Attached are updated charts for week ending 10th December. Vaccinations are slowly increasing; Daily cases are slowly decreasing and Daily test positivity is gradually declining although still some distance from the sub 5% level. There has been no movements in the charts suggestive of changes in disease incidence attributable to last weeks Republican celebrations.
Lyall Small
BU COVID Dash – Time to Make it Official!
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245 responses to “BU COVID Dash – Time to Make it Official!”
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Seen that article long ago!!
Been around since May 2021.
Read a little further than Close Contact!!!
“Stool, urine and other body fluids.
Respiratory droplets are the main source of spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus has also been detected in the stool of some people who are sick with COVID-19.
Experts don’t know yet what the risk of transmission from stool might be, but the virus that causes COVID-19 may have the potential to spread through untreated sewage.
Also unknown is whether the virus might spread through other body fluids, such as urine, vomit, breast milk or semen.”
Water treatment does not give 100% purity, some contaminants always get through.
Droplets would strongly suggest it survives in water!!
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JOHN
HOW WILL FLOODING PRODUCE A VARIANT WITH A POINT INSERTION MUTATION IN AFRICA? -
I have no idea.
My guess is the scientists in South Africa looked real hard once they found the cases rising and turned up the Ohmigod strain.
The cases were already rising before it was found.
Same in France where another variant was found.
… needless to say France’s cases are also rising.
If you go looking for a variant you are going to find one or more.
It does not mean those variants are the reason for the rise in cases, just that you looked extra hard and found them.
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On Twitter, the IHU Méditerranée infection, led by Professor Didier Raoult announced the appearance of a new variant thursday, December 9. Discovered on patients in the city of Forcalquier, a hundred kilometers from Marseille, this variant, called IHU, was deposited on the GISAID scientific sharing network under the name of B.1.640.2.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cases in France are as high or higher than they have ever been!!
What is the Government going to tell people they have imposed mandatory vaccination upon and it hasn’t worked.
They need an excuse and what better one than a new variant, the IHU variant.
I’m going to call it the Jehu variant.
These variants may or may bot be serious but they sure give a good excuse to Governments and buy some time.
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The media has gone absolutely bonkers and cannot think through the crap that is out there.
Check this.
They are creating the impression that 90% of the cases in the UK are due to the Ohmigod strain based on the appearance of a single symptom.
What is the symptom?
A cough!!!
“Anecdotal reports from South African researchers describe the cough as dry and often accompanied by a “scratchy throat”, Reuters reports.”
I am sure that is the same symptom we were told from the beginning,.
I don’t believe that the Delta strain could be just chucked one side by the press given all the hullabaloo they have created over its spread,
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@Sargeant December 11, 2021 12:49 PM
Yes, you have been “Brainwashed” into believing masks, lockdowns, vaccines, ventilators and other bad treatments are the most effective COVID treatments available.
You have been “Brainwashed” into ignoring the most effective treatments the most successful doctors have been using in favour of one size fit all protocols that have led to unnecessary deaths.
You have been “Brainwashed” into wasting money testing asymptomatic people and counting them as cases to inflate the numbers and hide their overreaction to the COVID situation and keep the pandemic fear and paranoia going.
FYi: Trump did win, deal with it. All that happened was his true people vastly underestimated the size and depth of the swamp as well as the vast number of swamp creatures on both sides of the aisles and in the mainstream media that wanted him gone because he was draining the swamp too fast cutting into their money making schemes. Nowhere is it more evident of significant fraud than to look at how fast Biden’s polls have plummeted in just 11 months of his disaster presidency. If the media was not covering for him, they would have probably tried to impeach already.
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Then there is a posibility that aLLLL desesses are by water.
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Can u explain why the flu or aids are not spread by flooding and only covid 19 is?
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JOHN
AN INSERTION POINT MUTATION MEANS THAT A NUCLEOTIDE HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE VIRAL CHAIN IN THE WRONG PLACE
I AM OFF COURSE SPEAKING AS self-centred, narcissistic, conceited, megalomaniacal Dr BUT I ALSO KNOW A LITTLE BIOCHEMISTRY
BUT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT IN AFRICA WHERE HYDROXYCHLOROQUINONE IS USED A LOT FOR MALARIA (WHICH IS A LARGE MOLECULE KNOWN TO GET IN BETWEEN NUCLEOTIDES AND DISRUPT TRANSLATION AND TRANSLATION OF THE VIRAL RNA) COULD EASILY CAUSE A NUCLEOTIDE OR TWO TO BE DISPLACED AND INSERTED IN THE CORRECT PLACE)
IN THAT CASE THE VIRAL PROTEINS WOULD BE SYNTHESISED DIFERENTLY AND REACT DIFFERENTLY.I WOULD EXPECT MY BIOCHEM TO BE ABLE TO THINK THIS WAY AND DRAW A TATATA EXAMPLE TO EXPLAIN
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They was a reason they did not just say droplets only
** Respiratory droplets**
Not just droplets
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I gave hints that Covid data and Government strategy threads should not be open to comments for discussion as they tend to sink into made up nonsense, but David likes the traffic from the other side of reality.
