COVID-19 News

[Randall]

I think it's one thing to abide by the laws, take precautions, and still do research and ask questions.

Yup.

I think it's entirely another to call Covid pseudoscience as more than 2M are dead worldwide, call for superspreader events like concerts, while having money be your motivation.

I think that really needs clarification. There is definitely pseudoscience going on, but what exactly they are referring to needs to be identified before it can be validated.

Making an income is good. Making an income that causes others to be killed needlessly isn't so good.

One study found that the number of hospitalizations was about the same as you'd find at a typical NFL game. And then we need to remember the demographics. How many 80+ year olds are going to be attending a live concert? And even if they do go to one, then they know the risk, and taking that risk should be their choice, not the government's ( IMO ).

I think we would at least agree that his messaging is problematic at best, dangerous at worst. And certainly tone-deaf in the media.

There's quite a few hits when you search it out, but I'm not sure about the depth of content. I'll have a closer look. But in all honesty, I suspect that you and I are probably already more well informed than either of them. I continue to do my part, mainly because I'm in a position where doing so is of very little consequence for me compared to the risks, which in my case are more from enforcement than the virus, that is unless ...

Something that's been of growing concern lately is this issue of the long-haulers. I'd probably survive the virus itself, but the after-effects are actually more worrisome, especially if they are the result of what I suspect they are. At one point I was ready to go and lick somebody's face just to get it over and done with. Now I'm much more reserved and don't want it anywhere near me. Got enough health problems already.

 

[Randall]

January 20, 2021

Washington accused of inflating coronavirus deaths after counting woman who died of fall ... 13% of COVID-19-listed fatalities made no mention of the virus.​

"Sertz died June 4 after a fall at her home in Federal Way, Washington, yet the state Department of Health listed her as a COVID-19 fatality, even though her death certificate made no mention of the virus.​

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'My mother is listed as a COVID-19 victim. She did not die of COVID-19. She died from a fall.' Christine Frye said in a Jan. 11 video for the Freedom Foundation ... 13% of COVID-19-listed fatalities made no mention of the virus.​

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Op-Ed: China’s Xi Jinping seeks advantage over Biden with ground-breaking EU investment deal

It's clear that President Xi regards 2021, the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party, as perhaps the most important year since he came to power in 2013.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Randall]

Inside the Lab That Invented the COVID-19 Vaccine​

mRNA Vaccines Hijack Your Cells​

So how do we know that the spike protein being attacked isn't the same shape as those on other proteins that use the same receptors as the virus, such as Neuropilin-1, which is responsible for the development of nerves and blood vessels? Because if they're the same ( and logically because they use the same cell receptors why wouldn't they be at least close, if not identical ) we might find our immune system attacking more than just the virus. However symptoms wouldn't show-up immediately in healthy people. It would take more time than we've had to do the studies. Logically, we cannot be entirely certain that this vaccine is really as safe as they say it is until this question is answered.

I certainly don't know the answer. Maybe someone who actually works on these projects can? In the meantime I wouldn't want to take the chance with this vaccine on young people who are still maturing, or pregnant women, and interestingly, both of those groups are currently excluded from these vaccinations.

But besides that, I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with a vaccine that hijacks my cells. The traditional method of injecting nonviable virus samples that my immune system can learn from doesn't do this. Maybe as in MAYBE it's all perfectly safe, but this is all relatively new, and requires that we either have blind faith in the science, or that science explains these questions to us in a way that we can understand. That's why I like videos like this. But I think that perhaps they need to do more than take for granted how wonderful it all is, and use some critical thinking to ask about the potential downsides and explain why they aren't a cause for worry.

 

[Squirrel]

Rather than feeding any particular conspiracy or fringe theory, this thread is for news articles and videos that appear to be more objective and informative or entertaining, but not necessarily mainstream. To that end, I'm sifting through articles and will provide links here on a daily basis. Feel free to add your own.

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Here are some CDC numbers which are food for thought - showing total U.S. deaths for 2020 did not spike up - see below, file name cdc-deaths-2020.jpg.



Here just below are some similar numbers, expressed as total deaths per 1,000 people (instead of total per 100,000,) for Canada from a private information services contractor. I haven't yet found StatsCan's numbers for 2020:

"In 2020, death rate for Canada was 7.8 per 1,000 people. Death rate of Canada increased from 7.3 per 1,000 people in 1971 to 7.8 per 1,000 people in 2020 growing at an average annual rate of 0.15%."

That source page is at:

Canada Death rate, 1950-2020 - knoema.com

In 2020, death rate for Canada was 7.8 per 1,000 people. Death rate of Canada increased from 7.3 per 1,000 people in 1971 to 7.8 per 1,000 people in 2020 growing at an average annual rate of 0.15%. Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population...

knoema.com

What the Canadian stats show is that like the U.S., there was no big jump in total deaths for 2020.

