Covid-19 miscellany

[Jimmy Higgins]

Why do you guys hate science?

Why are you quoting an article that is citing an economics paper and calling it "science"?

No offense laughing dog.

Also, seeing the death rates in Australia and New Zealand resulted in one-fifth the deaths we saw in the US, clearly restrictions are a possible method of reducing deaths. But America was never actually in a "lockdown". And what it was, was only for a short period before a few in the GOP hijacked a global health emergency and turned it into a political cash cow.

 

[bilby]

Why do you guys hate science?

Why are you quoting an article that is citing an economics paper and calling it "science"?

No offense laughing dog.

Also, seeing the death rates in Australia and New Zealand resulted in one-fifth the deaths we saw in the US, clearly restrictions are a possible method of reducing deaths. But America was never actually in a "lockdown". And what it was, was only for a short period before a few in the GOP hijacked a global health emergency and turned it into a political cash cow.

As soon as it became clear to the Trump maladministration that most of the early deaths were in big cities (particularly New York), where most voters lean Democrat, your nation was doomed.

My state has seen 2,734 deaths from Covid, of which 8 occurred before restrictions were lifted in January of 2022.

Not a typo. Eight deaths in all of 2020 and 2021, in a state with 5.2 million people, whose first recorded case was in January 2020.

Two years of mandatory mask wearing in public, eight deaths. One and a sixth years of optional (but recommended) mask wearing in public, 2,726 deaths.

Anyone who says that restrictions (including, but not limited to, mandatory use of masks) are ineffective has to explain this small (580 times) difference in death rate per annum from Covid in Queensland.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Even the New York Times concedes masks and mask mandates DO NOT WORK;

The most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses — including Covid-19 — was published late last month. Its conclusions, said Tom Jefferson, the Oxford epidemiologist who is its lead author, were unambiguous. “There is just no evidence that they” — masks — “make any difference,” he told the journalist Maryanne Demasi. “Full stop. ”But, wait, hold on. What about N-95 masks, as opposed to lower-quality surgical or cloth masks? “Makes no difference — none of it,” said Jefferson. What about the studies that initially persuaded policymakers to impose mask mandates? “They were convinced by nonrandomized studies, flawed observational studies.” What about the utility of masks in conjunction with other preventive measures, such as hand hygiene, physical distancing or air filtration? “There’s no evidence that many of these things make any difference.”
The C.D.C.’s increasingly mindless adherence to its masking guidance is none of those things. It isn’t merely undermining the trust it requires to operate as an effective public institution. It is turning itself into an unwitting accomplice to the genuine enemies of reason and science — conspiracy theorists and quack-cure peddlers — by so badly representing the values and practices that science is supposed to exemplify. But “do something” is not science, and it shouldn’t have been public policy. And the people who had the courage to say as much deserved to be listened to, not treated with contempt. They may not ever get the apology they deserve, but vindication ought to be enough.

NYT

Told ya.

Mask mandates do not work--no law with that widespread level of disobedience works.

That doesn't mean masks don't work. See my earlier post.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Florida republicans want to ban Covid 19 vaccines in Florida. Stage 4 stupidy metastizing in Florida.

...
Members of the executive committee passed the “Ban the Jab” resolution, designed to ban the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in the state of Florida.

The resolution calls for Gov. Ron DeSantis to ban the sale and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. It does not, however, obligate him to take any action.
....

Lee County GOP passes 'Ban the Jab' resolution to ban COVID vaccines in Florida

"It's called the 'Ban The Jab' resolution, whereas strong and credible evidence exists that COVID-19 and COVID-19 injections are biological and technological weapons."

winknews.com

 

[scombrid]

“If you got this shot, you go home and hug your pregnant wife—she can have a miscarriage through skin contact,” Sansone said.

Pretty convinced now that the entire GOP believes this stuff.

 

[crazyfingers]

Bat shit crazy

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Bat shit crazy

I think the scale needs extending.

 

[TSwizzle]

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

 

[scombrid]

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

National Review report of a 2021 “low confidence” report from the Department of Energy. Not doing much to deflect from the astounding lunacy coming from the Florida GOP.

