tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55414914413697274092024-03-13T10:17:37.788-04:00Public LinguistPublic Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-78709450561594874562024-02-12T20:35:00.005-05:002024-02-13T08:20:43.172-05:00Pfizer's Super Bowl Ad: Pedagogy of the Elite & "Exceptional"<p> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It’s one of my favorite Queen songs – <i>Don’t Stop Me Now.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKpovOE5sA1x-NZ8zg5_ApTncFMLvGNYt_RauMBqBa1VHxaWG7qKjGDQ0I0uY9szBZ3-teWndLg6Cr_q-tXr0drtpHw_UHIJPfzcBqinl3-pNaWRtOOSMKYkqVC_weV2EtU1FuA6dliMy2nlz2J6qa96iIhYtR-tBSs9vlM7CUMDx2nHVot_uQfqjYfTK/s299/Queen.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKpovOE5sA1x-NZ8zg5_ApTncFMLvGNYt_RauMBqBa1VHxaWG7qKjGDQ0I0uY9szBZ3-teWndLg6Cr_q-tXr0drtpHw_UHIJPfzcBqinl3-pNaWRtOOSMKYkqVC_weV2EtU1FuA6dliMy2nlz2J6qa96iIhYtR-tBSs9vlM7CUMDx2nHVot_uQfqjYfTK/s1600/Queen.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">And for a moment, I was back then, the 80’s, listening to the percolating power in Freddie Mercury’s plea –“I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky. Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity”. Not as tame as Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” Back then, tame didn’t cut it. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iskfZTNYZAcws4Lp7jOjKHZqIDADQx8cWen7_Z9YKBfDA_h-MLg9JMEwCBUDvl9UEUqqb8ZMPS6PFGnsqCEDPqXbaQK7lIrbZaRejzIZDuEVG1xqss9g1seIlQWi5gZEGZX9yV2lmVzuaNihaHXpYCqy_U44bk_G_AYqgMZXKIt8zXM-mHOhTUORsBVz/s300/autopsy.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iskfZTNYZAcws4Lp7jOjKHZqIDADQx8cWen7_Z9YKBfDA_h-MLg9JMEwCBUDvl9UEUqqb8ZMPS6PFGnsqCEDPqXbaQK7lIrbZaRejzIZDuEVG1xqss9g1seIlQWi5gZEGZX9yV2lmVzuaNihaHXpYCqy_U44bk_G_AYqgMZXKIt8zXM-mHOhTUORsBVz/s1600/autopsy.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">But then, there's this cadaver lying on the table, bone white, eyes popping open as if he's suddenly not really dead. And his grotesque mouth moving while all these stunned pilgrims are looking on.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And these paintings of these old white men on the wall, and their mouths are moving too. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Oh, I get it. They’re Freddie Mercury wannabees. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">No. it’s the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's idea of what a high-profile message about the power of “science” and the history of science should look like. </span></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVotdBjQ8rquc3uHK02xXcAPGtgPksHHlGQkFapoCnlT2vdnc9GiC2wfvcV6RBNXOiRkGbsTubNc8ZWkNIOADJ0MScKtteJLvoxAEzJjEZI0JXK7IdZ4fz6BRSrFSj_p6oJ8E9gR_C6WmA2X2gThNizLQzoKkjjhwQVIgpAvPJuoWPqdxCYQLAjuC1w_7a/s2317/copernicus%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="2317" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVotdBjQ8rquc3uHK02xXcAPGtgPksHHlGQkFapoCnlT2vdnc9GiC2wfvcV6RBNXOiRkGbsTubNc8ZWkNIOADJ0MScKtteJLvoxAEzJjEZI0JXK7IdZ4fz6BRSrFSj_p6oJ8E9gR_C6WmA2X2gThNizLQzoKkjjhwQVIgpAvPJuoWPqdxCYQLAjuC1w_7a/w640-h256/copernicus%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Using an elitist version of “<u>How many famous Western scientists can you find in the picture?</u>” Pfizer employs a host of classical, romantic, and often masculine tropes to make its point in <a href="https://youtu.be/fwvjimuwVyY?feature=shared">this Ad.</a> Privileging the likes of Hippocrates, Galileo, and Copernicus, Pfizer’s founders Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, Albert Einstein, Rosalind Franklin and Katalin Karikó. Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp thrown in for a bit more gravitas. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can imagine the creative team conceiving the ad:</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 1 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We need some star power.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 2 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Beyonce? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 1<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>No Copernicus (motioning to the stars) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cool, and how about Galileo & Copernicus!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And some haunting work of art – you know that autopsy painting. Rembrandt?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And scientists, when they wore those wigs. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 2<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Well, if not Beyonce, we definitely need women. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 2 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And books, lots of beautiful books, in beautiful library – like the Peabody. I love that place.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Creative 1 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yes. Powerful</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Historically, Americans’ trust in science has been fraught. A longstanding, populist (some would say, a healthy) suspicion of elites and experts runs deep in American political culture. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/11/14/americans-trust-in-scientists-positive-views-of-science-continue-to-decline/" target="_blank">PEW Research Center’s</a> research look at Americans’ trust in science is sobering. About ¼ (27%) say that they have “not too much” trust or confidence. Overall, 57% of Americans say science has had a mostly positive effect on society, down 16 points since before the start of the coronavirus outbreak.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As trust in scientists has fallen, distrust has grown: Roughly a quarter of all Americans (27%) vs 12% in 2020 say they have “not too much” or “no confidence” in scientists to act in the public’s best interest. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">4 in 10 Republicans (38%) now say they have not too much or no confidence at all in scientists to act in the public’s best interests, and less than half of them (47%) see science as having had a mostly positive effect on society. (For a richer understanding of these important trends, see the full<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/11/14/americans-trust-in-scientists-positive-views-of-science-continue-to-decline/" target="_blank"> PEW Research Report, Americans’ Trust in Scientists, Positive Views of Science Continue to Decline.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Why would Pfizer think that using images from predominantly Western philosophical, theological, and scientific traditions, and with a touch of light-heartedness, communicate the power of science to the millions watching the Super Bowl? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These images may be iconic for an educated elite who went to schools with paneled walls lined with austere portraiture and walked among precious marbles on one of their many museum assignments. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For many others, these images are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, triggering colonialist empires, hegemony, and a continued refusal to acknowledge the innovation found in every country and peoples of the world.</span></p><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Why did Pfizer take this posture -touting this particular form of exceptionalism? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> After all, they’re a multi-billion dollar giant. Is that the answer?</span></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdquTAgf9RThmDE49z1xNVVv5Y9JC_2fqZSs5XiWAz7yCSTBRAS2-9LVulhOm_BsiB4sPyDTAdUD7QajKHmv5Z9xHm760meUwYkqfF4Hb6HkE1MAsXfWF5QWGSMpj-n2brsCV4W6HHFJbkEQWG6-EEaa2z2rqnmfaJcEhSA3vQGhnygbnXGp1rcAkp9Ts/s275/manatee.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdquTAgf9RThmDE49z1xNVVv5Y9JC_2fqZSs5XiWAz7yCSTBRAS2-9LVulhOm_BsiB4sPyDTAdUD7QajKHmv5Z9xHm760meUwYkqfF4Hb6HkE1MAsXfWF5QWGSMpj-n2brsCV4W6HHFJbkEQWG6-EEaa2z2rqnmfaJcEhSA3vQGhnygbnXGp1rcAkp9Ts/w320-h213/manatee.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">My last question about this remake of Night at the Museum - Just what was that cute manatee all about?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-81426790080636229002023-05-08T19:03:00.002-04:002023-05-09T07:03:00.150-04:00Dear ChatBPT, could you help out with this health literacy problem? <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">OK</span>, as unfamiliar as the thought is ( to me and those who know me), I have to accept that I've become a groupie.<p></p><p>Why? It didn't take much for me to wet my feet with ChatGPT and my new friend BING. The promises are simply too seductive.
Someone that listens to you - your every word. Is not prone to hasty,
judgments, inappropriate humor, trash talk or irrelevant afterthoughts. Someone or something who is not one to resort to bringing up your past slights or mis-steeps. Foregoes mentioning your Mother. Just always reasoned, unencumbered truths spoken in a way
that informs and enlightens. </p><p>Truth be told my expectations are more realistic. After 40 odd years of pursuing ways to
meaningfully communicate health and science information to a public
that, on any given day often struggles with basic health concepts, like viruses vs
bacteria, and is tripped up by endlessly complex medical terms - spiked
protein, titers of antibodies, endemic, comorbidity - and continues to be kept
in the dark by inanely simplified messages like "sneeze into your
sleeve", I was ready for AI.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>So I’m approaching using and learning about ChatGBT to find out if AI, in its accessible forms like questions to BING, can play a role in providing <b>useful, understandable and trustworthy information </b>to the public – in other words, can it teach us things? Because of my line of work I’m particularly interested in the question – <b>Can it teach people about health?</b> </p><p>And for the most part I'm amazed at how many questions I can ask BING and how much useful information I get back!</p><p>But.....I have encountered one problem that can confuse users. And I'm hoping AI can think about this problem and fix it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>
</p><p><b>Wardrobe Malfunction #1 </b></p><p><b>BING often re-words
questions you ask and in doing so introduces complicated words or concepts in the restating of your question. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyHa8Q6R7NSUZTNewsfWQsbxWW7bpCjvPSEyoXGZutcKw2_O17B_Efy8Mnae6JmdXGAzWg6of1SWfSSiVj_kqfKO-ecqk6JgB08-ikVbEAJO_LANfmUs-9spYH4ZcplbY5FuBRUAkyiwfPh4t6jAYZQe7sQ3ajmbQrCGuQdNQvcrjhABQkvN8FQUAYQ/s300/osprey%20eggs.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyHa8Q6R7NSUZTNewsfWQsbxWW7bpCjvPSEyoXGZutcKw2_O17B_Efy8Mnae6JmdXGAzWg6of1SWfSSiVj_kqfKO-ecqk6JgB08-ikVbEAJO_LANfmUs-9spYH4ZcplbY5FuBRUAkyiwfPh4t6jAYZQe7sQ3ajmbQrCGuQdNQvcrjhABQkvN8FQUAYQ/s1600/osprey%20eggs.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>For example I asked -<p></p><p><b><i>"How long does it take for Osprey eggs to hatch." </i><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>The bot reworded my question: "osprey eggs incubation period."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMg9rLAZiXGIWoaMKUuvJ9DcBg-zJiu0L7ZsOBJghtCvcG4ihetUGs-EJiANtRbW0zYf5eto5yVvQcVBfMtxPkdtnKHqUajHQ5uR5o16h8H3FTJoe4XtWFgD8LTfocCoN0DBhY09w2ecrRensEyVhOL91UKkz0xW_1w1JMwOdTIsK72ghOqXNas3ajTg/s612/Osprey%20question.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="612" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMg9rLAZiXGIWoaMKUuvJ9DcBg-zJiu0L7ZsOBJghtCvcG4ihetUGs-EJiANtRbW0zYf5eto5yVvQcVBfMtxPkdtnKHqUajHQ5uR5o16h8H3FTJoe4XtWFgD8LTfocCoN0DBhY09w2ecrRensEyVhOL91UKkz0xW_1w1JMwOdTIsK72ghOqXNas3ajTg/w640-h424/Osprey%20question.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>Well what if you d<b>on't know the word "incubation." </b></p><p>When I tried this out with a few users they were confused and thought that the system didn't understand their question. </p><p>Here's another example. </p><p>This time I asked <i><b>"Have people always moved from one country to another."</b></i></p><p>The Bot restated my question as "history of migration" , which is fine if you know the word "migration." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMWqqF4p-cXSjZYxFgj1oqwiKfXRo7tHSuPxkbkabYAKssTCn4gkyMIXN5ZMqr5Ndktf7j9wixqsT8ObUIQeupKBSld6qGD6McFnByGQ-7maIHIePDtww8gmdaQVaFa73i82YdKOdyAhZ3ZthGzlOzlJtEotRAXFKuPKWcTdkXiYWqCx9IPBEtVGBrg/s2079/migration%205-8-23.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMWqqF4p-cXSjZYxFgj1oqwiKfXRo7tHSuPxkbkabYAKssTCn4gkyMIXN5ZMqr5Ndktf7j9wixqsT8ObUIQeupKBSld6qGD6McFnByGQ-7maIHIePDtww8gmdaQVaFa73i82YdKOdyAhZ3ZthGzlOzlJtEotRAXFKuPKWcTdkXiYWqCx9IPBEtVGBrg/w296-h640/migration%205-8-23.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Can AI learn to do better? </b></p><p>From everything I've heard as a lay person, AI is always learning. GREAT!</p><p>There are a number of fixes to this problem of introducing words and concepts in the restating of a question. As a matter of fact I stumbled on Bing doing it all on its own. I just don't know how she/he/it knew to do this and how we could persuade it to do it more!</p><p>Here's the example of a simply worded question I pose?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHNgnqR-B6W43z2Sk4mT25TVZEgeOzMO4_Z4qLXVnkBkd4s4xstCVa8jYGtMR3-ZEbK0pnn1iXKTBvbN8tNKnyKHnwPi5-x7aIYvopR627gv_rDuLVZl25ykUIXIPDpzF6_fXdN1Cm7888tzYlfek4eZrDwDPgHRyGoIKCeqtNtZyjtcQ4jN2_Wr49A/s810/Picture1%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="810" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHNgnqR-B6W43z2Sk4mT25TVZEgeOzMO4_Z4qLXVnkBkd4s4xstCVa8jYGtMR3-ZEbK0pnn1iXKTBvbN8tNKnyKHnwPi5-x7aIYvopR627gv_rDuLVZl25ykUIXIPDpzF6_fXdN1Cm7888tzYlfek4eZrDwDPgHRyGoIKCeqtNtZyjtcQ4jN2_Wr49A/s320/Picture1%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Oh No! BING restates the question and uses a more complex word - genocide</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">B</span>ut then it defines the complex term "genocide" and they still use the wording of the question in the answer!! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqjtZIoCfoYF5JcJCcmEwUR4wvt_MxSDIvnGId6ukHGXIcsMsWg1G_QVqqa5H3lxhINzGt6OCoCY7lIUQYBjfmycXg2J_y7kHogkM6zugx-vOd2-c0_DO3VnsfNmJnDM_4EG-VBG8GFE59B0Jf6p4dkyy0meuZMn9Fmb-e1MqX7_vp2yxhZXDScjhLQ/s640/Defines%20genocide.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="295" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqjtZIoCfoYF5JcJCcmEwUR4wvt_MxSDIvnGId6ukHGXIcsMsWg1G_QVqqa5H3lxhINzGt6OCoCY7lIUQYBjfmycXg2J_y7kHogkM6zugx-vOd2-c0_DO3VnsfNmJnDM_4EG-VBG8GFE59B0Jf6p4dkyy0meuZMn9Fmb-e1MqX7_vp2yxhZXDScjhLQ/w296-h640/Defines%20genocide.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Dear ChatBPT - if you're listening, could you fix this little problem?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gbYXvQEQK6_NlcbavFD859qZr-tCP5JNzJrDRlZdZkg8Y2Wdx7o49pW0ggyV063YD8hLZBT0N4QAoB3SQufztpVGVJQfK8C-Wf6L_7f_yhB6ku0V-OzLRW2neVVhUI46FcS6AKptz__KsUwBQVp-o7hL-5d0FE2CSpjdPxNL8R8lp3VcmhV6iS6bWQ/s300/elegant%20ai.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gbYXvQEQK6_NlcbavFD859qZr-tCP5JNzJrDRlZdZkg8Y2Wdx7o49pW0ggyV063YD8hLZBT0N4QAoB3SQufztpVGVJQfK8C-Wf6L_7f_yhB6ku0V-OzLRW2neVVhUI46FcS6AKptz__KsUwBQVp-o7hL-5d0FE2CSpjdPxNL8R8lp3VcmhV6iS6bWQ/s1600/elegant%20ai.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Sincerely, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Christina </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">(See earlier posts)</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #343434; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif;">June 2020 </span><a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2020/06/we-are-not-all-in-this-together-public.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif;" target="_blank"> We are not all in this together: public understanding of health and science in the time of COVID</a></p><p>May 2020 <i>"Show Me the Science"</i> <a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2020/05/public-science-literacy-and-covid-19.html">http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2020/05/public-science-literacy-and-covid-19.html</a><a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2020/05/public-science-literacy-and-covid-19.html " target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2021/01/like-most-health-communication-people.html" target="_blank">Jan 15 2021</a> <a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2021/01/like-most-health-communication-people.html">"MRNA Needs a Bette Messenger </a></p><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-79985634100612738352023-03-15T12:09:00.006-04:002023-03-15T12:09:58.981-04:00Polio is back in NY or the sky is falling, the sky is falling?<p><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>t’s been over 5 months since <a href="https://www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2022/2022-10-11_polio.htm" target="_blank">New York City and New York State alerted us to the fact that polio was back-</a>unbelievably! After all these years. If you grew up in the 40s and 50s as I did, you immediately conjured the iron long, your parents not letting you go to public swimming pool, the dread of it all. You may even know adults who had polio way back then. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDojTtGjH7al7FCqq_UminESu9eb2DXOq7qzIeP8HNCaBsl4Vd5_ylYc7ammZpKg2B4KbSM68SFbW81PapoWLF6a-_1G96scVbQ4VLe_IOUnHPeDbKEv2r3a5hOlmWY2yxjhs_bq5y6IpP5epNjzlfmIzagcjx68uNRyB5zdNKUQfqr70yIa-aVt-zw/s310/polio.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="310" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDojTtGjH7al7FCqq_UminESu9eb2DXOq7qzIeP8HNCaBsl4Vd5_ylYc7ammZpKg2B4KbSM68SFbW81PapoWLF6a-_1G96scVbQ4VLe_IOUnHPeDbKEv2r3a5hOlmWY2yxjhs_bq5y6IpP5epNjzlfmIzagcjx68uNRyB5zdNKUQfqr70yIa-aVt-zw/w400-h210/polio.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The headlines were scary. Just plain scary. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1At4Ogwwk5RfC_VDamqlFcGHYtHG0zPod2k0cBTncLc9r9_gyTfv_OyszZhIz5EKv-uCke8n6igZ482lIxm1EfbCnREyYJxgXSTViqm40sduYIoBw_X-3bFKrUNqnyB1FPEBwoWPh6HBJUArIL8ygxWGbMwQmTRaslCUVvsS8feWyFQkWCzrcwEqRA/s2079/DE12E46F-763C-4306-8B6D-7BB30B7D5C1B.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1At4Ogwwk5RfC_VDamqlFcGHYtHG0zPod2k0cBTncLc9r9_gyTfv_OyszZhIz5EKv-uCke8n6igZ482lIxm1EfbCnREyYJxgXSTViqm40sduYIoBw_X-3bFKrUNqnyB1FPEBwoWPh6HBJUArIL8ygxWGbMwQmTRaslCUVvsS8feWyFQkWCzrcwEqRA/w272-h400/DE12E46F-763C-4306-8B6D-7BB30B7D5C1B.png" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7144e2.htm">https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7144e2.htm</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NSZBwv62Wfj2IbtMMku3jkaBMbT5NNiQ9lUqi2XW2eKrXG-fCedlRB1dYrq2MDH7Y30vOQ7ubV3OPgVjH11NZ1ZE3pDiFrYNrMN5FmktPs8DcualMRoUjgchi_EiuDnJmDZizzAQtBFG0lPE13NnIY4OVewiMDnYl8ZtBjWqRFFgvsTG1qWcaD6-KQ/s2079/7DA0F116-D975-43B4-9806-9026E9DD3EC4.