MERS Coronavirus warning

[Ortholith]

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.

Nothing I have said is bullshit. I have posted reasoned arguments. Just because you don't agree with something doesn't mean it's bullshit.

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's almost as if I pointed that out myself in the post you quoted when I realised the graph posted earlier referred to a very small sample of all reports. The precautions are irrelevant - when the sentinel cases are compared over the last 4 years exactly the same pattern is seen.

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.

I know, see above point.

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):

Shall we look at what I posted that you are complaining about?

"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?"
It was a suggestion, not a statement of fact. That it was wrong is now evident but I never said that was the case, just a suggestion.

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.

What is your point here?

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

Yeah, you're right. Reasoned debate and explanation should be replaced with hysterical name calling

 

[Norsemaid]

There has been a high level,of vaccine take up this year due to covid and also the flu season for autumn / winter hasn't got going yet .
Might that not be a clue as to why flu isn't around as much as it has been .
People in previous years didn't bother with FV but I think covid has caught their attention this year .

 

[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?"
It was a suggestion, not a statement of fact. That it was wrong is now evident but I never said that was the case, just a suggestion

I am lost. So you agree sufficient influenza testing is being done and there is just a very low level of influenza in the UK? What is your point?

 

[Ortholith]

I am lost. So you agree sufficient influenza testing is being done and there is just a very low level of influenza in the UK? What is your point?

My point is that I saw a graph that suggested there were zero influenza cases in the UK after the 24th of April. I gave a suggestion that might have explained that situation.

After a bit of research I realised that
a) the graph did not show total cases, just the cases reported by a tiny fraction of doctors
b) my suggestion was wrong and the pattern observed is consistent across multiple years:

All of that is in the post you quoted. I gave sources for all data I quoted, including the ECDC-WHO collaboration site the above graph is taken from.

I notice you still haven't explained how physical barrier methods are so effective at stopping the spread of influenza but unable to contain COVID. Presumably we won't see a spike in flu cases between now and March as the anti-COVID measures will be so effective?

 

[HLD DMR]

My point is that I saw a graph that suggested there were zero influenza cases in the UK after the 24th of April. I gave a suggestion that might have explained that situation.

After a bit of research I realised that
a) the graph did not show total cases, just the cases reported by a tiny fraction of doctors
b) my suggestion was wrong and the pattern observed is consistent across multiple years:
View attachment 524628

All of that is in the post you quoted. I gave sources for all data I quoted, including the ECDC-WHO collaboration site the above graph is taken from.

I notice you still haven't explained how physical barrier methods are so effective at stopping the spread of influenza but unable to contain COVID. Presumably we won't see a spike in flu cases between now and March as the anti-COVID measures will be so effective?

Sorry l don’t have graphs, but here in Canada there has only been 12 cases of influenza between March and October. For the 6 previous years the average number was 600 during the same calendar period, so l would say anti-covid measures indeed make a difference.

 

[Ortholith]

Sorry l don’t have graphs, but here in Canada there has only been 12 cases of influenza between March and October. For the 6 previous years the average number was 600 during the same calendar period, so l would say anti-covid measures indeed make a difference.

Is that cause and effect though? I know nothing about Canada and COVID but I would imagine there are enough confounding factors that a causal relationship would be impossible to show.

If the anti-COVID precautions work then the UK will have a significantly lower influenza burden this year. If that happens I will happily admit I was wrong but I doubt it. It will also need to take into account that a lot of the influenza victims that would have died have already been killed off by COVID.

Edit - if you have links to data I would be interested to have a read.

 

[HLD DMR]

Is that cause and effect though? I know nothing about Canada and COVID but I would imagine there are enough confounding factors that a causal relationship would be impossible to show.

If the anti-COVID precautions work then the UK will have a significantly lower influenza burden this year. If that happens I will happily admit I was wrong but I doubt it.

Edit - if you have links to data I would be interested to have a read.

My apologies, l thought the article attached.

Flu rates in Canada 'exceptionally' low despite more testing, says report indicating possible COVID dividend

But that does not mean that Canadians should avoid getting the flu vaccine, especially since this country is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases

nationalpost.com

 

[Whey_Aye_Banzai]

The Irish are changing thing up a bit and Ivor Cummings is saying he may take the Irish gov to court over this, due to the lack of science.

 

[Nick Dipples]

I notice you still haven't explained how physical barrier methods are so effective at stopping the spread of influenza but unable to contain COVID.

Apart from the answer being obvious, I don't need to explain that because it's something you're banging on about, not me.

 

[Ortholith]

My apologies, l thought the article attached.

