Answer A Broadsheet Reader

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Ivor Cummins

“Science died in 2020 replaced by draconian, Medieval absurdity’.

Tomorrow morning,  Covid critic Ivor Cummins BE(Chem) CEng MIEI PMP takes to the piping ‘hot stool’ to answer YOUR questions via the medium of ‘telly’

Ivor aka The Fat Emperor online, on Twitter with 83,000 followers and on YouTube (60,000 subscribers), describes his career specialty as leading ‘large worldwide teams in complex problem-solving activities’, Since 2012  has been ‘intensively researching the root causes of modern chronic disease’.

The Dublin-based dad of five’s 2018 book “Eat Rich, Live Long” (co-authored with preventative medicine expert Jeffry Gerber MD, FAAFP), is a bestseller.

Leave a question below for Ivor on the rona issue or any other issue, even his amusing name, and we will ask him.

Previously: Michael Healy-Rae

Dr Marcus de Brun

Earlier: That’ll Learn Him

Sponsored Link

111 thoughts on “Answer A Broadsheet Reader

    1. Just Sayin

      Ivor is doing a great job looking at the scientific data and then attempting to present it in simple terms.

      Sometimes he is trying to explain too much at once and that leaves him open to nit-picking rather than debunking.

      Dr Dominic Pimenta says

      “Straight out of the gate we get a graph of deaths due to COVID in UK, Italy, Ireland and Sweden.
      Ivor claims this is ‘entirely in line with influenza’. This is from the CDC showing the typical flu season: It ends in March, not begins, and very rarely extends into spring.”

      So Ivor should have said the shape of the covid curve is the same as a seosonal influenza curve, except that it occurrs later in the season.

      In fact he does explain this in another video.

      So not debunking really, just nit-picking over grammar.

    2. Buaman

      Ivor countered the Junior Doctor who seems who seems to have too much time on his hands and an unhealthy interest in Ivor!
      Watch his rebuke here. Remember that its ok for there to be questions that cannot be answered but not for there to be answers that cannot be questioned!
      https://youtu.be/eKKIr425b40

      1. Formerly known as @ireland.com

        Wow – How dare a medical professional spend time analysing another person’s output! I appreciate the “junior doctor” using his time productively.

      1. Formerly known as @ireland.com

        Show me the list of ICU staff that agree with you. I hope you are volunteering to work in ICU, so that you gain some medical experience.

    3. Cui Bono?

      I read Dr Pimenta’s thread and it’s the worst debunking attempt I’ve ever seen.

      He clearly has misunderstood many of Ivor’s points and he doesn’t even know some of the most basic facts about Covid such as the IFR being closer to 0.2%. Ivor made another video today debunking Dr Pimentas nonsense.

  1. Joe Small

    Only deeply insecure people put their academic credentials after their name.

    Yours, etc.

    Joe Small, B.A., M.A., PhD.

      1. Commenter #1

        Lolol that’s as may be, but it doesn’t mean Joe’s wrong. From Ivor’s website:
        “Ivor Cummins BE(Chem) CEng MIEI PMP completed a Biochemical Engineering degree in 1990. He has since spent 30 years in corporate technical leadership positions. His career specialty has been leading large worldwide teams in complex problem-solving activity.”

        https://thefatemperor.com/about-ivor-cummins/

        Unless you wrote the “About” section of his website too? Busy Bodger!

      1. Commenter #1

        Engineering and project management, it looks like, Paddy. Hasn’t stopped him from apparently “presenting at the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR) and also at the Irish National Institute of Preventative Cardiology (NIPC) annual conferences,” per his website.

        If I were to ask a question of Ivor, i suppose it would be around what form these presentations took, and for evidence of same. Oh, and when they took place. Oddly, his report from the 2018 BACPR conference does not mention his own presentation, if that’s when it took place: https://www.dietdoctor.com/public-health-collaboration-2018-conference-in-london-ivor-cummins-reports

        1. GiggidyGoo

          Well, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, and worked two stints at McKinsey & Company?
          Or, who dropped out of college with no degree?

          Our current and previous health Ministers aren’t exactly qualified to be telling us anything are they?

          1. Lilly

            He was. He spoke to me once in the queue for the checkout at Upper Baggot Street Tesco. Seemed an affable fellow.