 

[JohnG]

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

I'm reading this too. I don't rule out a lab leak - sure it's possible, but I'm not seeing any new evidence brought forth here. We may never know unless they find the original animal. I don't expect China to be very cooperative, even though the WHO has tried it's best to maintain a relationship with China to have access to their labs.

 

[lpetrich]

Revisiting the Science: Do Masks Stop COVID-19? – Skepchick by Rebecca Watson

It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about COVID mitigation measures, but I wanted to circle back to this topic based on a HUGE new Cochrane review that has just been published about the effectiveness of masks. And the update is: masks work. Masks absolutely work to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in real world settings. Absolutely, without a doubt.

“But wait,” you may be saying, “my MAGA uncle says that Cochrane Review says masks don’t work. What’s going on?”

Well, what’s going on is that many years ago I read a study suggesting that if you want to educate people about misinformation, it’s important to state the facts very clearly and up front before you even get into the misinformation. So yeah. The preponderance of evidence collected over the past three years tells us that N95 masks are really, really good at slowing the spread of COVID-19, and other masks can also help, though not as much. Masks help keep sick people from blasting the virus into the air, and they help keep healthy people from breathing in those virus particles.

So, what’s all this about a Cochrane review? I’ve talked about these a lot in the past few years: they aren’t new studies, per se, but systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are supposed to look over the dozens or hundreds or even thousands of studies, choosing only those with the highest quality control, and weighing them all to deliver a consensus, like “Tylenol doesn’t really work for tension headaches” or “there’s no evidence that brain boosting supplements boost any brains.”

So it’s a shame that when Cochrane took on something that has, stupidly, become very politicized, they didn’t do their usual “gold standard” job.

The review itself: Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses - Jefferson, T - 2023 | Cochrane Library

RW then goes into details about problems with this review. "In fact, epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz decided to remove the data for influenza to see what would happen, and sure enough, the random controlled trials for masking DURING A PANDEMIC showed a clear, modest benefit." and Dr. Katelyn "Jetelina points out that the review only used randomized control trials (RCTs), which is usual for Cochrane and is something I’ve seen scientists criticize about them before." Though RCT's can be very good, she noted that we don't have a lot of good RCT's for COVID-19.

Effectiveness of Face Mask or Respirator Use in Indoor Public Settings for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection — California, February–December 2021 | MMWR - which RW summarizes as "Real world data examining what people are actually doing shows unequivocally that masking during this pandemic, especially with N-95s, reduces transmission. The more you mask, the lower your chance of getting COVID. The more people mask AROUND YOU, the lower your chance of getting COVID."

The Cochrane authors state “The high risk of bias in the trials, variation in outcome measurement, and relatively low adherence with the interventions (i.e. people just didn’t wear masks) during the studies hampers drawing firm conclusions” and “There is a need for large, well-designed RCTs addressing the effectiveness of many of these interventions in multiple settings and populations, as well as the impact of adherence on effectiveness, especially in those most at risk of (acute respiratory infections).” Admitting that they don't have the sort of good data that they like to work with.

Good job on Rebecca Watson's part.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

I'm reading this too. I don't rule out a lab leak - sure it's possible, but I'm not seeing any new evidence brought forth here. We may never know unless they find the original animal. I don't expect China to be very cooperative, even though the WHO has tried it's best to maintain a relationship with China to have access to their labs.

I find it amazing how the alt-right seems to waver between 'the pandemic was a lie' to 'China is responsible for this pandemic!'

 

[TV and credit cards]

.

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

There's a fire and the kid in the neighborhood who likes to play with matches won't answer any questions and in the same breath complain that he is a suspect.
Well what did they expect?

 

[lpetrich]

I find it amazing how the alt-right seems to waver between 'the pandemic was a lie' to 'China is responsible for this pandemic!'

Yes, that's weird. If COVID-19 is not much worse than the common cold, then it is not much of a biological-warfare weapon.

 

[Gospel]

If everyone in the USA that died from Covid was from one city. Here are a few of the cities near that number that would be left lifeless.

Boston	Massachusetts
El Paso	Texas
Portland	Oregon
Las Vegas	Nevada
Memphis	Tennessee
Detroit	Michigan

If you are in one of these Cities, look around you and imagine every single living human you see, died. Cause that's what happened.

