COVID Resource thread- places to get resources, information or help

[MichVandal]

The 4 free per household COVID Tests via the USPS https://special.usps.com/testkits

 

[Handyman]

Smoking weed with the D-O-Double-G?

 

[Kepler]

We can remove this. Dump has 45 more likely ways to kill us now.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)

Rep. John Rose: "If we don't have secure elections, then we'll see events like what happened in 2020 happen again and again" (He means Republicans losing ... )

bsky.app

 

[Slap Shot]

For fun I asked ChatGPT to provide counter-arguments to criticisms of Fauci. I thought it was pretty interesting. As with anything AI related you should always fact-check which I have not done yet:

There are several common criticisms of Anthony S. Fauci's role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are evidence-based counterarguments that supporters have offered. These are not definitive refutations, but rather the principal arguments made in his defense.

Criticism	Common Counterargument
He changed his guidance too often.	Public health recommendations changed because scientific understanding evolved. Early in 2020, little was known about transmission, asymptomatic spread, or the effectiveness of interventions. Revising guidance as new evidence emerged is a normal part of science rather than necessarily a sign of incompetence.
He discouraged masks early on, then later recommended them.	Defenders note that early recommendations reflected limited evidence for community masking and concerns about preserving supplies for healthcare workers. As evidence accumulated that masks could reduce transmission and supply shortages eased, guidance changed accordingly. Critics argue the initial messaging should have been more transparent about these factors.
Lockdowns caused enormous economic and social harm.	Fauci has stated that he did not have unilateral authority to impose lockdowns. Decisions were made by elected officials—governors, mayors, and the White House—who weighed public health advice alongside economic, legal, and political considerations.
School closures harmed children.	Supporters argue that early decisions were made before vaccines and before the risks to children, teachers, and families were well understood. They also point out that Fauci later supported reopening schools when mitigation measures and vaccines became available, though some critics believe reopening should have been encouraged sooner.
He overstated vaccine effectiveness.	Defenders note that the original clinical trials showed very high protection against symptomatic disease from early virus strains. As new variants emerged and immunity waned, vaccine effectiveness against infection declined, but protection against severe illness and death remained comparatively strong.
He was inconsistent about natural immunity.	Supporters argue that while prior infection does provide immunity, evidence eventually suggested that vaccination after infection ("hybrid immunity") often produced broader and more durable protection. Recommendations evolved as more data became available.
He supported vaccine mandates.	Defenders argue that mandates have historical precedent in certain settings (such as healthcare and some schools) and were intended to reduce severe disease, protect vulnerable populations, and preserve healthcare capacity during a public health emergency. Opponents counter that the ethical and legal tradeoffs were too great.
He was responsible for every federal COVID policy.	Fauci served primarily as a scientific advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Final policy decisions were made by elected officials and agency leaders across multiple administrations.
He intentionally misled the public.	Supporters generally argue there is no conclusive evidence that Fauci deliberately sought to deceive the public. They contend that some statements later proved inaccurate because they reflected the best available evidence at the time rather than intentional falsehoods. Critics disagree with this interpretation in some instances.

Broader arguments made in Fauci's defense​

• The pandemic involved substantial uncertainty. COVID-19 presented a novel virus with rapidly changing evidence, making it difficult for any public health official to provide perfect guidance.
• Scientific guidance is expected to evolve. In medicine and epidemiology, recommendations are routinely updated as better evidence becomes available. Many supporters view changing recommendations as a strength of evidence-based practice rather than a weakness.
• His role was advisory rather than executive. Fauci communicated scientific recommendations but did not independently enact nationwide lockdowns, school closures, or vaccine mandates.
• Some recommendations likely saved lives. Supporters cite evidence that vaccination, improved hospital treatment protocols, testing, and non-pharmaceutical interventions contributed to reductions in severe illness and mortality, particularly before vaccines became widely available.

Balanced perspective​

Many historians and public health experts agree on two points that can both be true:

• Some of Fauci's recommendations or public communications have been criticized as unclear, overly cautious, or later shown to be incomplete.
• At the same time, he was making recommendations during an unprecedented global health emergency with incomplete information, and many changes in guidance reflected evolving scientific evidence rather than arbitrary reversals.

The debate over Fauci's handling of the pandemic often centers not only on the underlying science but also on questions of risk tolerance, communication, public trust, and the balance between individual liberty and public health.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

It was a novel virus. Everyone, including Fauci, did the best they could. Republicans said he didn't follow science or something like that. BS. It was a novel virus. I do not understand idiots who do not get that. One of the major things that turned me off of Maher.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

It was a novel virus. I do not understand idiots who do not get that.

MAGAts are so stupid that they would probably burn bookstores if you tried to tell them that.