Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined • Hacker News Board

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#261

Post by kragen » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 4:41 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #114

hep_c_throwaway wrote: post #62

Using a throwaway for obvious reasons. Like many of you, I'm a young and healthy guy. I haven't taken a sick day in years. Since I'm young and healthy, I didn't see the need to take an annual physical exam. Scheduling doctor's appointments is such a hassle. I'm sure many of you feel the same. So when I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, it came as a complete shock to me. The shock was due to two reasons: 1. I wasn't inv…

If I tell this to my doc he'll just explain me the risks of preventive screening.

Tell your hypothetical idiot doctor about the new guidance coming from the CDC and watch how fast he shuts his stupid hypothetical mouth.

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#262

Post by evgen » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 5:14 PM UTC

masonic wrote: post #212

3fe9a03ccd14ca5 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s basically to the point where it’s: > Go to and be treated for

Go to and be treated for FTFY

Go to and be treated for

FTFY a bit more honestly.

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#263

Post by kragen » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 5:15 PM UTC

giarc wrote: post #236

3fe9a03ccd14ca5 wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MRSA is an STD?

I also wouldn't call scabies an STD. Just as likely to pick up scabies shaking someone's hands then someones........

No, scabies transmission requires sustained skin-to-skin contact. You can't get it by shaking hands unless it's some kind of publicity stunt where you shake hands without stopping for fifteen minutes.

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#264

Post by evgen » Fri, Dec 27, 2019, 5:23 PM UTC

chimeracoder wrote: post #198

3fe9a03ccd14ca5 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s basically to the point where it’s: > Go to and be treated for

> It’s basically to the point where it’s: > > Go to and be treated for For Hepatitis C? Absolutely not. It's way easier for US citizens to access the drugs to cure HCV in the US than it is for, say, British citizens to access it in the UK. If you want to talk about other conditions, fine, but for Hepatitis C, this statements is patently false.

Given that the NHS lists most of the meds discussed so far as approved treatments [https://www.nsh.uk/conditions/hepatitis-c/treatment] and Hep C is been a target for increased treatment by the NHS for the past two years I am wondering what you base your claim that it is easier for US citizens to get access to the drugs than it is in the UK?

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#265

Post by kwhitefoot » Sat, Dec 28, 2019, 9:48 AM UTC

WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/digestive-diseases-hepatitis...) says that 3.9 million people in the US have this disease, more than 1 in 100 of the population. And https://hepatitisc.net/what-is/statistics/ says that worldwide abou 70 million, again roughly 1 per 100. This seems rather a lot. What is missing from the statistics I have been able to find is any breakdown by location, lifestyle, diet, etc. The only hint is that the majority of injection-drug users are infected and that poor blood screening in the past has contributed.

If this disease is so widespread it seems to me that public health measures that prevent or reduce the risk of infection must, in the long run at least, be necessary.

What measures might they be and is there anything that an individual can do to reduce their risk?

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#266

Post by tripzilch » Sat, Dec 28, 2019, 2:42 PM UTC

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #192

jxramos wrote: post #163

Here's the crux point... """ ...clinicians are now able to successfully cure at least 95% of patients with the chronic condition with oral medications that have little or no side effects. "With such an effective means for cure, it only makes sense to universally screen patients," Cheung said. "Implementation of universal screening will also decrease the likelihood of primary care physicians forgetting who does or doe…

This seems related to the political question of how much healthcare costs should be socialized, i.e. spread across a group rather than shouldered by individuals. As someone who doesn't smoke, barely drinks alcohol, doesn't take illegal drugs, and (I hope) is in a lifelong-monogamous relationship, I hate having to cover healthcare costs specific to those problems. On the other hand, as someone with chronic mild obesit…

> As someone who doesn't smoke, barely drinks alcohol, doesn't take illegal drugs, and (I hope) is in a lifelong-monogamous relationship, I hate having to cover healthcare costs specific to those problems.

You should try some compassion--they say it's also a healthy life choice.

And, that must be pretty convenient, how the legality of drugs just happens to line up exactly with how you judge people on whether they're worthy and deserve health or not.

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#267

Post by tripzilch » Sat, Dec 28, 2019, 2:55 PM UTC

big_chungus wrote: post #258

tapland wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the moral one. You could have gotten any conceivable illness while having had optimal healthy habits forever. The US pays around 2x the cost compared to any other country, and just as much as the others from taxes, presumably just to be able to say 'F YOU' to those who can't afford care.

This is a gross mischaracterization of the position I and mamy others hold. Fundamentally, I will pay twice as much to avoid the state dipping its slimy fingers into another aspect of my life. More practically, our screwed-up healthcare system resulted from state involvement (FDA bureaucracy, wage & price controls, etc.), so I don't think more state involvement will fix a thing.

You know what really screwed things up? The ability for people to pay (two times, ten times, whatever) to get whatever they want and not give a f about how this affects society, and in particular the people without the ability to pay $$$ to get their will.

What on earth are you dreaming that could give you the right to pay for the ability to deny health care to the rest of society??

Because without that society, you too, are nothing.

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#268

Post by carapace » Sat, Dec 28, 2019, 3:46 PM UTC

vo2maxer wrote: post #175

carapace wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Don't take medical advice from strangers on the Internet." is an important rule, but "Get a yearly physical." is hardly controversial or high-risk advice, eh what?

The annual physical exam as it is currently understood by most patients and performed by many physicians is actually quite controversial. It has become more of a just-in-case tradition with little evidence for its benefits. The best approach is to consult the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and follow its screening recommendations: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/

Well... shut my mouth. :-)

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#269

Post by whb07 » Sat, Dec 28, 2019, 5:26 PM UTC

evgen wrote: post #262

masonic wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go to and be treated for FTFY

Go to and be treated for FTFY a bit more honestly.

Except that any of your countries in that list don't actually generate any worthwhile drug.

Re: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined

#270

Post by big_chungus » Sat, Dec 28, 2019, 5:34 PM UTC

tripzilch wrote: post #267

big_chungus wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a gross mischaracterization of the position I and mamy others hold. Fundamentally, I will pay twice as much to avoid the state dipping its slimy fingers into another aspect of my life. More practically, our screwed-up healthcare system resulted from state involvement (FDA bureaucracy, wage & price controls, etc.), so I don't think more state involvement will fix a thing.

You know what really screwed things up? The ability for people to pay (two times, ten times, whatever) to get whatever they want and not give a f about how this affects society, and in particular the people without the ability to pay $$$ to get their will. What on earth are you dreaming that could give you the right to pay for the ability to deny health care to the rest of society?? Because without that society, you…

I am not paying to deny any one any thing; rather I am simply not paying for them to receive it. What is wrong with paying to get what I want? How does my purchase of medical treatment harm another?

> Because without that society, you too, are nothing.

This reflects a profound ideological difference between you and me. I believe the individual's value is a unique, personal thing that exists independent of society; you seem to think individuals are without value on their own. You are evidently a much more collectivist person. That's fine, go form your collective, but don't force others to enter at gunpoint.