As ridiculous as it was to hear MSNBC’s unhinged host Joy Reid tell viewers “we have to prioritize the people that have done the right thi...
As ridiculous as it was to hear MSNBC’s unhinged host Joy Reid tell viewers “we have to prioritize the people that have done the right thing for two years who are exhausted, who are sick of having to accommodate these people who are making other people sick,” it was even more egregious to see and hear her guest, Dr. Lipi Roy, the network’s medical contributor.
My first impression of Roy, 48, was a little off-putting. In the exchange below, she had donned a T-shirt that said “FAUCI” in large block letters.
The fact that she would appear on camera in a casual T-shirt one might wear to go to the supermarket was bad enough, but the message it screamed was even worse.
It would be the equivalent of turning on Fox News to see one of their medical contributors, Dr. Nicole Saphier or Dr. Marc Siegel, wearing a MAGA hat.
It was when Roy spoke, however, that she really started to grate.
She suggested that “the unvaccinated” be placed on a triage list.
“And so,” Roy told Reid, “there are many possible interventions that we can impose on the people who continue to choose to be unvaccinated. Increase insurance premiums, creating a list, a triage list, so when people come to the hospital, maybe one of the first questions we ask is, ‘Are you vaccinated?’ And then that will direct them toward a certain type of care.”
“Because we already do that,” she said. “I can guarantee you when a patient comes in [with] shortness of breath – like my Dad, he has been hospitalized three times in the past two years with shortness of breath, but related to his congestive heart failure causing pulmonary edema. The question they ask almost every time is, ‘Are you a smoker?’ He’s not and it didn’t direct the care.”
“But there are several things we can do. But I’m not giving up on the people that remain unvaccinated, Joy. We still need to get them vaccinated.”
“I think we need to find other measures and mandates and other measures to really get them to get vaccinated. …”
Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s insistence that COVID vaccinations are generally effective, many vaccinated individuals are catching COVID, particularly as the omicron variant spreads far and wide.Last week, I learned that eight family members and friends had tested positive for COVID-19. Except for my 2-year-old granddaughter, all were vaccinated and at least three were boosted. Six exhibited mild symptoms, while two experienced moderate discomfort. None were hospitalized.
As the number of individuals testing positive for COVID surges, some speculate that the wildly infectious but far milder cases of the omicron variant will help the country reach our long-desired goal of herd immunity in the very near future.
We are told that those who’ve been vaccinated have a lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death than the unvaccinated.
But what about those who’ve tested positive for the virus and therefore have natural immunity?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced its decision to recognize athletes who have had COVID as being fully vaccinated. Hopefully, other organizations will follow.
Studies out of Israel and elsewhere suggest natural immunity is at least as effective, if not superior to, vaccination-induced immunity.
Wouldn’t it be helpful to know for sure?
Why doesn’t the CDC track this data? Are those making the decisions in the pockets of the drug manufacturers?
Hey Dr. Roy, talk to us about triage when you decide to recognize natural immunity.
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