To indulge the wackos there will be a BU Competition 2021 called the Battle of the Conspiracy Theorists to determine a common consensus.Line Up
From the start of 2021 there were 3 Trump Boys who were convinced Trump won 2020 but “they” cheated and were getting all excited for every legal case that was later dismissed and were looking forward to the Capital Hill protests.
Later during the year they focused on Covid conspiracies albeit different flavours in 3 pronged attacks working the angles.John-opted for Water linkage and produced a thousand plus graphs as proof of claim
GP-chose his specialist Biblical Book of Revelations and a NWO One World Government Laboratory developed Biowarfare
CA-went for the world wide web theories of alternate cures
None of them trust Vaccines or Big Pharma
Others may also join in if they feel like some creative writing and thinkingWinner will get a book deal and also the Kudos of being Top Troll
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John;
Only 72 new cases of Covid-19 reported today. The lowest number of cases since early september. -
CRITICAL ANALYZER December 11, 2021 6:19 PM
WHAT HAPPENED TO DONALD TRUMP IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO DANIEL AS DESCRIBED IN DANIEL CHAPTER SIX. VERY INTERESTING PARALLELS
Actually, they had many reasons to be envious. First is the natural instinct of human nature to envy other people their success. DONALD was honest, efficient and did a good job.
Second, POLITICALLY DONALD was ESSENTIALLY a foreigner in their midst who did not belong (his customs were different, his he had different interests and goals, his GOAL WAS SUCESS FOR THE PEOPLE NOT FOR SELF).
sUCH Strangeness breeds suspicion and suspicion breeds resentment, especially if the one concerned is in a more advantageous position than we are.
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER OBVIOUS PARALLELS IT AINT FUNNY.
Intrigues happened constantly at royal courts and still happen today in governments and business.
DONALD, like Daniel also became a target. He was being spied on.
Result: it was found that he was innocent and righteous in every respect. they failed to impeach him twice even though all types of schemes were contrived to ruin him
IT IS TURNING OUT WITH DONALD JUST AS IT TURNED OUT WID DANIEL WATCHWATCH NOW WATCH
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Dame Bajans,
I posted the article without comment for a reason. 🤦🏽♂️
Now we are into Kraken territory.
Biden’s plummeting poll numbers are evidence that Trump won.
Oh lord!
Gonna leave that shit right there.
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lyallsmallDecember 11, 2021 7:03 PM
John;
Only 72 new cases of Covid-19 reported today. The lowest number of cases since early september.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That’s good.
Now, to see if the trend continues.
Today is Saturday so let’s see what happens on Monday or Tuesday as the numbers sort themselves out.
Where do you think it will level off?
Once testing doesn’t stop for whatever reason, striking nurses, the GOB runs out of money etc, it will level off where the spread is entirely supported by the airborne method … assuming no floods to disturb the equilibrium.
Airborne spread is really quite minor.
There will always be people who come to Barbados vaccinated who will create new cases, and there will also be some community spread the airborne way.
Whatever that low number is that number is the number airborne spread can support with the airborne protocols in place.
I’ve been watching the countries that have as good as “zero” cases but in reality a small finite number and that is the best explanation I can come up with for the Active Cases never returning to zero in those countries.
That means that any serious flood will have that small reservoir from which the virus can spread so we will always be potentially in trouble.
Taiwan, Grenada, Japan, Dominica, etc etc etc.
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Crystal Clear Science Shows Fauci and Other Government ‘Scientists’ Should Have Promoted Vitamin D to Combat Pandemic
by Dr. Joel S. Hirschhorn December 7, 2021There seems to be an endless refusal by the public health establishment to fight the pandemic with the best science-based tools. Instead, they keep pushing vaccines.
Great German research provides unequivocal medical evidence that the government should be strongly advocating two actions: 1. Take vitamin D supplements and 2. Have your blood tested for vitamin D.
The title for this October 2021 journal article says it all: “COVID-19 Mortality Risk Correlates Inversely with Vitamin D3 Status, and a Mortality Rate Close to Zero Could Theoretically Be Achieved at 50 ng/mL 25(OH)D3: Results of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” [25(OH)D3 refers to metabolite of the vitamin in blood]
In other words, there is clear evidence that the lower your vitamin D level the greater your risk of dying from COVID infection. Moreover, the data clearly show that you need a blood level of at least 50 ng/mL.
Odds are, however, that very, very few people have been tested for their vitamin D level. This is a situation where waiting for testing is not the prudent approach. Vitamin D pills are pretty cheap and it is perfectly safe to take a healthy daily dose to maintain a good immune system. I take 4,000 IUs twice daily.
