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2022年世界杯名单猜测

premier doug ford swallows a bee while talking about privatizing health care

according to an expert, unless ford is allergic, there's no need to worry since insects are digested just like any other food.

by lisa machado

published aug 12, 2022

2 minute read

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2 minute read

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dundalk - aug, 12, 2022 - premier of ontario doug ford reacts after swallowing a bee during a press conference. premier of ontario youtube

“holy christ, i swallowed a bee,” is what ontario premier doug ford said, after the insect flew into his mouth as he answered questions from the media on the current health-care staff shortage. after taking a moment to sputter and cough loudly while putting his fingers into his mouth in what looked like an effort to reach the offending and unlucky bee, ford took a swig of water, joking, “this is going to be played over and over again.”

#onpoli

full clip of doug ford vs. the bee pic.twitter.com/2mvcb8x6as
— t.o. resident (@to_resident) august 12, 2022

while he’s probably right, the press conference continued with ford telling reporters that he’s a strong believer in public health care, but the discussion quickly buzzed back to the bee.

“this is a good one … i can’t remember what we were talking about,” he said. “i’m going to be rushed to the hospital to get this bee out of here.”

it isn’t clear whether or not ford received medical care, but it got us thinking: what happens when one swallows a bee?

a lot depends on the kind of bug

according to dr. bobbi pritt, a microbiologist, pathologist, and director of the clinical parasitology laboratory at the mayo clinic in rochester, eating a bug isn’t usually a reason to worry. in fact, she told the wall street journal’s burning question that our bodies digest spiders, mites, and ticks, and insects such as gnats, flies, mosquitoes, fleas, and bedbugs, “just like any other food.”

when it gets concerning, however, is when the insect sitting in your gullet can sting — such as a bee, wasp, fire ant, and some types of caterpillars.

“usually eating one will just cause mild pain and localized swelling if it bites or stings you,” pritt said. however, if you are allergic, she points out, then a sting could mean hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing and even death.

there are other bugs that can also cause difficulty breathing if they are inhaled, she said, like the (gross!) cockroach — especially in those with asthma. there is also possible exposure to bacteria, like the one carried by flies called shigella, which can cause severe and bloody diarrhea if one of them finds their way into your mouth. you may also want to avoid eating fleas so as to not get the double-pored dog tapeworm which, according to the illinois department of natural resources, can cause anal irritation and intestinal disorders.

as for ford, twitter has been on fire with people poking fun at the premier as well as lamenting the fate of the bee — plus a number of references to closed emergency departments after he joked about needing medical care.

premier ford also said “i’ll be rushed to the hospital to get this bee out of here.”

good thing this didn’t happen last month when the ed closest to dundalk was on “redirect other than for imminent life-threatening situations.” for more than 12 hours.#onhealthcarecrisis https://t.co/fon7xo2azo pic.twitter.com/dfgvtn8j3o
— kate (@drkateto) august 12, 2022

and it’s unclear whether or not ford is allergic to bees, according oak brook allergists, someone with a severe allergy typically develops anaphylaxis within two hours of being stung.

lisa machado is the executive producer of healthing.

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lisa machado

lisa machado began her journalism career as a financial reporter with investor's digest and then rogers media. after a few years editing and writing for a financial magazine, she tried her hand at custom publishing and then left to launch a canadian women's magazine with a colleague. after being diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, lisa founded the canadian cml network and shifted her focus to healthcare advocacy and education.

premier doug ford swallows a bee while talking about privatizing health care

according to an expert, unless ford is allergic, there's no need to worry since insects are digested just like any other food.

a lot depends on the kind of bug

am i getting enough protein?

from pollen to dust mites, dogs and cats can have allergies too

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premier doug ford swallows a bee while talking about privatizing health care

according to an expert, unless ford is allergic, there's no need to worry since insects are digested just like any other food.

a lot depends on the kind of bug

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am i getting enough protein?

from pollen to dust mites, dogs and cats can have allergies too

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