Covid-19 Delenda Est (C*D*E*)(Covid-19 Must Be Destroyed)

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/health/pandemic-routine-medical-care.html

This is a report of a "natural experiment" we are all participating in against our will and it will change the delivery of medical care forever. Remember that quarterly dental check-up for those of us with periodontal disease? Well, it may become semi-annual or even annual in the future. Health workers have been claiming the overmedication and excessive use of medical care (1st world problem) by Americans. Some Americans have limited or no access to medical care, it should be noted. Dr Scott Ramsey, director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research opines that we are doing lots of things we don't have to do and we may do better as a result of this experiment. In March and April visits to the doctor's office went down 70-80% compared to pre-Covid levels. Many doctors are seeing patients by video, like the pulmonologist I saw in May. Orthopedics has also been affected, with a decrease in steroid injections for back pain and surgeries for spinal  ailments and knee pain. Mammographies have been controversial for years. The Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium is collecting data during the pandemic from more than 800,000 women and 100 centers across the nation. Millions of women missed their annual cancer screening during the first wave of the pandemic. It was not until October that the mammography clinics were operating normally. But many women may not return to the clinic for various reasons. It has yet to be determined whether less screening leads to more or less harm.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/10/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-patents.html

Soso doesn't award equal time but this op-ed deals with something I wrote about last week. South Africa and India appealed to the WTO to suspend some intellectual property rights protections for the vaccines  in order to "put lives over profits". Readers of Soso know I agree with this philosophy. The writer claims that removing this patent protection may not ensure fair distribution and will discourage medical innovation. We are aware of Banting and Best's decision  to sell the patent for Insulin to the U of Toronto for $1 (sounds like a Canadian). The co-pay for Insulin manufactured by Eli Lilly is $35, which some people cannot afford. The author claims that the only reason companies can afford to give a drug away is that they know their intellectual property is protected. He makes a valid point that there is not a likelihood of a vaccine monopoly. There are 214 Covid-19 vaccine projects throughout the world and 52 are in clinical trials but this doesn't mean that the poorest will be served. And remember that the taxpayer (our) money was given to several of these companies to fund the development and to enable companies to manufacture vaccines before the data is all in. Take the profit out of heathcare especially in articulo mortis.