Here are a number of highlights from this research and other sources; the discussion is aimed at informing people with information not provided by Big Media, Big Government and Big Pharma.
Not much money in flogging vit D tablets to the public compared to the much more risky (but wayyyyy more profitable), shoving undertested, patented vaccines onto the market prematurely. How are drug company CEO’s, and VPs supposed to afford luxury yachts, 2nd and 3rd vacation homes in the ritzy, holiday resort areas on the meager profits from unpatentable vit D sales compared to the billions they can bring in making the whole world into a giant vaccine experiment where the test subjects or their governments have to buy the product undergoing testing,
It’s an experiment, mind you, in which government are arm twisted into exempting vaccine companies from having to pay damages for any injuries or deaths their experimental products might cause. We are told repeatedly these vaccines are safe and effective (even though they have not completed a full testing regime), and we are also told of the billions of dollars in sales that the new, undertested vaccines will be bring into the makers’ coffers. You would think Bill Gates’ pharma buddies could easily afford to spring an odd million or two here or there if their product did cause an occasional and very rare health problem once in a blue moon for some poor, innocent soul. After all, it should be very, very rare I would think for a “safe and effective” product to produce an injury deserving of substantial monetary compensation.
Not only vitamin D, how about that vitamin C?
Press Release from the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service:
Vitamin C and Cortisol: Synergistic Infection and Toxin Defense
Commentary by Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD
In many hospitalized patients with significant infections, extremely low plasma levels of vitamin C are present. (my emphasis /GM) When the depressed levels of vitamin C are present throughout the body and not focal, the associated increased oxidative stress is generalized and typically reflected in elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a reliable index of systemically increased inflammation that is always present when vitamin C levels are significantly low (Carr et al., 2017). Circulating cortisol levels are also the lowest in the most severely ill patients.
SNIP
Optimizing the Treatment of Spike Protein PersistenceWhile adding hydrocortisone to the administration of vitamin C can further improve an already excellent therapy, the use of this combined therapy appears to be an optimal way to approach syndromes that are characterized by persistence of the COVID-related spike protein in the body. Individuals experiencing problems following COVID vaccinations, as well as “long-haul” COVID, which is basically a low-grade and ongoing chronic COVID infection, should prove to be optimal candidates for treatment protocols that include combined hydrocortisone and vitamin C administration. As mentioned above, vitamin C alone given in sufficient doses can still effectively “saturate” the targeted cells, but the doses required simply make many physicians with only limited vitamin C experience too uncomfortable to give such doses, whereas the same result can be achieved with lesser doses of vitamin C combined with hydrocortisone.
The thorough and complete treatment of persistent spike protein is especially important for not only reducing long-term mortality but also for reducing a great deal of morbidity, or clinical illness, in the shorter term. While it now appears that an ongoing spike protein persistence can result in a very wide array of clinical syndromes, depending what organs or tissues most bind the spike protein in different individuals, many appear to maintain inflammation in the heart muscle. A substantial number of such patients appear to have a low-grade, smoldering myocarditis that will eventually evolve to cardiac “burnout” and a fatal congestive cardiomyopathy.
Source: orthomolecular(DOT)org/resources/omns/v17n28.shtml
From the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients:
Vitamin C—An Adjunctive Therapy for Respiratory
Infection, Sepsis and COVID-19Abstract: There are limited proven therapies for COVID-19. Vitamin C’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects make it a potential therapeutic candidate, both for the prevention and amelioration of COVID-19 infection, and as an adjunctive therapy in the critical care of COVID-19. This literature review focuses on vitamin C deficiency in respiratory infections, including COVID-19, and the mechanisms of action in infectious disease, including support of the stress response, its role in preventing and treating colds and pneumonia, and its role in treating sepsis and COVID-19. The evidence to date indicates that oral vitamin C (2–8 g/day) may reduce the incidence and duration of respiratory infections and intravenous vitamin C (6–24 g/day) has been shown to reduce mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stays, and time on mechanical ventilation for severe respiratory infections. Further trials are urgently warranted. Given the favourable safety profile and low cost of vitamin C, and the frequency of vitamin C deficiency in respiratory infections, it may be worthwhile testing patients’ vitamin C status and treating them accordingly with intravenous administration within ICUs and oral administration in hospitalised persons with COVID-19.
Source: mdpi(DOT)com/2072-6643/12/12/3760/pdf (downloadable pdf)
Sad fact is our politicians, the big international media organizations, and our medical regulators and medical schools are held in a headlock by the wealthy and very powerful pharma lobby so cheaper, safer approaches to health care focusing on diet, nutritional support and cheaper off patent medications will never be allowed to compete on an even footing with pharma’s patented, more expensive and extremely profitable products.
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John2December 11, 2021 6:57 PM
They was a reason they did not just say droplets only
** Respiratory droplets**
Not just droplets
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What do you think is the main constituent of Respiratory Droplets?
