The Corona Virus

[oldcolner]

Over 50,000 deaths now (probably over 60,000 in reality) in the last nine months. And still the worst three months of the year to come for this type of virus. We could be near 100,000 deaths in a calendar year by March.
For those of you who claim that the figures are not unusual in a normal year, please show me a year when the deaths from flu approached these levels.

The pandemic has resulted in an unparalleled worldwide response in trying to find a vaccine. I am not surprised in the least that the "experts" have delivered the goods, and I am more than confident that if it gets the green light then it will be safe.

Given the scale and nastiness of the virus I will certainly take it, but it will be up to each individual whether they have it. I read somewhere that 25% of the population won't take it. this may reduce when it finally gets a clean bill of health.

But there will still be a group of people who will refuse. Their choice. If they calculate that the odds of a serious side effect are greater that getting covid then I won't try to convince them. If they won't listen to the "experts" what chance does a bloke on the internet have? Trouble is, they are getting their info from other blokes on the internet to make their decision.

Well said. 59. Some people believe weirdos on the internet more than the BBC and CBS

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Well said. 59. Some people believe weirdos on the internet more than the BBC and CBS

Trouble for me 59er is I seriously question which is true or in accordance with empirically proven fact or someone's "reality" which is made up to suit an agenda.

I simply refuse to trust anything that comes out of the mouths of this Cabal of Cabinet Minister Conservative and Unionist Cretins or their goons from SAGE.

[oldcolner]

Trouble for me 59er is I seriously question which is true or in accordance with empirically proven fact or someone's "reality" which is made up to suit an agenda.

I simply refuse to trust anything that comes out of the mouths of this Cabal of Cabinet Minister Conservative and Unionist Cretins or their goons from SAGE.

And the agenda is???

From their website
“SAGE is responsible for ensuring that timely and coordinated scientific advice is made available to decision makers to support UK cross-government decisions in the Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR).
We The advice provided by SAGE does not represent official government policy.

The membership of SAGE depends on the nature of the emergency but it typically includes leading experts from within government and leading specialists from the fields of academia and industry.”

[The Bedlington Terrier]

And the agenda is???

From their website
“SAGE is responsible for ensuring that timely and coordinated scientific advice is made available to decision makers to support UK cross-government decisions in the Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR).
We The advice provided by SAGE does not represent official government policy.

The membership of SAGE depends on the nature of the emergency but it typically includes leading experts from within government and leading specialists from the fields of academia and industry.”

Yeah right and the moon is made of green cheese.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Significantly Cummings was a regular attendee at SAGE meetings and TWO members refuse to be disclosed.

We should have a guessing contest I reckon.

This is the rest of the gaggle with whom I am advised to trust my own and my family's life too.

Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Health and Social Care
Professor John Aston, Chief Scientific Adviser, Home Office
Professor Wendy Barclay, Imperial College London
Professor Phil Blythe, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Transport
Professor Ian Boyd, University of St Andrews
Professor Andrew Curran, Chief Scientific Adviser, Health and Safety Executive
Dr Gavin Debrera, Public Health England
Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician, Office for National Statistics
Professor Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director, Public Health England
Professor John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director Wellcome Trust
Professor Neil Ferguson, Imperial College London
Dr Aidan Fowler NHS England
Professor Julia Gog University of Cambridge
Dr David Halpern, Behavioural Insights Team, Cabinet Office
Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Dr Demis Hassabis Data Scientist
Professor Peter Horby University of Oxford
Dr Indra Joshi NHS.
Professor Dame Theresa Marteau University of Cambridge
Professor Dame Angela McLean Chief Scientific Adviser Ministry of Defence
Professor Graham Medley, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Professor Andrew Morris, University of Edinburgh
Professor Carole Mundell, Chief Scientific Adviser, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Professor Cath Noakes, University of Leeds
Dr Rob Offord, Welsh Government
Professor Michael Parker, University of Oxford
Professor Sharon Peacock, Public Health England
Professor Alan Penn, Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Professor Steve Powis, NHS England
Dr Mike Prentice, NHS England
Mr Osama Rahman, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Education
Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, Chair of DELVE (ex Officio), convened by Royal Society
Professor Andrew Rambaut, University of Edinburgh
Professor Tom Rodden, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Professor Brooke Rogers, Kings College London
Dr James Rubin, Kings College London
Professor Calum Semple, University of Liverpool
Dr Mike Short, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for International Trade
Dr Gregor Smith, Scottish Government Chief Medical Officer
Professor Sir David Spieglhalter, University of Cambridge
Professor Jonathan Van Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Professor Russell Viner, University College London
Professor Charlotte Watts, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for International Development
Professor Mark Walport, UK Research and Innovation
Professor Mark Woolhouse, University of Edinburgh
Professor Lucy Yardley, University of Bristol
Professor Ian Young, Northern Ireland Executive
Professor Maria Zambon, Public Health England

When the government is your employer, I suppose one must toe the party line?

[oldcolner]

BT
Do you believe University employees are paid by Government???

There are other groups too including this all University one

COVID-19 Clinical Information Network (CO-CIN)

CO-CIN collates clinical information from the usual health care records of people of all ages admitted to hospital in the UK to characterise the clinical features of patients with severe COVID-19 in the UK.

