Most likely all of us here and across our planet have been greatly affected by Covid-19. In various ways and some more than others, of course. Loved ones, friends, colleagues, jobs, markets, finances, opportunities, growth (both positive & negative).
I’m not writing this to open up old debates (although I’m sure it may go that way) but I just wanted to express a few of my thoughts and hear others’ opinions/experiences/theories.
I lost three family members to/with covid. Two of which were probably too young. The eldest, my grandad was 85 so was I think just over the average and a good age but covid most likely ‘finished him off’ perhaps a bit early. I share this specifically because I suspect that the majority of deaths were probably similar to this scenario.
We shut everything down (don’t want to debate the timing or execution preferably), spent / borrowed a lot of money in doing so and indisputably saved lives doing so.
We are now, inevitably, feeling the effects of all of this. The loss of lives, the change in lifestyles, social norms and the costs of the money borrowed/spent.
But what made me write this article was that during 2020/2021 mostly, we were inundated with information, updates, headlines. Understandably so at the beginning, of course. But here we are (post-vaccine granted) and there is nothing. No reports on infections, hospitalisations, deaths. Be it per capita, population density, 7 day averages - you name it.
If I remember correctly, even back in January of this year, it was still constantly big news & regularly reported. Yet basically nothing for what I would say, is half a year.
Media - not enough clicks so don’t bother with it? Was it ever as big of a undeniable threat as we were all told for such a long time?
I don’t buy into the anti vax stuff. Do I think there was likely plenty of shady agreements involving governments and some of the big pharmaceutical companies? Yes I’m sure there was. But we needed it, and post-vaccine the deaths dropped dramatically.
I just find it interesting to observe how invested and vitriolic many of us were (myself included) with regards to covid, lockdown strategy & effectiveness, vaccines, laws etc not so long ago yet not long after it’s barely even mentioned.
To those thinking ‘well it’s not an issue because the numbers aren’t like they were’, I would partially agree but add that they’re still similar to many periods over the past two years but we still heard about it daily, often with an alarmist slant:
Cases are still over 7000 (7 day average)
Deaths 25ish (7 day average)
I know these are massively lower than peak times but I just find myself wondering: did our actions really affect things positively? How shtty is it that things just fall out of fashion to be reported? Is there going to be a huge inquest into the actions taken? Would we believe such an inquest’s findings?
We were clearly wrong invading Iraq and that was later proven to be the case, do you think we will at some point be given similar clarity?
Off Topic: Covid-19
posted on 7/10/22
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 39 seconds ago
comment by Champers - Pow! Right in the kisser (U6859)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 1 hour, 17 minutes ago
You can’t deny people treatment, but you can call them ignorant and selfish.
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But if they're genuinely ignorant and selfish then they won't really care will they? Name calling and passing judgement on others isn't going to help anything. The most helpful thing people can do is just look after themselves and their families the best they can. Not everything has to cause some kind of division.
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I'm not saying it to be helpful.
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There's really no point saying it at all. Maybe slagging people off makes you feel better about yourself, in which case you do you
posted on 7/10/22
comment by Champers - Pow! Right in the kisser (U6859)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 39 seconds ago
comment by Champers - Pow! Right in the kisser (U6859)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 1 hour, 17 minutes ago
You can’t deny people treatment, but you can call them ignorant and selfish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But if they're genuinely ignorant and selfish then they won't really care will they? Name calling and passing judgement on others isn't going to help anything. The most helpful thing people can do is just look after themselves and their families the best they can. Not everything has to cause some kind of division.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not saying it to be helpful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There's really no point saying it at all. Maybe slagging people off makes you feel better about yourself, in which case you do you
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a forum where we give opinions... not everything needs a purpose.
Don't like it? Whoopdeedoo.
posted on 7/10/22
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 44 minutes ago
comment by Champers - Pow! Right in the kisser (U6859)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 39 seconds ago
comment by Champers - Pow! Right in the kisser (U6859)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 1 hour, 17 minutes ago
You can’t deny people treatment, but you can call them ignorant and selfish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But if they're genuinely ignorant and selfish then they won't really care will they? Name calling and passing judgement on others isn't going to help anything. The most helpful thing people can do is just look after themselves and their families the best they can. Not everything has to cause some kind of division.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not saying it to be helpful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There's really no point saying it at all. Maybe slagging people off makes you feel better about yourself, in which case you do you
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a forum where we give opinions... not everything needs a purpose.
Don't like it? Whoopdeedoo.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Truthfully, Winston, I'm just sick of everything having to be one side or the other with no room to budge in the middle. And not just Covid either. You're left or you're right, youre vaxxed or an anti-vaxxer, you're Tory or you're anti-Tory, etc, etc. Everything just seems to be another excuse to shout at a group of people with a differing opinion. Not you personally mate, but the country as a whole. Never seen everything so divided before and it proper brings me down
posted on 7/10/22
Fair comment... I feel the same.
But not on vaccines.
