Coronavirus

[astfgyl]

Don't have time to look through all that stuff, but will read through that Nature article. The state of intellectual property as it relates to fundamental research is an absolute mess. It's one of the most flagrant manifestations of all that is rotten about the structure of the capitalism we have.

Just noticed that cases in the Netherlands have jumped 500% since they scrapped all restrictions a couple of weeks ago, with daily case rate almost at the same level as mid-winter past. So far, only a small related increase in hospitalizations, and no noticeable increase in mortality, although both of those things drag by up to 4 weeks behind case increases, so we'll see. They've already rolled back on a lot of the restrictions they dropped though, based on the increase in cases. If those cases don't translate to significant hospitalizations and mortality, it may be what the UK need in order to say, "We were wrong first time, but maybe now that the vulnerable are vaccinated, we can let the cases rip and go for herd immunity." The counter-argument, which I've heard a few times, is this "long-COVID" thing. Sure, we'll see. Either way, this spike in cases is fairly impressive:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/netherlands/

The Netherlands is interesting in that it does exactly what I expected and the testing has ramped up at a similar scale to the cases. The positivity rate has also risen though and the majority of cases are claimed as Alpha variant. It's interesting, must keep an eye on it. https://coronadashboard.government.nl/landelijk/positief-geteste-mensen. What are the bets this sudden rise leads to some sort of vaccination passport?

Anyway that patent thing in nature seems to be somewhat related to what the chap in the video is saying, so it's also interesting timing but coincidental for now.

Far as I know he was most heavily involved in the bank, having worked for them. I suppose it would have to be news reports from the time, but I'd be surprised if any reports went into any detail of the actual trial lawyers involved, although as I said nobody has refuted his claims and it seems to be accepted as fact.

I think we can do better than that.

I think we need to be more critical of these stories before spreading them. It all seems to originate from his own content and random Facebook posts.

I'm filing it with the Simon Harris video for now!

In what way are you filing it with the Simon Harris video? Are you saying Harris didn't use the WEF slogan? He did. So did Leo Varadkar, Paschal Donohue, Stephen Donnelly and Micheal Martin. I don't know what that gets filed with but it certainly happened.

Had to struggle to find Fuellmich but I got there in the end. Found this site from Goldman Morganstern and Partners which has several mentions of him working on the Deutsche Bank case. Here's the link to what I found https://www.gomopa.net/Finanzforum/index.php?form=Search&searchID=3804568&highlight=fuellmich and I used google to translate what pieces I could see without registering (it appears I have to be connected to a law firm to register, but there's enough mention there. Also note the dates on the site. All from years ago so nothing recent or covid related) and he indeed checks out as the lawyer. Indeed it isn't surprising he isn't all over the internet really as he'd have been of little interest to anyone outside of legal circles.

Hope that confirms it for you. You can use the translate yourself. Actually not to be a cunt about it, here's one example from 18.9.2012:

injured parties report that Deutsche Bank would not have been willing to negotiate or settle, but insisted on the unrestricted fulfillment of its credit claims. An experience that the Göttingen lawyer Reiner Fuellmich confirms. In the film, he describes his almost twenty years of observations in hundreds of processes involving junk real estate with Deutsche Bank: "The only bank that has so far been completely ruthless, both in terms of sales and ...

Lads, quick question. Has anyone travelled to the UK from Ireland in the last few months? Any restrictions on entry?

I know a fella who has been heading to Belfast and from there to London many times over the last year and he says there's not a question asked on the way between here and Belfast or Belfast and London.

[pete]

Had to struggle to find Fuellmich but I got there in the end. Found this site from Goldman Morganstern and Partners which has several mentions of him working on the Deutsche Bank case. Here's the link to what I found https://www.gomopa.net/Finanzforum/index.php?form=Search&searchID=3804568&highlight=fuellmich and I used google to translate what pieces I could see without registering (it appears I have to be connected to a law firm to register, but there's enough mention there. Also note the dates on the site. All from years ago so nothing recent or covid related) and he indeed checks out as the lawyer. Indeed it isn't surprising he isn't all over the internet really as he'd have been of little interest to anyone outside of legal circles.

Excellent, I will take a look. Thanks.

[Kurt Cocaine]

Shove your confinement fines. Bravo la constitución..

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0714/1234960-global-covid-1407/

[astfgyl]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/13/vaccine-passport-firm-says-system-could-redeployed-national/

Imagine that! A real turn up for the books. God, Imagine if every other country in Europe started to get the same idea at once... we'd be... oh... wait a sec...

