Live data from Hacker News

Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

privpapers.ssrn.com

71–80 of 83 posts

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "...they're for risk assessment and public policy." even for that, it's inconsequential. there are many greater and more relevant risks to worry about at a policy level. food-borne botulism has a different risk profile in that the ever-increasing centralization of food distribution can potentially unbound those risks. > "...another now-quantified danger does nudge your average 'danger score' higher. ...more people…

While you are inserting the worry here. I think a person who is susceptible to flu, such as the aged, should be aware that they should probably get a flu shot before they go to their favourite team that has lost for the last 50 years. Otherwise they might not make it to the day they finally win.

that's exactly the point: the vulnerable should get vaccinated because the flu can kill you anywhere, not specifically because you might get the flu at a game. that latter sort of reasoning is irrational because the added risk is inconsequential relative to the overall risk.

you shouldn't try to time the shot to right before going to games, because that's irrational. get it before the flu season, and then this tiny added risk matters even less.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#72
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but that's not vaccination. His cat's vet is upset he doesn't vaccinate the cat, so I think it's safe to say he's not avoiding the vet in general.

OP said > A cat that no longer goes outside and occupants that don’t interact with other cats basically means the cat is under total isolation. Which is not entirely true. Even indoor cats can get worms, and periodic deworming is part of preventative care as vaccinations. The fact that deworming vs vaccinations interact with the cat’s immune system differently is an implementation detail that is inconsequential to th…

> can get

And I “can get” yellow fever if someone with it comes back to my neighbourhood, a mosquito bites them and then bites me. But it’s largely a waste of money for me to get vaccinated anyway.

Considering risk vs. cost of prevention seems to be lost when dealing with vets (whom also often lack strong evidence for their interventions).

If anything, it’s the humans in the household that could benefit from preventative de-worming, not the cat exclusively eating canned cat food.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#73
post #4

I can foresee that one of the consequences of the pandemic will be a permanent change in the way that society views transmissible diseases. Prior to March, it was okay to gather in large groups and just get sick a few times a year. After the pandemic, I’m not sure people will be okay with that anymore.

> After the pandemic, I’m not sure people will be okay with that anymore.

I expect there to be a huge, sustained upsurge in travel and socializing after Covid disappears.

The predictions that - for example - air travel will never recover, are just bizarre. If anything, there will be waiting lists to get a plane ticket.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#74
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Read what I've actually said: I'm talking about leisure and social activities. My life is already normal with respect to social and leisure activities. We only keep a lil more distance and do more outside, the former being fine, the latter being an improvement.

Well, you're very fortunate.

I am. It helps to be grateful for what you've got, and focus on simple pleasures.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#75
post #4

I can foresee that one of the consequences of the pandemic will be a permanent change in the way that society views transmissible diseases. Prior to March, it was okay to gather in large groups and just get sick a few times a year. After the pandemic, I’m not sure people will be okay with that anymore.

I’m hoping my cat’s vet and others will stop looking at me like a monster for skipping most vaccines. A cat that no longer goes outside and occupants that don’t interact with other cats basically means the cat is under total isolation.

Why not give you cat vaccines? Cost?

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#76
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> we are all craving a return to normality Not all . I'm not. I'm missing a couple of things, but I'm not looking forward to "normality". Not wasting my life on commuting has made a huge difference in my life. I tend to get several colds per year, even in the summer, which has added up to a moderate benefit. I hope that our increased awareness of disease prevention will be enduring.

> Not all . Look at the rest of my comment. When I said "all" I was clearly talking about people I know, not everbody everywhere. Specifically people that I know. > Not wasting my life on commuting has made a huge difference in my life. That's fair but it's also again quite clearly not what I was talking about. Read what I've actually said: I'm talking about leisure and social activities. Seriously: stop picking rand…

I took a communications class many years ago, and the one lesson that stuck in my mind was this:

"When someone misunderstands what you said or wrote, who is responsible for the miscommunication? You are. They didn't misinterpret you, your communication was unclear."

I (mis)read your "all" in the same way as the other commenter, as a reference to "all people" (including, but not limited to your group of friends).

There have been many times when I've said something that others "misunderstood". It was a hard lesson to learn, but it has served me well to take responsibility myself for the miscommunication, apologize for being unclear, and try to state things in a less ambiguous way.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not all . Look at the rest of my comment. When I said "all" I was clearly talking about people I know, not everbody everywhere. Specifically people that I know. > Not wasting my life on commuting has made a huge difference in my life. That's fair but it's also again quite clearly not what I was talking about. Read what I've actually said: I'm talking about leisure and social activities. Seriously: stop picking rand…

I took a communications class many years ago, and the one lesson that stuck in my mind was this: "When someone misunderstands what you said or wrote, who is responsible for the miscommunication? You are. They didn't misinterpret you, your communication was unclear." I (mis)read your " all " in the same way as the other commenter, as a reference to "all people" (including, but not limited to your group of friends). Th…

[deleted]

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#78
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP said > A cat that no longer goes outside and occupants that don’t interact with other cats basically means the cat is under total isolation. Which is not entirely true. Even indoor cats can get worms, and periodic deworming is part of preventative care as vaccinations. The fact that deworming vs vaccinations interact with the cat’s immune system differently is an implementation detail that is inconsequential to th…

> can get And I “can get” yellow fever if someone with it comes back to my neighbourhood, a mosquito bites them and then bites me. But it’s largely a waste of money for me to get vaccinated anyway. Considering risk vs. cost of prevention seems to be lost when dealing with vets (whom also often lack strong evidence for their interventions). If anything, it’s the humans in the household that could benefit from preventa…

> If anything, it’s the humans in the household that could benefit from preventative de-worming

If you have a habit of nibbling on the bugs and the flies that wander into your house like cats do, I think indeed you could benefit from deworming.

Besides, if yellow fever is carried as frequently as worms in your neighborhood, you should definitely get vaccinated.

Finally, your cost-benefit analysis is a strawman argument. OP thinks their cat is completely isolated, I posited that it is not. I am not saying they have to get treatment nor I am moralizing them not doing it. It is perfectly fine to take an educated risk, but that hinges on the education of what vectors are still available to your indoor cat.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#79

Couldn't we go further, and just say "cities increase seasonal influenza mortality"? I mean, anything that is social, is almost certain to involve increased transmission of human-to-human infectious diseases. Live theater, classrooms, church services, drag shows, you name it, if it involves bringing a lot of people together, it's probably going to increase the spread of infectious diseases that spread by human-to-hum…

Public transit being another example of close-quarters contact in typically unsanitary conditions. And for those puritans who will inevitably attempt to reduce everything to a moral binary, I am not arguing against public transit. It’s a very good thing in many locations and I have no problem believing it is more ecologically friendly than many other modes of transit.

People don't yell in close proximity to me on public transit.

Re: Professional sporting events increase seasonal influenza mortality in US cities

#80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Public transit being another example of close-quarters contact in typically unsanitary conditions. And for those puritans who will inevitably attempt to reduce everything to a moral binary, I am not arguing against public transit. It’s a very good thing in many locations and I have no problem believing it is more ecologically friendly than many other modes of transit.

People don't yell in close proximity to me on public transit.

Yelling and free style rapping are commonplace on public transit in my major US city.
Post reply on HN