Now why, then, are politicians and certain high-level medical executives shouting about all the deaths, when the numbers don't back them up?

A number of commentators have reported piecemeal testimonials from medical whistleblowers which say large numbers of death certificates have been effectively falsified, two causes being mentioned:

1. The PCR test is said to be way too sensitive (and it's inventor, Kary Mullis asserted that too,) and it picks up tiny scraps of coronavirus far below the level which causes actual infection and makes it appear the patient has (or had) an infection, FALSELY.

Examples given, some witnessed by family, have been like a motorcycle accident death is tested using the PCR test and turns out to be "positive." Some cases like that have been listed as COVID on the death certificate.

2. Hospitals are reported to be receiving huge payments for declaring a patient to be infected with COVID, as in multiple thousands of dollars a pop. And the amount goes up substantially if the patient can be put on a ventilator. Hence, reports say hospitals are demanding doctors falsify death certificates to take advantage of the payments. Not solidly proven, but widely heard on independent broadcasts.

Notice too that the CDC acknowledges only 6 percent of cases, as of October 2020, were clear-cut COVID cases, the rest having an average of 2.6 other illnesses going on. That also points to a high probability of falsified numbers. See the image below:



Bottom line, I've seen and heard enough to make me think the truth about COVID is rather different than what the politicians are using to lock us down.

- Squirrel

 

[Randall]

Bottom line, I've seen and heard enough to make me think the truth about COVID is rather different than what the politicians are using to lock us down - Squirrel

I'm totally with you on that. I don't mean to sound conspiratorial, but it's as if there's something else that is also driving the agenda behind the scenes. The most reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that has to do with the fact that China deliberately sent the virus to the West, and they've been trying to determine if there is more to it than just a few passengers on airplanes. If they suspected it was a prelude to open warfare instead of the cold war we're now in with them, it would explain a lot of the over-the-top lockdown measures.

 

[marduk]

I'm totally with you on that. I don't mean to sound conspiratorial, but it's as if there's something else that is also driving the agenda behind the scenes. The most reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that has to do with the fact that China deliberately sent the virus to the West, and they've been trying to determine if there is more to it than just a few passengers on airplanes. If they suspected it was a prelude to open warfare instead of the cold war we're now in with them, it would explain a lot of the over-the-top lockdown measures.

I disagree. Not just because of confirmation bias and a direct lack of linkage to what healthcare systems can do before they're overwhelmed vs after they are are - but because there literally is no one driving the agenda.

If Trump taught us anything, it's that conspiracies are mostly stupid, and progressively get more stupid the bigger they are. Conspiring to assassinate someone with a conspiracy of a handful of people is one thing, but thinking that most medical authorities in the world have a cabal just to get you to stay home for random reasons makes little logical sense, and is far too easy to peer into with social media and other means.

This kind of thinking is exactly what led to Q and Trump folks killing people for reasons that are irrational. And I suggest we treat any speculations in this regard in a similar vein.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

I think the efforts to find alternatives to explain the deaths of nearly 430,000 people in the U.S., attributed to COVID-19, may be going overboard. This represents in large part an increase in total deaths in this country. The methodology appears to be little different from the rest of the industrialized world. While you can certainly find other conditions in the people whose deaths were blamed on the virus, it is assumed all or most would be alive but for that "X" factor.

It doesn't represent some deep dark scheme to force people to enrich drug companies by being vaccinated here because the vaccines are free of charge.

I agree that a lot more research has to be done, but scientists are working hard just to keep up with the virus, its variants, and treating people when they're sick and preventing them from being sick.

On the long term, we'll hopefully know more about its origins, and whether the conspiracy theories about deliberate or accidental release in a lab in China are accurate. I do understand why there are suspicions. But for now, I just want my life to get back to its former semi-normal state.

 

[Randall]

I disagree.

That's perfectly fine. I'm just not sure what you disagree with? That China knowingly let infected passengers on flights to the west? That the US is basically in a cold-war with China? That agencies have taken actions to protect the population from another incident, e.g. closing down air travel, restricting other travel, heightening security in general, getting the population to prepare? None of this is hypothetical. So are you saying that you think any connection of the dots is unwarranted?

 

[Randall]

I think the efforts to find alternatives to explain the deaths of nearly 430,000 people in the U.S., attributed to COVID-19, may be going overboard.

You're glossing over all the points made prior to this as if they don't exist.

This represents in large part an increase in total deaths in this country. The methodology appears to be little different from the rest of the industrialized world. While you can certainly find other conditions in the people whose deaths were blamed on the virus, it is assumed all or most would be alive but for that "X" factor.

