Why are "homo sapiens" so unwise? High intellectual capacity, but with no sense of the future of our species and more.

We've been warned for ages, but now the fit IS hitting the shan re letting lethal infections take advantage of our incredibly stupid overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture.

And candida auris is only one among numbers. There are no borders or demographic specificity of vulnerability to comfort us that we're safe. Expectation that unless radically curbed, before long, resistent infections will kill more people than cancer. For now, this one is mostly affecting the immunocompromised (especially neonates and elderly), but as it - one of several strains - strengthens, everyone will be at risk.

Worse, it can't be cleansed from treatment rooms, even whole facilities, every small aspect of which can be infected.

Lethal fungus hitherto kept secret, spreading worldwide. Worst strain immune to all three most powerful antifungicides.

Lovely.

quote:

Originally posted by Amanda:
Why are "homo sapiens" so unwise? High intellectual capacity, but with no sense of the future of our species and more.

We've been warned for ages, but now the fit IS hitting the shan re letting lethal infections take advantage of our incredibly stupid overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture.

It's basically a flavor of the tragedy of the commons.

quote:

Originally posted by Amanda:
Why are "homo sapiens" so unwise? High intellectual capacity, but with no sense of the future of our species and more.

Are corporations "homo sapiens"? Or are they just persons with no conscience? If there's a $ to be made, foresight is inconvenient.

This is happening all around the world, and in countries with systems of medicine progressives love. But carry on ...

This is one of those times where the patient will confront an intensive procedure, tests, blood work...

It happened to me once. A surgery preparation seems about the same type experience to me in terms of intensity.

I think most people don't want to or couldn't focus on every little thing that might go wrong infection wise in the tropics.

This must be respected and addressed as it is true for any potential medical emergency.

I'll add, on a more positive note, I believe strongly in the immune system's ability to build natural resistance.

Oops.

The topic is: human animals and other animals.

My mistake.

I'm out.

quote:

Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
This is happening all around the world, and in countries with systems of medicine progressives love. But carry on ...

I will carry on. The systems of medicine have nothing to do with it. Europe has about the same rate of over-prescription as the US: 1 in 3 antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary. There are many reasons, of course, why doctors feel pressured to over prescribe and I'm simply pointing out one of them. The profit motive is insidious, whether doctors feel the pressure from pharma or from hospital administration, the bottom line is the bottom line.

And there's also all the new anti-bacterial soaps and hand creams, etc. etc. Our office building in NY has anti-bacterial dispensers near the elevators. Crazy? Yup. Get a grip people. But these soaps are pushed for profits, not because they are a good idea.

Like I said, if there's a chance to make a buck, foresight is inconvenient.

I have to admit, talking about overuse of antibiotics is interesting but I'm not sure how it relates to Candida auris which I assume the article is about--behind a paywall, can't read it. Candida auris is a fungus.

quote:

Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
This is happening all around the world, and in countries with systems of medicine progressives love. But carry on ...

What does the system of medicine have to do with it?

quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:
I have to admit, talking about overuse of antibiotics is interesting but I'm not sure how it relates to Candida auris which I assume the article is about--behind a paywall, can't read it. Candida auris is a fungus.

The same problem is true of fungicides. The article hypothesizes that candida has been around for a long time, but was in the background because other fungi were dominant. The disappearance of other fungi, due mainly to fungicides, may be what has allowed candida to flourish.

quote:

It was spreading, but word of it was not. The hospital, a specialty lung and heart center that draws wealthy patients from the Middle East and around Europe, alerted the British government and told infected patients, but made no public announcement.

“There was no need to put out a news release during the outbreak,” said Oliver Wilkinson, a spokesman for the hospital.

This hushed panic is playing out in hospitals around the world. Individual institutions and national, state and local governments have been reluctant to publicize outbreaks of resistant infections, arguing there is no point in scaring patients — or prospective ones.

Anyone involved in such cover-ups should be arrested for crimes against humanity.

Fvcking idiots!

Makes me want to cancel my $1,300 / month $7,000 deductible (least expensive I could find) health care policy, and take my chances. It sounds like I would be better off, If I never went to see a doctor, ever again.

Tell us what is going on. We are not children, FFS!

I'm a germaphobe to begin with. To me, hospitals always have been places to get sick. Maybe this is how homo sapiens offs itself. The planet will be so much better off.