Media Coverage of COVID -19

[birchesgreen]

TBH, I don't even know if I've had it !

I haven't had it, my first wife had it in her 20s but i didn't catch it then so maybe some people have natural immunity?

 

[westv]

I haven't had it, my first wife had it in her 20s but i didn't catch it then so maybe some people have natural immunity?

Wouldn't surprise me. It must be highly infectious as I didn't go anywhere near the infected person.

 

[NorthKent1989]

I haven't had it, my first wife had it in her 20s but i didn't catch it then so maybe some people have natural immunity?

I never caught Chicken Pox either, even though I went to a chicken pox gathering as a child, not sure if that’s a good thing or something I should worry about not having chicken pox this far into my life

 

[yorkie]

I never caught Chicken Pox either, even though I went to a chicken pox gathering as a child, not sure if that’s a good thing or something I should worry about not having chicken pox this far into my life

If you didn't have regular tests, how do you know you didn't catch it but remain asymptomatic?

I can almost guarantee you will have been exposed to the virus that causes it (VZV).

I haven't had it, my first wife had it in her 20s but i didn't catch it then so maybe some people have natural immunity?

Do you mean adaptive immunity or innate immunity? I think what you are wondering is if she has got such a good innate immune system that she may have had an asymptomatic infection, and therefore gained adaptive immunity (i.e. has memory B & T cells) without having ever experienced any disease symptoms? If so, that is very possible.

Wouldn't surprise me. It must be highly infectious as I didn't go anywhere near the infected person.

It is highly infectious.

There is an article on BBC trending at the moment (I won't link to it as I don't want to drive more hits on it) about a bereaved covid survivor questioning lockdown easing.

While I feel sorry for the chap
- his wife died in December, well before the vaccine roll out got in to swing.
- they were in their 70s, an age when people do regularly. Vaccine up take in the elderly is not far off 100%.
- we are not 'rushing' out of lockdown as he suggests, we are at the end of a very, very slow 5+ month process


When will the media stop these scare stories? When will they have trending articles about business owners or whoever saying they are pleased that restrictions are ending.

The BBC are unlikely to stop any time soon, given their agenda. I was a fan of BBC news but I'm fed up with them now.

 

[NorthKent1989]

If you didn't have regular tests, how do you know you didn't catch it but remain asymptomatic?

I Almost spat out my tea with laughter at this!

 

[kristiang85]

My local click bait paper is going one step further and regularly tweeting this

https://twitter.com/examiner/status/1415794365671280643?s=21

What happened to the Whitty and Valence of early March 2020 who were reassuring and telling us that the vast majority of people wouldn't get ill or be in danger, that masks are pointless and that we should keep up national morale and not be scared?

And this was before any kind of treatment or vaccination.

I'm so fed up with it.

 

[LAX54]

I never caught Chicken Pox either, even though I went to a chicken pox gathering as a child, not sure if that’s a good thing or something I should worry about not having chicken pox this far into my life

Its always good to get Chicken Pox as a child, when you get it as an adult, its 'Shingles' and that can be quite nasty (My Dad had it)

What happened to the Whitty and Valence of early March 2020 who were reassuring and telling us that the vast majority of people wouldn't get ill or be in danger, that masks are pointless and that we should keep up national morale and not be scared?

And this was before any kind of treatment or vaccination.

I'm so fed up with it.

Think we are, or most of us are fed up to the back teeth with it, many of the doom and gloom merchants just don't want to go back to work, or are happy being indoors.
If you are scared STAY INDOORS, ( forever ? ? !) let the rest of the normal population get on with life

 

[DustyBin]

What happened to the Whitty and Valence of early March 2020 who were reassuring and telling us that the vast majority of people wouldn't get ill or be in danger, that masks are pointless and that we should keep up national morale and not be scared?

And this was before any kind of treatment or vaccination.

I'm so fed up with it.

I know, I remember Whitty on TV saying that face coverings WERE NOT recommended for use by the general public. That changed seemingly overnight and whilst of course advice can and should evolve as new evidence emerges, no new evidence has actually emerged to this day, and it certainly hadn’t at the point masks were mandated. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they were introduced based on the recommendations of behavioural phycologists, not epidemiologists. You only need to look at the way people are behaving in regard to Monday to see how effective they’ve been in “increasing the sense of personal threat” (remember the SAGE minutes?) and a large number of people have fallen for it hook, line and sinker. They’re so brainwashed at this point there’s no reasoning with them.