          2. GiggidyGoo

            @Cian They weren’t so good – for him especially, as he couldn’t wait to bail out of that.
            I am still wondering how, when he was a few months into his law course, he got ‘awarded’ extra points to enable him move to medicine. I see a young woman was loused out of two points in the leaving this year and so can’t follow her chosen career – medicine. Can she avail of an award too?

  2. ScaryLady

    Oh come on!! How many more cranks are you going to give a platform to? Any keyboard warrior who is “only asking questions” seems to be given a free rein here. Ridiculous.

  3. Eoin

    Keep up the good work Broadsheet. Doing actual investigative journalism. I’d forgotten what it looked like.

    1. Daisy Chainsaw

      BS Towers won’t be in any danger from the donkeys braying outside their doors for factchecking woo this weekend anyway.

    2. Jim

      Yes. Ivor is class, before covid (I know right, what was that) I was unwittingly getting prepared for COVID by following his diet advice. Now I’m fit as a fiddle, never hungry. Grow my own food, never sick. This guys a legend. Fair play Ivor.

      If any of the numptys here bothered to read his stuff covid wouldn’t be a worry for them either as being pre-diabetic and low on vit D are two of the main co-morbidities you could take out of the equation.

      Hey Ivor, my sister left her job as a nurse as she was sick of the medical establishments stance on diabetes (pushing meds) and heart disease (pushing statins). If your setting up a clinic would you employ her, she’s great at what she does. Thanks again.

  4. Art Vandelay

    You mention on the twitter machine that 200 doctors in Ireland and 200 doctors in Belgium think that the Covid pandemic is nothing more than hysteria. I think you’ll accept that that is still a minuscule amount in the grand scheme of things, so much so that one could argue it could be completely ignored. A few (hopefully short) questions then:
    – What do you think the number of doctors/experts has to get to in order for it become the new accepted way forward?
    – For most forms of medical advice we take the majority opinion for what the best thing to do is, why do you think that this time is different and that we shouldn’t take it? From the doctor and medical profession point of view i mean. I can’t see why the majority of the health care profession would row in behind various nefarious governments just to set up a new world order (if that is indeed the reason why this is happening)
    – Do you not think that by referring to people as sheeple/donkeys/stupid they will find it very hard to listen and possibly change their minds and agree with you?

    1. ian-oh

      Your second question is the best in my opinion – Occams razor comes into play.

      Why indeed would the majority of medical professionals get onboard with a global scheme to mask us all up? Its utterly bonkers.

      The reality is that on the balance of probabilities, what we are being told is closest to what is actually happening. For sure there are lies, deceptions and obfuscations on some matters, mostly logistical though I’d imagine or in the likes of Hungary, political power plays and so on, but the actual science is being put out there and being examined, tested and agreed upon by the vast, vast majority of experts. I’ll stick with the vast majority opinion myself. If it was closer split, like perhaps 20-30% had reservations I might take note but literally less than 1% is not something I take seriously at all.

      Also, he has everyone from hypnotists to cannabis genome sequencers to sports physiologists to brexiteers and Trumpists to ……….Niall Boylan contradicting actual medical scientists on his twitter feed so this guy is clearly not someone to take seriously.

      ANYONE who quotes Niall Boylan is essentially losing whatever argument they might have straight away, guy is pure tabloid nonsense. Anyone remember his interview with a man who copulated with his dogs? Real cutting edge journalism Niall (and no, I didn’t listen to it, I read about and laughed.)

      He even calls out Bill Gates (correctly I might add, I wouldn’t be listening to the clown who inflicted his useless Windows OS on the world) for his lack of knowledge on the subject without a hint of irony.

    2. f_lawless

      “For most forms of medical advice we take the majority opinion for what the best thing to do is, why do you think that this time is different and that we shouldn’t take it? From the doctor and medical profession point of view i mean. I can’t see why the majority of the health care profession would row in behind various nefarious governments just to set up a new world order (if that is indeed the reason why this is happening)”

      My two cents: that’s an inherent danger with having a centralised body such as the World Health Organisation setting global health policies. What happens if corporate or political vested interests use their power and influence to shape those policies for their own ends? We know it’s happened before. Leading WHO scientists were investigated after the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic and found to have been acting on behalf of pharmaceutical corporations.

