Isn't the time to engage the other side?

If we want to get back to normal we have to ask questions right to the other side

Staying in silos will not get us out of the current pandemic. I don’t have a good opinion about big tech and mainstream media. But if we want to get back to normal, we have to engage the other side. We better start asking questions about covid-19 to the other side and engage with:

1. tv stations such as msnbc, cnn, nbcnews, cnbc, abcnews …

2. newpapers such as newyorktimes, washingtonpost …

3. big tech: twitter, facebook, linkedin …

How it can be done:

1. Listen to what they say

2. Read what they write

3. Understand what the facts are

4. Comment if your opinion is nuanced different

5. Write if the difference is substantial

6. Expose the challenge in your understanding when necessary

7. Stay on and with the facts and focus on covid-19

8. No finger pointing, no blame, no personal attacks, no swear, no arrogance, no negativity, with humility, ignorance, gentle and smooth. Have a civilized discussion

9. Be brave to call the things as they are

10. Ask questions mainly

Even if the questions will not be answered, or answered partially, or answered in a way they are not answered, some people might see the difference and understand the lack of proper answers.

As an example, this is an article from today cnn:

“President Joe Biden's top health officials came to an afternoon briefing at the White House Thursday with a warning -- and a request.

He'd determined ahead of time that his message would be muddled if he answered any questions afterward, so he sat uncharacteristically silent as reporters peppered him on their way out.“

Isn’t time for the President to address directly the American people? Why wouldn’t the American people understand the message directly from their President? Isn’t the president aware of the division between the American people and the mainstream media?

“It was a message the officials urged Biden to deliver to the public in the clearest terms possible, according to people familiar with the session. Only by laying out the stark difference in outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated infections could the gravity of the moment come through.”

What does it mean “stark differences in outcomes” between vaccinated and unvaccinated? Can a different basket be created from day 0 to day 14 after vaccination such as partially vaccinated? Can the exact numbers be provided such as: numbers of {vaccinated, partially vaccinated, unvaccinated} {hospitalized, deaths}?

Suggestion for the future: if possible the numbers used for decisions be included in any press release and press conference. Thank you!

“For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated -- for themselves, their families and the hospitals they'll soon overwhelm. But there's good news: If you're vaccinated and you have your booster shot, you're protected from severe illness and death," the President said.“

Why the focus on the unvaccinated when the latest omicron news from south africa, usa and the world talk about a mild disease happening mainly in vaccinated? How long time the booster will offer protection: 3 month, 6 months? What is the plan regarding covid-19 for the next year or so? Why rush almost every time a new variant appear?

“The emergence of the Omicron variant has thrust the nation -- and the White House -- back into an uncertain pandemic reality, posing both public health and political challenges for a leader whose ultimate success depends almost entirely on his ability to contain the virus.

Already, cases and hospitalizations are surging in some parts of the country, leading to a 31% increase in cases and a 20% increase in hospitalizations from two weeks ago.“

Can the hospitalization numbers be presented granular for vaccinated, partial vaccinated and unvaccinated? What about the deaths?

“Yet Biden and his team have all but ruled out new lockdowns, and behind the scenes, administration officials have been debating how to shift public attention from the total number of cases -- which appear likely to surge, even if many are mild -- toward the number of severe infections that are overloading health systems and causing interruptions to normal life.“

Why not present all the numbers available? Why not explain your decisions as the decisions are based on the numbers and which numbers are used? Can the severe infection be described? What is the threshold when a health system is considered overloaded? What is normal life? And what are the possible interruptions?

"We're getting to the point now where ... it's about severity," said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in a meeting with reporters this week. "It's not about cases. It's about severity."

How is the covid-19 severity defined? Is covid-19 the only priority disease? What are the first 3 leading mortality diseases in the United States?

“Administration officials acknowledge the Omicron surge will likely rip through the country, a psychological setback for a population that's become highly attuned to the pandemic. In some places where vaccination rates lag, the consequences will be debilitating, administration officials fear. But in areas where most people have received their initial shots and boosters, the effects could be minimal.”

Where is the data from these trends coming from? Which are the states with most debilitating consequences? Where is the data from the states receiving their initial shots and boosters, where the effects from omicron could be minimal?

"You have a Delta surge now that, even if we didn't have Omicron, would be a real challenge for the unvaccinated people. ... That's the ingredients of a perfect storm," a senior administration official said. "That's the reason why the message has to be, 'Get vaccinated -- and if you are vaccinated, get boosted.' "

Why the delta and omicron data is not shared with the public? Is the vaccination the only solution? What about the people whom had the covid-19 and two years in the pandemic are doing well? Wouldn’t someone that had the disease be safe for himself / herself and the people around, while a vaccinated person can still get and transmit the virus?

“For the President, how to proceed with a new surge is a question not only of public health but also of politics. Biden and his team have long asserted that ending the pandemic and returning the economy to normal is the cure for his political woes. A spike in cases over the summer due to the Delta variant, paired with renewed restrictions and mask requirements, coincided with a softening of his approval ratings.”

What has the politics to do with the health of the people? Isn’t it the best if my health is decoupled from politics? Wouldn’t it be better for the President if the focus is on people’s health regardless the President’s ratings?

“Still, concrete information about the severity of disease caused by Omicron remains something of a mystery. And less severe cases will still require widespread vaccination, which remains elusive in the United States, despite Biden's efforts.”

Wouldn’t it be helpful if the data is shared daily about the omicron? If the severity is low or unknown (mystery), does it make sense to test on scale or even vaccinate?

"God love you!" Biden exclaimed, before issuing a light rebuke of Aaron Rogers, the Green Bay player who's refused to get a shot: "Tell that quarterback he's got to get the vaccine."

Why should the quarterback get the vaccine if he’s doing well, actually better than the vaccinated? What is the medical thinking for this advice?