[HN Gopher] How will the covid pills change the pandemic?
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How will the covid pills change the pandemic?
Author : amichail
Score : 3 points
Date : 2021-11-21 21:52 UTC (1 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.newyorker.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.newyorker.com)
| coolso wrote:
| I think the worst affected by these pills will be the ones who
| enjoy shaming others for not getting the vaccine. For many, that
| has been the central point of their identities now since around
| January or so, and it will probably be a difficult transition
| period for them moving forward.
| holonomically wrote:
| > A full course, which needs to start within five days of the
| appearance of symptoms, consists of forty pills--four capsules
| taken twice a day, for five days.
|
| I don't understand the logic involved here. Why would anyone be
| willing to take 40 pills for 5 days straight but unwilling to get
| a vaccine shot?
| coolso wrote:
| Two huge reasons: one, ingesting a potentially harmful
| substance has almost always been considered far less dangerous
| than getting it injected into you. Hence aversion to needles,
| blood, etc. Ever seen COPS? Even the most experienced police
| officer will "freak" at the sight or suspicion of a needle and
| everything changes.
|
| Secondly, and this one applied to me: given how new the vaccine
| is, and the slight chance of heart inflammation and blood
| clotting among other things, many people would rather passively
| get COVID through no fault of their own, and very likely
| recover from it easily like most, rather than purposefully get
| a shot which means they're directly playing a role in, in their
| mind, potentially bringing harm to themselves.
|
| I waited 8 months of general availability of the vax, and then
| I was comfortable enough with the (lack of) side effects to
| overcome fear #2.
| holonomically wrote:
| I guess that makes sense but the side-effects seem overblown
| in my opinion. Even with being susceptible to the side-
| effects it is very unlikely that catching the virus
| unwittingly is going to be better. I haven't found any
| studies on comparative outcomes with respect to the virus vs
| the vaccine when it comes to side-effects but whatever I
| could find so far indicates that for those that are
| susceptible to the side-effects of the vaccine the virus is
| much worse because it attacks all tissues indiscriminately.
| pwg wrote:
| Possibly the difference between "I (metaphorical "I") don't
| think I will encounter it." vs. "Oh ...., I have contracted a
| case of it from somewhere."?
|
| Many often change their attitude when things go from "an
| unknown risk of possible future encounter" to "certain to have
| contracted".
| holonomically wrote:
| The virus is endemic so we're already in the certain
| scenario. That's why I don't understand the logic of people
| that refuse vaccination. You can either take 40 pills for 5
| days or you can get vaccinated and avoid the hassle entirely.
| Deferring the decision just guarantees you will take the 40
| pills, there is no way to avoid contracting the virus
| anymore.
| throwawaylinux wrote:
| Or you can do neither and if you are otherwise healthy it
| isn't much to worry about.
|
| Conversely, people with other health problems or who are
| terrified of covid might get both.
| holonomically wrote:
| Being otherwise healthy is no guarantee that you are not
| genetically susceptible to cytokine storm reaction to the
| virus. The vaccine preps the immune system to avoid over-
| reacting, whether you are otherwise healthy or not does
| not really make a difference because no one can control
| their genetics and how it will interact with novel
| viruses. [1]
|
| 1: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra2026131
| throwawaylinux wrote:
| Being otherwise healthy is a massive factor in outcome
| though, and reduces the risk an order of magnitude or so,
| to levels many people don't care about very much.
| holonomically wrote:
| The point is that even for healthy individuals the odds
| are stacked against them if they catch the actual virus
| instead of getting the vaccine and prepping their immune
| system ahead of time. [1]
|
| 1: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/04/fit-and-
| health...
| smt88 wrote:
| It is a lot easier to get someone to take drugs when they're
| feeling sick than when they're feeling healthy.
| holonomically wrote:
| Seems very irrational but I agree it explains the logic of
| the people who are hopeful they are somehow immune to getting
| sick from an endemic virus.
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