Seriously now, I have a question for everyone.

Does anybody here think this is all still above board, and if so, where did you get the lobotomy and do you reckon the severing of the connections to your prefrontal cortex will help you to ignore how ridiculously totalitarian and absolutely fucking stupid the world has all gone at once? Asking because if it's cheap and effective enough I might get the lobotomy as well.

Here fuck it, while I'm at it.. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/sydney-s-lockdown-extended-as-delta-variant-takes-hold-1.4620261

Can anybody tell me why, in spite of how absolutely fantastic and world leading that Australia has been from day one, closing points of entry, locking down at the drop of a hat etc are they now in the same stupid Delta bullshit as the rest of the world? With all of their strict controls..?

Can the same person who explains that one then tell me why we are hearing nothing of the current apocalypse happening in Florida, Texas, Missouri, Sweden and fuck knows where else in the world? There are places open and everything is as normal. Lots of places, in lots of different climates and with lots of different stupid rules and none of it makes a blind bit of difference. Cases cases cases, test test test.

someone here other than me has to be following the science surely

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

For the moment, that's the firm who makes it saying that. Guinness used to advertise itself as being "good for you" (and maybe it is!), and so did tobacco companies (less likely!). For the moment...for the moment, this is just a firm doing what firms do.

Kind of unrelated, and apologies if you've already said something on it that I didn't see, but do you personally think there is a link between the vaccination program and the fact that this new "wave" doesn't seem to be leading to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths?

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Edit: double post

[astfgyl]

For the moment, that's the firm who makes it saying that. Guinness used to advertise itself as being "good for you" (and maybe it is!), and so did tobacco companies (less likely!). For the moment...for the moment, this is just a firm doing what firms do.

Kind of unrelated, and apologies if you've already said something on it that I didn't see, but do you personally think there is a link between the vaccination program and the fact that this new "wave" doesn't seem to be leading to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths?

Yes, I think there is a definite link between the two.

Correlation always equals causation, doesn't it?

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Ha, aye. Sure, it could be some think that hospitals are admitting less people to make the vaccination program look good, or attributing less deaths to COVID than before for the same reason, and so on. I was asking if you think there is a genuine causal medical link between the vaccination program and the relative lack of increase in hospitalizations and mortality compared to rise in cases, in say the UK or the Netherlands.

[Nazgûl]

Can anybody tell me why, in spite of how absolutely fantastic and world leading that Australia has been from day one, closing points of entry, locking down at the drop of a hat etc are they now in the same stupid Delta bullshit as the rest of the world? With all of their strict controls..?

Would it be possibly due to the Delta variant being what epidemiologists say it is (i.e. being far more transmissible), coupled with the fact that only 10% of Australia's population are vaccinated? Maybe, just maybe.

[astfgyl]

Ha, aye. Sure, it could be some think that hospitals are admitting less people to make the vaccination program look good, or attributing less deaths to COVID than before for the same reason, and so on. I was asking if you think there is a genuine causal medical link between the vaccination program and the relative lack of increase in hospitalizations and mortality compared to rise in cases, in say the UK or the Netherlands.

I'd like to think that there is a definite link between vaccination of the vulnerable and the lack of deaths, and so far it seems so. I'm sort of reserving judgement until another winter passes but I  genuinely do hope the vaccines do the trick. My suspicion is that it will be like the flu shot, and work better some years than others but due to the new mRNA technology, I might be way off with that. This is also why I think this is not above board because if the vulnerable are not dying or turning up in ICU, then why compel everyone to take something. We are in common cold territory with the Delta version.

Can anybody tell me why, in spite of how absolutely fantastic and world leading that Australia has been from day one, closing points of entry, locking down at the drop of a hat etc are they now in the same stupid Delta bullshit as the rest of the world? With all of their strict controls..?

Would it be possibly due to the Delta variant being what epidemiologists say it is (i.e. being far more transmissible), coupled with the fact that only 10% of Australia's population are vaccinated? Maybe, just maybe.

How did India get over the Delta? I'd be in more of a mind that the NPIs do fuck all and are a pure shot in the dark. Even epidemiologists don't know anything about the efficacy of lockdowns, because they have simply never been tried before. Also the method of transmission is still being debated in scientific circles and is so far unknown.

It's also worth reading up on the crew who caught covid in Antarctica and the ones who tested positive after weeks at sea. I feel like the answer to the Australia question might be  found somewhere like that. Oh and Australia also run their test at such a high ct value that most of the positive results could be dismissed as noise.

