MERS Coronavirus warning

[Nick Dipples]

Er . . . wild stab in the dark here, but something to do with mask-wearing, social-distancing, working from home where possible, lockdowns, etc? Colour me surprised . . .

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Exactly. There are plenty of loons suggesting it's a conspiracy to exaggerate the impact of COVID. Like this prick:

 

[Nick Dipples]

If that was the case then COVID wouldn't be an issue either.

Why not? Show your working.

 

[Berlin_104s]

If that was the case then COVID wouldn't be an issue either.

How do you explain it then? I'm neither a statistician nor an epidemiologist, but it seems obvious to me, as a humble training solutions engineer, that the list I provided could account for the drop. And, no, I have no idea as to why Covid-19 is still rising!!

Edited for spelling.

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[3ToedSloth]

If that was the case then COVID wouldn't be an issue either.

COVID is more contagious than flu and has more superspreaders.

 

[Ortholith]

Why not? Show your working.

Both are respiratory viruses, both are spread by aerosols, both infect across the population and both are mostly lethal to the elderly and already vulnerable. Both viruses are also similar sizes.

Can you explain how these physical barrier methods are selectively able to eradicate influenza but unable to prevent COVID from spreading?

 

[Ortholith]

COVID is more contagious than flu and has more superspreaders.

In which case you would expect the number of flu cases to decrease, not disappear entirely.

 

[Berlin_104s]

Both are respiratory viruses, both are spread by aerosols, both infect across the population and both are mostly lethal to the elderly and already vulnerable. Both viruses are similar sizes.

Can you explain how these physical barrier methods are selectively able to eradicate influenza but unable to prevent COVID from spreading?

Do differing viruses have differing rates of contagion, maybe? Perhaps Covid-19 is more contagious than 'ordinary' flu?

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[Ortholith]

How do you explain it then? I'm neither a statistician nor an epidemiologist, but it seems obvious to me, as a humble training solutions engineer, that the list I provided could account for the drop. And, no, I have no idea as to why Covid-19 is still rising!!

My suggestion is simple, flu is still out there and still killing people. The difference compared to normal is those people who have flu are likely to also have COVID given they tend to kill the same demographic. If someone has a positive COVID test why would you bother testing them for flu as well?

Do differing viruses have differing rates of contagion, maybe? Perhaps Covid-19 is more contagious than 'ordinary' flu?

COVID is more contagious than influenza and a drop in flu deaths would be expected. For flu to disappear entirely is not plausible.

 

[Nick Dipples]

My suggestion is simple, flu is still out there and still killing people. The difference compared to normal is those people who have flu are likely to also have COVID given they tend to kill the same demographic. If someone has a positive COVID test why would you bother testing them for flu as well?


COVID is more contagious than influenza and a drop in flu deaths would be expected. For flu to disappear entirely is not plausible.

To tell whether you're right, post the stats on influenza testing.

[spoiler: you are not right]

 

[AfricaExpat]

Why do you think that might be?

Well it just possibly could be that nearly every flu like death since March has been written up as Covid-19.

 

[CutLunchCommando]

Both are respiratory viruses, both are spread by aerosols, both infect across the population and both are mostly lethal to the elderly and already vulnerable. Both viruses are also similar sizes.

Can you explain how these physical barrier methods are selectively able to eradicate influenza but unable to prevent COVID from spreading?

Is there Asymptomatic and Presymptomatic spreading with Influenza? Also the immunization program for Flu has gone ahead with the anti-COVID measures on top of it.

 

[Ortholith]

To tell whether you're right, post the stats on influenza testing.

[spoiler: you are not right]

Can you explain why I'm wrong? I cannot see any way that there have been no flu cases identified in the UK since the end of April.

 

[fraudstar]

Can you explain why I'm wrong? I cannot see any way that there have been no flu cases identified in the UK since the end of April.

Isn’t ‘flu normally imported too? Hence why the vaccine is based on whatever Pacifics have in their winter season. Could lack of international travel explain a drop (albeit I find a complete lack of cases very questionable).