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NSZBwv62Wfj2IbtMMku3jkaBMbT5NNiQ9lUqi2XW2eKrXG-fCedlRB1dYrq2MDH7Y30vOQ7ubV3OPgVjH11NZ1ZE3pDiFrYNrMN5FmktPs8DcualMRoUjgchi_EiuDnJmDZizzAQtBFG0lPE13NnIY4OVewiMDnYl8ZtBjWqRFFgvsTG1qWcaD6-KQ/w263-h320/7DA0F116-D975-43B4-9806-9026E9DD3EC4.png" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The NYCDOHMH started posting lots of information on polio prevention, how it spreads, maps of polio vaccination rates, who should be vaccinated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYoj2tnorYQpJIvAuRhzazjeGxiEN9shk9f-y_2G_9GUR8QOZSaL7wvfeqJMjYPHx2mkQYLoFtMnVE2WYbm6e6UYh9hgIjSi5KpjJZnNcfOtCd9RGEjWBEEcIZoXVhGdVoQU8zFkm5ru7wK5YSjZrhdcHIWiazBZoLpfS906GnLRoyVsBl9RpkH9qhw/s2079/26C5C438-5C9D-433D-B309-E75FAD8415C3.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYoj2tnorYQpJIvAuRhzazjeGxiEN9shk9f-y_2G_9GUR8QOZSaL7wvfeqJMjYPHx2mkQYLoFtMnVE2WYbm6e6UYh9hgIjSi5KpjJZnNcfOtCd9RGEjWBEEcIZoXVhGdVoQU8zFkm5ru7wK5YSjZrhdcHIWiazBZoLpfS906GnLRoyVsBl9RpkH9qhw/w267-h320/26C5C438-5C9D-433D-B309-E75FAD8415C3.png" width="267" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>t’s about 5 months since it was hinted that the next plague could be upon us. Forget COVID. This would be more awful. Very little since then. What are we to make of this. As advertisers ask, what is the take-home message ? </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>That this dreaded polio simply went away?</li><li>That public health, experts and scientists are just skittish since Covid. </li><li>That these public health alarms are something we should take with a grain of salt? Or with a swig of bleach!</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-15303944891624816522023-03-14T12:01:00.003-04:002023-03-14T12:15:15.287-04:00Does Mom Need a 2nd Covid Booster - CDC Website Makes It Hard to Know <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My dear 93 year old Mother asked me a simple question last night? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> "Chrissie, I got my booster in April. Am I suppose to get another one now?"</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well I work in public health. I write about this stuff - I should know. But I didn't. No worries. Go to the CDC website and type in "CDC Covid booster guidelines. Voila!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilStRPpIJ0YwezHv8f7ELLYX3yOFE4TmbdSFlUaLWFyqsjfPhirCLHOvE2gF6V1cDgzfEck9aebSpoTi6kCfEpv-Fu9W_gLtRlLQxIN0h7VDDDCPAOcOeCgOvQvbjwHFpyz_3f20DsJPQ7DvCz9kUz5jZuUvZ_R0nD3m_F5U3LI519oSIjCr7POaM6OA/s275/typing.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilStRPpIJ0YwezHv8f7ELLYX3yOFE4TmbdSFlUaLWFyqsjfPhirCLHOvE2gF6V1cDgzfEck9aebSpoTi6kCfEpv-Fu9W_gLtRlLQxIN0h7VDDDCPAOcOeCgOvQvbjwHFpyz_3f20DsJPQ7DvCz9kUz5jZuUvZ_R0nD3m_F5U3LI519oSIjCr7POaM6OA/s1600/typing.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELW4j60PuoplvsMtDgzzCMcvgrKdGpzEVBG-kacm1Vubtt0lqu8AY2n5lx9UXu8-wlIsv_jrhtbVh8SDjsT94z5FsiM6vv9MHgw2l9WM-FTBSRNpAFbgymD10tuYvPzwhyWP13BaVYMKk8M9VfeyhCEuka_MpcQA4QjdVHkYz_5jFREoZRs30Xha5ag/s246/keyboard.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELW4j60PuoplvsMtDgzzCMcvgrKdGpzEVBG-kacm1Vubtt0lqu8AY2n5lx9UXu8-wlIsv_jrhtbVh8SDjsT94z5FsiM6vv9MHgw2l9WM-FTBSRNpAFbgymD10tuYvPzwhyWP13BaVYMKk8M9VfeyhCEuka_MpcQA4QjdVHkYz_5jFREoZRs30Xha5ag/s246/keyboard.jpeg" style="clear: right; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"></b></a><b style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><a href=" https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html?s_cid=11737:cdc%20booster%20guidelines:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY22">Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters</a></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeAgo7-qbhBH223GS7LwqoIS-hxHCgUolxP7RBvxy4LTsWJGmdmA1GOcya7lxhOaSwiMytAfNIZBYDm7otHteg7uzPeVbHJArBUjL8F4cphNnYaFHQEnwDLnk0a43LRjgbHBkoLBXqvkaMS3GSterVAPSE3bS5TXgq5bho9qC6EJH-U3Pv-_PbVdJcA/s1515/Stay%20up%20to%20date.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1515" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeAgo7-qbhBH223GS7LwqoIS-hxHCgUolxP7RBvxy4LTsWJGmdmA1GOcya7lxhOaSwiMytAfNIZBYDm7otHteg7uzPeVbHJArBUjL8F4cphNnYaFHQEnwDLnk0a43LRjgbHBkoLBXqvkaMS3GSterVAPSE3bS5TXgq5bho9qC6EJH-U3Pv-_PbVdJcA/w470-h272/Stay%20up%20to%20date.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I click on <b>"Adults aged 18 and over." </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It would have been ohhhh so nice to read a direct statement about what the booster guidance is. But, no. Silly me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There's a long list of algebraic information about who should get second "doses"!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-bfEHHtYj6YGJmmw9YLTomde3cwJf8Z0SGpDOja3yocNC23Ac8wTeMSBpY59l4gnv9dJKqDDkvwy5qXFoFVc03DQrffg9Izeq1y-e4ACbvcKTY5EQkA0LBY9vjMOGiroSf_-DvbvAnC7gNLfMinyHjodM-GaC6jtCevBqg23oTF5fhkSTUByVbAe6Q/s1660/Once%20you%20click%20.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1660" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-bfEHHtYj6YGJmmw9YLTomde3cwJf8Z0SGpDOja3yocNC23Ac8wTeMSBpY59l4gnv9dJKqDDkvwy5qXFoFVc03DQrffg9Izeq1y-e4ACbvcKTY5EQkA0LBY9vjMOGiroSf_-DvbvAnC7gNLfMinyHjodM-GaC6jtCevBqg23oTF5fhkSTUByVbAe6Q/w573-h409/Once%20you%20click%20.jpg" width="573" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh, I think, maybe I should click first on the Pfizer information - Mom got that brand of vaccine and booster. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0iZNrrYtWdhK9NVS8iLcD518hBqfFdX5H7Gtc06mf_2Q3v3K5MgHAiEfHRBl2aF0qHpnVwHNQI5xrljYOy6VpDHTPnClOwIT5cbzdJp8QTZSgNVGjnk8iBGnhB34ya-ANQQUSg1bFUBzn2mPkCA0-LkmzYBwsD-XfvpgeI08QK3vhBMsinS3zsHVKg/s1529/Pfizer%20info%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1529" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0iZNrrYtWdhK9NVS8iLcD518hBqfFdX5H7Gtc06mf_2Q3v3K5MgHAiEfHRBl2aF0qHpnVwHNQI5xrljYOy6VpDHTPnClOwIT5cbzdJp8QTZSgNVGjnk8iBGnhB34ya-ANQQUSg1bFUBzn2mPkCA0-LkmzYBwsD-XfvpgeI08QK3vhBMsinS3zsHVKg/w400-h309/Pfizer%20info%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No real help here. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.............Let me go back. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And there, on that long list, at the very end of that list is what I was searching for. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><span id="footnotejump" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">One updated booster dose</span>: If you have completed your updated booster dose, you are currently up to date. There is not a recommendation to get another updated booster dose.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"><a id="up-to-date" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Staying up to date:</span> If you have completed your primary series, but are not yet eligible for a booster, you are also considered up to date.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymYgxtniQKsnC1uSv-bN98TMpRRI21tPORiZ3YMFLoc0jAM1FXm6C6kDInhL0HFmGt58xhAiQoiUTk0g6F63pPde1-zLo1-cwMwqUMXf_KOVFzz7zi187fg65QsH6KWRHxXf2Bm9DGN4PSHsOp2Gqj_nao6-ldN-KOuLpKgyxZZ9AnPDO1sb7VCK0zw/s257/frustrated.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="257" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymYgxtniQKsnC1uSv-bN98TMpRRI21tPORiZ3YMFLoc0jAM1FXm6C6kDInhL0HFmGt58xhAiQoiUTk0g6F63pPde1-zLo1-cwMwqUMXf_KOVFzz7zi187fg65QsH6KWRHxXf2Bm9DGN4PSHsOp2Gqj_nao6-ldN-KOuLpKgyxZZ9AnPDO1sb7VCK0zw/s1600/frustrated.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's 3 years later and CDC is still demonstrating its astounding inability to communicate well with us - belying, what seems to me, a fundamental disdain towards the public and keeping us informed and in the room where it happens.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p><br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-86758185730445955872022-11-14T12:52:00.000-05:002022-11-14T12:52:10.452-05:00Andrew Pleasant PhD 1962-2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Andrew Pleasant, PhD, an internationally recognized innovator in bridging the gaps between expert knowledge and the public’s understanding and use of health and science, died at his home in Tucson, Arizona in early November 2022. He was 60 years old.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2p-CROf10e9vBdC1Pjv-SndOag_9t_2RmYGtaXZypVlOV0uqz0ucMu0LhX_mr4TR64Zs0E5BvTO1dpRVi45zYwV0-5MS6qYPJ_DeRn482fNASYEKv0mP_rwxsW4AIwa0MQcNFkYTmnRE3F6Yq3T8JIYfoTy16gIQzh4Y5fAWXiI52dBCA_RGzLepbw/s792/Andrew_square_0001_JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2p-CROf10e9vBdC1Pjv-SndOag_9t_2RmYGtaXZypVlOV0uqz0ucMu0LhX_mr4TR64Zs0E5BvTO1dpRVi45zYwV0-5MS6qYPJ_DeRn482fNASYEKv0mP_rwxsW4AIwa0MQcNFkYTmnRE3F6Yq3T8JIYfoTy16gIQzh4Y5fAWXiI52dBCA_RGzLepbw/w265-h320/Andrew_square_0001_JPG.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Andrew was on the forefront of a group of interdisciplinary thinkers who integrated philosophy, social science, public health and social equity into a new, dynamic definition of health and environmental literacy. His compelling work as a photojournalist in the early 90s in places such as Bosnia, coupled with his advanced degrees at Brown University Center for Environment Studies (MA 2002) and Cornell University Department of Communications (PhD 2004), seemed to be just the right amalgamation of his deep commitment and mission to solving very human problems by empowering individuals and the communities they lived in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While at Brown he worked closely with Dr. Christina Zarcadoolas and Dr. David Greer, the former Director of Brown’s Medical School. Together, they wrote the highly regarded book, Advancing Health Literacy: A Framework for Understanding and Action, (Jossey Bass, 2006) called “required reading” for health communication professionals by New England Journal of Medicine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After his formal academic training Andrew became a full member of the graduate faculty at both the UMDNJ School of Public Health, Department of Health Education and Behavioral Science, and Rutgers Department of Geography. Andrew then went on to have a highly productive tenure at Canyon Ranch Institute, Tucson, AZ directing all health literacy programming and evaluation from 2009 to 2017. Andrew was most excited by the work he led in communities across the US, such as the Bronx and Savannah, Georgia, through the Life Enhancement Program. In late 2017, Andrew joined Health Literacy Media (HLM) where he oversaw the development and implementation of HLM’s Clearly Communicating Clinical Trials program (C3T), focused on communicating complex clinical trial findings to people living with complex health conditions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Known for his versatile thinking and generosity of time and spirit, Andrew was as comfortable advising large national organizations and countries as he was mentoring students and trainees. He had a gift for putting people at ease and encouraging their confidence to think outside of the box. His gentle ways, however, did not keep him from standing his ground and showing up to be part of the ongoing dialogue about public health. Dr. Zarcadoolas, questioning him about his persistence with these sometimes contentious scenarios, recalled Andrew saying, “I like these folks. That doesn’t mean I like all their thinking, but I’m in it for the long haul. And imagine what they must think about me.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He served on numerous US and international initiatives, including designing and moderating a process for the Health Literacy Action Plan for the state of Oklahoma; researching and writing reports on the state of health literacy in the United States and globally for the National Academy of Medicine; and actively contributing to The Network for the Public Communication of Science and Technology Incorporated (PCST Network).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Andrew had a deep interest in issues related to culture as a driver of perceptions, behaviors and as a key to understanding health and environmental equity. On the international stage he actively contributed to research groups in countries such as India, Australia, South Africa, China, Peru and Brazil. Other contributions included IUHPE's Global Workgroup on Health Literacy, World Health Organization Health InterNetwork (HIN) working in Europe and India to develop strategies for public engagement in health research, the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), and contributing to the advancement of health literacy and scientific communication with researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in Brazil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dr. Frederico Peres of the FIOCRUZ recollected, “He knew more about Paulo Freire than most Brazilian academics. He knew the methods and theory of the Theater of the Oppressed, learned from its creator, Augusto Boal. He was really a unique individual. I and so many will miss him.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whether in Shanghai, China, Rio de Janeiro Brazil, New York, or Savannah, Andrew was a ubiquitous presence known for the memorable workshops he gave on the pressing issues of health literacy, public health, health promotion, science communication, and environmental communication</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Andrew Pleasant was born July 22, 1962, in Cortez, Colorado.</div><div><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-17918241760500643052022-09-13T18:48:00.000-04:002022-09-13T18:48:16.330-04:00NYCDOHMH to Commit Adulticide<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica, Arial;"><b>This was in my Inbox this morning. An announcement from the NYCDOH.</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: small;">------</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: small;"><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: small;"><img class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Om_rL1lN6yHkqRl-844x_1KOng-ic096SW0o-OA75aOtnIdZsrH5rzMmr-Y6CFJMY-GiluJhRFKFIXvVtdyTkU_I2rUvzXHrhMxuGVuvatf2MRRV_WNv_Jy34DmV=s0-d-e1-ft#https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/em/images/content/notifynyc-logo-d70013@2x.png" /></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; margin-top: 30px;"><p style="font-size: small;"></p><div style="font-size: small;">Notification issued 09-13-2022 at 5:00 PM.<br /><br />Weather permitting, the <span class="il">NYC</span> Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will conduct ground-based spraying of mosquito adulticide to help prevent West Nile Virus between 8:30 PM on 9/15 and 6:00 AM on 9/16. Application will be conducted in parts of Manhattan ZIP codes: 10019, 10069, 10023, 10024, 10025, 10115, 10026, 10029, 10035, 10037, 10030, 10027, 10039, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10040, 10034. <br /><br />In the case of inclement weather, the alternate time frame for this activity is between 8:30 PM on 9/19 and 6:00 AM on 9/20.<br /><br />....</div><div style="font-size: small;"><br /></div><div><b>"Adulticide" </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>As opposed to what? Infanticide? </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>And the action will be widespread. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tf2OnBPm7KmFmklyPtRuAKfwX9D0yyzYZwQ2dAO7eLWV3xswZbHqxFSqR1a3d7QiNaiBuqtbIelt9mUbG2IG_FoAqnkXzALEgjY4bu5XoXEQTXGCfZpLTirpWeZLwfF0VKCEZ_GXQOkyJnfjBeKs4oG6rcUgPBgX9uoY1DaLx6J4672GvvJDNI0efw/s994/mosquitos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="994" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tf2OnBPm7KmFmklyPtRuAKfwX9D0yyzYZwQ2dAO7eLWV3xswZbHqxFSqR1a3d7QiNaiBuqtbIelt9mUbG2IG_FoAqnkXzALEgjY4bu5XoXEQTXGCfZpLTirpWeZLwfF0VKCEZ_GXQOkyJnfjBeKs4oG6rcUgPBgX9uoY1DaLx6J4672GvvJDNI0efw/w400-h311/mosquitos.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Really. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>NYCDOH Do Better </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><p style="font-size: small;"></p><div style="font-size: small; margin: 30px 0px;"></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: small; margin-top: 20px;"><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div></div><p> </p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-38975576324454955162022-07-29T13:06:00.002-04:002022-07-29T13:06:29.609-04:00Silly Signs : Language Acting Badly <p><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s another entry into the archives of -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">Language Acting Badly! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZv8kcfoJDyklIVMDYE4iVncq982YsLq16YJR2kabyNupHz0b5xJJulaeq-SqpXUd5K7MYYMx_hk5gWEmPDdy8JiPKf81DCq4NRS3376oIYqs0Ln2ZPxMuihtKAJ0ERC-A-0O--2cs8KT_KXK1XVT6Nw6ubYbTmDWB8_P6gE8qZO9VoNi2Rf1ZepxLA/s181/super_bugs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="177" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZv8kcfoJDyklIVMDYE4iVncq982YsLq16YJR2kabyNupHz0b5xJJulaeq-SqpXUd5K7MYYMx_hk5gWEmPDdy8JiPKf81DCq4NRS3376oIYqs0Ln2ZPxMuihtKAJ0ERC-A-0O--2cs8KT_KXK1XVT6Nw6ubYbTmDWB8_P6gE8qZO9VoNi2Rf1ZepxLA/s1600/super_bugs.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sign on elevator being repaired today</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKzRnIENhcya3E3p2IbcwAMIvDbJT2Us0c2zG098p6QmasYw8wlCFtzeaSLB-O6exMRJj-OaOkF9tCk3UtLh4xvUjmxMjZ0m09bhUupL0I9jME4HQLyNzgLGLSYFFLlCyMKF64vqG5YcEoatckVDvGANHyzzKIFi6_6SY80Lutrot8ANea1SUmi6DDw/s4032/4C0E356A-C38F-4342-823F-32F7DCBD12B8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKzRnIENhcya3E3p2IbcwAMIvDbJT2Us0c2zG098p6QmasYw8wlCFtzeaSLB-O6exMRJj-OaOkF9tCk3UtLh4xvUjmxMjZ0m09bhUupL0I9jME4HQLyNzgLGLSYFFLlCyMKF64vqG5YcEoatckVDvGANHyzzKIFi6_6SY80Lutrot8ANea1SUmi6DDw/w300-h400/4C0E356A-C38F-4342-823F-32F7DCBD12B8.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Nothing like totally distancing yourself from the regret by using the <b>passive voice. </b> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">What happened to...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Or if it really is true regret, and I can’t imagine why because I would rather have a safe elevator than a broken one…</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">“We regret the inconvenience”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Have a nice day :)</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-4269536678025771772022-07-11T17:03:00.007-04:002022-07-11T17:03:58.353-04:00Visually Communicating Data Can be So Cooooool <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Peter Coy writes today in the NYT Opinion page, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/07/11/opinion/immigrants-success-america.html" target="_blank">Why So Many Children of Immigrants Rise to the Top.