      The average doctor/medical professional is concerned about their own career and providing for their own families. I’m sure many must have concerns and doubts about current health policies surrounding the pandemic, but it’s clear that in the current atmosphere, stick your head over the parapet on a public platform, and you risk professional ostracisation and maybe even the end of your career.

      Also I think just because a person has scientific expertise in a certain field, it’s not necessarily a sign of political astuteness. Just like any average layperson, there would be those who are predisposed to trust in authority and would be more inclined to accept the WHO is acting in good faith rather than give credence to the disturbing possibility that this is a medial scandal of historic proportions.

      So no grand conspiracy necessary. What’s that quote: “For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing”

      1. Art Vandelay

        I agree that the centralising of information, any form of information even, be it health, financial or otherwise is ripe to be manipulated due to only having to tackle it at one source, but I suppose where I’m struggling to make the leap is that in this current situation, its the majority of the *entire* planet at the same time. Your WHO’s, your NATO’s, your IMF’s have always been pumping out global policies over the years and countries have ignored them all the time, whats different this time? (If its not truly an uncontrollable pandemic I mean). I’m a bit lost at your point that it could be a medical scandal of historic proportions but that no grand conspiracy is necessary. Do you mean through sheer ineptitude? Can you really get mass ineptitude at a level we’re seeing? Or do you mean it doesn’t have to be a conspiracy, just a number of events happened? Man alive, it is some astronomical confluence of events for it produce all the symptoms of either a legitimate global phenomenon or a Dr. Evil style world domination plan. I think I may actually find it easier to get on board with either of those options rather than just a few dominoes fell in a row and it resulted in a perfect storm. (I may be taking up your “no grand conspiracy” point wrong here)

        In relation to the average Doctor not blowing the whistle for fear of being cancelled like the two recent examples, I suppose again, I end up coming back to the majority viewpoint. To me it appears that with the various trade unions, medical councils etc. that if there enough dissenting medical professionals, they could easily use these bodies to say “woah there, Nelly” without Joe Public knowing anything about which doctors raised what concerns. Naive perhaps to think that way but I’d like to think that if there was genuine concern amongst Doctors that we were unnecessarily having the wool pulled over our eyes that the IMO would be out in the morning with “99% of our members think this lockdown stuff is nonsense and its no worse than your common-or-garden flu.” Hippocratic oath and all that…

        This is why discussions should never happen on the internet! Too easy to completely miss the point the other person is making!

        1. Clampers Outside

          Hey BS, get Art and F_Law on for the chat with Ivor :)

          Fair play guys for the great comments from the two of you.

          1. Art Vandelay

            Hmmm, it could be interesting but going on Ivor’s tweets he seems to be of the condescending shouty type and I’d only shut down when discussions go like that so I’d have no interest, sorry. Its also why I don’t have twitter or anything. Really effects my well being reading some of the arguments and the depths that people go to these days. I take my cue from the lady who left the Westboro Baptist church where she speaks about that it was only when people talked to her rationally did she ever actually think about what she was promoting. She talks about it being beyond easy to ignore the dismissive shouty people as you can just write them off as the “crazy” ones.

      2. f_lawless

        I read this recently and thought it was insightful. Rather than a grand conspiracy involving a huge amount of people all “in on the plan” which would be ridiculous on the face of it, maybe the situation is better explained by an underlying zeitgeist taking a collective hold while different groups may have their own specific motivations relative to their set of circumstances?

        Worth a read:
        https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-conspiracy-myth/

        “…What is it that makes the vast majority of humanity comply with a system that drives Earth and humankind to ruin? What power has us in its grip? It isn’t just the conspiracy theorists who are captive to a mythology. Society at large is too. I call it the mythology of Separation: me separate from you, matter separate from spirit, human separate from nature. It holds us as discrete and separate selves in an objective universe of force and mass, atoms and void. Because we are (in this myth) separate from other people and from nature, we must dominate our competitors and master nature. Progress, therefore, consists in increasing our capacity to control the Other. The myth recounts human history as an ascent from one triumph to the next, from fire to domestication to industry to information technology, genetic engineering, and social science, promising a coming paradise of control. That same myth motivates the conquest and ruin of nature, organizing society to turn the entire planet into money — no conspiracy necessary.