 

[Nick Dipples]

Can you explain why I'm wrong? I cannot see any way that there have been no flu cases identified in the UK since the end of April.

I can. But prove you're right first, it's you making the claim.

 

[HLD DMR]

Er . . . wild stab in the dark here, but something to do with mask-wearing, social-distancing, working from home where possible, lockdowns, etc? Colour me surprised . . .

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Crazy talk, simply nonsense, what are you going to say next, the pencil box l purchased on Ebay for £10 from India wasn't actually Hitler's???

 

[Norsemaid]

Bearing in mind chaps flu does not get going until Dec and peaks in around Feb which is why the NHS are bracing themselves for an even more busy time of beds being occupied .
Also there is a huge push this year for anyone and everyone to have a flu vaccination .
My experience recently with an elderly family member in hospital was er " interesting" long story short admitted to hospital with breathlessness. No temp , no cough , no flu like symptoms nothing . Two negative tests for covid - on discharge to home, although we couldn't prove it you could have possibly , might have had covid , but we will say it's covid . X-rays of lung are not showing anything but we will say it's covid !

 

[Ortholith]

I can. But prove you're right first, it's you making the claim.

Either you've got a point or you haven't. I'm happy to accept if I'm wrong but I'm not going to waste time with you doing a BravoBravo impression.

 

[Berlin_104s]

Both are respiratory viruses, both are spread by aerosols, both infect across the population and both are mostly lethal to the elderly and already vulnerable. Both viruses are also similar sizes.

Can you explain how these physical barrier methods are selectively able to eradicate influenza but unable to prevent COVID from spreading?

Misread your post initially and thought you wrote "both are spread by *********"!!

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[Ortholith]

Is there Asymptomatic and Presymptomatic spreading with Influenza? Also the immunization program for Flu has gone ahead with the anti-COVID measures on top of it.

True and (as I said earlier) I would expect a corresponding drop in flu cases. What I cannot understand is how there are allegedly no flu cases diagnosed since May.

The ONS reckons there have been 12,242 deaths from influenza and pneumonia in England and Wales between the 1st of May and 10th of June, the period where on the graph posted earlier there were zero identified specimens of flu (https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/mers-coronavirus-warning.214505/page-969#post-10410494).

Some of those 12 thousand deaths will have been pneumonia from other sources, some will have been COVID, some will have been misdiagnosed etc. I cannot see any way that there are no flu diagnoses in England and Wales since the end of April.

Having done a bit of digging the WHO graph shows reports from sentinel sources only, not all cases, and the pattern is consistent over the last few years. The ECDC reckon sentinel reporting may be from 1-5% of doctors in a region.

Edit - flu data here - Flu News Europe | Season overview , reference to sentinel reporting here - Sentinel surveillance , ONS data on causes of death here - Death registrations not involving coronavirus (COVID-19): England and Wales - Office for National Statistics

 

[Nick Dipples]

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I want you to know you are the problem. It takes a lot less time for you to vomit out bullshit than for me to correct it. I gave you the opportunity to back up your idiotic statements - obviously you couldn't, because they are untrue.

True and (as I said earlier) I would expect a corresponding drop in flu cases. What I cannot understand is how there are allegedly no flu cases diagnosed since May.

This is bullshit and a lie. There are cases of influenza, just not many - because people are taking precautions that reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Amazing, right?

It is also not because patients aren't being tested. Here are the influenza tests being done: 2813 in the past week. There's just not a lot of influenza going around.

Before you start bleating that doctors aren't looking for it, this is MORE testing than previous years. A lot more (1849 tests the same week last year):

Some of those 12 thousand deaths will have been pneumonia from other sources, some will have been COVID, some will have been misdiagnosed etc. I cannot see any way that there are no flu diagnoses in England and Wales since the end of April.

You can see the COVID deaths! What's wrong with you? The deaths from influenza/pneumonia are being tracked separately from COVID. There are a LOT of COVID deaths.

In short you are an idiot and should be banned from the internet.