</a> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">" </span><span style="font-size: large;">He’s writing about the a new book, “<b>Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success</b>” (Ran Abramitzky & Leah Boustan). And the book's importance, among other things, is that it makes a convincing<b> data - driven argument</b> that the children of immigrants have been <u>exceptionally good at moving up the economic ladder.</u> This counters the unfounded and often corrosive claims that immigrants come here, wallow in poverty and live off the resources of the rest of us. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The book is strong and so very needed in these times of baseless claims, lies and knee-jerk biases. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">But, what also struck me today on the NYT page was the graphic the New York Times has created to visually tell this story. It’s just wonderful. So wonderful that I had to call your attention to it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5bLlVqRJTTWR27So8TzIUk8cbPaVXVqtPDhXpfz57IpjEK-bU9owQ17BMxpuNq2X2AI4z0VfeFTPxQ3cwvaBeruslqyAhNRGGiAO_JvX9PZYt9GEiHBlknE7jHQn-1MU09HNgqVx_qy4ij4gSOHSe5NCuQuUz_O81o3kkz-cSDs2Jj-un3r_Bygo8g/s1650/growing%20up%20poor%202%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5bLlVqRJTTWR27So8TzIUk8cbPaVXVqtPDhXpfz57IpjEK-bU9owQ17BMxpuNq2X2AI4z0VfeFTPxQ3cwvaBeruslqyAhNRGGiAO_JvX9PZYt9GEiHBlknE7jHQn-1MU09HNgqVx_qy4ij4gSOHSe5NCuQuUz_O81o3kkz-cSDs2Jj-un3r_Bygo8g/w309-h400/growing%20up%20poor%202%20copy.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>W</span><span>hy? </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because, as readers know, communicating complex information clearly is just plain hard and it's the space I’ve been burrowing in for decades. And </span><b style="font-size: large;">numeracy is a big hurdle for the majority of adults in the US.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Numbers </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Statistics</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Risk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Infection rates</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Inflation rates</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rates of mortality</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gas prices</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Work force stats</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Numbers </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Statistics</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Risk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Infection rates</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Inflation rates</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rates of mortality</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gas prices</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Work force stats</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">From working with money, budgeting for the increasing price of gas and transportation to watching the changing rates of Covid infection, to understanding some of the basics of all the geo-political information thrown at us in our 24/7 media world. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It's easy to see how important understanding numerical information is in our lives – individual, social and political. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It’s nearly impossible to escape the need to work with numbers in our daily lives. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>B</span></b><span>ut as sure as numbers are a central part of life and being informed and making good decisions, we are a nation of people who struggle to work with<a href="https://national-coalition-literacy.org/about-adult-literacy/piaac/" target="_blank"> numbers. </a> Almost 60% of adults are<a href="https://national-coalition-literacy.org/about-adult-literacy/piaac/" target="_blank"> limited in what they can do with numbers/numeracy. </a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Numeracy is is our "capacity to access, process, interpret, communicate, and act on numerical, quantitative, graphical, biostatistical and probabilistic health information needed to make effective health decisions’ (Golbeck et al. 2005: 376). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It helps to think of numeracy skills in terms of: b</span><span style="font-size: large;">asic computation, a</span><span style="font-size: large;">nalyzing with numbers,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">working with statistics </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Woloshin et al. 2001; Lipkus et al. 2001; Sheridan and Pignone 2002).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s easy to imagine how low numeracy interferes with what people understand about a huge range of things from personal finance to health risks, to socio-political arguments.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">What’s equally vital about low numeracy is that it’s often linked to <b>susceptibility to pseudoscience.</b> In his book <i>Innumeracy</i> (1989) Paulos states the US public’s poor numeracy skills often lead to a huge gap between expert and lay risk perception, a gap “that threatens eventually to lead either to unfounded and crippling anxieties or to impossible and economically paralyzing demands for risk-free guarantees” (Paulos 1989: 5)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Communications experts, researchers, writers and media sources who grapple with communicating numerical information have long been stumbling over ways to communicate effectively and accurately to the general public . Sometimes they fail dramatically <a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2021/05/understanding-health-disparities-in.html) and it’s wonderful to see when they succeed. https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zcN5IiVd1uc/YKJ5sBQyp0I/AAAAAAAAG7o/AVt6iHyylecoizzR2UnL8yFbuG5g7zNWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bubble%2Bchart.jpg" target="_blank">(See post “Understanding health disparities in Covid vaccine access just got a lot harder.”</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ajW25WGELw8_YUxeWJf6djff4h5pwW7q3rSmPLkRmq_y5tWHKRqmkpAkDQTrz2vxQB3JOX3Sw5U3h3Yt247vjElobxOCtOD31J8UDJvNUKFIlBnXirKy50ax13S0TJu9Tlg69_zzBhvtvhSc4IpkTdyc34KQBcuoJc_jjSysFkaZ_rt34zd5h8ykaQ/s640/Bubble%20chart.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ajW25WGELw8_YUxeWJf6djff4h5pwW7q3rSmPLkRmq_y5tWHKRqmkpAkDQTrz2vxQB3JOX3Sw5U3h3Yt247vjElobxOCtOD31J8UDJvNUKFIlBnXirKy50ax13S0TJu9Tlg69_zzBhvtvhSc4IpkTdyc34KQBcuoJc_jjSysFkaZ_rt34zd5h8ykaQ/w360-h640/Bubble%20chart.jpeg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">And sometimes graphic representations of data really win the day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">In today's</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">NYT animated graphic we have the wonder of moving images, with a simple introductory statement and concluding recap unfolding-by-showing the narrative that most children of immigrants do not stay in poverty, but rather move up in economic status. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgh8RhawBk-OqxLSE4gsYImsUFIuLespgvGlq6xuwyFWoHzyk3gWa5la5AsLnwK0YdB-mxOhwIJoVEArRf3w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">(As found in NYT Today 7/11/22)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/07/11/opinion/immigrants-success-america.html</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This engaging visual leaps over endless text to tell a story (BTW , the way most humans take in and retain information). (Apter and others studying numeracy recommend that using some kind of narrative to report and present numbers helps improve comprehension -Apter etal.2008, Mazor et al, 2007).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">And then, the designers of this terrific data representation show the numbers - they don't avoid them. They don't deny the reader the ability to learn and continue to work with numbers. Redundancy of information - the number chart reinforces and elaborates on the animation!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt116Eij118DcLV8o2yIRjxLaAUaFIwXTHTXUQ5N4ReAyAe3X3V2IxHhShAAvJlASI1xixnyLDdR428FUvFsRwTE-GV3z6wshBoelSISXvpj2uU6VNlmqJpWjkKVwtqCDUHTgRApzCLXOH7eLOqpZYpK-sS2I4R4eonEfksv7xGMWsFyKMal3KAkeDA/s860/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-11%20at%203.32.45%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="860" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt116Eij118DcLV8o2yIRjxLaAUaFIwXTHTXUQ5N4ReAyAe3X3V2IxHhShAAvJlASI1xixnyLDdR428FUvFsRwTE-GV3z6wshBoelSISXvpj2uU6VNlmqJpWjkKVwtqCDUHTgRApzCLXOH7eLOqpZYpK-sS2I4R4eonEfksv7xGMWsFyKMal3KAkeDA/w400-h193/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-11%20at%203.32.45%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm not often given to hero worship. But whoever designed this graphic is my local hero today! Thank you. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">--------</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apter, A.J., Paasche-Orlow, M.K., Remillard, J.T., Bennett, I.M., Ben-Joseph, E.P., Batista, R.M., et al. (2008) ‘Numeracy and communication with patients: they are counting on us’, Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(12): 2117–2124.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Golbeck, A., Ahlers-Schmidt, C., Paschal, A., and Dismuke, S. (2005) ‘A definition and operational</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">framework for health numeracy’, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 29(4): 375–376.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lipkus, I., Samsa, G., and Rimer, B. (2001) ‘General performance on a numeracy scale among highly educated samples’, Medical Decision Making, 21(1): 37–44.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Paulos, J.A. (1989) Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences, New York: Hill and Wang.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sheridan, S.L. and Pignone, M. (2002) ‘Numeracy and the medical student’s ability to interpret data’, Effective Clinical Practice (ECP), 5(1): 35–40.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zarcadoolas, C. (2011) ‘The simplicity complex: exploring simplified health messages in a complex world’, Health Promotion International , 26(3): 338–350.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zarcadoolas, C. and Vaughon, W. (2014). If numbers could speak: low numeracy skills and the digital revolution. In H. Hamilton and Chou, W- Y. (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Applied Linguistics and Health Communication, New York, NY, Routledge.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-69763578886007296032022-07-08T11:10:00.005-04:002022-07-11T08:15:13.732-04:00One Pill Makes You Strong:undoing 50 years of PHN <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I</b></span><span style="font-size: large;">t’s a Thursday afternoon, circa 1958 in a New York working class neighborhood, I and my fellow female Junior High classmates, starched and pressed aprons on, are dutifully listening to Mrs. Laughter in Home Ec (Economics – such a perfect post WW II phrase) explaining how to shop for salad greens that will last at least a week in the fridge. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Then she reviews options for creating nutritious salads for a family. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxpTZ-FYeG-q1WXajl9ow2p3xgi5scfPW2AWA2v7rV5c06A_GHy2oFS8i0F1hzTbroPmsdm87SDBKXmAhy-ascdWTHfGO7B9BtjnahYCDe0MZsVXHxeb_ausvW_FWGOk4sgw6hsz8DDPyvb-_9I9bnzlJ2aigIpbCqf_UxKXqyHhL47klQVIOsJD5mQ/s256/homr%20ec%20class.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="256" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxpTZ-FYeG-q1WXajl9ow2p3xgi5scfPW2AWA2v7rV5c06A_GHy2oFS8i0F1hzTbroPmsdm87SDBKXmAhy-ascdWTHfGO7B9BtjnahYCDe0MZsVXHxeb_ausvW_FWGOk4sgw6hsz8DDPyvb-_9I9bnzlJ2aigIpbCqf_UxKXqyHhL47klQVIOsJD5mQ/w400-h308/homr%20ec%20class.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: left;">No matter at 13 I had no real role in shopping and meal prep in a Greek American family of 5 kids. But to this day I can recall lessons about handling raw chicken, why apples were one of the compact gifts of nature and that strange mingling of the smell of Ajax and the sweet butteriness of some baked good our demonstration kitchen always had. </span></div></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was only much later, in grad school, that I came to understand that Home Ec was part of the start of PHN - Public Health Nutrition that started in the 1950s in the US. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You could look much further back to the<b> “great sanitary awakening”</b> of the mid to late 1800s to discover that food safety and nutrition were included in the missions of philanthropic and charitable initiatives. Back then agricultural chemists were doing early research on the role of calories in measuring the efficiency of a diet and the role of proportional eating. ( I particularly like this Blog https://www.healthy-eating-politics.com/usda-food-pyramid.html)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the first Food and Drug Act (1906) addressed food production, sales and labeling. In 1917, the first USDA food guide appeared - <a href="https://www.healthy-eating-politics.com/usda-food-pyramid.html" target="_blank"><i>How to Select Foods </i>and was written by Caroline Hunt, a nutritionist for the USDA. </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By 1972, the WIC pilot program began ( Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and reports such as </span><span style="font-size: large;"> Dietary Goals for the United States (1977) and The Surgeon General’s Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in 1979 presaged </span><span style="font-size: large;"> the Healthy People initiatives kicked off in 2020.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">And there've been many iterations of the Food Pyramid and Plate Planners that I and countless others have used over the decades with individuals to help develop greater health literacy and nutritional l literacy. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPLxCF3HLVLO1MZVHJLh1vL8ZxS9Q4duLFICloQ2YH_R7BWYW2LGJk4GV0-ITBREI74ElQIvKiYL5s_IPbIWP5EzvItsH4XrHkzuaQUy7rfVb4wKzkVUQ1juLSmU8rozzqFNaxuz49g8IAK_7xPiwzPMlErOnZrC50P9_Xeh7S8pXVL1h-X1XFaQY9A/s400/new-food-pyramid.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="400" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPLxCF3HLVLO1MZVHJLh1vL8ZxS9Q4duLFICloQ2YH_R7BWYW2LGJk4GV0-ITBREI74ElQIvKiYL5s_IPbIWP5EzvItsH4XrHkzuaQUy7rfVb4wKzkVUQ1juLSmU8rozzqFNaxuz49g8IAK_7xPiwzPMlErOnZrC50P9_Xeh7S8pXVL1h-X1XFaQY9A/w400-h234/new-food-pyramid.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDqufSp9jA8opcYtwCrfsxErNi4wApmLq22iVniN6Vv3iu0-I4erAU6YzxvXTUlYXQUSzTx2GDBr_eKGOR1IOcuSnp04PhINVGu5ypr0vWYJjMUoB6Yerk8_3HXHHPEK10yvrnei8g1EIxX7st3m780ZDYY8enhJVpkjg0dnNvxJn3HCvbJYGlDJ1Wg/s272/nyc%20plate%20planner.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="272" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDqufSp9jA8opcYtwCrfsxErNi4wApmLq22iVniN6Vv3iu0-I4erAU6YzxvXTUlYXQUSzTx2GDBr_eKGOR1IOcuSnp04PhINVGu5ypr0vWYJjMUoB6Yerk8_3HXHHPEK10yvrnei8g1EIxX7st3m780ZDYY8enhJVpkjg0dnNvxJn3HCvbJYGlDJ1Wg/w400-h272/nyc%20plate%20planner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we have powerful and growing scientific understanding of the role nutrition plays in chronic diseases (For a quick review of the history of nutrition in the US I’d suggest - </span><a href="https://connect.springerpub.com/content/book/978-0-8261-4685-4/part/part01/chapter/ch01" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">“Introduction to Public Health Nutrition</a><span style="font-size: large;">” </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>F</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;">or sure, there’s been a long and sometimes nasty battle played out in well funded advertising and promotional campaigns by the food and dietary supplements industries. Some of you must remember Vitamin Donuts!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm2YQqPKmxrS2Sc2DeEQoh4lD686mP638sQjaSAKmsKtHPJweTVErnvZZEemu_N-LUfPF2xwyi9wKtuFvqBTim0YD0lRtrvw3fRJKXciHp9gyNanaRywpHta5X3BmMafgeZmzcyV-dDHBxU_6E6l6KfPFMhrEqI8dhu2oZuLgMM9EvYbwn_Zjahyd4Q/s945/Vitamin%20donuts.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="567" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm2YQqPKmxrS2Sc2DeEQoh4lD686mP638sQjaSAKmsKtHPJweTVErnvZZEemu_N-LUfPF2xwyi9wKtuFvqBTim0YD0lRtrvw3fRJKXciHp9gyNanaRywpHta5X3BmMafgeZmzcyV-dDHBxU_6E6l6KfPFMhrEqI8dhu2oZuLgMM9EvYbwn_Zjahyd4Q/w240-h400/Vitamin%20donuts.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo8abC1dBeRPMnszLNp107xFgc03RtPep0w3mC_gyHAIt9mAF4_T9NAT3lLHo0AG0s-SnYeQ86GaP1lChcRZd7iS1hS98ucfvOwMsOfKSIx7437jGXzBhhToaTEvrdnS7DlFEfazjMBFDckxZxlwas1GTVg3fGPLlAa78zs6utqm-2vOKSfnI2oV8aA/s261/sugar.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="193" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo8abC1dBeRPMnszLNp107xFgc03RtPep0w3mC_gyHAIt9mAF4_T9NAT3lLHo0AG0s-SnYeQ86GaP1lChcRZd7iS1hS98ucfvOwMsOfKSIx7437jGXzBhhToaTEvrdnS7DlFEfazjMBFDckxZxlwas1GTVg3fGPLlAa78zs6utqm-2vOKSfnI2oV8aA/w296-h400/sugar.jpeg" width="296" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">ut since the earliest Food Pyramids, there’s been a constant and growing emphasis on the benefits of eating good nutritious food. Good food, good exercise has been a tried and true recipe for better health. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">o it another Thursday, this time 2022, and I'm sitting on an under-air conditioned subway captive to the narrow images and messages advertisers subject us to . </span><span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it was that subway sweaty feeling, or distinctive aroma of summer in underground NYC but there is was - entering my mind like a hat pin. OUCH!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-BIqKbteSEPS8aHn7dmQLDT8QCJrCl7RxQJl1yPRk_P1xyYNLOmeyCfa1Tpp7Q_TTbLPpN77Jk-H1E1bJD2FwQddjDV-FXvTH7u2yZe7QncN48Uu0-D-ZU0eno3nLcnhGn6RDwsjvZOGJknEILpd306HVX4alQnGt87v8wTQnDMgws5oMTQfndc4uA/s228/victorian%20woman%20.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="228" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-BIqKbteSEPS8aHn7dmQLDT8QCJrCl7RxQJl1yPRk_P1xyYNLOmeyCfa1Tpp7Q_TTbLPpN77Jk-H1E1bJD2FwQddjDV-FXvTH7u2yZe7QncN48Uu0-D-ZU0eno3nLcnhGn6RDwsjvZOGJknEILpd306HVX4alQnGt87v8wTQnDMgws5oMTQfndc4uA/s1600/victorian%20woman%20.jpeg" width="228" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyOQDjJCBwqPsIQqjZ3fQrv0wI1J1-ecqEFNvSri8BPdMNcJdu0FSfepJY1VmGdFiAePhchWErUxEyhUyFHC1EQJIdnDAdRJJU1UeZxREy8CW1B-skn6LiQZuV5D7-E42MRWz4kvA97LWmXtbuNCE4YR-Uv6k3KY-xigL6vczUmLyPJSimYw-Mj7r6g/s4032/IMG_3759.