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JOHN
NOTE =.> NURSES STRIKING =.> UNAVAILABLE THEREFORE TO JAB FOLK =.> FEWER VACCINES GIVEN =.> FEWER VAXED FOLK TO TRANSMIT THE VIRUS =.> FEWER CASES =.>Q.E.D
SUBJECT THIS HYPOTHESIS TO CLINICAL STUDY AND ANALYSIS BY SCIENTIFIC METHOD -
John2December 11, 2021 6:39 PM
Then there is a posibility that aLLLL desesses are by water.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Typhoid – yes
Polio – yes
Cholera – Yes
Dysentery – Yes
Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dengue etc. need water for mosquitoes to spread them.
Small Pox … DunnoGood chance Spanish Flu was also water borne and Flu too.
When you start thinking about water and its connections to disease it is un-fathonable that no one has as yet got the link for COVID.
Airborne spread is too miniscule to explain the surges.
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The fact is that both water and air are fluids without which the body cannot survive!!
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GPDecember 11, 2021 8:56 PM
JOHN
NOTE =.> NURSES STRIKING =.> UNAVAILABLE THEREFORE TO JAB FOLK =.> FEWER VACCINES GIVEN =.> FEWER VAXED FOLK TO TRANSMIT THE VIRUS =.> FEWER CASES =.>Q.E.D
SUBJECT THIS HYPOTHESIS TO CLINICAL STUDY AND ANALYSIS BY SCIENTIFIC METHOD+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You may very well have something there.
Certainly it is an irrefutable fact that most deaths occurred after the appearance of the vaccination.
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In the US, there were about 21 million cases in 2020.
In 2021, there are 50% more cases.
There were about 372K deaths in 2020.
In 2021, there are about 483K so far, so for the year the number might top half a million.
Deaths may be up in 2021 by about 30%.
The only difference is the vaccinations, and Trump is not there!!
One other difference, and I am only guessing.
More floods in 2021!!
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Certainly it is an irrefutable fact that most deaths occurred after the appearance of the vaccination.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And how many of this were unvaxx compared to vaxx?
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Typhoid – yes
Polio – yes
Cholera – Yes
Dysentery – Yes
Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dengue etc. need water for mosquitoes to spread them.
Small Pox … DunnoXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How come none of these are transmitted by potable water nut covid is ?
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Why isnt the an obreak of flu in Arenaa that flood?
AIDS in blood that is made of water
Why isnt AIDS spread by flooding ? -
RE Certainly it is an irrefutable fact that most deaths occurred after the appearance of the vaccination.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And how many of this were unvaxx compared to vaxx?
WHY ARE YOU STUPID? CAN YOU NOT READ AND UNDERSTAND? AND FIGURE OUT THE OBVIOUS ANSWER?
THE VACCINATED PEOPLE ARE SPREADING THE DISEASE TO THE UNVACCINATED DUMMY. -
Infections and deaths depend on numerous factors. Not just vaccinated vs vaccinated or nonexistent contaminated potable water or a few non-contaminated floods that last 1/2 day only, etc.
In our case in Barbados, the Delta variant started gaining ascendancy over the other earlier less transmissable and virulent variants here around early September and thereafter accelerated the rate of spread of Covid-19 and the deaths it causes. The early deaths in Barbados resulted from infections by the pre-Delta variants. The accelerated deaths after early September appear to have resulted from the more transmissable and deadly Delta variant.
It is therefore a fact that most deaths occurred in Barbados several months after vaccinations started. But that does not imply in any way that Vaccinations were the root cause of the deaths. It is much more likely that the proliferation of the Delta variant was the prime cause of the increased deaths, along with some sociological factors that have been pointed out elsewhere by Drs. Forde and Grandison.
So Certainly it is an irrefutable fact that most deaths occurred after the appearance of the vaccination. But that fact does not take into account the other factors that are probably more consequential. It also appears to be a fact that many more Unvaxxed people contracted the disease and died than Vaxxed people. But it is not logical to go from the first premise to the second. i.e. to claim that the vaxxed people are actually spreading the disease to the unvaxxed ones. To logically do so someone would have to do or have access to at least a statistical study. The apparent current percentage breakdown of vaccinated to non-vaccinated is around 51% : 49%. Only the Covid-19 team would know the daily and cumulative percentage infection of Vacc to non-vacc cases but such data might be available in the public domain re. deaths.
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John2December 11, 2021 9:39 PM
Typhoid – yes
Polio – yes
Cholera – Yes
Dysentery – Yes
Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dengue etc. need water for mosquitoes to spread them.
Small Pox … DunnoXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How come none of these are transmitted by potable water nut covid is ?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If Typhoid, cholera or Polio were present they would be spreading in any water they could get to.
But they aren’t.
Ditto yellow fever. malaria, dysentery.
