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Miami is not COVID Shangri-La, Dr Prasad. In fact I can tell you that Florida is the opposite of sanity. As a practicing UCSF/Georgetown trained internist since 1996 , ready to leave after the past three years, I would switch with you any day.

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I do wonder specifically if Dr. Mandrola was talking about KDPH and what his thoughts are about the authorities in Kentucky. I'm under the impression that Dr. Stack is widely respected and this state's response was less insane than some others (albeit still insane).

Context: I rotate through the Kentucky Department for Public Health as part of my residency, but I arrived a year and a half ago so I missed the peak pandemic response.

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Another point: perhaps some vocal Americans demand action, no matter whether it’s correct or not. I have a friend with whom I discuss Covid matters occasionally. I complain that “they mandated this or that and had no data to show it was the right decision.” My friend frequently says, “Well, they had to do SOMETHING.”

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The only reason I can think of to allow museums/liquor stores to be open, but not a church, would be that the former probably have fewer humans per square yard than the latter, and that was preferable early on. As for Zeynep, well, everyone’s piling on her right now, but the thing that upset me the most was something she included in an article (it may have been a footnote......I just saw it on Twitter) that proclaimed mask use to be both empowering and an expression of solidarity. Back when I was willing to use masks, I never once felt empowered, but usually felt oppressed, panicky, overheated, and/or enraged. I really turned into a sociopath in the things, and barely functioned. What’s solidarity to Zeynep might be a dystopian hellscape to someone else.

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With regard to exercise, I think it would be fair to say that there can easily be too much of a good thing. Cycling 150-200 miles a week, for example, is not a big deal unless one goes balls-to-the-wall on every ride. Do that, and bad stuff will happen. Indeed, 3 of my cycling buddies developed ventricular tachycardia upon strenuous exercise requiring ablation, and each and everyone pushed themselves way too hard every time they went out (which was at least 5 times a week). Likewise, with long distance running, unless one has perfect form, it is almost guaranteed that if one does too much, one is very likely to injure one's knees, requiring knee replacement surgery later in life.

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Everything in moderation.

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Agree. The whole podcast demonstrates we are creatures that follow the all or nothing rule for the most part. Or at least that is how things are presented in public while people who question things are suppressed into silence.

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John, As always, begging for transcripts. Thanks

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