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyOQDjJCBwqPsIQqjZ3fQrv0wI1J1-ecqEFNvSri8BPdMNcJdu0FSfepJY1VmGdFiAePhchWErUxEyhUyFHC1EQJIdnDAdRJJU1UeZxREy8CW1B-skn6LiQZuV5D7-E42MRWz4kvA97LWmXtbuNCE4YR-Uv6k3KY-xigL6vczUmLyPJSimYw-Mj7r6g/w551-h300/IMG_3759.jpg" width="551" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://solaray.com/pages/food-is-not-enough" target="_blank">Solaray's FOOD IS NOT ENOUGH Campaign</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwGaBuHlZNQuiQUww9wexCrEtYr05v810zqvsTh9Fsgh-7gI0i0nqSeef9Q0MBMBybbXMfjqXo2uoBK_-zyQdUIDrfhfE7Guvom-Y2PTCyYR920IrjRJoU9-N5TERBOc_LBqv1N5BznGKMJ6eZ6WD2Xbgow8XBYlPbWOdm16FAPbjtKzCmUXpeF0wog/s945/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-08%20at%209.55.20%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="945" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwGaBuHlZNQuiQUww9wexCrEtYr05v810zqvsTh9Fsgh-7gI0i0nqSeef9Q0MBMBybbXMfjqXo2uoBK_-zyQdUIDrfhfE7Guvom-Y2PTCyYR920IrjRJoU9-N5TERBOc_LBqv1N5BznGKMJ6eZ6WD2Xbgow8XBYlPbWOdm16FAPbjtKzCmUXpeF0wog/w400-h186/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-08%20at%209.55.20%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Solary includes whole essays on </span><span face="perpet, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", system-ui" style="font-size: calc(var(--font-heading-scale) * 6rem); font-weight: var(--font-heading-weight); letter-spacing: -0.0225em; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href=" on file:///Users/christinazarcadoolas/Desktop/Why%20Food%20Is%20Not%20Enough—And%20What%20Can%20Be%20Done%20–%20Solaray.html" target="_blank">Food Is Not Enough—Here’s Why & What Can Be Done About It</a></span></span></div></div><p>Why eat (30) oranges when you can take 1 pill?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4I079ZvGf5MPyCgPSQNSNP6ABQj5w5v5Ee8NenyftZSf_ap_8O6UzlFa3nrzRMtao-PwuOHr_nIX5Fpc6UIdmnU3cFhQAPdt6s_97bv8FbxRgUYFbGHBLGPw3vWuqZ4f8I7BE23yjgg4Ygw96QFXTwKrg0UvLNDX49A9ItjDlUEtqYg-pxVz5-hheQ/s846/Oranges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="846" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4I079ZvGf5MPyCgPSQNSNP6ABQj5w5v5Ee8NenyftZSf_ap_8O6UzlFa3nrzRMtao-PwuOHr_nIX5Fpc6UIdmnU3cFhQAPdt6s_97bv8FbxRgUYFbGHBLGPw3vWuqZ4f8I7BE23yjgg4Ygw96QFXTwKrg0UvLNDX49A9ItjDlUEtqYg-pxVz5-hheQ/w400-h198/Oranges.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The endless world of Why Eats? is staggering. You're lead to believe that Food will soon become that neanderthal novelty that overstayed its welcome. </p><p>And then a friend sent me a new episode on the demise of children's breakfast in South Africa</p><h1 class="article__title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111516; font-family: LabGrotesque-Bold, sans-serif; margin: 0px; order: 1;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.co.za/parents-giving-their-kids-dietary-supplements-doctors-react-2022-5" target="_blank">"Parents of picky eaters substituting vegetables with dietary supplements. Doctors warn there are risks."</a></span></h1><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3ieEgIGX8Z9laMo9pgptKm7ffs0FKFBODsf-Y0nj4edC5FKvvMn2MF54mHixaslUJ73zwN_OkD7Xv5eaRU7iB8Q39Motyng34y8t5v1sitZjT6L86MzkueMgvMJLR8ruLwJBIAR0TlTUiH0UT2dNwYHI2dK8HR8oOduXSKT9M7y6Rnm41yCNl42TyQ/s612/Cereal%20bowl.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="612" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3ieEgIGX8Z9laMo9pgptKm7ffs0FKFBODsf-Y0nj4edC5FKvvMn2MF54mHixaslUJ73zwN_OkD7Xv5eaRU7iB8Q39Motyng34y8t5v1sitZjT6L86MzkueMgvMJLR8ruLwJBIAR0TlTUiH0UT2dNwYHI2dK8HR8oOduXSKT9M7y6Rnm41yCNl42TyQ/w400-h203/Cereal%20bowl.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Never mind that the clear recommendations for kids is to eat a nutrient dense diet with limited sugar and fat - <span face="TiemposText-Regular, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #111516; font-size: 18px;">The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 1/3 of children </span><span face="TiemposText-Regular, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #111516; font-size: 18px;">and adolescents take dietary supplements.</span><div><span face="TiemposText-Regular, serif" style="color: #111516;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="TiemposText-Regular, serif" style="color: #111516;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Not that they teach Home Ec much any more, but I know schools are working hard on teaching about growing food, healthy foods, healthy eating, health lives. I wonder what Mrs. Laughter would say? <br /></span></span><div><br /></div></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-78068794763006416432022-02-01T11:38:00.001-05:002022-02-01T11:38:25.046-05:00Can Media Training Save Public Health?<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMP3-Gxz1vtAf7ZmvNBrPp70FJYLDRkSfY4oIp67tMNL-hbhbMeEtHNunPaDUfmhUOzqRMuNMGzqRlGzYzUl2Qu8RrotmhJg7cMLyDtkYGGCvf0dI3QE244xW2grNwqZa59qW7Ovot7fZAIpqYHPKAMIUNARCPkz57gS2Dl9uswGRL9BWydlhnEZaNfw=s311" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="311" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMP3-Gxz1vtAf7ZmvNBrPp70FJYLDRkSfY4oIp67tMNL-hbhbMeEtHNunPaDUfmhUOzqRMuNMGzqRlGzYzUl2Qu8RrotmhJg7cMLyDtkYGGCvf0dI3QE244xW2grNwqZa59qW7Ovot7fZAIpqYHPKAMIUNARCPkz57gS2Dl9uswGRL9BWydlhnEZaNfw" width="311" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span><span style="font-size: large;">’ll confess there are days when I wish media training for CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky (among many other public health experts) would turn the tide, get us out of this pandemic mess. When I wish that simple honesty would win the day. But, because I’m a sociolinguist who has studied and taught public understanding of health and science for four decades and spent untold light years tweaking public health messages, I’m not inclined to magical thinking. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I default to a far more fundamental and addressable problem. The fact that<b> health experts know and trust “the science” (even when the path is pothole filled), while the public understands far less science and is hardly ever in the room where it happens.</b> This chasm has enormous consequences for personal and community health, policy, politics economics and civil society.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Frustration would be a mild way of characterizing the whiplash inducing changing public health guidance the CDC has made recently related to OMICRON - quarantining, rapid antigen tests (home tests) and PCR tests, attending school... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I certainly embrace the criticisms made by the always insightful social scientists <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/opinion/omicron-covid-testing-cdc.html" target="_blank">(NYT Sunday 1/9/22) Zeynep Tufekci </a>makes: 1) Why is Dr.Walensky contradicting her research conclusions of 2020?; What’s behind the guidance? 2) Is it unreasonable for us to conclude that officials are discouraging rapid tests for the same reason Dr. Anthony Fauci originally told us we didn’t need face masks back in February 2020—that we simply don’t have enough? 3) Many Covid public health guidelines are faintly disguised paternalism – the masses are far too likely to have a false sense of security. If their rapid test is negative, then all hell will break loose. Tufekci concludes her essay with a clear call to action. <i>“The government can help us pull out of this fog, but it should always be based on being honest with the public. We aren’t expecting officials to have crystal balls about everything, but we want them to empower and inform us while preparing for eventualities — good or bad.</i>" </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Media training? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not so much.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>But how? Where to start? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB7nBXyqCWrE6KsOfXWujCGjgwOZUnpUFE9B_bGIDv-BS60Qekpx9uum_55S9lgYTUEuA_pZng-YI5dWc40lqqLODndgHvjD6oHl91YRhwH657xiN9AmkhwNN2dnlJqerkwbUkn2K9W1FqbDqonXIEElfTzSMUfl0NzVfKyoCR9PtnNfyJJ-uTlnYWXQ=s195" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="195" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB7nBXyqCWrE6KsOfXWujCGjgwOZUnpUFE9B_bGIDv-BS60Qekpx9uum_55S9lgYTUEuA_pZng-YI5dWc40lqqLODndgHvjD6oHl91YRhwH657xiN9AmkhwNN2dnlJqerkwbUkn2K9W1FqbDqonXIEElfTzSMUfl0NzVfKyoCR9PtnNfyJJ-uTlnYWXQ=w275-h226" width="275" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">So, for what it’s worth - Thanks to<a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20207/public-familiarity-with-s-t-facts. " target="_blank"> NSF study</a> (and more recently PEW surveys) of public understanding and engagement with science information we have over 30 years of survey evidence showing that science, while interesting to most adults in the US remains poorly understood at many fundamental levels. Take for instance that only about half of adults know that antibiotics kill bacteria, and don’t kill viruses, or that only about half of us understand how a drug is tested.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Not surprisingly those with the lowest education levels understand science less. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the hopeful side, currently most (74%) believe in the benefits of science, and we seem to be moving in the right direction regarding astrology which less people now say is a “science.” Advancing the public’s health and science literacy is fundamental. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No less important to achieving greater public health and wellness for all is that public health experts need to re-interrogate their mission and the trajectory. Writer Ed Yong has written astutely about this. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Yong reminds us that back then public health professionals fully understood that you had to address social issues – housing, poverty education- if you were going to achieve universal better health. (see </span><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/10/how-public-health-took-part-its-own-downfall/620457/" style="font-size: large;">Ed Yong’s piece</a><span style="font-size: large;"> on how the fields of medicine and public health compete with themselves</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJZL9PppmdDip9XqV2VRJutFzoDHzybrUaxYcZyoNiu0_BeerDPpUPcRuoJPDH5rY3D9SQ-v0VMuh-irtJ3MsDN7WxeOD90aDLa2qzDnwc7fwEdmsLqaCc8uiDGHQ8x8_NkfWcK1kQb44w6KELsvDl19vfA0y1pGEIepCKlnoYEpNE8-BJRGlqOwskEQ=s278" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="278" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJZL9PppmdDip9XqV2VRJutFzoDHzybrUaxYcZyoNiu0_BeerDPpUPcRuoJPDH5rY3D9SQ-v0VMuh-irtJ3MsDN7WxeOD90aDLa2qzDnwc7fwEdmsLqaCc8uiDGHQ8x8_NkfWcK1kQb44w6KELsvDl19vfA0y1pGEIepCKlnoYEpNE8-BJRGlqOwskEQ=w422-h276" width="422" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Covid has made it embarrassingly clear how surprised by social inequity many contemporary public health experts have been. There’s been a strange schizophrenia in how public health has comported itself during this pandemic. Some willingly acknowledge and judge the corrosive political atmosphere during the first 18 months of the pandemic but then vehemently sidestep the daily political and societal problems that prolong it. For some it’s simply been a vexing puzzle, for others a call to action.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hat could “empowering and informing” the public look like?</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One critical part would be to advance the public’s understanding and engagement with all aspects of health by not exclusively privileging “scientific evidence” because so many millions don’t fully understand that science. We must recast the pandemic (because that’s what’s on the table right now) in terms of contextualized science - science in the context of people’s lives and realities. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Frame public health guidance by simultaneously talking about the “science” and the social science. If we know that masks would cut down on transmission--say that--while also explaining the shortage and proposing acceptable alternatives. What is the government going to do about the problem? </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Discuss the mission of public health – the difference between focusing on “flattening the curve” vs. teaching people how to protect themselves. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Acknowledge without judgment that the science and health literacy of the public needs improving and commit to teaching not just “disseminating” health information through policy and endless, changing guidance. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Introduce the public to basic public health and science concepts. Develop ways to build a knowledge base and shared vocabulary to get from viruses and spike proteins, to social spread and the greater good. </span></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span style="font-size: medium;">o, for me, the central problem is not that scientists and public health experts need media training to better anticipate questions, avoid common traps and focus on delivering clear, confident messages. To achieve a healthier people and planet we need to recalibrate the critical relationships between medical science, the field of public health and the public living the very lives we aspire to improve. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-73037207577248761462022-01-04T10:14:00.003-05:002022-01-04T10:38:58.580-05:00You'll Need to Study for NYCDOE Covid Questionnaire <p> </p><p>As a TV reporter commented this morning - reminded her of one of those incomprehensible math riddles....</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e1c; font-family: FreightTextProBook, serif; font-size: 22px; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><i>A 300 ft. train is traveling 300 ft. per minute must travel through a 300 ft. long tunnel. How long will it take the train to travel through the tunnel?</i></span></p><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjyRK5Mlw-aM1iEshXg3p_Nk_hF90wwpaVJBpHdBdewFMOK5tc1HJs5DsAW5E07KfKO9QK-WjwpSVpc1fLxFAyUrd_0s55y_oTnWxFVQ4yZ-ZskV16JYh-bNTk3eVY_6LkHjbOTAtN6xuxxj0edapH9l7_cllCopC7GVCUgjxtwguc-z9m1buk_WSPng=s2750" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="2750" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjyRK5Mlw-aM1iEshXg3p_Nk_hF90wwpaVJBpHdBdewFMOK5tc1HJs5DsAW5E07KfKO9QK-WjwpSVpc1fLxFAyUrd_0s55y_oTnWxFVQ4yZ-ZskV16JYh-bNTk3eVY_6LkHjbOTAtN6xuxxj0edapH9l7_cllCopC7GVCUgjxtwguc-z9m1buk_WSPng=w531-h387" width="531" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(for those who don't want to strain their eyes reading my highlighted text: </div><div><br /></div><div>"Yes, and I have received a negative result from a COVID-19 diagnostic test performed by a health care provider OR I am a student or school-based staff member who received two negative results from a take-home test taken at least 24 hours apart since the onset of symptoms AND have only mild symptoms (no runny nose; if cough, cough minimal and non-productive; fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication). Go to the next question. "</div><div><br /></div><div>I tried to <b>rewrite </b>the criteria BUT I just couldn't figure out what the DOE was even asking!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes No I got a Negative Covid test from a health care provider.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes No I used a take home test and got 2 negative COVID tests. I took the tests at least 24 hours apart. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes No I had Covid symptoms, but then again maybe it was just a cold, or the sudden change in temperature, or this endless stress about the pandemic that simply caused me to think I was having symptoms, which then lead to the runny nose and a cough, which now that I think about it, was not very productive because I still had to cook for the kids and do the laundry because it wasn't until my fever set it, at least I think it was a fever as we don't have a working home thermometer anymore, thanks to the dog who mistook it for a toy, which left me in the position of really not feeling as though I should to out to CVS to get any medication, which I would have a hard time buying because the shelves have been empty so often lately because of COVID. </span></div><div><br /></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-67630908851063786042022-01-03T11:47:00.004-05:002022-01-03T11:53:07.281-05:00Sick City on a Hill 1813<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">hile reading this yesterday I kept asking myself - What is this? How could it be? Fable? A fortelling? </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Ga98B_pHUj2tbP2Gpn6NUuo38V50hbycK9M5UFdZfQkoTD9FpVW2Aeg1Infh0oPPI_4maK6qoUmtl-bBO1U8SUV5NUeC0C2g8p445SCbpnQ97pxz_Sd1v8bnEcw9tO9hQYlREdtpDaXiAt3POKW4f2Lr_WR83kgWI3ZEIZL-seZjzAn5amt_1gRB_Q=s343" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="343" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Ga98B_pHUj2tbP2Gpn6NUuo38V50hbycK9M5UFdZfQkoTD9FpVW2Aeg1Infh0oPPI_4maK6qoUmtl-bBO1U8SUV5NUeC0C2g8p445SCbpnQ97pxz_Sd1v8bnEcw9tO9hQYlREdtpDaXiAt3POKW4f2Lr_WR83kgWI3ZEIZL-seZjzAn5amt_1gRB_Q=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> (I’ve liberally edited for space and humbly ask the author’s forgiveness.) <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">-------------</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">“</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">People were almost afraid to breathe, lest the contagion should be floating in the air,</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">… addressed each other only at a distance; letters, when received, were fumigated and delivered by means of a stick slit at one end, being refumigated before they were opened and read; all the exterior marks of friendship were forbidden, and no one dared to make enquiries after his relations or friends, for fear of hearing that they had died."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"O</span><span style="font-size: medium;">n August 26 [The Leader] ordered all buildings where people might gather in large numbers—churches, the commercial exchange, courts, the custom house, and the theater—to be closed. Markets were allowed to remain open, but new regulations were put in place to prevent loitering. The smell of vinegar wafted through the sparsely populated bazaars, as merchants soaked their money in the liquid to kill whatever []was thought to carry the disease…</span><span style="font-size: large;">Notwithstanding these precautions, the number of deaths soared." </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>"As with any epidemic, information was the chief weapon.