        The mythology of Separation is what generates what I named in The Coronation as a “civilizational tilt” toward control. The solution template is, facing any problem, to find something to control — to quarantine, to track, to imprison, to wall out, to dominate, or to kill. If control fails, more control will fix it. To achieve social and material paradise, control everything, track every movement, monitor every word, record every transaction. Then there can be no more crime, no more infection, no more disinformation. When the entire ruling class accepts this formula and this vision, they will act in natural concert to increase their control. It is all for the greater good. When the public accepts it too, they will not resist it. This is not a conspiracy, though it can certainly look like one. This is a third truth within the conspiracy myth. Events are indeed orchestrated in the direction of more and more control, only the orchestrating power is itself a zeitgeist, an ideology… a myth….

        …Information suppression can happen without deliberate orchestration. Throughout history, hysterias, intellectual fads, and mass delusions have come and gone spontaneously. This is more mysterious than the easy conspiracy explanation admits. An unconscious coordination of action can look very much like a conspiracy, and the boundary between the two is blurry. Consider the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) fraud that served as a pretext for the invasion of Iraq. Maybe there were people in the Bush administration who knowingly used the phony “yellowcake” document to call for war; maybe they just wanted very much to believe the documents were genuine, or maybe they thought, “Well, this is questionable but Saddam must have WMD, and even if he doesn’t, he wants them, so the document is basically true…” People easily believe what serves their interests or fits their existing worldview.

        In a similar vein, the media needed little encouragement to start beating the war drums. They knew what to do already, without having to receive instructions. I don’t think very many journalists actually believed the WMD lie. They pretended to believe, because subconsciously, they knew that was the establishment narrative. That was what would get them recognized as serious journalists. That’s what would give them access to power. That is what would allow them to keep their jobs and advance their careers. But most of all, they pretended to believe because everyone else was pretending to believe. It is hard to go against the zeitgeist. ..’

        1. Art Vandelay

          Good (and long!) article. I certainly agree with the overall hypothesis (and yours that there need not be a grand conspiracy) that its probably not a new world order thing. That’s mainly though only for two reasons 1) I sheepishly don’t want to believe there is such a thing! and 2) I’ve worked in large multinationals for the last 20 years and trying to get that level of alignment across people is nigh on impossible.

          Which brings us to the other conclusion then that it is just low-level compliance at a global level and shitty management of a scale of which we’ve never seen the like. First time for everything as they say. Doctors were telling us to smoke fags and drink Guinness for long enough too I suppose.

  5. Just Sayin

    Well done Broadsheet we need to hear more from people like Ivor who challenge the accepted narrative and back it up with science.

    1: Can Ivor explain the science behind Luke O’Neill’s batpoo crazy theory that masks are like vaccines.

    2: If lockdown / masks don’t work then presumably we are further along the road to community immunity than might be expected. How might we benchmark this? (obviously pointless to look for antibodies)

    3: When Dublin ‘Wet’ pubs reopen which pub will he be drinking in? (so I can buy him a pint)

    1. ian-oh

      1. Didn’t take long to find if you wanted to:

      https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2026913

      Luke O’Neill wasn’t involved in the research so not ‘his’ theory. There are no certainties in that paper but it seems to have merit according to many people who actually know about this sort of thing. The mask creates a crude form of ‘variolation’ – from the paper:

      ”Variolation was a process whereby people who were susceptible to smallpox were inoculated with material taken from a vesicle of a person with smallpox, with the intent of causing a mild infection and subsequent immunity. Variolation was practiced only until the introduction of the variola vaccine, which ultimately eradicated smallpox.”

      It has been used for centuries at the very least.

      2. Strawman argument, so not worth addressing, you clearly don’t want to believe in wearing masks it seems and you also clearly do not understand how herd immunity works, people seem to not retain the required antibodies so if that is true then there will be no immunity same as there is no immunity to the common cold despite decades of research – buckle in, we might be here for a while.

      3. If people continue to listen to people like him and not epidemiologists and virologists, ya know, the people who actually know about this stuff it could be the next decade if ever before we can get a pint without a 9 quid basket of wings.

