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Coronavirus - the new strain X

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Just heard that Facebook removed more than 7 million pieces of COVID-19 related misinformation between April and June.

Why are there so many people who embrace conspiracy theories? It is one thing to explore alternative explanations, but it is entirely something else to embrace bullsh*t, tinfoil hat nonsense to the point where you feel need to post it and pass it on! We not only have a COVID-19 virus, we also have a much larger virus of ignorance and stupidity that is spreading even faster!

Scientists are working 7x24 on vaccines and treatments while Madonna posts crap about “hidden cures”. 250,000 idiot bikers have descended on Sturgis, South Dakota, proclaiming COVID-19 a hoax!

Am trying really hard not to despair over our collective future, but am starting to lose the fight.

Good article in SciAm on the subject, in the past more people had secure well paid jobs, with globalisation and automation plus the neoliberal juggernaut pretty much ensuring no one has a safe and secure future, it’s not surprising so many people are susceptible to conspiracy theories.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...es-share-a-cluster-of-psychological-features/
 
Good article in SciAm on the subject, in the past more people had secure well paid jobs, with globalisation and automation plus the neoliberal juggernaut pretty much ensuring no one has a safe and secure future, it’s not surprising so many people are susceptible to conspiracy theories.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...es-share-a-cluster-of-psychological-features/

Very interesting article. Need to let it sink in for a bit before commenting, but for now, thank you Russel for posting the link!
 
Confirmed cases hit 1000 for the third time in nearly as many days - not a peep about the missed target yet from the Government.
 
Confirmed cases hit 1000 for the third time in nearly as many days - not a peep about the missed target yet from the Government.


Hancock talks about big, hairy, audacious goals, BHAGS. The idea is that you get the whole operation to focus on some really ambitious aim, it galvanises people into action, inspires them, but if you miss it it doesn't matter because you've done as well as you could probably, and you've done better than if a less ambitious goal was set.

More seriously, 1K a day is not good. They need to get Oldham under control fast! Why are they dithering. Lock it down NOW!
 
Hancock talks about big, hairy, audacious goals, BHAGS. The idea is that you get the whole operation to focus on some really ambitious aim, it galvanises people into action, inspires them, but if you miss it it doesn't matter because you've done as well as you could probably, and you've done better than if a less ambitious goal was set.

It wasn't an arbitrary target - it was said to be the tipping point back into exponential growth if I recall correctly
 
Government has now revised the way that COVID deaths are recorded, so the total has now fallen by 5000. Yay! :rolleyes:
Source ITV news.
 
It wasn't an arbitrary target - it was said to be the tipping point back into exponential growth if I recall correctly

OK, but don't you think think it's a bit strange to have a target of the number of positive detected cases, since it's dependent on the number of tests, where the tests are being done etc?
 
OK, but don't you think think it's a bit strange to have a target of the number of positive detected cases, since it's dependent on the number of tests, where the tests are being done etc?

"In a 20 May document on the website of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), the Joint Biosecurity Centre set out targets that it felt needed to be met if “flare-ups” of Covid-19 were to be avoided.

Top of the list was keeping the caseload below 1,000 confirmed infections a day. “Decreasing daily incidence of symptomatic cases in all regions across the UK until the target acceptable incidence is reached, then incidence kept below that target. This target is yet to be specified and needs to be spelt out. We suggest 1,000 new symptomatic swab +ve [positive] cases per day in the UK,” it says."
 
Confirmed cases hit 1000 for the third time in nearly as many days - not a peep about the missed target yet from the Government.

I notice from background news noise earlier (wasn’t really paying attention) that DeathMinister Hancock has found another new way to count the bodybags. IIRC you now need to die within 28 days of a positive covid test to get counted, so if you die of organ failure months later that’s “entirely unrelated” or something. Nothing more or less than I’d expect really, sadly.
 
I notice from background news noise earlier (wasn’t really paying attention) that DeathMinister Hancock has found another new way to count the bodybags. IIRC you now need to die within 28 days of a positive covid test to get counted, so if you die of organ failure months later that’s “entirely unrelated” or something. Nothing more or less than I’d expect really, sadly.
It was always all about how it looked for Hancock. A self-serving mediocrity in a strong field.
 
Another huge increase in French cases - "2,524 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, a new post-lockdown daily record." Yesterday they reported 1,397 new infections over 24 hours on Tuesday; almost twice Monday’s tally.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...086badb5561611#block-5f343faa8f086badb5561611
Not good, the overall trend is increasing and that is the biggest one for weeks I think. However, to compare today with yesterday or the day before isn't always useful. Within the last 7 days - Fri 7th, Sat 8th, Sun 9th August for France were all over 2000 for new cases. Not disputing the fact that the trend is alarming though.
 
I notice from background news noise earlier (wasn’t really paying attention) that DeathMinister Hancock has found another new way to count the bodybags. IIRC you now need to die within 28 days of a positive covid test to get counted, so if you die of organ failure months later that’s “entirely unrelated” or something. Nothing more or less than I’d expect really, sadly.

Which is what they have always done for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. It was England that didn't have the 28 day rule.

Putting a different slant on it, I'm not sure why the authorities in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland wouldn't treat the death of someone who had been on a ventilator for 29 days after a positive test for C19 as being C19 related is a bit beyond me.
 
Re counting there was an explanation on Ch4 News which I couldn’t really follow, but I think the method will change again to make sure that Covid-related deaths are counted as such. Someone might have to help me out there. Anyway point is it sounds messy but not actually dodgy.
 
I notice from background news noise earlier (wasn’t really paying attention) that DeathMinister Hancock has found another new way to count the bodybags. IIRC you now need to die within 28 days of a positive covid test to get counted, so if you die of organ failure months later that’s “entirely unrelated” or something. Nothing more or less than I’d expect really, sadly.

To be fair it cuts both ways. I spoke to a client today whose elderly mother had Covid-19 in March and recovered but was killed in a car accident in early July and her death was recorded as a Covid-19 death. A lot of countries in Europe use a 28 day cut off.
 
What about the thousands of deaths in care homes which weren't counted as none of the residents were tested, I know of several local ones that were totally devastated?
 
Re counting there was an explanation on Ch4 News which I couldn’t really follow, but I think the method will change again to make sure that Covid-related deaths are counted as such. Someone might have to help me out there. Anyway point is it sounds messy but not actually dodgy.

Yes, that's right. Under the previous method, if you were run over by a bus but had had a positive test at any time, you were counted in the CV mortality stats. Our method of ascribing "cause" of death is never perfect - but the previous one did overstate the gross figure. That everyone would think the change was a fiddle is predictable (but understandable).
 
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