 

[westv]

Its always good to get Chicken Pox as a child, when you get it as an adult, its 'Shingles' and that can be quite nasty (My Dad had it)

It isn't always shingles.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I know, I remember Whitty on TV saying that face coverings WERE NOT recommended for use by the general public. That changed seemingly overnight and whilst of course advice can and should evolve as new evidence emerges, no new evidence has actually emerged to this day, and it certainly hadn’t at the point masks were mandated. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they were introduced based on the recommendations of behavioural phycologists, not epidemiologists.

So, something had to be seen to be done, and getting folk to wear face coverings was something?!

 

[NorthKent1989]

Its always good to get Chicken Pox as a child, when you get it as an adult, its 'Shingles' and that can be quite nasty (My Dad had it)


Think we are, or most of us are fed up to the back teeth with it, many of the doom and gloom merchants just don't want to go back to work, or are happy being indoors.
If you are scared STAY INDOORS, ( forever ? ? !) let the rest of the normal population get on with life

That’s my worry about getting it now, I know I’ll have it at some stage.

And yes I think the majority are completely fed up with the restrictions now, only the media seem to enjoy this, along with the locktavists.

It’s not good for morale, the goal posts keep moving, my place of work has given up on tests months ago and many haven’t gone for their second jab because they were promised normality if they get the jab, but now we can’t go abroad, and we’re heading to a checkpoint society with passports.

 

[Mag_seven]

and many haven’t gone for their second jab because they were promised normality if they get the jab

Yes this is worrying - we were told that vaccines were "the way out of this". Yet despite a significant proportion of the adult population now double jabbed, the media still demands either more restrictions or the continuation (for ever) of existing ones. They are guilty in my view of indirectly undermining the vaccination programme.

 

[DustyBin]

So, something had to be seen to be done, and getting folk to wear face coverings was something?!

Damn autocorrect, thanks!

I actually don’t believe that in this instance it was a case of “something had to be done”. I think it was a very calculated and deliberate move, just not for the reasons we were led to believe.

 

[brad465]

They won’t give up will they? So desperate to keep us under lockdown for a 99% survival rate virus!

COVID-19: UK 'not out of the woods yet' and pandemic 'has got a long way to run', Professor Chris Whitty warns

"I don't think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast," Professor Chris Whitty warns, as he says people should approach the end of most restrictions on Monday with caution.

news.sky.com

Yes most if not all pandemics do not end with the complete disappearance of whatever pathogen was responsible; even the Plague is still in circulation (albeit at a level of only a few hundred cases a year). I've heard that public interest/attitude in a pandemic fading has an influence of when the pandemic disappears, which does seem to be heading that way at the moment.

I never caught Chicken Pox either, even though I went to a chicken pox gathering as a child, not sure if that’s a good thing or something I should worry about not having chicken pox this far into my life

That’s my worry about getting it now, I know I’ll have it at some stage.

And yes I think the majority are completely fed up with the restrictions now, only the media seem to enjoy this, along with the locktavists.

It’s not good for morale, the goal posts keep moving, my place of work has given up on tests months ago and many haven’t gone for their second jab because they were promised normality if they get the jab, but now we can’t go abroad, and we’re heading to a checkpoint society with passports.

I believe there is a chickenpox vaccine if you wanted to get that.

 

[yorksrob]

I've read Whitty's piece, which is less alarmist than the headline would suggest.

 

[102 fan]

They won’t give up will they? So desperate to keep us under lockdown for a 99% survival rate virus!

COVID-19: UK 'not out of the woods yet' and pandemic 'has got a long way to run', Professor Chris Whitty warns

"I don't think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast," Professor Chris Whitty warns, as he says people should approach the end of most restrictions on Monday with caution.

news.sky.com

Another one with the word 'could'. I really think there should be a law banning that word, as well as 'might' and 'possibly' from news reports.

 

[MikeWM]

Damn autocorrect, thanks!

I actually don’t believe that in this instance it was a case of “something had to be done”. I think it was a very calculated and deliberate move, just not for the reasons we were led to believe.

I entirely agree.

- We know the WHO probably changed their advice on masks for political rather than medical reasons.

- It gave people a (false) feeling of having some degree of control over something essentially uncontrollable. Most people welcome that as one thing most people can't cope with is the idea that something bad is happening and they can't do anything about it. (See eg. the laughable advice that used to be issued to the public as to what to do if there was a nuclear war - entirely useless, but it gave people 'something to do' about it).

