Why is Metropolitan Seattle currently the epicenter of the pandemic in USA? I don't know the answer, but I have a question. I believe WA is one of the few and first states to decriminalize weed. When I was still living on the Eastside, there were placards advertising weed map apps with locations and contact info for area physicians who just wrote prescriptions for weed. People must be pretty desperate for their fix! In addition, there was pot shop just down the street ("Seattle's best bud").
I wonder what percentage of Metropolitan Seattleites are now potheads. Do potheads already have compromised respiratory systems that make them more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus and requiring hospitalization if infected.
To what extent does widespread pot smoking amplify transmission rates as well as amplify fatality rates–because their natural resistance is so lowered?
I'm not a medical expert, so maybe there's no connection. But I'm curious.
I just checked and Colorado has the highest number of cases reported than its surrounding states. The article is old, but the map is constantly updated. Might be due to their better testing, or there might be some truth to your speculation.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has a link to a better map, maybe they can post it below.
Maps:
Deletehttps://triablogue.blogspot.com/2020/03/which-medical-experts-do-i-follow.html
thanks Hawk. All the blogs of yours I have read have been excellent. Maybe like Jason, you can gather all your blog links into one blog and keep it updated? Though, I understand that might use up too much of your time and you might be blogging on the topic for years. Is there a single blog Tag you've used for all of them so far?
DeleteThanks so much, AP! That's generous of you to say.
DeleteCoram Deo likewise recommended putting them all into one post as well, but I just haven't done it yet! Sorry, guys. :(
But yes! :) In the meantime, I believe all our posts (not just mine) should be under the "Coronavirus" label.
BTW, in the more basic map I linked to above, you can readily see how Colorado is a red state surrounded by pink states.
DeleteI haven't looked deeply into the medical and scientific literature, but a quick thought or two:
ReplyDelete1. Of course, it depends how much marijuana one uses at any one time (grams), how frequently one uses marijuana per day (e.g. once per day, ten times per day), how long one has been using marijuana for (e.g. months, decades), and what mode of delivery one uses marijuana (e.g. smoking but not inhaling, smoking and inhaling, eating brownies).
Also, it depends on the person in question. Such as what age they are, their gender, their health profile. And some people just have more robust immune systems than others.
2. However, assuming all things are equal, then I would think (for example) smoking and inhaling marijuana multiple times per day for decades would likely negatively affect one's immune system to some degree. In fact, prolonged marijuana use of this kind does negatively affect other parts of the body, especially in teens who are still physically and mentally developing and maturing. This is a popular scientific article, but it's a useful starting point. This is a medical scientific article, but people can only access it if they have institutional access (e.g. academic teaching hospital).
It could be the handling of paper money. Though potheads can be tech savvy, do they usually pay for their stash electronically, or via paper money? If the latter, then they might be exposed more frequently on account of the currency they're touching. Then, with all that handy cash they're carrying, they use it a second time to purchase food to satisfy their marijuana induced munchies.
ReplyDeleteColorado was ground zero for pot, has the largest international airport in the center of the country and an Australian with the virus decided to skin at Aspen.I
ReplyDeleteSo it was stacked against us.
Ski not skin. Kindle has by far the worst autocorrect.
ReplyDelete