Vaccines are the most important human invention of all time... they have changed humanity.
To be anti-vax in the middle of a global pandemic is plain idiocy and in my view, these people should be treated with the disdain they deserve.
And by these people, I meant the people who are vocal about it, more than anything.
posted on 7/10/22
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 4 minutes ago
Fair comment... I feel the same.
But not on vaccines.
Vaccines are the most important human invention of all time... they have changed humanity.
To be anti-vax in the middle of a global pandemic is plain idiocy and in my view, these people should be treated with the disdain they deserve.
And by these people, I meant the people who are vocal about it, more than anything.
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I totally get where you're coming from. I've had my first two jabs but I've drawn the line at having any boosters as I've caught Covid twice now and for me it was nothing more than man-flu, so for my own situation I honestly don't believe I need any. Thankfully I've always been quick to test when I have had symptoms as I would have just gone into work if i didn't know it was actually Covid that I'd caught!
I agree with you on the outright nutters though. I respect everyone's right to an opinion, but not when sharing that opinion as fact could potentially cause harm to others.
I do however think that the media has played a big part in bringing these idiots to the fore though. I would have liked to see reporting from both sides of the spectrum, which really hasn't been the case in my opinion. I think this has exacerbated the existing levels of paranoia in these fairly feeble-minded people. I would have preferred to see the experts spending a bit more time debunking some of the more popular myths to put people at ease, but instead they and the mainstream media channels chose only to ignore or censor, which does nothing more than pour further fuel on an already raging blaze in some peoples minds.
posted on 7/10/22
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 10 hours, 51 minutes ago
Fair comment... I feel the same.
But not on vaccines.
Vaccines are the most important human invention of all time... they have changed humanity.
To be anti-vax in the middle of a global pandemic is plain idiocy and in my view, these people should be treated with the disdain they deserve.
And by these people, I meant the people who are vocal about it, more than anything.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where exactly is this ''global pandemic'' because i'm still yet to see it two years later? Did you see anything so bad that it warranted closing down the world? No, you DIDN'T. The fact that you don't want to accept that you've been fooled isn't a reason to deride those who looked at the facts and acted accordingly.
You took a jab that inhibits your natural immune system to do it's job because somebody 'on telly' told you to despite your eyes telling you a different story.
Hospitals are currently full of those who are 'vaxxed', not the brighter ones in the population who, after studying the odds given by the govt, said nah.
I pray for the vaxxed everyday.
posted on 7/10/22
Utter delusion.
posted on 7/10/22
comment by ...TUX... (U22398)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 10 hours, 51 minutes ago
Fair comment... I feel the same.
But not on vaccines.
Vaccines are the most important human invention of all time... they have changed humanity.
To be anti-vax in the middle of a global pandemic is plain idiocy and in my view, these people should be treated with the disdain they deserve.
And by these people, I meant the people who are vocal about it, more than anything.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where exactly is this ''global pandemic'' because i'm still yet to see it two years later? Did you see anything so bad that it warranted closing down the world? No, you DIDN'T. The fact that you don't want to accept that you've been fooled isn't a reason to deride those who looked at the facts and acted accordingly.
You took a jab that inhibits your natural immune system to do it's job because somebody 'on telly' told you to despite your eyes telling you a different story.
Hospitals are currently full of those who are 'vaxxed', not the brighter ones in the population who, after studying the odds given by the govt, said nah.
I pray for the vaxxed everyday.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I had vaccines in May and July 2021 (AZ) and a booster right at the start of this year (Moderna).
If they have, as you say, ‘inhibited my natural immune system from doing its job’, why have I had only a couple of days ill (even then with a mild sniffle, not Covid) in all that time?
posted on 7/10/22
comment by ...TUX... (U22398)
posted 41 minutes ago
comment by Winston (U16525)
posted 10 hours, 51 minutes ago
Fair comment... I feel the same.
But not on vaccines.
Vaccines are the most important human invention of all time... they have changed humanity.
To be anti-vax in the middle of a global pandemic is plain idiocy and in my view, these people should be treated with the disdain they deserve.
And by these people, I meant the people who are vocal about it, more than anything.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where exactly is this ''global pandemic'' because i'm still yet to see it two years later? Did you see anything so bad that it warranted closing down the world? No, you DIDN'T. The fact that you don't want to accept that you've been fooled isn't a reason to deride those who looked at the facts and acted accordingly.
You took a jab that inhibits your natural immune system to do it's job because somebody 'on telly' told you to despite your eyes telling you a different story.
Hospitals are currently full of those who are 'vaxxed', not the brighter ones in the population who, after studying the odds given by the govt, said nah.
I pray for the vaxxed everyday.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You mock TUX but he is actually right. Covid is absolutely nothing compared to the amount of deaths caused by readily available guns in the US. TUX rightly infers that this is a far bigger problem than covid. You can't get vaccinated against being shot, a much more likely cause of death in the US so I see why TUX sees vaccines as pointless.
posted on 8/10/22