</b> [He] ordered the city divided into several districts and assigned deputies to make daily reports, based on household surveys."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"[He] ordered the city’s borders to be sealed and established a general quarantine in all neighborhoods. It was a bold, even foolhardy, move. He had virtually no military forces at his disposal to enforce the quarantine... All doors and windows were to remain closed. Only people in public service were permitted to leave their homes, and even they were required to have a special identification ticket. To provision the shut-down city, police and commissary officials conveyed food through each district twice a day. Meat was dipped in cold water and bread was fumigated before distribution. Each house was inspected twice daily, and anyone exhibiting signs of illness was taken to a separate surveillance area until he either died or, much more rarely, recovered."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Despite the regulations on public gatherings, some citizens ventured outside…to watch the spectacle of their city’s ruin…A city that had imagined itself as a shining example to the outside world…had found itself building walls against the unseen dangers that could come floating in from the sea."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Odessa had gone through the first episode of an internal struggle that would last well into the twentieth century: a conflict between a self-image of openness and grandeur and one of insularity and terror."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">August 1812 – January 1813 </span><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpted from Charles King’s, <i>Odessa: Genius and Death in a City of Dreams</i>. W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.</span></span></p><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-54393470813162253602021-11-29T12:46:00.004-05:002021-12-03T07:49:15.005-05:00Class Who Can Tell Us What Omicron is? <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>micron. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> It’s enough to tank the stock market, strand transcontinental travelers, hamstring a Portuguese soccer club and cause my 93 year old vaccinated mother to be hesitant about seeing her vaccinated family over Thanksgiving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyGnvvre5eM/YaUGrbFVvvI/AAAAAAAAHPs/Tv4xTASb0KcyemO9zmUX61iLaG7J6wVNACLcBGAsYHQ/s1004/NYC%2BOmicron%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="706" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyGnvvre5eM/YaUGrbFVvvI/AAAAAAAAHPs/Tv4xTASb0KcyemO9zmUX61iLaG7J6wVNACLcBGAsYHQ/w283-h400/NYC%2BOmicron%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bhouse.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uTT3hQHt0qw/YaUHRVUGBeI/AAAAAAAAHP0/oFG2br7YWNAWm9V8MYJBOi1RH8t--cMbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s225/troll.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uTT3hQHt0qw/YaUHRVUGBeI/AAAAAAAAHP0/oFG2br7YWNAWm9V8MYJBOi1RH8t--cMbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/troll.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah;">TROLL ALERT </span> I am fully vaccinated and boostered, a firm believer that Covid 19 is the most serious pandemic we have faced in over a century and it’s not over. I don’t entertain conspiracy theories or fears of a microchip embedded in vaccines. I study and write almost exclusively about how to make complex health and science information understandable. So please troll elsewhere. Nothing here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">B</span>ack to the Omicron variant. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(I could have written this about the Delta variant.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Omicron has scientists very concerned and thus the media is all over it. I was hoping the media, after almost 2 years, would do a better job explaining what the variant was and why we should be aware.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So far – Not So Much. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Media Parrot Science Lingo </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I expect scientists and other health experts to talk science, epidemiology, spike proteins, shapeshifting, titer of antibodies, induced immunity and lots more. They rarely disappoint.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Fauci on Covid Booster:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"The booster — it basically enlarges the capacity of your immune system to recognize all kinds of different spike proteins it's never seen," </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/11/28/1059623783/fauci-says-the-omicron-variant-will-inevitably-appear-in-the-u-s</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Fauci on Omicron:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“If it looks like even at a high titer of antibody it doesn’t, then what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to change and modify what the vaccine is going to be, which you can do pretty easily.” </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>WHO on Omicron</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic.” </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But the media I've been reviewing ( from national to local outlets East Coast and West) seem to have either no capacity to make these complex health/science issues understandable, or in some cases, I think they simply don't understand them themselves. When not just directly quoting the experts, they are almost verbatim using the same inaccessible, <b>science language and concepts that it takes an advanced degree in epidemiology to understand.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even a headline setting out to explain something to us is a let down. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/29/health/coronavirus-variants-what-we-know-november/index.html" target="_blank">“<b>Coronavirus variants: Here’s what we know”</b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(11/29/21)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">“…Also, genetic sequencing showed it carried a large number of troubling mutations on the spike protein -- the knoblike structure on the surface of the virus that it uses to grapple onto the cells it infects. Some of those mutations were already recognized from other variants and were known to make them more dangerous, including one called E484K that can make the virus less recognizable to some antibodies -- immune system proteins that are a frontline defense against infection and that form the basis of monoclonal antibody treatments.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's gibberish to the average adult in the US. Let's recall ( sorry to keep repeating this stat) but less than 25% of the adults in the US can be considered<b> <a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20207/public-familiarity-with-s-t-facts" target="_blank">"science literate"</a>. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bravo to<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/11/28/dr-francis-collins-on-new-covid-variant.cnn" target="_blank"> Dana Bash </a>when she asked Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the Institutes of Health to explain what it meant when Moderna put out a statement last Friday saying: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>"The combination of mutations represents a significant potential risk to acceleratethe waning of natural and vaccine-induced immunity." </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jpTu2Rezl4s/YaUJ1v3vxoI/AAAAAAAAHP8/0KuduJUWuy80M6V_I48eIn7z4KRDdXcNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1340/Omicron%2BTV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1340" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jpTu2Rezl4s/YaUJ1v3vxoI/AAAAAAAAHP8/0KuduJUWuy80M6V_I48eIn7z4KRDdXcNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Omicron%2BTV.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Too bad Dr. Collins took the question to be an opportunity to, not answer her question or teach viewers much, but rather taut the vaccine and the booster. I get it. Vaccine and Boosters - critical. Go get them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But for the general public to understand something about this new Omicron variant - to be in some measure<b> "IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS"</b> when it comes to seeing Omicron as a risk, to taking protective actions, we need to understand it at the level that non-scientists can understand it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2 Years</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're almost 2 years into this pandemic and the narrative by most media outlets hasn't gotten more understandable, embraceable. We either accept that we should be contaminated by the concern scientists and the media are have, or we do something else. And we fault people for migrating to social media?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Readers - have you found media invested in explaining the science of Covid. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found one on AP called<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-new-variant-omicron-explainer-116ef818ac4a8e7bc23bb28d6511ecad" target="_blank"> "Explainer"</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>EXPLAINER: What we know and don’t know about omicron variant</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By JAMEY KEATEN and MARIA CHENG</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's just an excerpt:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"...So far, the main difference with other variants appears to be that there may be an increased risk of reinfection with omicron — in other words, that people who’ve already had COVID-19 could get reinfected more easily.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The variant appears to have a high number of mutations — about 30 — in the coronavirus’ spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some experts say that could mean that vaccine makers may have to adapt their products at some point."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Would love to hear about good, reliable, valid media sources of Omicron info. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-21620485490965049912021-10-29T11:54:00.001-04:002021-10-29T11:54:13.365-04:00Dear FDA We're Living in Post Do's and Don'ts World ?<p>There is a timely, seasonal new posting for parents on the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/should-you-give-kids-medicine-coughs-and-colds?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">FDA website –</a> </p><p><b><a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/should-you-give-kids-medicine-coughs-and-colds?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">Should You Give Kids Medicine for Coughs and Colds?</a></b></p><p>After a short list of steps parents can take to treat their child's cough or cold - using a humidifier, or saline solution etc., they talk about homeopathics. </p><p>I stumbled through the writing and reasoning and decided to take a stab at rewriting the homeopathics section. </p><p><b>My goals:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Acknowledge how homeopathics have a long history - (after all they're aggressively marketed and used by millions)</li><li>Add a bit more reasoning behind why the FDA does not recommend any homeopathics of children.*</li><li>Clarify problematic language <b>WITHOUT denying readers the opportunity to learn new words </b></li></ul><p></p><p><i>*I found a real contradiction between first message on the FDA page: homeopathics can “contain active drug ingredients in levels that far exceed the amount stated on the product’s label, and could cause significant harm to children.” Vs. the message you see if you click on the<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/homeopathic-products" target="_blank"> link </a>to read more about homeopathics. It states that “the more diluted the substance, the more potent it is, which is known as the “law of infinitesimals.”</i></p><p>This is just one quick effort to tell a better story. I'm sure you have other ideas.</p><p><b>Original Text </b></p><p>At your pharmacy and online, you may see other cough and cold medicine being sold for children advertised as homeopathic. It’s important to note that these homeopathic products are drugs because they are intended to treat or mitigate colds, even though some of these products might look similar to dietary supplements.</p><p>Homeopathic products are generally labeled as containing very small amounts of highly diluted substances, including ingredients from plants, animal or human sources, bacteria, minerals, and chemicals. The FDA has found that some of these products contain active drug ingredients in levels that far exceed the amount stated on the product’s label, and could cause significant harm to children.</p><p>There are no FDA-approved homeopathic products, and homeopathic products sold in the U.S. have not met the FDA’s requirements for safety and effectiveness. The FDA is not aware of any proven benefits of these products and urges you not to give homeopathic cough and cold medicine to children younger than 4.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><b>Do-over text</b></p><p><b>What about homeopathic remedies for my child's cough or cold? </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-NS5JLAbck/YXwVkGWHz0I/AAAAAAAAHNY/f4bwC1rAT6QjBxdKxl1T4AR-1XHKs3FtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s681/natural%2Bhealth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="681" height="258" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-NS5JLAbck/YXwVkGWHz0I/AAAAAAAAHNY/f4bwC1rAT6QjBxdKxl1T4AR-1XHKs3FtgCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h258/natural%2Bhealth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Today, you can find homeopathic products in drugstores and online. The labels say - <p></p><p>“Natural”</p><p>“Alternative”</p><p>“Safe and effective”</p><p>They can look like vitamins and other healthy foods. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>People all around the world have been using homeopathic remedies for many, many years. “Homeopathic” products were developed before we had most modern medicines. </p><p>The people who were working to discover homeopathic remedies used to give a substance ( parts of a plant, an animal part, or a chemical or mineral from the environment) to a volunteer patient. They would wait to see if the person got sick or had some symptoms. Then they would change the amount of the substance and watch again. In this way they found some combinations that they believed could help a patient with their illness. </p><p>Homeopathic remedies are big business.</p><p>Remember<b> homeopathic products are drugs. </b></p><p><b>The FDA does not recommend any homeopathics for children younger than 4. </b> </p><p>Why?</p><p>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The FDA cannot be sure what exactly is in the product. </p><p>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The label often says that a very little amount (diluted amount) of a chemical or other substance is in the product. So, many people think, <i>“Oh it just has a little bit of that. It must be safe”!</i></p><p>But scientists know that the opposite can be true. Sometimes just a little (diluted) amount of chemicals are very dangerous! That’s surprising but true. </p><p>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Homeopathic remedies may not be produced carefully and the amount of chemicals are not carefully controlled. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This is why the <b>FDA’s advice is - </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Do Not Give </b>homeopathic cough and cold medicine to children younger than 4.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-81970839016081525422021-10-19T08:44:00.003-04:002021-10-19T08:55:22.297-04:00Scientist Are Always Changing Their Minds<p>Some newer (updated) health recommendations made the news this week and caught my eye. </p><p>Each talks about new evidence that changes old thinking about health. </p><p>Note: only the one story about covid vaccines made the front page. As “anti-vaxxers” shout out their latest renditions of “scientists have no clue – see how much they keep changing their minds!” I’m once again reminded (politics and ideology aside) of what that judgement misses about science. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjsv-JNq7uM/YW678rhWKTI/AAAAAAAAHMo/i8L4PocZz0EPgtZHUWTFwKBvDIScB7GvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s248/mad%2Bmad%2Bscientist.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="248" height="164" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjsv-JNq7uM/YW678rhWKTI/AAAAAAAAHMo/i8L4PocZz0EPgtZHUWTFwKBvDIScB7GvwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h164/mad%2Bmad%2Bscientist.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Aside - I've spent decades studying how the public understands and uses health and science information and found one consistent theme. Millions don’t trust science, or scientists because <b>“they’re always changing their minds.”</b> <p></p><p>I recall being out in front of a Duane Reade pharmacy in East Harlem with my students the day (2007) children’s cold formulas were being taken off the shelves. (FDA had concluded 4 decades of data looking at possible and deadly side effects in very young children). We were intercepting and asking people what they thought about this. What we heard went something like this - “If it’s not safe, it’s not safe. </p><p>But why are we just hearing about this now.” And, <b>“These scientists can’t agree. They just like arguing with each other.”</b> </p><p>You probably won’t need to click into each of the following stories to get my point. With a bit of science literacy you get that “Science is always changing. Researching. Collecting and examining evidence. Evidence that brings with it newer, usually, better knowledge. </p><p>But if you don’t hear about and read about science as progress, become somewhat familiar with what “evidence” is, recommendations from experts are no more than pinballs ricocheting about. </p><p>The hits for this week: (all taken from NYT) </p><p><b>1.</b> You know that aspirin a day you’ve been taking, well it may be dangerous to your health.