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COVID cases up by more than 30% in Britain last week

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A link that proves my point the WHO was wrong in March 2020 is evidence that the WHO was wrong in March 2020.

Your argument is based on the information being available before 2020, failing to produce that reference just means the WHO (and the CDC, and every other recognized authority) was doing the correct thing and following the available evidence. Again, without a time machine that is still the correct course of action.

The excuse that they didn't have evidence so therefore they weren't wrong is unscientific--no medical professional would make such argument, and actually, none is.

So you argument is that they should act against the evidence they had and instead use evidence they did not had? that is deeply illogical and completely your own idea, nobody supports that flawed conclusion.

What will you do with the study?

Accept that the WHO was wrong at ignoring available evidence, but you have produced no such thing, just repeatedly provided evidence completely in concordance with the recommendations of the WHO, CDC, etc. that masks should be prioritized for hospitals.

That's like saying aspirin only works for a patient when given by a doctor.

No, that is like saying that aspirin could only be recommended for things other than pain AFTER evidence for those other uses was published in scientific journals.

Thankfully, for several countries such as Japan, they listened to the medical experts and ignored the WHO's mistaken advice. 

Anybody can do anything, many countries also did completely wrong things (like use ivermectin against covid), that does absolutely nothing against the argument that a scientific authority, like the WHO can only recommends things supported by evidence.

The evidence until 2020 was that masks were useful when dealing with symptomatic patients, specially in hospitals.

Nobody can recommend the contrary as you pretend they should have done, that is contrary to the responsibilities of a scientific authority.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Except the global agency the WHO advised against masks at the start of the Covid crisis, despite scientific studies, both epidemiological and experimental that clearly indicated they were useful. I would rely on the experts instead of the agencies.

Sorry but a link to March 2020 means the evidence for the efficacy of mask by asymptomatic people in the general population was not yet produced. Expecting the WHO (or any other scientific and medical authority) to have access to a time machine so they can recommend things based on scientific data from the future is not rational.

Can you provide a primary source of scientific data before 2020 that proved masks were useful when used by asymptomatic people not dealing with symptomatic patients? because if don't you are not proving the WHO was wrong, you are just proving they did not have a time machine.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The number of new coronavirus cases across Britain has surged by more than 30% in the last week, new data showed Friday, with cases largely driven by the super infectious Omicron variants.

Not surprising, as people are coming in close contact with others. The best way to stop the transmission of Covid is obviously isolation, as the experts advise.

What evidence? scientific studies both epidemiological and experimental clearly indicate they are very useful, specially when other measures are also used.

Except the global agency the WHO advised against masks at the start of the Covid crisis, despite scientific studies, both epidemiological and experimental that clearly indicated they were useful. I would rely on the experts instead of the agencies.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/30/world/coronavirus-who-masks-recommendation-trnd/index.html

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

First, let's remember that the traditional seasonal flu causes thousands of easily preventable deaths both directly (people who died because they caught a disease that regular hand sanitation and a simple cloth mask vastly reduces the spread of) and indirectly (flu season is to healthcare what Christmas is to retail in Europe and North America, a time when resources are stretched to the point where the quality of service drops significantly) every year.

Now, even if Covid19 were to become 'merely the flu' (it hasn't yet, though it has been trending in that direction, and any variant could reverse that trend abruptly) the problem is that it ISN'T the flu, but a seperate infectious disease with a different cycle of flareups.

To use retail as an analogy, imagine if this year Black Friday were to occur at the same time as Boxing Day. Now imagine trying to get some customer service, except in this case, if you don't get it in time its not a bargain price you're going to miss out on, it's medical care before your health deteriorates to the point where you need even more medical care and often face a worse outcome anyway.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How old is that photo? Those people are all wearing coats and it has been baking in the UK for weeks. Is that a Christmas decoration above the street?

The UK is now treating Covid like flu and getting on with life. Masks are now a rarity for anyone under 60.

Covid stats will shoot up as it is festival season on the back of the Jubilee. It is spreading rapidly through schools too. A fast spread, not slowed by general restrictions, may be safer for all, as it passes faster.

Long Covid is much less of a problem with Omicron variants and there are multiple treatments available for the unlucky few.

We would be back to normal but for Brexit damaging the economy, creating shortages of labour and goods, hampering travel and international postal services and reducing the value of sterling.

I'm sure Japan will reach this point too after three or four years of gradually subsiding concern.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Never wore mask outside in 2 years and in last 6 months in Europe neither I won't risk my health in +40C in Japan as many others do while no one is around them. This is why so many heatstrokes lately including poor children whose parents put mask on as little as 2 yo. Good luck to them.

I put mask inside due to respect and not to bring bad image to gaijins. Outside even Governance advice not to wear.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Dr Jonathan Van-Tam, a former deputy chief medical officer for the UK, told the BBC that COVID-19 is now **“much, much, much closer to seasonal flu” than when it first emerged.**

more than 3 million people in the UK had COVID-19 last week, although there has not been an equivalent spike in hospitalizations. The number of COVID-19 deaths also fell slightly in the last week.

Summary: it's just the flu now. Lots of people catching it, but hospitalizations not increasing and deaths are even decreasing. So let's deal with it like the flu - put our efforts into an annual shot and developing effective therapeutics like Tamiflu has been for the flu.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Yes wearing a mask is not too onerous, but all the evidence by now would seem to indicate that they dont really work.

What evidence? scientific studies both epidemiological and experimental clearly indicate they are very useful, specially when other measures are also used.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

BigYen

Yes wearing a mask is not too onerous, but all the evidence by now would seem to indicate that they dont really work. Like so many of the other measures we implemented over the last 2 years and more.

If we dont question the ongoing restrictions they will never go away.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Had Covid in Japan and it’s (for me)absolutely no problem.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Another fact of life to deal with, its time to adapt and move on.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

obviously with lower hospitalisations and serious illness the current variants are no more news worthy than a cold!

The lower risk from covid is a situation that we have reached thanks to paying proper attention and taking care of measures to limit it, and even so it is still much more risky than jsut a cold.

On top of which they will give much better immunity than vaccines which were designed for the alpha variant and are next to useless against omicron!

The experts of the world clearly say you are mistaken, vaccines are still extremely useful to reducing the risk from Omicron variants and by being much less risky than the infection they give objectively better immunity, because you don't need to run the full risks of infection to get it.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Sanjinosebleed: you seem to care--for all the wrong reasons. Did you even read the text?

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Who cares?!

obviously with lower hospitalisations and serious illness the current variants are no more news worthy than a cold! On top of which they will give much better immunity than vaccines which were designed for the alpha variant and are next to useless against omicron!

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

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