And I  also have to remind you that vaccinations have no bearing on case counts, so it isn't that.

Edit: Look! See! https://twitter.com/MrMBrown/status/1415280353615429640 It isn't really the twitter comment, the source is there. But just look at the quote. This was predictable. No one escapes the takeover.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Australia also run their test at such a high ct value that most of the positive results could be dismissed as noise.

https://covidlive.com.au/report/positive-test-rate

That's not a lot of noise. If my aim was to produce noise, I'd want a helluva lot more of it than 0.14%. Like Victoria are doing okay at 0.27% noise they can pass off as positive cases, but NSW, geez, they really need to up their game at only 0.09%!

You really need to drop the ct value argument. Neither you, nor I, nor most certainly the people who have sold you on the idea, know enough of what they're talking about to be reliable sources.

[astfgyl]

Australia also run their test at such a high ct value that most of the positive results could be dismissed as noise.

https://covidlive.com.au/report/positive-test-rate

That's not a lot of noise. If my aim was to produce noise, I'd want a helluva lot more of it than 0.14%. Like Victoria are doing okay at 0.27% noise they can pass off as positive cases, but NSW, geez, they really need to up their game at only 0.09%!

You really need to drop the ct value argument. Neither you, nor I, nor most certainly the people who have sold you on the idea, know enough of what they're talking about to be reliable sources.

I've been following Kevin McKernan https://www.medicinalgenomics.com/team/kevin-mckernan/ of the Cannabis Genome Project for the layman's take, along with Professor Stephen Bustin https://aru.ac.uk/people/stephen-bustin for the slightly more adventurous stuff. Do you reckon either of these lads might have a clue what they are talking about, or are we playing top trumps? You hardly think I'm getting this shit from Gemma O'Doherty do you?

I'm not handicapped.

Edit: Have you somehow misunderstood what I meant by noise? If I amplify something a few Trillion (Yes, TRILLION) times, it might become difficult to differentiate between the signal and the noise don't you think?

Here: "Generally, when a Ct value is obtained, the specimen tested is deemed to be positive. Recently, however, there is an increasing tendency among laboratory operators to consider as negative (i.e., false-positive) any Ct values above an arbitrary cutoff value. It is assumed that the high Ct value is generated by degradation of the probe-based fluorophore by cross contamination or by nonspecific amplification of background nucleic acids."

Source (from 2011): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/104063871102300102

I thought we were following the science around here.....

Do you get what I mean by noise now, or do I have it wrong? Do you still think we should drop the ct value argument? What have you got there to explain it to me better? Seriously do you not see it yet?

[astfgyl]

Here be the depths to which we have descended.... https://twitter.com/FergalBowers/status/1415638860726509572

I don't give a fuck how much anyone does or doesn't buy into the modern era, but does nobody see anything wrong with this tweet, from the health correspondent of our national broadcaster, our Beloved Leader RTE?

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar tells the Dail that the pandemic is far from over, and advised unvaccinated people they are very high risk, at greater risk than ever before, and should treat the current situation as seriously as they ever did.

YES THIS IS FINE.

[Snare]

Interesting Lancet report out re impact on younger people up to 39 with no previous underlying issues, despite it being a cold apparently
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0716/1235436-covid-complications-study/
My brother in law's heart is messed up since contacting covid through work at the start of the year as one chamber is working at a different rate for some reason. Life long meds are what the doc is suggesting to regularise things. He's in late 40's though so not really relevant to the study above.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Australia also run their test at such a high ct value that most of the positive results could be dismissed as noise.

This is the claim you made. So sure, the chance of noise increases with the sensitivity of the test and the sensitivity increases with the number of cycles. BUT, nothing about those facts allows you per se to say that "most of the positive results could be dismissed as noise." Scientifically speaking, that claim is HUGE, and I'm not seeing the science to back it up. I'm seeing a lot of general claims about the biomechanics of PCR tests, but I'm not seeing anything that actually studies the positive results and concludes, based on analysis of these positive samples, that significantly more than 50% (i.e. "most) can be dismissed as noise.

Here's a satirically head-lined article high-lighting how noise amplification is something that exists everywhere...including in inter-human communication:
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking/covid-19-pcr-test-reliable-despite-commotion-about-ct-values

Should cycle thresholds be set lower? Sure, maybe, I dunno, in any case I'm not an expert. But can most positive cases be dismissed as noise? That specific claim requires targeted scientific backing I haven't yet seen anywhere.