- It created an obvious and highly visible divide in society. 'Divide and rule' is pretty much the oldest tactic in the book to divert people from directing their frustrations in the direction they ought to go.

Perhaps a more interesting question is why the scientists went along with this blatant political move - and indeed many of them still do. I still think the conduct of the Royal Society, for example, in producing a paper on masks last summer and then totally misrepresenting what it actually said, was utterly appalling.

 

[Bantamzen]

Another one with the word 'could'. I really think there should be a law banning that word, as well as 'might' and 'possibly' from news reports.

Its not such much the words, but the sensationalist manner in which the various media outlets report, i.e. when "could" becomes "likely" & then "will", followed "concerning" through to "terrifying".

Another example from the good old BBC on how to keep spinning the fear. Apparently, under 50s being admitted into hospital are "almost" as likely to suffer with complications as those over 50.

Younger adults admitted to hospital with Covid are almost as likely to suffer from complications as those over 50 years old, a study has found.
Four in 10 of those between 19 and 49 developed problems with their kidneys, lungs or other organs while treated.
The research looked at 73,197 adults of all ages across 302 UK hospitals in the first wave of Covid in 2020.
"The message is that this is not just a disease of the elderly and frail," said Prof Calum Semple, who led the work.
"The data reinforces the fact that Covid is not flu and we are seeing even young adults coming into hospital suffering significant complications, some of which will require furthering monitoring and potentially further treatment in the future."

The study, conducted by researchers at seven UK universities, the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England, looked at the number of "complications" in those needing hospital treatment for Covid-19, defined as an organ-specific medical diagnosis.
Overall, around half of all adult patients suffered a least one complication during their hospital stay. The most common was a kidney injury, followed by lung and heart damage.
The highest rates were in those over 50 years old, with 51% reporting at least one problem. But they were also "very common" in younger age groups. Some 37% of 30 to 39 year olds and 44% of 40 to 49 year olds had at least one complication recorded by nurses and medical students involved in the study.
Doctors are not yet certain how a severe Covid illness can cause organ damage, but it is thought in some cases the body's own immune system can spark an inflammatory response and injure healthy tissue.
Paul Godfrey, from Frinton in Essex, developed Covid in March 2020 after suffering what he thought was a chest infection.
Paul, who was 31 at the time of diagnosis and has the lung condition bronchiectasis, said: "There's no doubt about it - the NHS staff who cared for me saved my life. I would not be here today if it wasn't for them."

However way, way down the article is this caveat:

The research was conducted in the first wave of the pandemic between 17 January and 4 August 2020 - before vaccines were available and new variants of the virus had been detected.
The authors said the data suggested those with more severe Covid symptoms at admission to hospital were more likely to suffer serious health problems, showing the importance of vaccines in reducing the severity of the disease in this latest wave.
The study was only designed to look at short-term complications during a hospital stay but there is evidence some organ damage can persist, becoming a form of what is known as long Covid.
"We do know from other infectious diseases that these sorts of problems with your kidneys or heart can develop into longer-term complications," said Dr Annemarie Docherty, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and a consultant in intensive care medicine.
"I think it's reasonable to expect that this may be the same with Covid-19."

So no different to other diseases then? Yes, any illness can cause complications, sometimes unexcepted ones. The human body and it's immune system are highly complex, and as a result all sorts of things can happen. Honestly, it is starting to feel that as a society we are unlearning thousands of years of science and returning to a time when the gods had to be appeased with fire, drum banging & human sacrifices....

 

[Eyersey468]

My local click bait paper is going one step further and regularly tweeting this

https://twitter.com/examiner/status/1415794365671280643?s=21

As usual trying to keep the fear up.

 

[brad465]

So not only are we seeing the media talk up fear of covid, now the winter vomiting bug is getting involved:

Winter vomiting virus warning for England

Cases of norovirus are going up with a number of outbreaks caused by the vomiting bug in recent weeks, say officials.

www.bbc.co.uk

England is experiencing an unseasonable rise in winter vomiting virus, officials are warning.
Public Health England (PHE) says 154 norovirus outbreaks have been reported in the last five weeks, compared to an average of 53 over the same time period in the previous five years.
Most have been in educational settings, particularly in nurseries.
But cases are returning to pre-pandemic levels across all age groups and settings and people should be on alert.
Symptoms include sudden, projectile vomiting and diarrhoea.
It is very contagious - people sick with it can shed billions of norovirus particles. It only takes a few of these virus particles to infect others.

