Public Health Forum

[Ada Lovelace]

TL;DR: There needs to be a dedicated, centrally located section accessible to every member of the Christian Forums community to serve as a repository for updates; information; guidance for sensible preparation; and support (practically, emotionally, and spiritually) pertaining to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and other significant issues impacting public health. Unifying as a community can have individual and collective benefit. Well-meaning dismissal can be as detrimental as panic. The ramifications of coronavirus will extend far beyond the virus itself, necessitating changes to daily life, and that needs to be discussed and prepared for proactively. Since disinformation and misinformation can be virulent, there needs to be clear rules in place to help reduce transmission and facilitate calm and productive dialogue (such as not spreading conspiracy theories or posting about "miracle cures.")

Though there are numerous existing sections where important issues pertaining to public health - including but not limited to COVID-19 - are frequently discussed, some are restricted to members of a specific faith, denomination, or age, and therefore inaccessible to many members. There may be knowledgeable and experienced people here who could provide valuable and timely input on how to sensibly and effectively prepare for the impact of communicable diseases, but if they don't have the Christian label they will not be able to post it in some of the most logical places for such guidance, such as Christian Preppers. An atheist, humanist, agnostic, etc. may be able to give and gain sage insight for a thread topic relating to public health but be prohibited from doing so if it's in an area designated as Christians-only.

To me the nature of infectious disease is paradoxically wondrous in that it reveals our deep interconnectedness. Our lives are interwoven with people we may never meet face-to-face.
COVID-19 reminds us we're exponentially more similar to each other than we are different. There is so much that divides us - geographically, ideologically, religiously, politically, socioeconomically - but we are unified in profound ways. This is the time to bond together and marshal our ingenuity, resources, education, and empathy. I think if everyone could be encouraged to create their threads in a specified area for public health it could enable more unity and increase access to useful content relevant to us all.

One of the conundrums of public health is the very same action that might seem like a drastic overreaction early in a crisis could end up being woefully inadequate if delayed too long.
Today the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, and WHO's chief said “we’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction." It's essential that we not thwart productive dialogue about how to take appropriate action by diminishing or ridiculing concerns or attempting to shift the narrative to another topic. We cannot postpone in making preparations; it is prudent to be informed and proactive. Let's help one another!

To any nurses, doctors, epidemiologists, social workers, orderlies, researchers, paramedics, or others here who are rushing in to combat the coronavirus at risk to their own health, thank you for your service and sacrifice!!!

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I think it would be very beneficial to implement policies to help prevent the contagion of misinformation and disinformation that has caused an "infodemic" about COVID-19 and other public health matters. Some guidelines I suggest are:

- Do not post conspiracy theories about public health issues including COVID-19 and vaccinations. Misinformation and disinformation is a contagion. Even if something is outlandish and detached from reality, being exposed to it sort of infects the mind. The more misinformation and disinformation is repeated, the more likely it is to be believed, and then acted upon, even if fundamentally false and detrimental.

- Cite your sources. When relaying information from an official source or a politician, post a link, preferably one not behind a paywall.

- When making a claim about a public health matter such as COVID-19, measles, vaccination, etc provide evidence from a relevant professional (medical doctor, epidemiologist, public health official) rather than linking to a personal blog or YouTube, or just leaving the statement without support.

- No Gish Galloping / fire hosing. Read for yourself each study or article that you post. Don’t scoop up a dozen links from a site and dump them here. If you think the information is valuable enough to present, put in the effort to read it for yourself (at least the abstract and conclusion) instead of relying upon a summary presented to you by a third party.

Edit: I added a link for the term.

 

[Halbhh]

TL;DR: There needs to be a dedicated, centrally located section accessible to every member of the Christian Forums community to serve as a repository for updates; information; guidance for sensible preparation; and support (practically, emotionally, and spiritually) pertaining to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and other significant issues impacting public health. Unifying as a community can have individual and collective benefit. Well-meaning dismissal can be as detrimental as panic. The ramifications of coronavirus will extend far beyond the virus itself, necessitating changes to daily life, and that needs to be discussed and prepared for proactively. Since disinformation and misinformation can be virulent, there needs to be clear rules in place to help reduce transmission and facilitate calm and productive dialogue (such as not spreading conspiracy theories or posting about "miracle cures.")