      So now, next time BS has an AMA, I’m available.

      You’re welcome.

      : )

      1. Just Sayin

        1: So if variolation works, then why not give voung/fit/healthy volunteers carefully controlled doses as a vaccine, rather than using masks to indiscriminitely splatter covid everywhere?

        2: “people seem to not retain the required antibodies”

        Yes I understand the antibodies don’t last long, but T cells do last (sars 1 survivors still have t-cell response to sars2 17 years later) and in this instance seem more relevant than antibodies.

        Estimating how many people have been exposed to covid by checking for antibodies is a waste of time, hence I’m asking if there another way. (supposedly it’s not as easy to check for t-cells as it is for antibodies)

        1. ian-oh

          1. They don’t know at this stage, but its possible. However, variolation was always hit and miss, that paper is more along the lines of discussing unintended consequences rather than any sort of strategy.

          2. Again, they just do not know right now.

          But I will tell who certainly does not have any answers for this, Ivor Cummins, the more I read about him and check what he writes and is written about him the more I am inclined to dismiss him as yet another quack trying to stick it to the man.

          Avoid.

  6. Dell

    Very sceptical about this guy. The company that funds him and his high fat, low carb YouTube videos and talks has a ceo that also has serious links with the fast food industry. Also these conspiracy theorists throw around figures like 200 doctors all agreeing its a hoax, and granted 200 is a large number in a pool of 300, but a tiny number in a pool of thousands.

    1. f_lawless

      This is moronic. Fast food – high in saturated fat, refined carbohydrates and sugar – is diametrically at odds with Cummins’ research and the type of diet he advocates for.

      I googled “Ivor Cummins and funding ” and clicked on a woeful youtube video where some anonymous posterr tries to insinuate he’s working for the fast food industry. Would I be right in assuming you haven’t investigated any of Cummins’ work and are basing your assertion on that youtube video?

        1. f_lawless

          At the end of the day, youtube is just a medium. At you can do is make a judgement on the content of any particular video based on your own critical thinking skills – Are the arguments presented sound in reasoning and logical? How well is it researched? Are verifiable data sources used,?. What’s the track record of the person delivering the message? etc

    2. Fuzzy

      Okay that is the most illogical statement -Low carb, high fat = fast food conspiracy. If you knew anything at the guys that eat keto, you would know that they would never eat fast fupping food…..

  7. phil

    What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis or autoinflammatory disease and are we seeing or likely to see a lot more of it since Covid ?

    1. GiggidyGoo

      The arthritis subject. As far as i’m aware, people with arthritis have an overactive immune system. On its own that might curtail the virus, but as it is the sufferers have to go on anti-immune treatments, which reduces their immune system. If they’re on those treatments, they will know to be very careful.
      As for what causes arthritis – I think it’s an overactive immune system that fights good and bad and causes it.
      Of course, I stand to be corrected on what i’ve just posted.

      1. Just Sayin

        One of the biggest problems with covid is an overactive immune system (cytokine storm) which causes massive inflimation and does more damage than the covid itself.

        I think Chloroquine and other treatments are used to dampen the immune system to prevent this happening.

        It may be that Rheumatoid Arthritis are uniquely protected by their existing medication.

        Bizarrely smokers are protected as nicotine has an anti imflamitory effect on the lungs

        Perhaps Ivor will comment further.

  8. Madam X

    I’ve a very fundamental question. If we follow this alternative strategy and the hospitals fill both ICUs and wards and normal treatments have to be abandoned. inc cancer treatments and those with impared immune systems etc, what bright plan has he to stop this and front line staff being worked into the ground?

    1. ian-oh

      High fat, low carb, vitamin D enriched hydroxychloroquine?

      (Hey, I spelled hydroxychloroquine without looking up! )

    2. Johnnythree

      Madam X thats a good question. But it does not appear that the ICU will fill at this point or maybe not at all.

      Maybe everyone who was vulnerable died?
      Maybe the virus is less infectious?
      Maybe we can’t control the virus and just have to have a policy of shielding vulnerable?
      Maybe younger people should get it as they have been as they have less ICU impacts.

      Not disagreeing you but these are points I think should be considered?

  9. Johnnythree

    QUESTIONS FOR IVOR
    I’m fascinated/ curious and open to his opinions.