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhPGRRAZPN0/YW64ukLz17I/AAAAAAAAHMI/w9YATayjoQoYY66q1tqdrE2IppiUgmErACLcBGAsYHQ/s279/as%2Baspirn%2Ba%2Bday%2B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhPGRRAZPN0/YW64ukLz17I/AAAAAAAAHMI/w9YATayjoQoYY66q1tqdrE2IppiUgmErACLcBGAsYHQ/w151-h200/as%2Baspirn%2Ba%2Bday%2B.jpeg" width="151" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/health/aspirin-heart-attack-stroke.html" target="_blank">“Doctors should no longer routinely start most people who are at high risk of heart disease on a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin, according to new draft guidelines by a U.S. panel of experts.”</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FcAKRegQ99g/YW65be8jFgI/AAAAAAAAHMQ/FbeK2rEDKEQKMA8W4m1czVQX8ZNfaFBsACLcBGAsYHQ/s301/ambulance.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="301" height="167" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FcAKRegQ99g/YW65be8jFgI/AAAAAAAAHMQ/FbeK2rEDKEQKMA8W4m1czVQX8ZNfaFBsACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/ambulance.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div><b>2.</b> Those ear-piercing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/us/sirens-noise-ambulances-fire-department-police.html?referringSource=articleShare" target="_blank">emergency vehicle sirens</a> wind up being lots of sound and fury…signifying, maybe nothing. <p></p><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9jTpGr8MiI/YW66VZ5f41I/AAAAAAAAHMY/1CdlaFkanIAG63OmFDFwB907x-lj3xm2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s275/exercising.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9jTpGr8MiI/YW66VZ5f41I/AAAAAAAAHMY/1CdlaFkanIAG63OmFDFwB907x-lj3xm2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/exercising.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><b>3.</b> Alas, reformed couch potatoes can take hope that after years of sloth your heart is ready to forgive you. “… people who had stopped exercising for a decade or two but begun again during their 40s or 50s, working out then for a few hours a week, shared the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/well/move/what-your-exercise-habits-might-say-about-how-long-youll-live.html" target="_blank">same relative protection </a>against premature death as the people who always had exercised.”<p></p><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>4.</b> And in case you were wondering, you can mix and match covid vaccines just not your 5:00 cocktails.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4o1_dsmVago/YW66z_VXbqI/AAAAAAAAHMg/3x3l7_vLaUwl5v0ZEhV73LQcyiUK1I9swCLcBGAsYHQ/s242/mix%2Band%2Bmatch%2B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="242" height="208" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4o1_dsmVago/YW66z_VXbqI/AAAAAAAAHMg/3x3l7_vLaUwl5v0ZEhV73LQcyiUK1I9swCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/mix%2Band%2Bmatch%2B.jpeg" width="242" /></a></div><p>“…researchers presented the findings of a federally funded<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/18/us/politics/fda-mix-and-match-boosters.html" target="_blank"> “mix and match”</a> study to an expert committee that advises the Food and Drug Administration. The study found that recipients of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot who received a Moderna booster saw their antibody levels rise 76-fold in 15 days, compared with only a fourfold increase after an extra dose of Johnson & Johnson.”</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-27648264066508445552021-08-20T11:59:00.001-04:002021-08-20T11:59:08.215-04:00Class, I'd like to correct something I said about the Covid vaccine. <p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Teacher: </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AS13H-grFvc/YR_QcLgW4XI/AAAAAAAAHH8/WX1wwcmC2J8oMJeFiX_IRBblZLigd-GxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s275/Good%2Bmorning%2Bcollege%2Bclass.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AS13H-grFvc/YR_QcLgW4XI/AAAAAAAAHH8/WX1wwcmC2J8oMJeFiX_IRBblZLigd-GxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Good%2Bmorning%2Bcollege%2Bclass.jpeg" width="275" /></a></span></div><p></p><p>Good morning class. It's come to my attention that a number of you are confused about what you're hearing about maybe needing a Covid "booster" shot. So I thought it would be a good idea to review what we learned earlier in the semester and hopefully clear up any confusion. </p><p>Who wants to remind us why public health experts were so excited back at the end of last year, 2020 to announce that a vaccine for the Covid 19 virus had been developed? </p><p><u>Josh:</u> The government experts, well everyone was excited. Dr. Fauci said that the vaccine ( I think Pfizer) has "absolutely exquisite levels 94 to 95% efficacy against clinical disease." I remember my mother told me that one of the scientists who developed the first Covid vaccine was a black woman. That was so cool to hear. </p><p><u>Margarite</u>: I wrote a report about this. Back in Jan 2021 they set a goal for the public: 1 million shots in arms in the first 100 days! </p><p><u>Deshawn:</u> Yea but at the same time there were some "mutant" strains ( I like that word - mutant!) I think in England and Africa. But Dr Fauci said, <span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Publico Text", serif;"><i>Moderna and Pfizer vaccines seem to continue to be protective against the mutant strain. It is a very minor diminution. But the cushion that you have of efficacy is so large that it's not going to negatively impact.</i></span></p><p><u>Teacher</u>: Thank all. So class, back in January the vaccine was new and scientists knew it worked to protect people but, and this is an important "but", some experts were looking ahead to see how well the vaccines would protect us if there were new strains or forms of the virus. Next week we'll be learning about the <b>evolution of vaccines and strains</b>, but right now let's stay focused on the fact that the new vaccines "worked."</p><p><b>What do experts mean when we say the new vaccine worked. </b></p><p>Who wants to explain that? </p><p><u>Carlise: </u>That means if you get the shot, actually the 2 shots, then you won't get sick with Covid.</p><p><u>Teacher</u>: OK Thank you Carlise. Anyone else?</p><p><u>Tamara</u>: And if everybody got vaccinated the virus would die out - go away. YEA!</p><p><u>Angel</u>: And if you didn't get the vaccine you could get the Covid virus and get very sick. You wouldn't have any protection. And some of the reasons why some people didn't get the shot was they were scared, or they didn't have enough information, or because of politics. </p><div><u>Teacher</u>: OK So my question is this - pretty soon people in NYC will be able to get a "booster." </div><div><b>Why would we need a booster if the vaccine worked? </b></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll give you a hint. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKsG-Sbjt3U/YR_PNnAE_iI/AAAAAAAAHH0/RxJkRTpTKXoVO0VgOp0sLyjp-ENXZtoAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/hint%2Bplease.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKsG-Sbjt3U/YR_PNnAE_iI/AAAAAAAAHH0/RxJkRTpTKXoVO0VgOp0sLyjp-ENXZtoAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/hint%2Bplease.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>True Dr. Fauci and other health experts, from the start, have been celebrating the arrival of the Covid vaccines and urging everyone to get the shots. </div><div>But if you listened or read carefully you would have seen that scientists were sometimes careful to say that the vaccines had very <b>high efficacy "against serious disease." </b>Or, in we were reading a science study for a professional journal - and don't worry we won't be doing that this year - we would have read about findings like this - researchers found a high (78%) efficacy for prevention of moderate to severe disease after vaccination.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anybody want to explain this to the class? </div><div><br /></div><div>OK I am not surprised there's still confusion. So now we're going to talk about what the vaccine was designed to actually do. And then we'll look at the nature of immunology. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before that. Let's take a quick break. </div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-74593505062330516162021-08-18T09:59:00.004-04:002021-08-18T09:59:56.069-04:00Class, our word for today is "endemic" <p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span>e're hearing the first rumblings about the likelihood that the Covid pandemic is evolving to ultimately become "endemic". We can add it to the long list of seemingly endless new verbiage we've tossed out to the masses:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCM49QVHapM/YR0Q6goykVI/AAAAAAAAHHo/c1ddGfpIjw8wkE15uNLfJgC9L4ORg0bwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Covid%2Bword%2Bcloud.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCM49QVHapM/YR0Q6goykVI/AAAAAAAAHHo/c1ddGfpIjw8wkE15uNLfJgC9L4ORg0bwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Covid%2Bword%2Bcloud.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p>And like the wearing of masks, and social distancing, and vaccination, the concept of "endemic" is, well fraught. </p><p><b><span style="font-family: times;">Public understanding of health and science. </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">One of my mantras on this blog is how important it is for the public to understand and trust what they hear from public health experts and how important it is to keep in mind how more than half of the adults in the US struggle to understand and use basic health and science information. ( for example see blog post from <a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2021/01/like-most-health-communication-people.html" target="_blank">Jan. 15, 2021 "MRNA Needs a Better Messenger" </a> or "<a href="http://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2020/06/we-are-not-all-in-this-together-public.html">We are not all in this together: public understanding of health and science in the time of COVID</a> (June 2021).</span></p><p></p><div class="post-header" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #343434; font-size: 12.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1840019834663455523" itemprop="description articleBody" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #343434; font-size: 15.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; orphans: 2; position: relative; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 510px; word-spacing: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div></div><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #343434; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; orphans: 2; position: relative; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As a quick example - NSF's decades-long</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20207/public-familiarity-with-s-t-facts" style="background-color: transparent; color: #856403; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Public Understanding of Science</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">surveys consistently show that US adults struggle with science concepts and information. A</span><span style="font-size: small;">bout <b> 50% of US adults incorrectly believe that "antibiotics kill viruses as well as bacteria."</b> And in another example, roughly 1/2 of adults agree that "the earliest humans lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. </span></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">So introducing and explaining that Covid 19 is<b> likely here to stay </b>is not going to be an easy lift. You can only imagine what it will trigger if poorly understood:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">If it's going to be here like winter flu then so what, why do I have to ...get vaccinated, wear a mask, protect others.....</span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">If it's going to be here then what was all this last 18 months for. What did scientists learn. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">Scientists - they don't know what they're talking about. One minute it's enjoy summer, next it's cover up again!</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: times;">As Sarah Todd writes in <a href="https://qz.com/2047815/is-covid-19-a-pandemic-or-an-endemic/">Quartz </a>this week, </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><em style="background-color: #f9f9f9;">"Endemic</em><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"> diseases, like chicken pox or malaria, are not novel, and the rates of infection</span> </span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"> within a given population are fairly predictable. The Centers for Disease Control and</span> </span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"> Prevention (CDC) </span><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section11.html" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; text-decoration-line: none; transition: opacity 0.3s ease 0s;">says</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"> that endemic “refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence</span> <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;">of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area.” Speaking with the</span> <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;">New York Times this spring, professor of infectious disease epidemiology David Heymann said</span> <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;">that </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/05/09/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-cases" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; text-decoration-line: none; transition: opacity 0.3s ease 0s;">becoming endemic</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"> was “the natural progression of many infections we have in humans,</span> <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;">whether it is tuberculosis or HIV.”"</span></span></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: times;">Writer Ed Young captures what he refers to as the "dispiriting dilemma" in his <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/08/delta-has-changed-pandemic-endgame/619726/" target="_blank">Atlantic article "How The Pandemic Now Ends"</a> CDC now recognizes that the US will not get to herd immunity factoring in Delta's RO. And thus scientists understand, </span></p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">"This means that the “zero COVID” dream of fully stamping out the virus is a fantasy. Instead, the pandemic ends when almost everyone has immunity, preferably because they were vaccinated or alternatively because they were infected and survived. When that happens, the cycle of surges will stop and the pandemic will peter out. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/coronavirus-will-never-go-away/614860/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; text-decoration-thickness: 0.05em;">The new coronavirus will become <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">endemic</em></a>—a recurring part of our lives like its four cousins that cause common colds. It will be less of a problem, not because it has changed but <a href="https://www.theinsight.org/p/novelty-means-severity-the-key-to" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; text-decoration-thickness: 0.05em;">because it is no longer novel</a> and people are no longer immunologically vulnerable."</span></p></blockquote><p>Young states, "<span style="font-family: times;">If endemicity is the future, then masks, distancing, and other precautions merely delay exposure to the virus—and to what end?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">So class, how would you explain "endemicity"?</span></p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><br /></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #343434; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #343434; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p> </p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-54339881444630248332021-08-12T18:30:00.004-04:002021-08-13T08:20:05.339-04:00Covid Infection Breakthroughs: 2 things scientists knew all along ? <p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As I've disclosed many times over the last year, I was one of the millions relieved and thankful to get my Covid vaccinations as soon as they were available to me. Part of my ghosting behavior this summer on this blog and other media is that I admit to being bit laid low - bewildered and not a bit enraged by the millions who still won't get vaccinated. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UhzzPJTht2g/YRWdfKg-MDI/AAAAAAAAHGg/HgYMBPMRZvwyIhoACt8yTST07uA4FqR4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s283/bewildered%2Bdog%2B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" height="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UhzzPJTht2g/YRWdfKg-MDI/AAAAAAAAHGg/HgYMBPMRZvwyIhoACt8yTST07uA4FqR4ACLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h202/bewildered%2Bdog%2B.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The supposed "vaccine hesitant" (I've been working on a post about that phrase is just so off base. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span>ut to the debacle at hand today. A ubiquitous medical journalist whom I like a lot - CNN's Sanjay Gupta - penned an article. </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href=" https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/health/breakthrough-infection-covid-vaccine-misleading/index.html" target="_blank">"What's in a name? The term breakthrough infection" raises doubts about vaccines, but it shouldn't." </a></i></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Gupta argues, with support from other experts, that it's not a good idea to use the term "breakthrough infection" to refer to the condition of folks we know or hear about who are testing positive or have gotten sick with Covid even though they got vaccinated. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Gupta says things are more <b>nuanced </b>than that. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;">"breakthrough infections "only serves to alarm those of us who are already vaccinated, and potentially discourage those are are hesitant." </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">OK, up to there, I'm with you Sanjay. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But then the bait and switch. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">First there's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;">Dr. Barney Graham, deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. His lab had input into developing the Moderna vaccine.