These days, these very weird days, pick up any newspaper or read any news website and you are bombarded with conflicting “science” information. Usually these are prefaced with “a new study says” to give credence to even the thinnest of claims, which often conflict with other “studies”. Early on we were told COVID-19 was highly contagious, based on inflated model numbers that later proved to be wrong, off by at least a factor of ten, and now reality has set in and it’s not so bad after all.
A perfect example is the science-study-as-propaganda-tool where Hydrochloroquinine (HCQ) was trashed as being ineffective, and even dangerous has now proven to be utterly false, based on bad data, was retracted, and was likely politically motivated due to President Trump endorsing HCQ treatments. Now we find it actually works.
Like climate science, it seems medical science, at least related to COVID-19, has become a bad joke of “science by press release”.
I can’t say we here at WUWT are any better, just look at the dizzying amount of conflicting information we’ve reported on here.
Our resident cartoonist Josh sums it up nicely:
Like his work? Buy him a pint.
I find it not only ludicrous, but worrying that the efficacy of HCQ should be SCIENTIFICALLY determined by political preference.
This just in: A recent analysis of the heavy breathing of Darth Vader shows a remarkable likeness to the breathing of those with COV-19. George Lucas was asked about this, but simply said “No comment”. Further studies to come.
I still cant believe the Big Ten football season was cancelled. They must be afraid of lawsuits from players.
Lawsuits from the family of players. Some one will figure out “loss of future revenue” from a player if he gets sick and can’t play enough to get drafted.
“Now we find it [hydroxychloroquine] actually works.”
Here’s the latest: “Countries that use hydroxychloroquine may have 80% lower death rates”: http://joannenova.com.au/2020/08/countries-that-use-hydroxychloroquine-may-have-80-lower-covid-death-rates/
I’m surprised Mexico is in the limited early HCQ category. I thought you could buy it over the counter there.
I can relate.
I regularly watch the different local weather forecasts, check AccuWeather.com and Weather.com and pick the one I like best.
It depends on whether you like best the one that corresponds to reality, or the one that corresponds to desire.
Don’t believe any of them. In fact science bans that. You simply follow the predictions. We can all do that and should. Copy, paste, save and check back later to see if it happens.
The brilliance of the scientific method is that you don’t have to know the subject in deep detail to ascertain if a theory is correct or not. Just follow the predictions.
Or riding in a car? How many suffer brain injuries by hitting the windshield or being thrown around during an accident?
It is no coincidence that we have similar issues with Covid 19 science and Global Warming science. It is because they are both being manipulated by the same people for the same reasons, which is to control the population at large.
I had been watching what was going on with China with great interest during the start of 2020. Never doubted that we had a real virus on our hands. But certain reactions and statements by key figures that then reversed or went against what had been said or published before left me concerned. For instance I had read about how they knew to check HCQ by putting information about SARS 2 Corona Virus into a super computer and looking for things in common. Which brought up SARS 1, also a Corona Virus and that they had success with HCQ.
I was shocked that when President Trump brought this up that people started attacking HCQ as a dangerous drug. Even though Dr. Fauci was on record years ago touting its effectiveness against Corona viruses. Plus my wife, who has Lupus, had taken HCQ for 25 years. Researching that drug before she began treatment showed us it was quite safe and even WebMD and Mayo all said so. Now it was a demon drug.
Then in my work I’ve dealt with wearing respirators and SCBAs in dangerous atmospheres. In an a R&D job I had 30 years ago I conducted a one year long study comparing qualitative versus quantitative fit testing. I performed over a thousand fit tests of various respirators during this study. One thing I needed have researched was the idea that disposable masks or bandanas would provide protection against a sub micron virus and that high risk people who believed wearing such a thing would protect them were only putting themselves in harms way.
I live in America, but I have Swedish ancestry. Right now I’m wishing that I was living in Sweden. In this issue, they chose well.
In France, that anti Plaquenil hysteria probably made people more likely to ask their doctor for Plaquenil as:
1) While the benefits for Covid or corona patients was unclear, any medical person knew the risk profile was low.
2) Plaquenil is known as the anti malaria drug and a lot of old French people could tell about their history of taking the drug to go to Africa, and how the drug was prescribed without afterthoughts and essentially zero medical supervision. Notably, no heart check up for a drug that is now allegedly very toxic for the heart.
3) Plaquenil was taken for years while an efficient Covid treatment would be prescribed for a couple of weeks (or less).
Or essentially the whole thing backfired. Badly.
What I call: propaganda one bridge too far. Or maybe in that case, a couple of bridges.
The end result is that the MSM was even more discredited, the medical establishment is too, and notably the scientific societies like the Academies and the “SPILF” which sounds like a joint but is actually a medical society for infectious disease, or something. (To become publicly known and be publicly discredited at the same time is a kind of record.)
Miso,
Thanks.
I hadn’t realised the Ickenham Journal of Intense Dewatering was so impactless.
Your help is appreciated.
Auto
I guess NEJM is some New Epstein Journal
– Medicine?
– Mendacity?
– Microdentistry?
Anthony :
“These days, these very weird days, pick up any newspaper or read any news website and you are bombarded with conflicting “science” information. Usually these are prefaced with “a new study says” to give credence to even the thinnest of claims, which often conflict with other “studies”………..