It’s like saying that if there were no cases of COVID it could not be spread by water or air … well ….duuuuuuuuuuuh!!
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So Certainly it is an irrefutable fact that most deaths occurred after the appearance of the vaccination. But that fact does not take into account the other factors that are probably more consequential.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Correct.
The other factor I am saying is that the virus is waterborne and with floods it gets into the public water supply. Once there, an individual can receive an enormous concentration … or none at all … a matter of probabilities.
However, it is also quite logical to argue that vaccinations caused the increase in cases and deaths because of the sequence in which they occurred.
If you read what I say you will find I take care of this apparent anomaly by saying the spread by water swamps any vaccination and overcomes the strong immune systems of the young.
Airborne spread is minor and once the various protocols are observed it becomes very small.
That’s why the Active Cases tail off to some close to zero number without ever getting there until the next flood causes another surge.
I am thus getting to an explanation of the empirical evidence without needing to resort to variants which may indeed be present and while no doubt intriguing to the scientific community are irrelevant.
If variants are so virulent, what stops them spreading until the whole population is infected.
You would expect an abominably high positivity rate but that’s not what happens in most populations.
That fact also points to the likelihood of waterborne spread.
Those countries/populations with high positivity rates have weak protections of their water supply.
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Waterborne spread is selective and hits certain sectors of the population hard.
Thus, the MOH says most cases are in the southern corridor and in the UK if you are a Muslim and also male you are 2 to three times more likely to die of COVID than an atheist.
Airborne spread affects all equally, would not matter where you lived or what you believed.
I am saying the vaccinations probably would work well if it wasn’t for the fact that their effect is being swamped.
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But if you don’t agree with my logic as GP says …. “THE VACCINATED PEOPLE ARE SPREADING THE DISEASE TO THE UNVACCINATED DUMMY.”
If you get to my understanding, you will realise that the vaccination is not against COVID but against contaminated water for which it was not designed.
If Governments fixed/addressed their water supplies TRON would not be wailing over people who refuse to get the vaccination and realise there is logic to their position ….
… and that there really is no need to be even vaccinated!!
… if Governments simply did their jobs.
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Local epidemiologist Natasha Sobers predicted the numbers since last year based on modelling.
Forecast modelling suggests major increase in COVID-19 cases
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@Donna December 11, 2021 8:16 PM
We have to occasionally step back into kraken territory so more people can recognize where we keep going wrong.
We are far too contented being sheep looking for charismatic politicians to hold our hands, lead us down the garden path, make all the tough decisions and tell us what to do. Trump was far from charismatic but he definitely got the job done. If Trump was in office now gas, food and goods prices would not be this high and the vaccine mandates causing all the problems would not be around either.
Same problem abounds with COVID. More than enough information is out there to get our true deaths and hospitalized COVID cases down to zero within a week. But few people want to read and learn for themselves even when the protocols and supporting research is dropped in front of their faces.
For those tired being sheep and willing to search, read and learn how to save themselves from COVID, they can research the FLCC and Zelenko protocols which are the best prophylaxis and early treatment protocols out there for the early viral stages and Dr Chetty’s protocols which are best for the later inflammatory stages causing the deaths.
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Safe from what?
Last week, several international news outlets shared a story of a fully vaccinated staff party held in Norway that became a super spreader event. The company, Scatec ASA, hosted an annual holiday party for its staff where all attendees were required to be fully vaccinated and had to take a rapid test the day before the party.
Following the event, 50 per cent of the attendees tested positive for coronavirus, with approximately 15 to 20 of those cases being the Omicron variant. Some staff who attended the party had recently returned from a business trip in South Africa and they are thought to be responsible for the transmission of the omicron variant at the party.
This event confirmed what several studies have stated for months: fully vaccinated people can still catch and transmit the virus and their protection against the virus wanes over time. Recent studies out of the United Kingdom have also shown that two doses of a COVID vaccine offer less defence against symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant than with the Delta variant and that a third dose is necessary to increase protection.
The UK Health Security Agency stated on Friday that the Omicron variant is projected to become the dominant variant of coronavirus in the UK by mid-December based on current trends. Since the UK is one of the primary source markets for Barbados, it is only a matter of time before the Omicron variant is detected on our shores if it is not already present.
Given what we now know about the transmissibility of the Delta variant and the reduced efficacy of the vaccines against the omicron variant, how are we still contemplating the roll-out of safe zones? What are we aiming to keep people safe from if we cannot prevent the transmission of the virus within these zones? How will these zones be any safer than areas where unvaccinated and untested people can easily patronise? What provisions are being made within these zones for the reduced efficacy of the vaccines against the Omicron variant? If no such adjustments are made, then how will the zone be safe?
Prevent transmission
The reality is that having a fully vaccinated staff will neither prevent transmission nor stop business disruption since the positive employee and those with whom he has had contact still have to isolate until cleared by the Ministry of Health. So how can companies justify vaccine mandates or the firing of unvaccinated staff when both the vaccinated and unvaccinated can potentially transmit the virus within the workplace?
