Hmmm – an asymptomatic variant that spreads like wildfire around the population? It would save us the trouble of vaccination!
Malcolm Ripley
3 years ago
What you propose is simply a watered down version of insanity. As an epidemiologist surely you know that respiratory viruses mutate all the time. So if you take that well established fact and couple it to your proposals for this new strain then we would have to wear masks and social distance FOREVER! That is the goddam freaking frustrating problem that you the experts simply dont address….join the dots to the logical conclusion of attempting to control the spread of a respiratory virus and you end up masked forever.
I thought we had an immune system that is, ironically, more effective at protecting us than the current vaccine. Yes folks look at the numbers. The additional advantage of our immune system is we don’t re-catch it and we don’t spread it as opposed to the vaccinated!
Finally “Covid-21”, straight out of the conspiracists handbook circulating during the summer……not a conspiracy anymore when it becomes fact! What was next on the list hmmm, scary.
seems none have mentioned immune systems at all. One would think the homeless would be dying in droves from this virus, yet they’re not. Could it be that their exposure to street life makes their systems stronger? How about places that are decided not first world countries where cases are few?
Something I had also noticed. In theory India and African countries should be basket cases, but they aren’t. It’s the ‘advanced’ Western world which appears to be hardest hit.
Immune system? What’s that? The world seems to have forgotten that the vast majority of us have a fully functioning immune system. Such a brilliant piece of scientific endeavour and it gets overlooked by arrogant humans who think they can engineer something better. I despair.
Warren Alexander
3 years ago
Is it possible or likely, that lockdowns are themselves responsible for this mutation? If previous lockdowns have made it more difficult for the virus to pass from one person to another, would those virus molecules that were better able to pass from one person to another gain dominance and hence a natural evolutionary process took place resulting in this mutation? I am not suggesting that this did happen, just asking the question.
This is an interesting comment because, unlike most similar suggestions, you do not make the virus purposeful.
Harold Aitch
3 years ago
Whenever I read or hear an “expert” extolling the virtues of masks I switch off. I’ve seen the report from the Danish study and the usefulness of masks is negligible at best and even then only when treated with the same sort of protocols as a surgeon would treat their mask. And with 40+ years of research saying masks don’t work against influenza, why they work against an even smaller virus?
And moreover consider the waste of resources (“estimates that global sales will total some $166 billion this year, up from around $800 million in 2019”) AND the environmental problem they pose (source
I am no scientist but spent a good part of a working career analysing figures, albeit financial ones, frequently comparing past and current performance with forecasts then later comparing those forecasts with reality.
Applying that experience to the publicly available information on COVID I am drawn to the inevitable conclusion that whatever action or actions we take or do not take the virus continues to act in the way that viruses act. There seems to be little difference between outcomes, other than timing, irrespective of policy. All that seems to be consistent is that fatality rates appear to vary with the seasons and afflict primarily the elderly hence low rates in the third world and high in the first driven presumably by demographics (though Japan seems to be an exception) and healthcare prolonging lives.
Expert opinion appears at best divided on this issue…
Personally, I welcome this development because (hopefully) : 1. Minor mutations align Cov-10 with ‘flu’s variability, so 2. A ‘grand slam’ Cov-19 vaccine proves a chimera, and 3. Our masters perforce treat Covid-19 like common ‘flu, and 4. We notice UK mortality in 2020 are similar/below 2001 or 2004; finally 5. An unravelling economy deters climate pranksters’ doomsday hoax. That’s the hope. Meanwhile, the UK sacrifices social cohesion and is riven with false fears by the pseudo-science gushing from No.10.
what’s more 2020 that having healthy people avoid other healthy people.
Fraser Bailey
3 years ago
Whatever…everything the authorities and ‘experts’ inflict upon us will be a counter-productive disaster. We have known this for many years now.
Michael Dawson
3 years ago
Depressing to read the first five posts here – misinterpreting the Danish study (which did not look at whether someone wearing a mask was less likely to infect others – the main likely benefit); general conspiracy theory nonsense; suggesting the new variant is asymptomatic, when there is no evidence for this statement; anti-vaccine knee-jerk reactions. Why don’t people actually read and engage with the specifics of articles, instead of using them as an excuse to rehearse their repetitive prejudices?
So you have no prejudice then? But you are like anyone else that has an opinion. My opinion is that this latest mutated panic stricken story is just more of the same since Covid-19 ceased to be of any concern after last June. Viruses come and go every day and it’s only our immune systems that keeps us alive. But, and it’s a very big but we also have to consider The Great Reset which is not a conspiracy theory because it is the creed of the World Economic Forum all supported by oligarchs, politicians, presidents, popes and princes when they all meet up in Davos each year to plan our future.
Why don’t people actually read and engage with the specifics of articles, Because they have already seen this movie.
Alex Lekas
3 years ago
What is more 2020 than having perfectly healthy people avoid other perfectly health people. I have yet hear a convincing argument of how someone who is not infected can possibly stop the spread of a virus that he/she does not have by staying home or wearing a piece of cloth.
Alex Lekas
3 years ago
I have yet hear a convincing argument of someone who is not in fect ed can possibly stop the spread of a virus that he/she does not have by staying home or wearing a piece of cloth.