Anyone would think the apocalypse is upon us with all this wild reporting of diseases. I suspect though WVB is picking up beacuse of lack of exposure in the last winter, similar logic to that we've heard about concerns for flu next winter.

 

[102 fan]

So not only are we seeing the media talk up fear of covid, now the winter vomiting bug is getting involved:

Winter vomiting virus warning for England

Cases of norovirus are going up with a number of outbreaks caused by the vomiting bug in recent weeks, say officials.

www.bbc.co.uk

Anyone would think the apocalypse is upon us with all this wild reporting of diseases. I suspect though WVB is picking up beacuse of lack of exposure in the last winter, similar logic to that we've heard about concerns for flu next winter.

I have lost any respect I had for BBC News. They are acting like a tabloid newspaper, not a supposedly impartial broadcaster.

 

[yorksrob]

Oh dear, not the old norovirus. Having had that once, I'd happily take a vaccine for it !

 

[nlogax]

Oh dear, not the old norovirus. Having had that once, I'd happily take a vaccine for it !

Yeah can also confirm that's really a grim two days no-one wants to experience. Don't need a news story reminding us that it exists though. All general illness stories are quickly becoming an irritating background noise.

 

[westv]

Isn't a big cause of norovirus poor hand hygiene?

 

[island]

Isn't a big cause of norovirus poor hand hygiene?

Yes. And norovirus is not very susceptible to hand sanitizer; good old soap and water knock it off though.

 

[Mag_seven]

So not only are we seeing the media talk up fear of covid, now the winter vomiting bug is getting involved:

Winter vomiting virus warning for England

Cases of norovirus are going up with a number of outbreaks caused by the vomiting bug in recent weeks, say officials.

www.bbc.co.uk

Anyone would think the apocalypse is upon us with all this wild reporting of diseases. I suspect though WVB is picking up beacuse of lack of exposure in the last winter, similar logic to that we've heard about concerns for flu next winter.

I must confess I'm sick of all this.

 

[brad465]

There've been some brilliant comments I think under the above article, such as the top ones here:

 

[yorksrob]

Yeah can also confirm that's really a grim two days no-one wants to experience. Don't need a news story reminding us that it exists though. All general illness stories are quickly becoming an irritating background noise.

Ah well, at least it's nothing new.

To be fair, it might be worth the media mentioning it if it reminds people to wash their hands !

 

[TPO]

Its always good to get Chicken Pox as a child, when you get it as an adult, its 'Shingles' and that can be quite nasty (My Dad had it)

No, not quite.

Chickenpox is the first thing you get- usually as a child. (You can get chickenpox as an adult and if you do it's generally a lot nastier, much better to have it as a child).

When you've had chickenpox, the virus doesn't always clear your system- it hides in the nerves. And there it stays, with the immune system holding it in check. In later life, for reasons not really understood the virus can sometimes break free of the immune system- and that's when you get shingles. The shingles rash is banded because it follows a nerve track. Obviously as shingles is the same virus as chickenpox if you have shingles you can then give chickenpox to someone who hasn't had it. Here's the key paragraph of then relevant online entry, (which can be seen in full here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingles):

"Shingles is due to a reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in a person's body.[1] The disease chickenpox is caused by the initial infection with VZV.[1] Once chickenpox has resolved, the virus may remain inactive in nerve cells.[1] When it reactivates, it travels from the nerve body to the endings in the skin, producing blisters.[7] Risk factors for reactivation include old age, poor immune function, and having had chickenpox before 18 months of age.[1] How the virus remains in the body or subsequently re-activates is not well understood.[1] Exposure to the virus in the blisters can cause chickenpox in someone who has not had it, but will not trigger shingles.[10]"

The herpes viruses do that- which is why we get recurrent cold-sore outbreaks (coldsores also being a type herpes virus). That's also caused by a herpes virus which mostly is controlled by the immune system but occasionally breaks out- if you're stresses, fatigued, maybe been in a lot of sun and damaged the skin that way.

Just as well the COVID case diagnostic rules are not being used for chickenpox as a whole bunch of people would never be allowed out again!!!

TPO

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Oh dear, not the old norovirus. Having had that once, I'd happily take a vaccine for it !

Given that there's about 20 different noroviruses, wouldn't any such vaccine be like the flu vaccine - strain specific, making it overall less effective?