Bob The Badger

I listened to the this girl and her father interviewed on Radio 5 this morning. Her dad said that there are currently 117,000 children suffering from long covid.

That seems crazy high to me. Anybody else heard anything remotely like that?

Captain Sir Tom inspires long Covid girl's walking challenge

Her experience was pretty traumatic for a 9 year-old kid, especially when kids don't get it.

 

16 minutes ago, maxjam said:

I've answered that.  He gives people actual facts, data from Govt websites. 

At the time we were being bombarded with omicron fear porn.  3000-5000 deaths per day blah, blah, blah...  Using Govts own data he pointed out that less than 7% of deaths were with covid and covid admissions to hospitals were 70% less than this time last year.

Any deliberate misleading and fearmingering has been done by the Govt and media.  The media cos it sells and the Govt cos (and lets be generous) that they want to drive up vaccine uptake.  You can argue whether that is morally acceptable or not but I'd prefer actual data and informed choice.

I looked at his Twitter profile a couple of weeks ago and he was the antithesis of objective.

He's cherry picking data to support his position in the same way as others are on the opposite side. 

I'm just finishing up Rutherford and Fry’s Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything, an absolutely brilliant book that explodes a lot of myths, explains a lot of things that I had no clue about and all done with a lot of humour by scientists.

They explain that data is useless if you don't understand fully how to interpret it (and most people don't) and if you only take the bits that support your belief.

This guy is running around looking for stuff that out of context and in isolation looks like everything you're being told is wrong.

It's not hard to do that and just because he's smart doesn't mean he's objective, or has the scientific training to fully understand what's going on.

The hard part is to look for data that contradicts what you believe.

It's an actual fact that a glass of red wine has medicinal benefits.

It's also an actual fact that alcohol is a carcinogenic poison and those benefits can be gained by eating a few blueberries or walnuts without the downsides.

It's also a fact that he's a statistician and not a scientist.

i bet she feels as silly as the 41-year-old ex-world champion kickboxer who died recently.

46 and certainly doesn't look overweight, although she was unvaccinated. 

California prosecutor who campaigned against vaccine mandates dies of Covid.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/06/kelly-ernby-california-prosecutor-dies-covid

Just lifted this off Facebook and it amused me.

I must warn you this is a Dave joke. I apologise in advance if I offend anyone called Dave ....

Dave was bragging to his boss one day,

"You know, I know everyone famous there is to know"

"Go on - Just name someone, anyone, and I bet that know them"

Tired of his boasting, his boss decides to call Dave's bluff,

"OK, Dave, how about Tom Cruise?"

"Not a problem boss"

"Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it"

So Dave and his boss fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise's door.

Tom Cruise is at home and answers the door himself and shouts,

"Dave! What's happening?"

"Great to see you!"

"Come on in for a beer!

Although shocked and more than a little impressed, Dave's boss is still sceptical and he tells Dave that he thinks him knowing Cruise was just pure luck.

"No, no, just name anyone else then"

Dave says.

"President Biden!"

His boss quickly retorts.

"Yup"

Dave says, "We're buddies from years ago"

"Let's fly out to Washington and I'll show you"

So they fly out to Washington and go on the Whitehouse tour"

"While walking through the White House, Biden himself appears, spots Dave on the tour and motions him and his boss over, saying,

"Dave, what a surprise,it's great to see you again after all this time"

"I was just on my way to a meeting but you and your friend come on in and let's have a cup of coffee first and catch up"

After they leave the White House grounds the boss tells Dave that he's still not entirely convinced.

Dave again implores him to name another famous person.

After thinking about it for a long time the boss replies with,

"The Pope!"

"Sure thing!"

Says Dave,

"I've known the Pope for years - since before he became Pope in fact"

So off they fly to Rome.

Dave and his boss are assembled with the masses in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Dave says,

"This will never work"

"I can't catch the Pope's eye among all these people"

"Tell you what, I know all the Pope's guards here as well so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the balcony with the Pope."

Sure enough, half an hour later Dave emerges with the Pope on the balcony, but by the time Dave returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics.

Making his way to his boss' side, Dave asks him,

"What happened?"

His boss looks up and says,

"It was the final straw"

"You and the Pope came out on the balcony and a Japanese tourist next to me said, to me... "

"Who the hell is that on the balcony with Dave?"