How can companies justify testing mandates that only apply to unvaccinated employees since doing so fails to keep the office safe from possible infection among vaccinated employees? As we have seen from the Norway staff party, having fully vaccinated staff in office or at events will not guarantee a safe event or a safe place of work.
Gibraltar still has the highest vaccination rate in the world, with 118 per cent of its population being fully vaccinated, which includes the Spaniards who cross its borders each day for work. Yet its government recently announced that Christmas plans should be put on hold due to a “drastic” COVID surge. Similar surges have been seen in Singapore and Ireland which have vaccination rates of 94 per cent and 92 per cent, respectively. The Netherlands became the first western European country to reintroduce lockdown laws since summer after the nation reached a new high of 16 287 infections.
These are but a few examples of countries with high vaccination rates that are still experiencing a surge in cases. Since high vaccination rates do not prevent surges in cases, what are we trying to achieve by creating alleged safe zones since we cannot protect the employees or workplaces within these zones from transmission? And how can an employer reasonably or lawfully justify disadvantaging or terminating unvaccinated employees when the danger of transmission of the virus exists among the vaccinatedMichelle M. Russell is an attorney with a passion for employment law and labour matters and a budding social activist. Email: mrussell.ja@gmail.com
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Great expectations, faith and confidence
There is a ancient saying attributed to the Greeks: “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.” I think this is true.
But there is a caveat. The level of our expectations often influences the level of our training. And the level of our training often influences the level of our expectations. The moral of the story then is, “Expect the best and train for it.”
If you expect to be able to achieve something, like passing a test – I’m not talking about being overconfident, I mean you believe that the test is within ability to pass with a reasonable amount of preparation – you are more likely to study and hence pass the test.
Even if you think it’s going to be hard, if you believe you can do it, you’ll put in the effort. If, on the other hand, you believe that the test is, without a doubt, beyond your capabilities, you might tell yourself, “Why bother to study? I’m going to fail anyway.”
If you expect success, you are more likely to prepare and train yourself for it. If you expect failure, you may train and prepare for that as well.
An expectation can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as predictive as preparation. You know the saying, “Fail to prepare and prepare to fail.” Maybe we should also add, “Fail to expect success and expect to fail due to failure to prepare.” Add great expectations to great preparation and training and great things are liable to happen for you.
Christians have a way of saying the same thing, “Faith can move mountains”. As the story goes, a man came to Jesus to have a demon cast out of his son. The man had previously asked the disciples to cure the son and they couldn’t. Imagine Jesus steupsing and saying, “Bring de boy hey, man!”
The man brought his son to Jesus and Jesus cast out the demon one time.
The disciples, a li’l shame, asked Jesus how come they couldn’t achieve the desired result. Jesus replied that they didn’t have enough faith and that if they had even just a little, they could say to a mountain, “move”, and it would move. Note that in the story it doesn’t say have faith in what, just that you should have faith.
Blind faith
I have a good friend who is an atheist. He hates the idea of faith because he associates it with blind faith in a supernatural being. He says he doesn’t have faith, he has confidence. He was shocked when we searched faith in the
dictionary and confidence was listed as a synonym.
You would have thought Merriam Webster had committed blasphemy.
When I want to fret him, I tell him that he has faith in science. He says, no, that he has confidence in science because of science’s track record. If I really want to fret him I’ll yell out with my best Rev. Jesse Jackson and congregation impersonation, “Science is good! All the time! All the time!
Science is good” We all have faith in something or some way, whether positive faith or negative faith. Negative faith is confidence that something bad is going to happen. There is a lot of that going around right now. A time like this is when we really need a lot of positive faith. Or confidence if you prefer. Or better still, great expectations alongside some training and preparation.Adrian Green is a communications specialist. Email: Adriangreen14 @gmail.com
Source: Nation
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Are the Dems ready?
By Ezra Alleyne
The next General Election is about 18 months away and, looking at the local political scene, it is as interesting as ever.
Presently, we have a Leader of the Opposition, with no members behind or beside him in Parliament, but with two senators in the Upper House.
Then there is also a leader of a party, which first won office some 60 years ago. It is still regarded as a pillar of our two-party democracy, but it is presently without any membership in Parliament.
This is an unusual situation, but it speaks volumes for the maturity of the voting public as they exercised their voting power in the 2018 General Election. Some may regard the 2018 result as a freak result with the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) winning all 30 seats.
I do not agree. I see that result as an affirmation that a General Election is a referendum on the performance of the Government of the day. In other words, having been handed power for a period not exceeding five years, the outgoing Government is judged by the electorate.
Our first Prime Minster well understood this truth. He spoke about it on many occasions.
On that basis, a report card of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in 2018 showed a cupboard almost empty of foreign exchange, with foreign debt repayments due within a month. It was a loser’s card.