Flu rates in Canada 'exceptionally' low despite more testing, says report indicating possible COVID dividend

But that does not mean that Canadians should avoid getting the flu vaccine, especially since this country is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases

nationalpost.com

Interesting, thanks.

 

[Nick Dipples]

If the anti-COVID precautions work then the UK will have a significantly lower influenza burden this year.

Amazing.

 

[Ortholith]

Apart from the answer being obvious, I don't need to explain that because it's something you're banging on about, not me.

Why is the answer obvious? Both viruses are spread the same way and are similar in size. Why do barrier methods stop one but not the other?

Again, if you have a point just say it, don't do the "I know this but I won't tell you" nonsense.

 

[Whey_Aye_Banzai]

I notice you still haven't explained how physical barrier methods are so effective at stopping the spread of influenza but unable to contain COVID.

Covid is a sneaky barsteward.

I'm still wondering why the Italians had a mentally hard lockdown for three-and-a-half months.

How's was it getting spread if they were only allowed out for 45 mins for essential stuff (like really essential stuff)?

I'm looking forward to the documentary in five-years-time which'll explain all this.

I'm not being sarky or inferring anything; I'd really like to know.

 

[Nick Dipples]

Why is the answer obvious? Both viruses are spread the same way and are similar in size. Why do barrier methods stop one but not the other?

Again, if you have a point just say it, don't do the "I know this but I won't tell you" nonsense.

Because viruses differ in how easily they are transmitted and sars-cov-2 is more infectious than influenza. This is not hard to understand.

 

[Ortholith]

Because viruses differ in how easily they are transmitted and sars-cov-2 is more infectious than influenza. This is not hard to understand.

I understand that. I do not understand how barrier methods can be successful in eradicating influenza as you suggested a few posts back and yet COVID infections are still increasing.

Either barrier methods reduce viral infection or they don't. That would not be a fair comparison between COVID and polio but given influenza and COVID are spread the same way, are a similar size etc. it seems a reasonable point.

 

[Graculus]

It being "The People" caveat emptor and all...

 

[Graculus]

And from the "The People" for people who think they're special people...

Swedish government sidelines epidemiologist who steered country's no lockdown experiment as deaths rise

 

[Nick Dipples]

Either barrier methods reduce viral infection or they don't. That would not be a fair comparison between COVID and polio but given influenza and COVID are spread the same way, are a similar size etc. it seems a reasonable point.

Haha you are such a dipshit. Yes, wearing masks and not having festivals reduces the spread of respiratory viruses. No, all viruses are not equally infectious. No I am not going to do your reading for you.

 

[AfricaExpat]

And from the "The People" for people who think they're special people...

Swedish government sidelines epidemiologist who steered country's no lockdown experiment as deaths rise

That will be the country at the bottom of this graph with the low and steadily declining death rate.

 

[stanley_bomb_squad]

Oh don't go introducing context into things it upsets them.
Look at it from their point of view.

They sit watching the news and see the death and the all going to die positive cases and follow the rules.
Or at least try to because they make no sense and its so easy to break them and that's just another fear to endure.
The Government comes on and tells them we're all going to die and they think its terrible and we need to do something - just look at the daily death rate.
So they sit in their own car with a face nappy on.
Walk the streets (when allowed by law) in the pouring rain waterboarding themselves.
Spend ages sanitising everything at the little station before they go into the supermarket.
Leave their shopping outside until its been sprayed with DDT.

But Covidiots and conspiracy loons are all around them, questioning the government who have to admit that they made a mistake, followed by another and another.
But they're just mistakes, we're all human and make them so its not their fault and anyway what would the person who knocked them have done, they couldn't do any better. So the government was right and the Covidiot was wrong.

Then they see people are walking the streets not following the rules and cases are going up (the MSM says they are) and they just don't care. Don't they realise how bad it is?

Traffic is just as busy now as it was before the lockdown so where are all those people going, spreading the virus as they go? They are going to kill people due to their behaviour the fools, this is why deaths are going up. Who cares about cases, deaths are the important figure.

Their own eyes and experience are telling them one thing but the Government and MSM are saying something else, so they cant believe what they can see anymore.

And the fools are laughing at them calling them cult members and saying hateful words like face nappy, they're the idiots they believe in conspiracies; yes that's what it is.

But there's this nagging doubt in the back of their minds, what if they're right?

And that makes the mocking even worse because they're embarrassed and its far easier to stick with what you know is right than accept people are laughing at you because you're wrong.
The lonely guy who sends off the airfare to the hot Russian who he met online.
The intelligent sensible businessman who invests in the can't loose Ponzi scheme.

They're victims really but don't see it, because they can't allow themselves too.

And the usual victims will now add boxes below and say how wrong I am about everything.
But then I'm an antivax conspiraloon who wants to kill his granny.