 

9 minutes ago, maxjam said:

Good idea. 

He does seem to be the only one using the actual data rather than keep parroting '90% of people...'

 

Most definitely.

I've not read anything by scientists.

I just read this thread and the people on the pro-vax side of the debate.

7 minutes ago, Mostyn6 said:

Wow. There’s whistle-blowing evidence that the vaccine existed before the pandemic!! ?

Are you serious?

You used a laughing emoji, so I'm honestly not sure?

I presume you realise that Covid is a coronavirus and they have been working on them for decades, right?

 

13 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

Like the Government seeing how far they can push the powers that they are taking without need.

Like the media reaction and how they have been allowed to silence anyone with an alternative opinion. 

Like the mandating of vaccines for NHS workers even though the vaccine neither stops you from contracting or spreading the virus.

Like the implementation of discriminatory vaccine passports despite the above.

Like the Government being able to close businesses and destroy livelihoods.

Just a few off the top of my head.

I wish I'd read this before I responded to your other post because it's utter nonsense.

Pretty much what @ariotofmyown said would be my take.

I'll add that Johnson said over 60% of people in hospital haven't been jabbed and 91% in intensive care haven't been.

When you think that over 80% of the population have been vaccinated, those stats are worrying.

With omicron, I don't think (or rather hope) anybody is saying you cannot catch it after being vaccinated (if they are then they are wrong), just you're a lot less likely to get seriously sick or die.

The more seriously ill you are, the longer you are off work and if you're a health worker that puts more pressure on other health workers.

And dead people rarely make it into work.

It would seem you were a lot less likely to catch the delta variant, but clearly omicron is more virulent and people are catching it in greater numbers.

If you can point me to any scientific studies that say you're just as likely to catch omicron if you have been vaccinated as if you haven't, please do so. I was under the impression that this was still unknown.

You do seem to really struggle to keep your eye on the ball and roll with new evidence and changes in the virus make-up.

Preferring instead to just search for anything anybody ever said about covid and mapping it over to fit your version of reality whether it's out of date, or irrelevant.

At my wife's hospital they are currently 120 hours down when it comes to ambulance drivers because of Covid. I have no ducking clue what being 120 hours down means and she hasn't answered me, but I know she is concerned with things because it's heavily impacting the entire hospital.

Admins, when you next change the thread name, is there any chance you can just call it the Jamie Jenkins thread and have done with it?

14 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

Do you not think it is possible to not think that Covid is a conspiracy theory but have some very serious questions about everything that has gone on since?

I think that's perfectly possible.

I'd put my life against ten quid there is no conspiracy, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't corruption and a lot of lying by people diving into the trough.

As for the vaccine being released for use quickly as mentioned by @Mostyn6, a virologist was asked this very same question on 5live yesterday and he said something like:

'We had no choice. Normally we have time to do more testing, but we had tens of thousand of people dying every day and had to get it out there.

There had been a LOT of research that benefited the expedited process (they weren't starting from ground zero) and the vaccine was always licensed under emergency use, but as it happens (because there are no more negative side effects statistically than any other virus) they were right to do it.

6 hours ago, richinspain said:

Who are they?

You should know her dad and one of her brothers. 

10 hours ago, Chester40 said:

I almost posted that yesterday!!!

Not the series, more the film. Its exactly the same feel and style yep.

I think t he film and the first season with Billy Bob Thornton in it.

@Rev I think you and @i-Ram make fair points, although I'd not go as far as to say the acting is wooden.

I think I'd be more critical if I wasn't so wanting to love it and am so invested in it.

It's a bit like Line of Duty which dipped as they dragged it out too long.

I'm still enjoying it, but I don't think it would have harmed to have ended it after the 4th season.

I'm 4 episodes in to The Tourist and it's like watching an Australian, Fargo. Anybody else  see the similarities?

Pretty good. 

On 30/12/2021 at 22:47, hintonsboots said:

22.23%.
Bristol City getting 9 points deducted would make it interesting, very interesting.

If that happens just look at my face, look at my face.

At the moment < 5% I'd say.

34 minutes ago, ketteringram said:

Maybe she's got the shirt too ?

TBF, I am so unobservant she could have been wearing it to bed and I'd probably not have noticed. 

I planned on donating it to @loweman2 so it's his loss really ?