Hmmm – an asymptomatic variant that spreads like wildfire around the population? It would save us the trouble of vaccination!
What you propose is simply a watered down version of insanity. As an epidemiologist surely you know that respiratory viruses mutate all the time. So if you take that well established fact and couple it to your proposals for this new strain then we would have to wear masks and social distance FOREVER! That is the goddam freaking frustrating problem that you the experts simply dont address….join the dots to the logical conclusion of attempting to control the spread of a respiratory virus and you end up masked forever.
I thought we had an immune system that is, ironically, more effective at protecting us than the current vaccine. Yes folks look at the numbers. The additional advantage of our immune system is we don’t re-catch it and we don’t spread it as opposed to the vaccinated!
Finally “Covid-21”, straight out of the conspiracists handbook circulating during the summer……not a conspiracy anymore when it becomes fact! What was next on the list hmmm, scary.
None of the ‘experts’ have given any advice on maintaining a strong immune system!
seems none have mentioned immune systems at all. One would think the homeless would be dying in droves from this virus, yet they’re not. Could it be that their exposure to street life makes their systems stronger? How about places that are decided not first world countries where cases are few?
Something I had also noticed. In theory India and African countries should be basket cases, but they aren’t. It’s the ‘advanced’ Western world which appears to be hardest hit.
Immune system? What’s that? The world seems to have forgotten that the vast majority of us have a fully functioning immune system. Such a brilliant piece of scientific endeavour and it gets overlooked by arrogant humans who think they can engineer something better. I despair.
Is it possible or likely, that lockdowns are themselves responsible for this mutation? If previous lockdowns have made it more difficult for the virus to pass from one person to another, would those virus molecules that were better able to pass from one person to another gain dominance and hence a natural evolutionary process took place resulting in this mutation?
I am not suggesting that this did happen, just asking the question.
This is an interesting comment because, unlike most similar suggestions, you do not make the virus purposeful.
Whenever I read or hear an “expert” extolling the virtues of masks I switch off. I’ve seen the report from the Danish study and the usefulness of masks is negligible at best and even then only when treated with the same sort of protocols as a surgeon would treat their mask. And with 40+ years of research saying masks don’t work against influenza, why they work against an even smaller virus?
And moreover consider the waste of resources (“estimates that global sales will total some $166 billion this year, up from around $800 million in 2019”) AND the environmental problem they pose (source
weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/….
I am no scientist but spent a good part of a working career analysing figures, albeit financial ones, frequently comparing past and current performance with forecasts then later comparing those forecasts with reality.
Applying that experience to the publicly available information on COVID I am drawn to the inevitable conclusion that whatever action or actions we take or do not take the virus continues to act in the way that viruses act. There seems to be little difference between outcomes, other than timing, irrespective of policy. All that seems to be consistent is that fatality rates appear to vary with the seasons and afflict primarily the elderly hence low rates in the third world and high in the first driven presumably by demographics (though Japan seems to be an exception) and healthcare prolonging lives.
Expert opinion appears at best divided on this issue…
Sounds about right.
Personally, I welcome this development because (hopefully) :
1. Minor mutations align Cov-10 with ‘flu’s variability, so
2. A ‘grand slam’ Cov-19 vaccine proves a chimera, and
3. Our masters perforce treat Covid-19 like common ‘flu, and
4. We notice UK mortality in 2020 are similar/below 2001 or 2004; finally
5. An unravelling economy deters climate pranksters’ doomsday hoax.
That’s the hope. Meanwhile, the UK sacrifices social cohesion and is riven with false fears by the pseudo-science gushing from No.10.
Some hopes!
what’s more 2020 that having healthy people avoid other healthy people.
Whatever…everything the authorities and ‘experts’ inflict upon us will be a counter-productive disaster. We have known this for many years now.
Depressing to read the first five posts here – misinterpreting the Danish study (which did not look at whether someone wearing a mask was less likely to infect others – the main likely benefit); general conspiracy theory nonsense; suggesting the new variant is asymptomatic, when there is no evidence for this statement; anti-vaccine knee-jerk reactions. Why don’t people actually read and engage with the specifics of articles, instead of using them as an excuse to rehearse their repetitive prejudices?
So you have no prejudice then? But you are like anyone else that has an opinion.
My opinion is that this latest mutated panic stricken story is just more of the same since Covid-19 ceased to be of any concern after last June.
Viruses come and go every day and it’s only our immune systems that keeps us alive.
But, and it’s a very big but we also have to consider The Great Reset which is not a conspiracy theory because it is the creed of the World Economic Forum all supported by oligarchs, politicians, presidents, popes and princes when they all meet up in Davos each year to plan our future.
Why don’t people actually read and engage with the specifics of articles,
Because they have already seen this movie.
What is more 2020 than having perfectly healthy people avoid other perfectly health people. I have yet hear a convincing argument of how someone who is not infected can possibly stop the spread of a virus that he/she does not have by staying home or wearing a piece of cloth.
I have yet hear a convincing argument of someone who is not in fect ed can possibly stop the spread of a virus that he/she does not have by staying home or wearing a piece of cloth.