Worst loan
It reminded of December 1990 when the then Prime Minister Sir Lloyd Erskine had to dash off to London to borrow what Dr Richie Haynes, having broken with the DLP, described as the worst loan Barbados ever negotiated at 13.5 per cent interest and with a quarter of the loan withheld by the lenders. Foreign exchange had gone.
In January 1991, the Dems won the election held within four weeks of that loan. In 2018 the voters had wider eyes and gave an emphatic “failing mark” to the DLP Government of 2013 to 2018.
Twice, the loss of foreign reserves had become the bugbear of successive Democratic Labour Party administrations since the death of Errol Barrow. That is and was a fair factual point to make. At least one interviewer earlier this year raised that issue when discussing the state of the DLP.
Even Rev. Guy Hewitt recognised the importance of a viable economic team and spoke of putting together such a team as part of his doomed attempt to capture the presidency of the DLP.
Since 2018, nothing has come from the DLP in the way of a coherent alternative economic policy, and calling for a budget is not a policy. A critical question, given the DLP’s recent economic history, is who is or are the DLP’s spokespersons on the economy?
Stuart’s admission
In considering the current state of play, so to speak, I note with interest that Kemar Stuart (a DLP candidate next time) in a 2019 Astor B Watts lecture was reported to have lauded Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley for securing financial support from the multilateral lending agencies, which he said had averted an imminent threat of devaluation of the Barbados dollar.
What a thing. In my view this was a direct condemnation of the DLP’s 2018 financial card report. The imminent threat of devaluation to which he must have been referring was that threat left on the table after ten years of DLP rule.
Score ten for the Minister of Finance Mia Amor Mottley and zero to the DLP. Was this an own goal, or did the light suddenly switch on in George Street?
Anyways, Government is a continuum, and harmful and disastrous policy initiatives of outgoing administrations have to be corrected by an incoming Government. This has been done. Downgrades are a thing of the past.
We have reached the point where international rating agency Standard & Poor’s is maintaining the country’s rating. This is a major achievement given the economic devastation of COVID-19. The economic measures are working.
A year and a half from an election the fractured economy left by the Dems has been repaired. The competent handling of the COVID-19 crisis is a big plus. The status of the Prime Minister as a local problem solver, a regional heavyweight and a highly respected mover and shaker on the international scene has enhanced her image as a leader . . . . This (and more) is the kind of report card one can defend.
And the questions remain: Do the Dems have a full slate? Are they even ready?
Ezra Alleyne is an attorney and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. -
PROTECTION SOON
Legislation coming to safeguard whistle-blowers
By Shawn Cumberbatch shawncumberbatch@nationnews.com
Government’s war on corruption is about to enter a major phase.
It includes imminent protection for whistleblowers giving information on suspected cases of corruption and the threat of imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500 000 for anyone hindering such disclosures.
Legislation is also coming to permit alleged offenders to enter special remediation agreements that include deferred prosecution for corruption if it is deemed to be “in the interest of justice”.
The redrafted Integrity In Public Life Bill, now being reviewed by a subcommittee of Cabinet, is also expected to be back before Parliament “very early in the new year”.
Debates coming
These developments were revealed by Attorney General Dale Marshall, who told the Sunday Sun the Whistleblower Protection Bill, 2021, and the related Remediation Agreements (Deferred Prosecutions) Bill were expected to be debated in Parliament before its Christmas recess.
He said that the several pieces of legislation were coming in the context of corruption being “a complex task [that] requires different approaches”.
Marshall pointed out that the Government had already enacted a new prevention of corruption statute and previously established a new anti-corruption agency.
He said that in addition to these “two major elements”, whistle-blowing “is recognised as an important tool”.
“Everybody talks about the [alleged] corruption that was prevalent under the last administration. They talk about it but when you try to get them to come forward they say, ‘Man, I ain’t coming forward because I worry that my business will suffer, I worry that I will be targeted, I worry that
I will lose my job’,” he said.
“So it was evident that we needed to give people who are minded to speak and expose any corruption that exists the protection in terms of [not] suffering any adverse consequences as a result of such noble deeds.”
Marshall said the Agreements (Deferred Prosecutions) Bill “allows for businesses and individuals who are found, among other things, guilty of corruption, to be able to cooperate in return for a deferred prosecution agreement”.
“In other words, if you cooperate with us, expose the extent of the corrupt activity and the parties involved, disgorge the ill-gotten gains, we would consider not prosecuting you. This is not much different to a plea bargain arrangement that so many of us see on television,” he said.
“The point is you can’t assume . . . a one-size-fits-all when you are dealing with very complex issues. So a company that is overseas that may have no real directors in Barbados, [or] the Barbadian directors may not be aware of what’s going on, so you have to be able to deal with that company while making sure that justice is served.”