“I can’t say we here at WUWT are any better, just look at the dizzying amount of conflicting information we’ve reported on here.”
Reflective of a very chaotic event.
I’d like to take a look at any Covid information that we can consider “solid” (easily seen, easily reproduced, makes a modicum of sense, consistent):
No particular order….
1) The virus causing Covid-19 various symptoms is pretty well identified (the spiky ball thing). We know its genetic code (with some strain variation).
2) The virus is pretty contagious. Similar to flu and cold viruses. No real point in trying to qualify this any further as the variation in time, hosts (ie people), environmental factors (temperature, humidity, etc) and strains ensure transmission is highly variable. Bottom line, less exposure, probably equals less chance of infection.
3) The disease/symptoms caused by the virus are all over the map. Seems to be worse than any cold, and perhaps as bad as a bad flu (but overall worse outcome due to no vaccine yet widely available). Again, no point in trying to qualify further…too many variables. If you are already sick from something, you will probably be sicker from this virus.
4) Clearly certain demographics are fairing worse from this virus. Not politically correct to discuss though…so no point in trying to qualify further…:)
5) Various treatments are available. Some work better than others under different circumstances and demographics and strains, and a bunch of other variables. “Take an aspirin and rest….drink plenty of fluids”…Stay away from ventilators if at all possible…
6) Various vaccines are already up and running. (see item #1). The Russians will deploy first (thanks!) :). Some will work better than others, and some will provide longer immunity (or some level of protection) than others. Some won’t do squat.
7) Some people are already pretty much immune from this virus. Don’t even think about trying to qualify this….might be 1% in one place and 90% someplace else…your guess.
8) If you think you have any of items #1-7 “nailed” further, you’re probably wrong. Murphy is in charge.
The most discouraging aspect of Covid-19 is the continuous, pathetic and pointless attempt by just about everybody to over quantify something that has so many chaotic variables. Sound familiar…it should be to the various denizens of WUWT.
Bottom line: You cannot quantify or qualify something which does not in reality posses such attributes.
“Prediction” : This virus will (all too) slowly sink into relative oblivion. Within 1-5 years we will all be discussing some “new” disaster.
Regards,
Ethan Brand
No matter what you say to someone who has solidified their faith in something, they will label what you say as something else, and just repeat what it is they said that elicited your offer to improve their thought process.
EXAMPLE:
Mask zombie says, ” I believe in masks, just wear the damn thing, have respect for others.”
Rational thinker says, “No quality evidence exists to support mass masking.”
Mask zombie replies, “You are just talking politics now, just wear the damn thing and have respect for others.”
Rational thinker says nothing, walks away, shaking head.
“Politic” is now used as the ultimate ad hominem reply.
“It’s politic” means “I reject your point because they might have a political impact, they ridicule my own policies (which are political by definition), and I don’t have a refutation (or debunking in today’s degenerated language)”.
Example: the congressional hearing (comité du Sénat) about the Benalla scandal is doing “de la politique”. (Benalla was a Macron body guard, even though officially he was not. Also, he played video games with Jawad Bendaoud, who hosted Islamic terrorists… Benalla had four diplomatic passports. He was gifted with the Thales Theorem, and an old but highly secured encrypted phone that not even top cops have in France.)
Is there evidence (preferably some RCT) that “following Science” (whatever that is) makes people happier or more fit?
Vitamin D level has a strong correlation to outcome, more is better. Supplements and sunshine are cheap and available. Use them.
UV B inactivates the virus. Always get a shopping cart that has been left out in the sun.
Air Conditioning spreads disease. Think Legionnaire Disease.
Out side open air has movement and disperses any droplets.
Masks are mostly theater, but using them inside an air conditioned store won’t do any harm. Outside on a nice sunny day, or alone in your car, get a life.
The quality of official information is pathetic. The press and the official medical community have squandered any credibility. Pay as much heed to them as you would an email offer of wealth from Nigeria.
“Early on we were told COVID-19 was highly contagious, based on inflated model numbers that later proved to be wrong”
The problem was the start date. Once the correct date is used, October 2019, it clearly spreads much slower and is less contagious.
England will scrap the number over COVID-19 death.
THE daily coronavirus death toll could be scrapped after Public Health England (PHE) were accused of “exaggerating” the tally.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12358825/daily-coronavirus-death-toll-scrapped-row-phe-exaggerating/
“I can’t say we here at WUWT are any better, just look at the dizzying amount of conflicting information we’ve reported on ”
True that. But never too late for some honest introspection. Still better than most I guess.
1) WUWT has been reporting every prima facie credible story. Yes, they frequently conflict; that is the nature of the beast – anything like this issue is plagued by initial ignorance which is only slowly cured. Add in political bias, and there is no avoiding conflict. Unlike most other media, however, every one of these reports has appeared on your “Page A-1” – not the ones you like as the headliner, and the contradiction/retraction buried somewhere in the gardening section, or at 2:00 AM on a Friday night.
2) You do not censor comments that are relevant, whatever angle they come from. If they touch on the subject, they are allowed through (sometimes snipped where the flames get a bit too hot – reasonable). One of the main things that brings me here is that you actually have a cadre of unpaid reporters in the comment section that have the expertise, time, and in some cases the access without draining their own bank account to read and analyze the source documents in the journals. You do not find that elsewhere.
Far, far too hard on yourself, Anthony. Please, don’t change a thing.