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Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

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51–60 of 192 posts

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#51
post #2

And then there are these stories : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287745.php talking about how there are all sorts of Antibiotics we don't even know about (yet). Or drugs that also kill bacteria ( http://phys.org/news/2016-02-major-breakthrough-antibiotic-r... ) or even this ( https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/20/antibi... ) Basically as we get to understand exactly how cells work and how b…

That's a fantasy which we are about to run headlong into, as a species, in part thanks to people who won't face the grim reality and be responsible. This, "Tech will save us!" attitude among the a vast number of people who remain utterly ignorant of the reality of how that might happen, is literally going to kill us all if we're not careful.

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#52
post #5
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, basically, nothing to worry, technology will save us in the end. And it might -- long term. Only, as things are now, between an antibiotic stopping working and finding a replacement, there could be tens of millions of deaths... Aside from wishful thinking there's nothing that guarantees that we'll find the next cure as soon as an old one becomes obsolete.

Everything is a probability right? I generally don't spend my days worrying about how I'm going to survive the next asteroid strike on the planet (guaranteed to to be an issue at some point). I also get in my car and drive on the highway between here and there even though I know there are people driving under the influence that can kill me if they hit my car at speed. There are people who are getting shot by other pe…

Being unaware of a risk, isn't bravery, but there's a word for it.

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#53
post #7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Antibiotic resistance in biofilms can be reversed. It isn't sexy. It isn't dramatic enough for the news. People don't like focusing on it. But we already have research into how to do that. If you are genuinely worried, you can look up such info.

Here is a place to start http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2016/01/29/the-rac... And given that you can use sugar to help heal wounds http://www.drwhitaker.com/sugar-on-wounds-for-healing/ what if you inject a sugar syrup into the bladder every time after you pee. Might work. Research is needed.

There are less painful and ridiculous ways to kill yourself.

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#55
post #2

And then there are these stories : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287745.php talking about how there are all sorts of Antibiotics we don't even know about (yet). Or drugs that also kill bacteria ( http://phys.org/news/2016-02-major-breakthrough-antibiotic-r... ) or even this ( https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/20/antibi... ) Basically as we get to understand exactly how cells work and how b…

You are basing your decisions on hope, which is as opposite of a rational approach as it gets.

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#56

As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_copybook.htm

Scott Alexander's lengthy and masterful followup to / extension of Kipling's poem: http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#57
post #2

And then there are these stories : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287745.php talking about how there are all sorts of Antibiotics we don't even know about (yet). Or drugs that also kill bacteria ( http://phys.org/news/2016-02-major-breakthrough-antibiotic-r... ) or even this ( https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/20/antibi... ) Basically as we get to understand exactly how cells work and how b…

We have an antibiotic crisis and are approaching a post-antibiotic era unless governments around the world aggressively reduce usage and incentivize new production, regardless of what the pseudo-science or soft-science clickbait articles tell you that is the truth.

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#58
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You didn't detect the note of humour in my comment? :)

I'm claiming Poe's Law here. This is such a neckbeard response it's ridiculous. "If nobody ever had sex we'd wipe out STDs within a generation!"

If nobody was having sex, you'd wipe out a generation in a generation.

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#59
post #34

If officials from the U.N. or from the WHO warn about something, I sleep particularly well at night, knowing that it's probably blown out of proportion by several orders or magnitude. Remember the bird flu? My employer at the time bought truckloads of sanitizers, plastic bins and related stuff. A complete waste of money. These people have lost every last shred of credibility for me.

You understand the point of warnings is for action to be taken to hopefully prevent a further problem, right?

Have street "Stop" signs lost their credibility with you too?

Re: Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn

#60
Keep in mind that media outlets are unlikely to point out the fact that antibiotic resistance is mainly caused by antibiotic overuse on farms for livestock (due to the conflict of interest when so many ad dollars come from food).

Yes, humans failing to finish their run for the time prescribed for them, and use of antibiotics for viral infections have been a problem too. But those are completely dwarfed by farm use.

Funding for new antibiotic research should come from taxes on big agribusiness and there should be more regulation on antibiotic use for livestock.

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