Lessons Forgotten (???) From the 1918 Pandemic

[K9Kirk]

I'm not forcing anyone to believe anything, just putting the info out there to give people something to think about other than the same rhetoric that mainstream media spews over and over and over from the same old failed virus model that hasn't gotten the numbers right since the beginning of this three ring, politically charged circus.

 

[pendennis]

Natural light, fresh air could keep coronavirus out of workplaces, scientists suggest
https://msystems.asm.org/content/5/2/e00245-20

No.No,no; Not scientists plural, but rather _ one_scientist, and he just makes a suggestion. It is also reported by Fox News , which is not a reputable source in my opinion and in the opinion of hundreds of thousands of other people who are knowledgeable about the field of Journalism...

One of the problems in 1918 was suppression of information by the warring nations. And the primary cause of the spread was the "closed air circulation" of the era. Buildings, especially barracks and military facilities were notoriously suffocating; along with troop travel accommodations, which lent itself to the spread.

The Spanish flu was much more virulent than COVID-19. From onset of symptoms, to death, was measured in hours at times.

Even today, there's a body of thought that believes influenza virus was not started in one county in SW Kansas.

 

[tirediron]

Yes, it does matter. Sunlight itself is not the cure. It's one of the things that is delivering the actual cure. It's like saying the syringe is the cure instead of the medicine inside. It's a delivery mechanism, not the medicine itself.

Okay, fair enough, but if we take this a step further then, what is the medicine? Cambridge offers this definition: "Medicine (noun) A substance taken into the body in treating an illness."

If I have a headache and relieve it by chewing on willow bark, is it fair to say that the willow bark is the medicine, or is it only the small amount of salicin contained within the bark and the remainder is delivery medium? Since the human body utilizes a metabolic process to convert UV light to Vitamin D, we already have everything within our body [under normal circumstances] to correct the vitamin deficiency except the sunlight! As that is the thing which is being introduced, I would submit to you that it is indeed the medicine.

 

[limr]

Yes, it does matter. Sunlight itself is not the cure. It's one of the things that is delivering the actual cure. It's like saying the syringe is the cure instead of the medicine inside. It's a delivery mechanism, not the medicine itself.

Okay, fair enough, but if we take this a step further then, what is the medicine? Cambridge offers this definition: "Medicine (noun) A substance taken into the body in treating an illness."

If I have a headache and relieve it by chewing on willow bark, is it fair to say that the willow bark is the medicine, or is it only the small amount of salicin contained within the bark and the remainder is delivery medium? Since the human body utilizes a metabolic process to convert UV light to Vitamin D, we already have everything within our body [under normal circumstances] to correct the vitamin deficiency except the sunlight! As that is the thing which is being introduced, I would submit to you that it is indeed the medicine.

And I disagree. Take away the sunlight and there are still plenty of other mechanisms for addressing the deficiency - direct supplementation, diet, addressing other deficiencies such as Vitamin K that affects absorption of Vitamin D. The sunlight is not required. Ask me how I know.

Actually, don't ask me. I see nothing gained by continuing a discussion on meaningless semantics, so I'll be on my way.

 

[weepete]

The trouble is the author hasn't accounted for confounding factors and has made a bit of a leap. His claims are spurious and as limr points out he's confusing correlation with causeation. If you read the papers he's had published in reputable journals (often as a co-author) it actually points out increased hygene standards (like washing hands between examining patients) means they can't conclude with any certainty that sunlight actually has the effect they are suggesting.

There's debate currently over how much of a role vitamin D plays in recovery from illness and though it seems to have some effect though mostly anecdotal.

One major issue with Covid-19 is that patients requiring hospital admission tend to need oxygen, c-pat or ventilated which is conviently not addressed.

 

[K9Kirk]

I think this got over analyzed. What I got out of it was they were trying to make the point that people felt better when they got some some sunlight and fresh air. Everyone talks about how depressing the winter months can be without good sunlight and dark clouds and the darkness in those tents probably had the same effect on them if not more so than people living a normal life and able to walk around and go outside and do things and some fresh air probably felt good as well. Who hasn't ever been in a stuffy room for a long period of time and stepped outside afterwards to say, ahhh, nice fresh air. It may not be scientifically proven but we all have experienced these things and know sunlight and fresh air to make us feel better, right? That was my main point. Not whether sun itself actually gives you vitamin D or anything else that was brought up. Everyone be well.