Dr Kenneth Baillie University of Edinburgh
Dr Annemarie Docherty University of Edinburgh
Dr Chris Green University of Birmingham
Professor Ewen Harrison University of Edinburgh
Professor Peter Horby University of Oxford
Professor Peter Openshaw Imperial College London
Professor Calum Semple University of Liverpool
Professor Wei Shen Lim University of Nottingham
Professor Jonathan Van Tam Deputy Chief Medical Officer

Then there’s
Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M)
SPI-M gives expert advice to the Department of Health and Social Care and wider UK government on scientific matters relating to the UK’s response to an influenza pandemic (or other emerging human infectious disease threats). The advice is based on infectious disease modelling and epidemiology. Find out more about SPI-M.

Dr Marc Baguelin Imperial College London
Fliss Bennee Welsh Government
Dr Paul Birrell Public Health England
Dr Joshua Blake University of Cambridge
Professor Veronica Bowman Her Majesty’s Government
Professor Stephen Brett Imperial College London
Dr Ellen Brooks-Pollock University of Bristol
Dr Andre Charlett Public Health England
Dr Leon Danon University of Exeter
Dr Nick Davies London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Daniela DeAngelis University of Cambridge
Dr Louise Dyson University of Warwick
Professor John Edmunds London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Dr Rosalind Eggo London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Neil Ferguson Imperial College London
Dr Thomas Finnie Public Health England
Dr Sebastian Funk London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Dr Nick Gent Public Health England
Professor Julia Gog University of Cambridge
Professor Nicholas Grassly Imperial College London
Dr Ian Hall University of Manchester
Dr Edward Hill University of Warwick
Dr Thomas House University of Manchester
Dr Christopher Jewell Lancaster University
Professor Mark Jit London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Dr Thibaut Jombart London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Matt Keeling University of Warwick
Dr Petra Klepac London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Adam Kucharski London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal Public Health England
Professor Dame Angela McLean Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Defence
Professor Graham Medley London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Lorenzo Pellis University of Manchester
Dr Jonathan Read Lancaster University
Professor Steven Riley Imperial College London
Professor Chris Robertson University of Strathclyde
Dr Julie Robotham Public Health England
Dr James Rubin Kings College London
Dr Michael Tildesley University of Warwick
Dr Edwin Van Leeuwen Public Health England
Professor Jonathan Van Tam MBE Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Dr Marc Warner Faculty, on behalf of NHSx
Professor Mark Woolhouse University of Edinburgh
Professor Lucy Yardley University of Bristol and University of Southampton

Then

Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-
SPI-B provides advice aimed at anticipating and helping people adhere to interventions that are recommended by medical or epidemiological experts.

Professor Richard Amlôt Public Health England
Professor Imran Awan Birmingham City University
Professor Laura Bear London School of Economics
Professor Chris Bonnell London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Ellen Brooks-Pollock University of Bristol
Professor Val Curtis London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Professor Stephen David Reicher University of St Andrews
Dr Laura de Moliere Her Majesty’s Government
Professor John Drury University of Sus***
Dr Mark Egan Behavioural Insights Team
Professor Nicola Fear Kings College London
Dr David Halpern Behavioural Insights Team
Mr Hugo Harper Behavioural Insights Team
Dr Atiya Kamal Birmingham City University
Dr Daniel Leightley Kings College London
Professor Dame Theresa Marteau University of Cambridge
Mr Shaun McNally Her Majesty’s Government
Professor G.J. Melendez-Torres University of Exeter
Professor Susan Michie University College London
Dr Gavin Morgan University College London
DCC Paul Netherton Devon and Cornwall Police
Mr Richard Pemberton British Psychological Society
Dr Henry Potts University College London
Dr Lorna Riddle Her Majesty’s Government
Professor Brooke Rogers Kings College London
Dr James Rubin Kings College London
Ms Kathryn Scott British Psychological Society
Dr Louise Smith Kings College London
Professor Iyiola Solanke University of Leeds
Mr Hugh Stickland Office for National Statistics
Professor Clifford Stott Keele University
Professor Russell Viner University College London
Dr Jo Waller Kings College London
Professor Charlotte Watts Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for International Development
Professor Robert West University College London
Professor Lucy Yardley University of Bristol and University of Southampton
Professor Ann John Swansea University
Professor Subhash Pokhrel Brunel University
4 participants have not given permission to be named.

There are 3 more groups too


You think Boris can tell this lot what to do. You don’t know academics then.
Really???

[Supersub6]

You would have thought that, with all these various 'experts' around, the coronavirus should never have got into the UK.
However, it did and now the same experts are pontificating about how it should be stopped ---they were unable to stop it in the first place so why should we believe that they have the answers now.

You could probably put two of these experts in a room and one would argue that a piece of wood was black but the other would say that it is coloured.Mind you we probably can't say that a piece of wood is coloured these days because it would offend someone somewhere.

[oldcolner]

Supersub
Don’t think there are many countries with no virus. The reason for that isn’t the experts but the people they try to help not wanting to lock down, wanting to travel and party and behave normally and not wear masks.
Trees wouldn’t be their area of expertise wood you believe!

[oldcolner]

the Washington Post has reported more than 130 Secret Service officers assigned to protect Mr Trump are self-isolating due to coronavirus.
It is not clear how many have tested positive.

Fake news???

[Supersub6]

the Washington Post has reported more than 130 Secret Service officers assigned to protect Mr Trump are self-isolating due to coronavirus.
It is not clear how many have tested positive.

Fake news???

Better give them some of his super duper, best ever vaccine that he claims his lot have produced.