And again, you're glossing over all the points made prior to this as if they don't exist.

It doesn't represent some deep dark scheme to force people to enrich drug companies by being vaccinated here because the vaccines are free of charge.

That's a separate issue. You can look at the evidence where China was already positioned to patent and produce their own vaccinations and medicines when the pandemic hit. You can also look at the fact that if there's billions to be made, there's going to be some shady dealings someplace, and there are a few here in Canada who would say that right now we're getting short-shipped on vaccines for political reasons.

Let's face it, even if all the vaccinations weren't part of the "plandemic", that doesn't mean companies aren't exploiting the situation for profit.

I agree that a lot more research has to be done, but scientists are working hard just to keep up with the virus, its variants, and treating people when they're sick and preventing them from being sick.

That's the baseline where I think most of us would agree. Then there are the scientists who were working on exactly this virus in the Whan lab that everyone thinks are figments of people's conspiracy theories. They're not.

On the long term, we'll hopefully know more about its origins, and whether the conspiracy theories about deliberate or accidental release in a lab in China are accurate. I do understand why there are suspicions. But for now, I just want my life to get back to its former semi-normal state.

I can't blame you for that. In the meantime, if you and @marduk really think that nobody behind the scenes somewhere doesn't also connect the dots and is in a position to look into it, you would be naïve. I've posted interviews with people like Robert S. Spalding III, a retired United States Air Force brigadier general who currently serves as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. His work focuses on U.S.–China relations, economic and national security, and the Asia-Pacific military balance.

Just because you guys don't take him seriously, or exiled Chinese billionaire businessman Guo Wengui, or the Autralian journalists on 60 Minutes, who make it clear that China deliberately let infected passengers on planes out of China, or pay attrention to what China's doing in the South China Sea, etc, ect, etc, doesn't mean other people don't.

China - CCP Cold War Posturing & Intrigue

China warship refloated, pulled off disputed shoal - SFGate I'm guessing as soon as monsoon season is over the chinese and americans...whoops I meant phillipines...will be back at it. this scenario had been in the cards for years with the national interests of about 9 countries involved between...

www.theparacast.com

To see all this and NOT connect the dots, especially if you are in a national security position, would be totally irresponsible. I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that there are classified military briefings that deal with all these issues and how the the nation should both prepare and respond.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Few would argue that the Chinese government isn't very nice, and that they concealed details of the seriousness of the virus when it was first discovered or released. But there are lots of conspiracy theories that may be true or partly true.

My insurance covers COVID-19 related illnesses and treatment without charge. Same for Barbara. As I said, vaccinations are free. I therefore would not be enriching anyone if we contracted the condition.

 

[Randall]

Few would argue that the Chinese government isn't very nice, and that they concealed details of the seriousness of the virus when it was first discovered or released. But there are lots of conspiracy theories that may be true or partly true.

My insurance covers COVID-19 related illnesses and treatment without charge. Same for Barbara. As I said, vaccinations are free. I therefore would not be enriching anyone if we contracted the condition.

That doesn't mean nobody is paying for them along the line someplace. You have to know that. Right? And if that happens to be the government, then it fits the picture even better. I don't know when people are going to finally wake-up to this, but we've been hit with bio-warfare directed by the CCP, and both governments are doing all they can to play it as a natural event. The destabilization aids in the disinformation because it has so many people focused on getting their own little lives back that they don't care how it happened.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Ask the exhausted health care workers if they are being paid more to do all that extra work. They are mostly on salary.

 

[Squirrel]

I'm totally with you on that. I don't mean to sound conspiratorial, but it's as if there's something else that is also driving the agenda behind the scenes. The most reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that has to do with the fact that China deliberately sent the virus to the West, and they've been trying to determine if there is more to it than just a few passengers on airplanes. If they suspected it was a prelude to open warfare instead of the cold war we're now in with them, it would explain a lot of the over-the-top lockdown measures.

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I do a lot of listening to independent journalists, being an octogenarian.

I've heard numerous commentators reporting that the COVID virus started out at Fort Detrick, migrated to UNC Chapel Hill, and was forced by collective scientist concern to be transferred to Wuhan, China. Dr. Fauci was mentioned as one of the participants in arranging this.

Other reports say there were some sort of international military "games" or exercises at Wuhan, shortly before it spread, and it was these participants who were most likely the carriers of the virus when they returned home.

I haven't attempted to research this to prove all that, but as someone who listens to the independent reporters day and night, I can say that it seems to be an often-repeated possibility worth considering.

I've always been very uncomfortable, as a result, labelling COVID as having originating in China.

- Squirrel

 

[Randall]

Ask the exhausted health care workers if they are being paid more to do all that extra work. They are mostly on salary.