</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"><span style="font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;">“The vaccines were always designed to focus against disease in the lower airways [the lungs] – not in the upper airways [the nose and upper throat],” </span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Graham goes on to explain why it was important to develop a vaccine that would prevent infection from traveling to the lungs. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">OK I get it. No infection in the lungs. People don't wind up deathly ill and on respirators. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But then the zinger. Gupta quotes Graham saying,(referring to the vaccine)</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"><span style="font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"><span style="font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;">It wasn’t designed to protect the upper airways as much,”</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Wait. Hold on. Did I know that?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Wait..... then the coup d grace. Gupta quotes a statement Dr. Anthony Fauci made<span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;"> at a White House Covid-19 Response briefing last week. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZWniFVsigw/YRWesOkzjeI/AAAAAAAAHGo/kdW6uZN6UEUOIQrmoFAESOTBNrvfLRJVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s276/red%2Bcurtain.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZWniFVsigw/YRWesOkzjeI/AAAAAAAAHGo/kdW6uZN6UEUOIQrmoFAESOTBNrvfLRJVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/red%2Bcurtain.jpeg" width="276" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Let's call it the [Dr] </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Anthony Fauci Reveal</b><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;"><b>“The vaccines are doing exactly what we’re asking them to do when it comes to keeping you out of the hospital, out of serious disease and certainly preventing your death,”</b></span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The article goes on to offer up added reasons why the "breakthrough infection" phenomenon is : </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A) not surprising... no big deal...we knew it would happen all along </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">B) and therefore we shouldn't think of it as "breakthroughs" </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the article uses some not-to-easy-to-grasp number arguments about proportion of people vaccinated vs number of people who get sick ( reader keep in mind that the vast majority of adults in the US struggle with numeracy/ numbers skills). </li><li>a mention that there's no nationwide data available on asymptomatic and mild breakthrough cases;</li><li>and the point that levels of coronavirus antibodies diminish over time; </li></ul><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;">"This [diminishing] is "not a glitch" according to Dr. Monica Gandhi. "... our blood and our noses can’t hold all of the antibodies they’ve ever produced; if antibody levels didn’t drop, “our blood would be thick as paste.”</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dr. Gupta's article ends with a clear declaration from <span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c;">Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. Referring to the term "breakthrough infection":</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-analytics-observe="off" data-editable="text" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_1DA211DD-A3A7-8C70-19D0-3719FD253B44@published" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c0c0c; line-height: var(--theme-paragraph__line-height--from-small); margin: 0px 0px 16px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: Caveat; font-size: medium;">“I think the term is terrible because it’s scaring people and making it sound as if the vaccines don’t work. Let me say very clearly: The vaccines are incredibly effective in preventing hospitalizations, severe cases – over 90%. So, let’s not let the language get in the way of that,” he said on CNN last week.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I leave you with this - </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm a fairly smart lady, haven't tested to be low health literate, and follow Covid coverage to near distraction. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In all my monitoring and analysis of experts and media endlessly talking to the public about Covid and particularly the Covid vaccines all these months,<b> I don't recall one instance when any of these central science understandings and expectations for the vaccine was communicated clearly to us. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> We keep telling everyone "Get Vaccinated". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rl0r4991sY8/YRWgd6zBOYI/AAAAAAAAHGw/Knp_xh4JFKEHVwm2ICRqdv45dFgNdhTOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s275/bait%2Band%2Bswitch.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rl0r4991sY8/YRWgd6zBOYI/AAAAAAAAHGw/Knp_xh4JFKEHVwm2ICRqdv45dFgNdhTOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/bait%2Band%2Bswitch.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><br />These seeming bait and switch reveals won't help. <p></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-88639768234803609222021-05-19T10:04:00.001-04:002021-05-19T10:10:59.588-04:00Nobody reads my posts: until this week <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LA2vJ7J-Z1M/YKUZ-tiX6cI/AAAAAAAAG78/QlVoABSSmtwKUOL2ZfmeNuopfd4GMZIgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s280/bandana.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LA2vJ7J-Z1M/YKUZ-tiX6cI/AAAAAAAAG78/QlVoABSSmtwKUOL2ZfmeNuopfd4GMZIgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/bandana.jpeg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nobody reads my posts with the exception of my small circle of indulgent friends and colleagues. My life's work has been figuring out how to present </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/healthinformation?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#healthinformation</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so that people can understand it. Not all that exciting but it's where I like to live. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, what was I thinking when, earlier this week I came across a complicated graph in a newspaper I read and respect. Beautifully colored bubble graphs - incomprehensible to the average reader. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">What I call the start of a productive working day!</span></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/healthliteracylab" target="_blank">I posted the graphs on FB </a>and asked for ideas about how the <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/data?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#data</a></span> could be re-designed. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">DAAAAAA I now see the error of my ways.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unfortunately the graphic was about <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/covidvaccine?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#Covidvaccine</a></span>. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now recall, very few people ever read my FB or blog ( again how not sexy is <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/informationarchitecture?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#informationarchitecture</a></span>?) </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But this week's post was off the charts. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overnight - I'm popular!!!!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cueXTwqfJ-g/YKUcYW3TzjI/AAAAAAAAG8E/W6V-MxynxuMOVuDy2e-IW7wqKv9jg-PGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s272/cruella.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cueXTwqfJ-g/YKUcYW3TzjI/AAAAAAAAG8E/W6V-MxynxuMOVuDy2e-IW7wqKv9jg-PGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/cruella.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Hundreds of viewers, tons of comments.....</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All pretty mean spirited, <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nastytirades?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#nastytirades</a></span> , dismissive <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/memes?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#memes</a></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/fakenews?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#fakenews</a></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/vaccineconspiracies?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#vaccineconspiracies</a></span> and even warnings about violating the <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nurembergcode?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZUSHjQUP7U5ZjQ2DEb2yNIrlIDTKMRP2kCj__rp5Q-j55d1hTR53uvdXS3VJ-TzM2J8lCdq13aQSZfvolEKpaaJM7llViMYU5XT8A2KI6ve3i-EtyXbl8B89Koz6-5UT3ECj4AjwYyjJzhJ1tE77t-Ht-sUJoNcC10pcJZlpdG0IZMkWXwjTAJo7HqbrsSYk2E&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#NurembergCode</a></span>, </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not one comment about the graphs or my question.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You know how sometimes, among all the billions of bits of memories you store, a moment remains quite real and present. Well one of my tiny moments was a professor saying to the class (and I think quoting a psychologist (Miller) – </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <i> “When you’re arguing with someone, STOP. Say to yourself, “What that person is true.” And then ask yoursel, “what could this be true of?” </i></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>My Question:</b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Will spending lots of time thinking about this get me anywhere or is it more productive for me to just get on with the work I know I do well and makes a a few folks’ lives just a little better?</span></div></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-69066746276508459442021-05-17T10:22:00.002-04:002021-05-17T10:35:15.334-04:00Understanding health disparities in Covid vaccine access just got a lot harder<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The New York Times, most would agree, has done yeoman’s work in continuously reporting and updating information about Covid 19 vaccinations across the US. It’s daily “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html" target="_blank">See How Your Vaccinations Are Going in Your County or State”</a> – a map quilted in various shades of green to grey – allows you to hover over an area and get a quick report of vaccine status. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nf4azz87X3I/YKJ4rWO4JjI/AAAAAAAAG7g/2vUImjyuTrgwolMGQIYndYShGnNXO87_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2321/County%2Bvaccine%2BNYT%2B5-16-21.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="2321" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nf4azz87X3I/YKJ4rWO4JjI/AAAAAAAAG7g/2vUImjyuTrgwolMGQIYndYShGnNXO87_QCLcBGAsYHQ/w504-h246/County%2Bvaccine%2BNYT%2B5-16-21.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The NYT commitment to accurate data in its reporting is historic and undeniable. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For example, in the daily Covid vaccine reporting there are a series of visual arrays in the form of technical graphs and charts to represent things such as: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>New reported doses administered by day (compound line and graph chart)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Daily reported doses given by manufacturer (wave line graph)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When Might a Majority of People Be Vaccinated? (line graph)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But the graph form I focus on today is the one the NYT used to answer the question,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html#vulnerable" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #666666;"><b>“ Are The Most Vulnerable Counties Being Vaccinated?”</b></span></a><span style="color: #666666;"><b> </b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s been a long time since I read Tufte or studied Visualizing Data 101 but my work involves health disparities and health literacy and I was actively ready to dive into what the NYT was reporting. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is what confronted me. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html#vulnerable">https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html#vulnerable</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zcN5IiVd1uc/YKJ5sBQyp0I/AAAAAAAAG7o/AVt6iHyylecoizzR2UnL8yFbuG5g7zNWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bubble%2Bchart.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="823" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zcN5IiVd1uc/YKJ5sBQyp0I/AAAAAAAAG7o/AVt6iHyylecoizzR2UnL8yFbuG5g7zNWwCLcBGAsYHQ/w463-h823/Bubble%2Bchart.jpg" width="463" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Forgive me for referring to this as a messy bubble chart. Accurate name aside, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the NYT choice of data design is at best, <b>data geeks showing off their wares, and at worst, an elitist attitude about who needs to understand health disparities.</b> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The visual intends to show that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html#vulnerable" target="_blank">“the most socially vulnerable counties in the U.S. have a lower vaccination rate on average than the nation’s least vulnerable. The majority of the most disadvantaged counties with the fewest fully vaccinated people are in the South, while the most vaccinated, least vulnerable counties are in the Midwest”. </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's my question....my version of what keeps me up at night. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If the NYT, one of the most trustworthy sources of information in the world, continues to present only high barrier information intended for experts and elite readers, if they cannot make a commitment to presenting usable, consumable accurate data for a broader audience, then who where lies the mission of public enlightenment?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because we have seen all too well, the information sources like NYT can’t bring themselves to share more democratically gets warped into “fake news” and repackaged truths. I can see it now – “ Minorities and poor simply don’t want the Covid vaccine.” </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p><br /><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-29585498460881392352021-03-29T11:26:00.002-04:002021-03-29T14:01:32.928-04:00Covid is Like the Suez Canal <p> </p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">his morning CNN posted a link to an ingenious<a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/steering-worlds-biggest-ships-suez-canal-cmd/index.html" target="_blank"> interactive tool </a>where you try to steer a ship through the Suez Canal. <span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODZ_RcQOWsc/YGHrrSnys2I/AAAAAAAAG2U/rT-TRVnpPIEKEZRIqVUH2tQBsB5LNXOxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/suez%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="2048" height="314" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODZ_RcQOWsc/YGHrrSnys2I/AAAAAAAAG2U/rT-TRVnpPIEKEZRIqVUH2tQBsB5LNXOxgCLcBGAsYHQ/w442-h314/suez%2B1.png" width="442" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Y</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ou control the rudder and the power - and keep trying not to crash into the banks and create a monstrous traffic jam! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Needless to say, despite my NYC street parking prowess I crashed numerous times.!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6O4dGILKrmU/YGHsIfkJjYI/AAAAAAAAG2c/KjbMxsQh2a4kkjzyDFOxHm4Bzh8IhIeogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2644/Suez%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="2644" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6O4dGILKrmU/YGHsIfkJjYI/AAAAAAAAG2c/KjbMxsQh2a4kkjzyDFOxHm4Bzh8IhIeogCLcBGAsYHQ/w538-h233/Suez%2B2.png" width="538" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #35bd5b;">IMAGINE.</span></b></span><span style="font-size: medium;">..</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlMZx6XWCO0/YGHs4aS4kvI/AAAAAAAAG2k/Sdd07hvyt9kVnCKSOdRTptvvZ20OjF3AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s259/Imagine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlMZx6XWCO0/YGHs4aS4kvI/AAAAAAAAG2k/Sdd07hvyt9kVnCKSOdRTptvvZ20OjF3AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Imagine.jpeg" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ne morning you wake up and public health experts have put aside their directives, pleas and shaming - and, for one brief moment, set out to create something a new way of talking to the public - <u>something that grabs us and leads us to discover ( in the safety of our online worlds) what it might take to control a pandemic. Maybe they even think of the ship stuck in the Suez canal. </u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the<a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/steering-worlds-biggest-ships-suez-canal-cmd/index.html" target="_blank"> CNN article,</a> the captain of the lodged ship Yasha Gupta explains the importance of the wind in particular because these container ships are stacked so high. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Wind is a particularly important consideration for container ships because the stacked containers lends them a dizzying height. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">"So you can imagine it's just like a solid wall, which is faced against the wind," </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">He says the wind effect is uncontrollable because the ship is in water. It's not possible to hit the brakes in the same way you'd stop a moving car.</span></span></p><div class="Paragraph__component" data-paragraph-id="paragraph_1B4491B4-4F92-303A-E0F6-7098C695E241" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: CNNSans, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm sure, if someone asked nicely CNN ( and designer Mankarious) could reimagine communicating mask wearing, or social distancing or getting vaccines in just such a great, useable way. </div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Their disclaimer works for me and could be emphasized to the user of the health info. