in any way. It's literally all facts and it's about as rational/objective as you can get.

@jimizo

There are countless academic studies that prove the lasting side effects of Covid-19.

This one is from Oxford, or is that not good enough for you?

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.577529/full

Imagine a world where scientific fact was trumped by the confirmation bias of the selectively uninformed...oh wait...that's the world we live in. Nevermind.

Permanent Cognitive impairment is a well documented side effect of covid-19 at this point. People continue to break this down into a matter of life vs death while ignoring the lasting side effects completely. At the end of the day, your goal should be to not get infected and not infect others! Whether you live or die from covid, there is a fair chance that it will have a lasting, potentially life-long negative impact on your health. The level of cognitive dissonance required to simply ignore these well documented lasting side effects is unreal.

@joffy

While deaths being down is obviously a good thing, the parallel concern has and continues to be the long-term effects of the virus on a person's health. I constantly see this broken down into a life vs. death thing, but if you suddenly die from a stroke 5 years from now or have to live with permanent cognitive impairment due to the severity and lasting symptoms of covid, wouldn't that be bad as well? I am sure there are those among us who are resilient enough to get infected and "bounce back" with little to no side effects. However, those of us who do not may end up suffering long term effects deal with health problems for the rest of their lives.