 

[bilby]

Why do you guys hate science?

Why are you quoting an article that is citing an economics paper and calling it "science"?

No offense laughing dog.

Also, seeing the death rates in Australia and New Zealand resulted in one-fifth the deaths we saw in the US, clearly restrictions are a possible method of reducing deaths. But America was never actually in a "lockdown". And what it was, was only for a short period before a few in the GOP hijacked a global health emergency and turned it into a political cash cow.

As soon as it became clear to the Trump maladministration that most of the early deaths were in big cities (particularly New York), where most voters lean Democrat, your nation was doomed.

My state has seen 2,734 deaths from Covid, of which 8 occurred before restrictions were lifted in January of 2022.

Not a typo. Eight deaths in all of 2020 and 2021, in a state with 5.2 million people, whose first recorded case was in January 2020.

Two years of mandatory mask wearing in public, eight deaths. One and a sixth years of optional (but recommended) mask wearing in public, 2,726 deaths.

Anyone who says that restrictions (including, but not limited to, mandatory use of masks) are ineffective has to explain this small (580 times) difference in death rate per annum from Covid in Queensland.

To add:

We have a similar population to that of South Carolina, but approximately 10% of that state's total fatalities to date, demonstrating the value of locking down hard, until a sizeable fraction of our population had been vaccinated.

The much derided plan to lock down, vaccinate, and then slowly return to normal with the expectation that that would lead to fatalities, but far fewer of them than would've occurred without strict measures, has been completely vindicated by the facts.

Half-arsed measures didn't work. To people who have only the USA to look at, it's easy to imagine that the fact that half-arsed measures were ineffective is an indication that nothing should have been done. But it's equally supportive of the counter proposal that far more should have been done.

And a glance at places that did far more, would tell anyone that that's the right conclusion.

Of course, when accepting these facts would entail admitting that you lobbied for the needless deaths of millions of people, it can be very difficult to say "sorry, we were wrong". But it's something that must be said, if you are to avoid the same disaster next time around.

 

[Patooka]

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

As always, TSwizzle is omitting some very important facts. I'm assuming it was an oversight on his part.

COVID likely the result of a lab leak in China, Energy Department says

Scientists have largely agreed the virus is the result of animal spillover, but policymakers have disagreed.

www.newsnationnow.com

However, the department reportedly said the findings were made with “low confidence.”

Does "low confidence" have a specific meaning in intelligence reports? Yes, yes it does;

By the department’s definition, a low confidence assessment “means the information is scant, questionable, or very fragmented, so it is difficult to make solid analytic inferences; it could also mean that the (intelligence community) has significant concerns about or problems with the sources.”

Like I said, I'm sure it was just an oversight on TSwizzle's part that he left those pieces out.

 

[marc]

Does "low confidence" have a specific meaning in intelligence reports? Yes, yes it does;

By the department’s definition, a low confidence assessment “means the information is scant, questionable, or very fragmented, so it is difficult to make solid analytic inferences; it could also mean that the (intelligence community) has significant concerns about or problems with the sources.”

For comparison, WMD in Iraq reports had 'medium confidence'.

 

[barbos]

Does this mean US is going to invade labs now?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.
The report, which was included in an update to a 2021 document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, was recently provided to the White House and other lawmakers. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the updated assessment from the Energy Department is the result of new intelligence.

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report

The Covid-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report from the U.S. Energy Department.

news.yahoo.com

As always, TSwizzle is omitting some very important facts. I'm assuming it was an oversight on his part.

COVID likely the result of a lab leak in China, Energy Department says

Scientists have largely agreed the virus is the result of animal spillover, but policymakers have disagreed.

www.newsnationnow.com

However, the department reportedly said the findings were made with “low confidence.”

Does "low confidence" have a specific meaning in intelligence reports? Yes, yes it does;

By the department’s definition, a low confidence assessment “means the information is scant, questionable, or very fragmented, so it is difficult to make solid analytic inferences; it could also mean that the (intelligence community) has significant concerns about or problems with the sources.”

Like I said, I'm sure it was just an oversight on TSwizzle's part that he left those pieces out.

Some might say it is a religious like cult.