The healthcare system was already stressed and in need of monetary support and workers, but the governments, particularly the Conservatives, or in your case the Republicans, have been bent on putting in place ( or keeping in place ) a private healthcare system. Here in Alberta they constantly nag on about "protecting the healthcare system" when that system is supposed to be protecting us.

They have an agenda to kill 11,000 heathcare jobs. Whatever else you say about China, they were able to build a hospital dedicated to pandemic victims with isolated rooms within TWO WEEKS. Over a year later, here they're still telling us we don't have the capacity to handle another "spike" in cases. By now we could have had 6 new hospitals and employed thousands of people in the process, and been NO WORSE OFF economically.

But NO, the CONSERVATIVES don't want that. People might be tempted to say"Well China can do that because they're an authoritarian regime". But right now we're under Alberta Emergency Measures which means they can do the same thing if they wanted to. Apart from the forced harvesting of my internal organs, we're under lockdowns more severe than those even in China.

'Scuse the yelling. It's just for emphasis.

 

[Randall]

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I do a lot of listening to independent journalists, being an octogenarian.

I've heard numerous commentators reporting that the COVID virus started out at Fort Detrick, migrated to UNC Chapel Hill, and was forced by collective scientist concern to be transferred to Wuhan, China. Dr. Fauci was mentioned as one of the participants in arranging this.

Other reports say there were some sort of international military "games" or exercises at Wuhan, shortly before it spread, and it was these participants who were most likely the carriers of the virus when they returned home.

I haven't attempted to research this to prove all that, but as someone who listens to the independent reporters day and night, I can say that it seems to be an often-repeated possibility worth considering.

I've always been very uncomfortable, as a result, labelling COVID as having originating in China.

- Squirrel

Go back and check out this story by the Epoch Times: Origin Of COVID-19

 

[Gene Steinberg]

The Trump administration was pushing for herd immunity or just letting the states figure it out. They bought one third of the vaccines they needed before buying another 200 million doses. The Biden administration is buying 200 million more, meaning 300 million Americans can receive the two-dose regimen.

But Trump's Operation Warp Speed people merely ordered the vaccines. They had no real plan to distribute it or manage the complicated logistics of managing 50 separate states with 50 separate governing bodies to administer the shots.

Lockdowns here are mostly hit or miss now. It's mostly volunteer in terms of the strength to deal with masks and social distancing.

Listen, I live in a country where the majority of one political party believes that the loser in the election for President really won it but was cheated by unproven and generally totally false conspiracies. It is a strange place made stranger. We have legislators who enter the U.S. Congress facilities with guns.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Epoch Times is a far-right publication with a religious right and anti-Chinese bias. They are pro MAGA — pro Trump — and published his fake news rants without fact-checking.

I would therefore have suspicion about the accuracy of their reporting, although they aren't as bad as some of these reactionary news services.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

You see, Epoch Times is owned by a Chinese dissident, and was originally meant strictly as a site for critical coverage of Communist China before gravitating to general extreme right-wing fakery.

I give them a credibility rating of zero:

Lengthy video makes false claims about 2020 election

A 93-minute video circulating online employs false claims and flawed logic to suggest that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, and that an election technology firm and China were...

apnews.com

 

[Randall]

Epoch Times is a far-right publication with a religious right and anti-Chinese bias. They are pro MAGA — pro Trump — and published his fake news rants without fact-checking. I would therefore have suspicion about the accuracy of their reporting, although they aren't as bad as some of these reactionary news services.

That doesn't mean they're wrong about everything, and if they supported Trump on China, then it's the one thing Trump was right about. I haven't been able to find any fake news in the investigative piece I linked to. I checked the sources and they are real. I cross referenced the information from the sources and it stood-up. However it is still being trashed as "fake news" That is not the case. However there are plenty of CCP damage control agents in the media around the world that try to discredit it.

On other issues I'll have to take a closer look. However it's false logic to claim that because some news providers are against a particular political system, and sometimes get some of the facts wrong, that they are wrong all the time, or that their political position is in some way outrageous. The fact is that the Epoch Times is blatantly anti-CCP, and personally, I don't have a problem with that.

If someone likes the CCP then IMO they're the one with the problem. As for their actual position on Trump and his platform(s), I'd have to sift-out how much of that is CCP damage control and how much of it is real. In the meantime, the story on the origins of COVID-19 is something that shouldn't be dismissed just because of these other issues. But I will look into them closer over the next few days, and thanks for bringing it to my attention. I don't want to be blinded to stuff they're doing that isn't cool, just because I think other stuff they're doing is okay.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Much of the "straight news" posted or run on Fox News is pretty accurate, but what it does to advance its agenda is enough to spoil the good stuff.