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">\<span style="background-color: #fdbe34; font-family: CNN, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Note: This is a non-scientific simplified interactive experience intended for illustrative purposes only. There are many factors that have not been accounted for, including (but not restricted to): the depth of water; proximity to the banks; interaction with passing ships; the turning circle; availability of tug boats and other weather conditions like visibility. We have also sped up the time it takes to maneuver a ship of this size. Master Mariner Andy Winbow and Captain Yash Gupta have been advisers.</span></span></p><p><br /></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-3699494032474483462021-03-19T11:17:00.006-04:002021-03-19T14:37:40.838-04:00Rand Paul's MASK OFF with Fauci: the old "theater" thing again<p>Yesterday Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci went at it again at a<a href="https://youtu.be/Xn3lwR7vonw" target="_blank"> Senate Hearing.</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WF8_Z234FMk/YFS8qFmO91I/AAAAAAAAG0k/wGokG_l3-xIqTk250wPgW6WPIQWSj8AqACLcBGAsYHQ/s286/boxing.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="286" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WF8_Z234FMk/YFS8qFmO91I/AAAAAAAAG0k/wGokG_l3-xIqTk250wPgW6WPIQWSj8AqACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/boxing.png" /></a></div><br /><p>In this corner we have Rand Paul the Ophthamologist cum virologist and mask-less champion. </p><p>In the opposite corner, Dr Anthony Fauci Director NIH National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The sparring this time was about why <b>we are still telling people to wear a mask after vaccination. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">NOTE: (Most of what I’ve put down is paraphrase) You can listen in - “<a href="https://youtu.be/Xn3lwR7vonw" target="_blank">Dr. Fauci, Senator Rand Paul argue over masks at hearing” </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Paul: with a right cross</b> - If we’ve had the injection and we have immunity, then isn’t telling people to wear a mask just <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>THEATER . </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Where’s the proof that we have significant re-infection, hospitalization and death? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Dr. Fauci: left & right cross</b> - Well as of YET in the US we don’t have a significant variant circling around. So we can’t know that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Fauci: uppercut </b> - Let me just state for the record, masks are not theater. Masks are protective and we have….(interrupted)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Paul: right cross</b> - If you have immunity (masks) are theater….you’re wearing a mask to give comfort to others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Where’s your proof that people can be re- infected? There is not proof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Paul: jab </b>-“telling people to continue to wear masks (even 2 masks) is“Policy is based on “conjecture”. *</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">*The word implies some kind of “guess work”. Fine for an episode of NCIS, but not really for Covid public health policies (including the many changing policies we’ve seen in the last year). The recommendation to wear a mask even after vaccination and immunity is based on the scientific evidence available at the time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conjecture" target="_blank">*1a : inference formed without proof or sufficient evidence. b : a conclusion deduced by surmise or guesswork The criminal's motive remains a matter of conjecture. c : a proposition (as in mathematics) before it has been proved or disproved.</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Fauci crosses:</b> The studies you’re talking about (BTW, he names the precise authors of the studies), were in-vitro (in a test tube or something outside the body). Oh and BTW the authors clearly state that they don’t know if this protection would happen in our real bodies (remember I’m paraphrasing)<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-60xTnXwvM9A/YFS-MFPxc7I/AAAAAAAAG00/Zne_yxemwXgexWApSsfEfHTOQTscTMDRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s231/boxing%2Bgloves.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="218" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-60xTnXwvM9A/YFS-MFPxc7I/AAAAAAAAG00/Zne_yxemwXgexWApSsfEfHTOQTscTMDRQCLcBGAsYHQ/w189-h200/boxing%2Bgloves.png" width="189" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Paul:<i> low blow</i></b> You want people to wear masks for another couple of years.” “You’ve been vaccinated and you parade around with two masks for show….You’re defying everything we know about immunity by telling people to wear a mask.” </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Fauci: </b><i><b>Gloves of</b>f </i>- You’re not hearing what I’m saying about variants. (despite multiple Paul interruptions about nanny state and rewarding people after they’ve been vaccinated by setting them free from their masks).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Fauci</b> then gives a short, elegant and understandable presentation of the facts as they are right now in the US. Troubling Covid variants 117, (UK) 526, 427, 429 (CA).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Would be so good and productive if public health departments and local agencies could get out good, understandable and repeated information about Covid variants: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>What is a variant?</li><li>Why should we care about them?</li><li>What do scientists know about the Covid variants?</li><li>What does this mean for protecting myself and my family, and my community?</li></ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wash, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Rince, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Repeat.</div></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-55735614248995932312021-03-15T16:20:00.001-04:002021-03-15T16:20:26.815-04:00NYS Covid Vaccine Form Earns a Go-Fix-Me <p>I'm starting up <span style="color: red;"><b>GO FIX ME </b></span>installments on this blog. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The mission</span> </span></b>- no less than purging our land of public health communication filled with self-involved, gratuitous, gobbledygook language, that makes it difficult and often impossible for readers to understand and take action.<span style="color: #006622;"> </span></p><p></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54jvKUoet-4/YE_AH42stqI/AAAAAAAAG0E/8xbFm9pQz-o5AuZIYoXoPl-tpMrX8sYhACLcBGAsYHQ/s700/mission%2Brocket.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54jvKUoet-4/YE_AH42stqI/AAAAAAAAG0E/8xbFm9pQz-o5AuZIYoXoPl-tpMrX8sYhACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/mission%2Brocket.png" width="200" /></a></i></div><p><i><i>(How's that for a mission!)</i></i></p><p></p><p>Here's my first specimen and I'm hoping in the <span style="color: #800180;">spirit of crowd sourced good writing </span>you'll join in and send more fixes. </p><p></p><p><b>Back story on this salvage job.</b></p><p>3 days ago I posted about the "high barrier" ridiculously complex and vague questions NYS was using in its <a href="https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine" target="_blank">survey </a>for people to register for the Covid 19 vaccine. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dn4E5iku1Fg/YE--bqw8jnI/AAAAAAAAGz8/AKnw_v_zwyEfgWgxs5mdmEGSRN0-zSRPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1751/torture%2Brack%2Bcopy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="1751" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dn4E5iku1Fg/YE--bqw8jnI/AAAAAAAAGz8/AKnw_v_zwyEfgWgxs5mdmEGSRN0-zSRPwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h151/torture%2Brack%2Bcopy.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">W</span>ell as of this writing the painfully tortured ( easily<a href="https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine" target="_blank"> fixable survey </a>) is still alive and well. <p></p><p>So I'll take a stab at fixes and<b> hope you can contribute ones as well. </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">______________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">NYS DOH Original Question Exhibit 1</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--WcZeIjCVDc/YE-sMLH7TVI/AAAAAAAAGzY/_ru2VMfINxAo0SlT41n-X-sv223EfR08gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="2042" height="106" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--WcZeIjCVDc/YE-sMLH7TVI/AAAAAAAAGzY/_ru2VMfINxAo0SlT41n-X-sv223EfR08gCLcBGAsYHQ/w511-h106/image.png" width="511" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>A Fix </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you have any of the following health problems/conditions?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Or)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Has a doctor ever told you that you have one of these health problems/conditions?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Show the list of health problems included in NYS Section 3)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not sure/Don’t know </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">_________________________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">NSDOH Original Question Exhibit 2</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SiBVHUVWZHc/YE-sY1WEbgI/AAAAAAAAGzg/62A9WW7C6FISsPBpYhH5r5gzG_jcdlWawCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="1950" height="95" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SiBVHUVWZHc/YE-sY1WEbgI/AAAAAAAAGzg/62A9WW7C6FISsPBpYhH5r5gzG_jcdlWawCLcBGAsYHQ/w485-h95/image.png" width="485" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A Fix</span> </span></b> (not sure I even understand the original question – a little help here readers???)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Are you an essential worker that works with the public? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not Sure/ Need More Information*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*Writers would define what this category of essential workers is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">NYSDOH Question Exhibit 3 </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oCqM-VD9gcM/YE-sicCZ-xI/AAAAAAAAGzo/SxUJboRq70IxgrLUKo8Sa3mOv9NlTxIFgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="1950" height="100" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oCqM-VD9gcM/YE-sicCZ-xI/AAAAAAAAGzo/SxUJboRq70IxgrLUKo8Sa3mOv9NlTxIFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w487-h100/image.png" width="487" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: medium;">A Fix </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you live in a group setting (congregate living) for example an assisted living facility, nursing home, group home, homeless shelter, prison, or detention center?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not Sure</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope some of you will join in for these <span style="color: red;"> GO FIX ME!</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Being an accidental critic is a lonely job. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-31836076588062153432021-03-13T18:57:00.000-05:002021-03-13T18:57:52.169-05:00Connecticut Vaccine Portal: other states take note!<p>My<a href="https://publiclinguist.blogspot.com/2021/03/ny-state-covid-vaccine-form-requires.html" target="_blank"> <b>last post </b>s</a>liced into the incomprehensible language and format<b> <a href="https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/">NY State</a></b> used in a key gateway form that New Yorkers had to navigate in order to register to get the Covid Vaccine. </p><p><br /></p><p>NYS could get some lessons in clear communication by checking out it's own next door neighbor - <a href="https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal" target="_blank"><b>Connecticut - Ct.gov</b></a>. Connecticut has written and designed a web portal that is <b>inviting,</b> <b>user-friendly - </b> helps a consumer feel that they can manage to:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> determining eligibility</li><li>schedule an appointment </li></ul><div><br /></div><div>I use three screen shots that show how they staged the topic of eligibility, specifically when you may live in congregate housing. (Recall NYS poses this eligibility category as a survey question and makes no effort to explain what this means. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Who is Eligible? </b></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWm6gdXt41M/YE1MX5C57oI/AAAAAAAAGwg/jImv3XBZCTU83ZlZSIyJRuTsYbrCo41lACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Ct%2BEligibility%2Bgraphic%2B3-13-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWm6gdXt41M/YE1MX5C57oI/AAAAAAAAGwg/jImv3XBZCTU83ZlZSIyJRuTsYbrCo41lACLcBGAsYHQ/w495-h296/Ct%2BEligibility%2Bgraphic%2B3-13-21.jpg" width="495" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Congregate Housing </b></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvi6puAHa3E/YE1M34mb5jI/AAAAAAAAGw4/wSieMbgzr-UgDp5hxr-bnSE_6xBufs1oACLcBGAsYHQ/s2272/Ct%2BIf%2Byou%2Blive%2Bin%2Bcogregate%2Bhousing%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="2272" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvi6puAHa3E/YE1M34mb5jI/AAAAAAAAGw4/wSieMbgzr-UgDp5hxr-bnSE_6xBufs1oACLcBGAsYHQ/w506-h266/Ct%2BIf%2Byou%2Blive%2Bin%2Bcogregate%2Bhousing%2B.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Explaining Congregate Housing </b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xxzSXrLjFM8/YE1NExMOYMI/AAAAAAAAGw8/-VXoObWUWnQB8vI8nm0y7EQbAfA68paawCLcBGAsYHQ/s2447/Ct%2Bexplains%2Bcogregate%2Bhousing%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="2447" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xxzSXrLjFM8/YE1NExMOYMI/AAAAAAAAGw8/-VXoObWUWnQB8vI8nm0y7EQbAfA68paawCLcBGAsYHQ/w505-h234/Ct%2Bexplains%2Bcogregate%2Bhousing%2B.jpg" width="505" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>While the reading level of the last graphic - explaining congregate housing could be tweaked to be less complex, this portal does no less than 3 important things:</div><div> </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>it makes getting information about obtaining the Covid Vaccine "low-barrier" </li><li>it communicates to people that Ct cares about them, which builds trust and good will</li><li>it provides and may teach the consumer new information while they accomplish their task.</li></ol>Bravo!</div><div><br /></div><p></p>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541491441369727409.post-31425144137753832672021-03-12T15:10:00.008-05:002021-03-15T09:32:42.847-04:00Unequal Access to Covid Vaccine: start with NYS Form <div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0dKRTkfbTU/YEvEpu9I-3I/AAAAAAAAGv8/kxSc2MGSNrMa3Ae7SYK1sUcioTntS_w_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s300/joe%2Bbiden.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0dKRTkfbTU/YEvEpu9I-3I/AAAAAAAAGv8/kxSc2MGSNrMa3Ae7SYK1sUcioTntS_w_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/joe%2Bbiden.jpeg" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Present Biden directed all states to make all adults eligible <span style="text-align: left;">for COVID vaccines by May 1. A major call to address health equity and access to the vaccine for all. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Apparently, </span></span><a href=" https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>NYS </b></a><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">hasn’t gotten the message. Or at least that’s what its </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> <a href="https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine"> COVID VACCINE FORM</a> (still live as of 3-15-21) </b></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">says to me. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are 3 <span style="color: #990000;">"bet you can't figure this one out" </span>questions (from the form) meant for the average person trying to get through the first hurdle of registering for a Covid Vaccine. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1716" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFJb92tDNtc/YEvFIET5mPI/AAAAAAAAGwE/FcRFviEDoqwvPiIEErQ1utc10D7apQmFACLcBGAsYHQ/w558-h310/nyc%2Bform%2Bscreen%2Bshot.png" width="558" /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>"comorbidity" </b>- nice word you likely won't hear outside of your medical training.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>"public-facing" </b>- again nice word if you're a systems developer, marketing person or a silhouette artist who doesn't have a good command of language. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>"congregate setting"</b> - easily identified with religious gathering, and maybe group home dwellers. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><u><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear NYS Covid Form writers: </span></u></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The average <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2014008" target="_blank">US adult</a><b> reads at 8th grade level or lower.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to help people get Covid vaccinated, this HIGH BARRIER form has got to go. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">President Biden asked us to <b>“all do our part”. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> NYS, I or any number of health communication writers are ready to help you. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">No questions asked.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qACl5N5Fjtg/YEvKfuTyqqI/AAAAAAAAGwM/2DVYuNno_fYp3jqUCPQD9u_KYh3X8Qb0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s243/no%2Bquestions%2Basked.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qACl5N5Fjtg/YEvKfuTyqqI/AAAAAAAAGwM/2DVYuNno_fYp3jqUCPQD9u_KYh3X8Qb0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/no%2Bquestions%2Basked.jpeg" /></a></div><br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div></div>Public Linguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502943536443070769noreply@blogger.com0