Marshall also said that the Integrity In Public Life Bill, which faced objections in the Senate, “has been redrafted to take into account the objections of the Independent senators on the last occasion”.Source: Nation
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Inside the mind of an anti-vaxxer
BU Covid threats are a sorry state of repetitive bullshit by bullshitters who reminisce over Trump and display ill founded illogical connections not based on any proper proof or evidence .Meanwhile deaths peak and go down again, maybe they go down at the point when people who would die from Covid are already dead.
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John Boy
what happens when the sun heats up Covid infected H2O and it turns to vapour does the Covid virus learn how to fly
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It would be interesting to see EA direct his attention towards what is our constitution. I believe I have seen him referred to as a ‘constitutional scholar’ but he is now absent when there are whispers of a goof in becoming a republic.
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I suspect the ‘other two’ are now struggling to submit the required number of words every week. -
“BU Covid threats are a sorry state of repetitive bullshit by bullshitters”
As this is fully in line with what I think, I stopped reading there.
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@David, Ms. Russell the attorney asks some difficult governance and legal questions in her essay.
Vaxxed or unvaxxed we still have issues to resolve and the suggestions that we are over the worst of covid (as is proposed in some media reports) is quite a misdirection!
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@Dee World
The pandemic continues to ask difficult questions for the world.
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And like flies attracted to shit what do you et tal do?
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@LyallS, excellent summary above at 12:00 AM. Excellent.
As a scientist explain something for me if you would.
How would the distribution of a virus like covid affect the water supply so ‘effectively’ to cause harm despite the chlorination and other agents used to purify our potable water!
Is this virus known (based on scientific evidence) to be such a virulent pathogen that it maintains its potency against those purifying agents!
BTW, after reading your piece above I was reminded of the book title “Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics” … Never read the book fully but the theme of how folks use stats IMPROPERLY to create a very plausible but wholly false narrative is the point.
You clearly explained that AGAIN.
So thanks again!🙏🏿
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Occasionally, I post a few comments,
Mainly
‘Unable to contribute on this covid-post’ or
‘Covid-19 is complicated’Thinking but not saying …. MOST of what is posted is repetitive bullshit.
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Lyall has always been excellent.
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Oh dear @David your analogy conjurs a very unpalatable imagery for the Sunday morn brunch … whoa!
But what is there to do!
We can turn up our noses of course, but if we are alive then we will expel smelly matter daily, yes!
So we treat the virus as we do our shi*: deal with it purposefully evey day and at every contact point where it’s expelled from the body!
Bro, what early morn ‘depressing’ imaging … gee … and I can’t even head down to Brandons or Batts Rock or walk Bathsheba to refresh!
I gone.
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RE The pandemic continues to ask difficult questions for the world.
BULLSHIT
PEOPLE WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO TREATING THE VIRUS SIMPLY AND CORRECTLY HAVE BEEN GETTING GOOD RESULTS. THEY DONT SEE UM AS NO DIFFICULT QUESTIONMORONS WHO FOLLOW DIABOLICAL MORONS OF LIKE ILK TALK BULLSHIT PERPETUALLY AND FOLK DIE……….AND THE HYPE AND FEAR AND BULLSHITT CONTINUES TO BE EFFLEXED BY THE MEDICAL ILLITERATES
SIMPLE THINGS ARE DEALT WITH SIMPLY BY SIMPLY DOING THE CORRECT THING
WHEN POLITICIANS GET INTO MEDICINE FOR FINANCIAL GAIN , YOU GET PROBLEMS THAT YOU NEED NOT TO GETPEOPLE WITH BETZ CELLS IN THIER BRAINS, THINK AND SOLVE PROBLEMS
PEOPLE WITH BRAINS FILLED WITH RECTAL MUCOSA DO WHAT RECTAL MUCOAS D0——THEY EFFLUS SHIT
NEVER LEARNING, AND NEVER COMING TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH
BUT PROVIDING LOTS OF MIRTHRE And like flies attracted to shit what do you et al do?
WUNNAH DOES JUST CONTINUE EFFLUXING SHIT
WUNNAH JUST WALLOW IN IT CAUSE WUNNAH NOT ABLE TO RISE UP FROM ITWHEN YA DONT KNOW A TOPIC COMMON SENSE SAYS SHUT UP LISTEN AND THINK, AND SEE IF YOU CAN LEARN ANYTHING
THE EXPERTS OVER IN A WAY SAY THAT THE VACCINATED FOLK SPREADING THE DISEASE
BASIC SCIENCE ADHERENTS CAN SEE THE SENSE THERE BUT THE DUMMIES ON BU TALK BULL SHIT IN RESPONSE
IT IS BULLSHIT IN AND BULL SHIT OUT, AS IF YOU AT A BULL SHIT FACTORYBUT KEEP BULLSHITTING IT PROVIDES MUCH MIRTH WHEN ONE LOOKS IN
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