People who announce to the world on social media that it's their birthday.

And even worse, when they announce it by saying something like 'I've made 57 trips around the sun as of today'

Pretentious, moi?

On 17/12/2021 at 17:50, sheeponacid said:

it was dead on the road near to Ambergate. So you”d be bob on with the locality.

Maybe, or maybe not.

Have you considered the very real possibility that it was on holiday, got drunk and then fell out of its car?

Well I feel a bit silly now.

I mentioned it to the wife last night and she said 'I put it ion my jewellery box when we came back for sake keeping after you asked me to look after it you stupid top hat'

She then went upstairs and brought it down.

So...er....anyway, for me it would be a Roy McFarland shirt I had.

Anybody want to buy a Tag Heuer?

 

8 hours ago, hintonsboots said:

Marvin Hagler v Charlie Magri ? Not a fair matchup? Bring it on.

My money is on Magri with Hagler being somewhat dead.

Lets hope we’re him!

8 minutes ago, NottsRam said:

I'm kinda like a kid not wanting to unwrap his last present.  I'm gonna miss Gomorrah when its gone!

I know what you mean, that's why we still have two left!

I have no clue why, but we're saving them. Utterly ludicrous when you think about it.

1 hour ago, NottsRam said:

Not started on Gomorrah latest season yet but started to watch Brotherhood instead, seen first few episodes and pleasantly surprised so far.

I have 2 episodes of Gomorrah left. You won't be disappointed presuming you liked the others.

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

Do any of science degree holding, MENSA members

You may want to drop mentioning MENSA.

I used to be a member, so not everybody is smart.

1 hour ago, 86 Hair Islands said:

Thanks mate. 

While I grasp your point, until we have a more complete understanding of the virus, the prime focus has to be on saving lives and not just those afflicted by Covid. Ultimately, your proposed way forward may teach us how to better cope with future pandemics, but right here, right now, getting folk through this period is what I'd want the powers that be to address. That focus should also include support for afflicted businesses, the mental health of the nation and those awaiting treatment for non-Covid related ailments, etc.

I do think the the virulence (and therefore hopefully the inherent threat) of the virus is diminishing based on death count vs new case number ratios (somewhat flimsy science I concede), but I temper any such optimism with the thought that the virus could mutate again. A virus that combines the transmissibility of Omicron with the virulence of earlier strains could still be catastrophic even accounting for the benefits of vaccines.

My thinking currently would therefore be that we carry on as best we can, as god knows we all need some respite and normality, but remain vigilant and wary all the same. Covid in some form or other is now here to stay and there will be time for the kind of research you describe when those who would undertake it have more bandwidth. Of course it would have been useful had the government paid heed to their own studies already undertaken prior to the pandemic, but I suppose that's an unreasonable school of thought!

And FWIW, I don't see anything harsh in your view and I very much doubt anyone else will either. 

I think the emphasis has shifted considerably.

Until omicron, I think the focus was on saving lives and helping the NHS.

Now, I think lives lost are so low compared to Delta and in conjunction with the vaccine and treatment, that it's all about the NHS not getting overwhelmed

The big concern is not people dying as much as it's the combination of people in hospital with covid and staff off sick or isolating meaning regular accidents and emergencies as well as routine screening/preventative medicine are suffering.

The latter may not be apparent for months or years and it will be almost impossible to measure accurately.

One thing I will say, is that I now know maybe half a dozen people who have had it and from them and what I have read it *seems* to be slightly worse than a normal cold whilst not being as bad as the flu.

If it can stay there, then I think we will start getting back to normal, but I think care and caution are called for in the short-term.

Glad you're feeling better matey!

 

Started watching The Tourist last night. An interesting if slightly slow start. Anybody seen it yet?

8 hours ago, sage said:

It was supposed to be announced in the trailer. All I have read is early 2022 and they are still filming. A little contradictory. 

This from the Radio Times website:

Filming for Peaky Blinders season six was officially wrapped as of June 2021, and cutting on the final episode finished in mid-November 2021.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/peaky-blinders-season-six-release-date/

8 hours ago, sage said:

It was supposed to be announced in the trailer. All I have read is early 2022 and they are still filming. A little contradictory. 

Really??

Are you sure it's not the movie they're filming?

I got the impression it would be out this month, February at the latest.