Though there are numerous existing sections where important issues pertaining to public health - including but not limited to COVID-19 - are frequently discussed, some are restricted to members of a specific faith, denomination, or age, and therefore inaccessible to many members. There may be knowledgeable and experienced people here who could provide valuable and timely input on how to sensibly and effectively prepare for the impact of communicable diseases, but if they don't have the Christian label they will not be able to post it in some of the most logical places for such guidance, such as Christian Preppers. An atheist, humanist, agnostic, etc. may be able to give and gain sage insight for a thread topic relating to public health but be prohibited from doing so if it's in an area designated as Christians-only.

To me the nature of infectious disease is paradoxically wondrous in that it reveals our deep interconnectedness. Our lives are interwoven with people we may never meet face-to-face.
COVID-19 reminds us we're exponentially more similar to each other than we are different. There is so much that divides us - geographically, ideologically, religiously, politically, socioeconomically - but we are unified in profound ways. This is the time to bond together and marshal our ingenuity, resources, education, and empathy. I think if everyone could be encouraged to create their threads in a specified area for public health it could enable more unity and increase access to useful content relevant to us all.

One of the conundrums of public health is the very same action that might seem like a drastic overreaction early in a crisis could end up being woefully inadequate if delayed too long.
Today the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, and WHO's chief said “we’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction." It's essential that we not thwart productive dialogue about how to take appropriate action by diminishing or ridiculing concerns or attempting to shift the narrative to another topic. We cannot postpone in making preparations; it is prudent to be informed and proactive. Let's help one another!

To any nurses, doctors, epidemiologists, social workers, orderlies, researchers, paramedics, or others here who are rushing in to combat the coronavirus at risk to their own health, thank you for your service and sacrifice!!!

A useful article, from the many dozens:

People who contract the novel coronavirus emit high amounts of virus very early on in their infection, according to a new study from Germany that helps to explain the rapid and efficient way in which the virus has spread around the world.

At the same time, the study suggests that while people with mild infections can still test positive by throat swabs for days and even weeks after their illness, those who are only mildly sick are likely not still infectious by about 10 days after they start to experience symptoms.
...
Shedding from the upper airways early in infection makes for a virus that is much harder to contain. The scientists said at peak shedding, people with Covid-19 are emitting more than 1,000 times more virus than was emitted during peak shedding of SARS infection, a fact that likely explains the rapid spread of the virus.
-- People 'shed' coronavirus early, but most likely not infectious after recovery

It's probably really much more widespread already than people have realized, because people have been spreading it for 6 weeks or more, freely, without knowing they were spreading it. For example:
9,000 cases of coronavirus in the US could stem from Wuhan alone | Live Science

So, we need the mass free drive through testing that South Korea is showing how to do.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

nm

 

[Cimorene]

To me the nature of infectious disease is paradoxically wondrous in that it reveals our deep interconnectedness. Our lives are interwoven with people we may never meet face-to-face.
COVID-19 reminds us we're exponentially more similar to each other than we are different. There is so much that divides us - geographically, ideologically, religiously, politically, socioeconomically - but we are unified in profound ways. This is the time to bond together and marshal our ingenuity, resources, education, and empathy. I think if everyone could be encouraged to create their threads in a specified area for public health it could enable more unity and increase access to useful content relevant to us all.

I never thought of it that way but that is a lovely way to think about it!!!!!

 

[Cimorene]

One of the conundrums of public health is the very same action that might seem like a drastic overreaction early in a crisis could end up being woefully inadequate if delayed too long.
Today the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, and WHO's chief said “we’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction." It's essential that we not thwart productive dialogue about how to take appropriate action by diminishing or ridiculing concerns or attempting to shift the narrative to another topic. We cannot postpone in making preparations; it is prudent to be informed and proactive. Let's help one another!

That is true! Just 2 weeks ago ppl were making any attempt at a discussion about the coronavirus impossible bc they'd immediately get snide & say it was ridiculous to act like it was going to be a big deal. Just wanting to talk & prepare got ridiculed as panic when it wasn't. We do need to be able to just discuss this w/o "but the flu!" comments every other post or other distractions.

I made threads in Teens just bc I wanted to FOCUS on the topic w/o derision or derailing but if there is a section made for public health I will only post stuff there so everybody can participate!!!!!

 

[tampasteve]

MOD HAT ON

Thank you for the suggestion, Staff have noted and will be in discussion.

MOD HAT OFF​