    What does he think we should do about:
    1. New cases and increase in cases – let them happen? Try to control? Accept that they will rise and then fall?
    2. Pubs and bars? Open? What if it provokes a spike, lots of deaths, ICU’s? ( I don’t think it will but many people do, what does he think?)
    3. He uses Sweden as an example of good policy. It’s very different with trust in Govt, lots of personal responsibility and even though no ‘mandated’ lockdown lots of curbs on businesses and schools. Lots of things different about it and Ireland.Is Sweden the hero still?
    4. Do lockdowns work? If no, why?
    5. Why does he think masks don’t work?
    6. Does he think this is a big conspiracy or an unfortunate culmination of events?
    7. What does he say to public health experts who appeal to us to control our socialising as a way of stopping cases. Does he think cases are just going to spiral and end up in the thousands each week or will they peak and stop. If we keep locking down and stopping spread intermittently is that worse than the other cost of lockdown – mental health, economy, social structure etc.
    8. Does he think Leo Varadkar was more strategic (maybe more political) in managing the earlier stages of the outbreak. Is Donnelly & Martin an awful combo and if so why?

    Thank you

  10. f_lawless

    I wonder could Ivor do a short explainer on some of the different levels of hierarchy in scientific evidence and how he perceives the controversy surrounding the WHO policy on masks where they seem to have disregarded the findings of previous randomised control trials in favour of observational studies which are lower down in the hierarchy.

    Recently our Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly has asserted on more than one occasion: “we know lockdowns work”, how do you think he or NPHET are reaching this conclusion?

  11. Mick

    1. Will you continue to promote Dolores Cahill? If not., why?

    2. Do you believe the alt/far right has it’s place in anti-lockdown protests?

  12. SOQ

    Ivor- I am a big fan of your work- you may or may not be 100% correct but you certainly brought a new perspective to the debate which is a breath of fresh air.

    1. Given that Sweden is already back to relative normality- what in your opinion would be the best lock-down exit strategy for Ireland?

    2. It is your opinion that CoVid-19 has followed a seasonal pattern and that there will be no second wave but- assuming there was to be a second wave, where should we looking to for it to start first?

    3. I know you are a stats and facts man but- why do you think the mainstream media has be behaving in such an irresponsible and reckless manner with their fear and scaremongering?

  13. Rob_G

    @Ivor, when at what point did you realise that you were a medical genius, and, despite not having any medical training, are smarter then all of the virologists and epidemiologists in the world?

    1. Dell

      Exactly! Are we all going to start going to the local mechanic for information on our health next? Its probably broadsheets next port of call.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Because people prefer to drink at a reasonable cost – at home – probably. e.g. 4 bottles of really good beers and IPA’s the likes of what’s made by Boyne Brewing, Carlow Brewing, and others cost approx €10 – €11 for the equivalent of four pints.

      €6 for a pint is mad money.

  14. Lilly

    Has the virus lost its potency? People getting it now – irrespective of age – don’t seem to be as ill as those who contracted it in March.

    1. Truth in the News

      We should always have the alternative opinion and argument provided a platform
      the current measures have not eliminated the virus and now appears that the long
      lock down only flatned out the statistical peak and did not get rid of the infection
      Embedded in mindset of those in authority and those in the media that give
      predence to their views, is reluctance to effectively challenge or argue the
      opposite view, above all the way RTE has been used as mouth piece and
      arm of Government is alarmingly, has got it something to do with its current
      10 of millions defecit……?

      1. ReproBertie

        “We should always have the alternative opinion and argument provided a platform”
        It’s not even half eight and I’ve already read the dumbest thing I’ll read all day.

        “the current measures have not eliminated the virus and now appears that the long
        lock down only flatned out the statistical peak and did not get rid of the infection”
        It was never meant to eliminate the virus. The lock down was designed to flatten the statistical peak, not get rid of the infection. Did it really take you you until September to work out what they were telling us in March?

  15. Luse

    Ivor Cummins? That the keto diet guy? Great. Herd immunity and the high fat diet, just what we need. Who next Gillian McKeith or Mikhaila Peterson?
    How about you get someone qualified in immunology or epidemiology next time.

    1. Johnnythree

      @Luse Why don’t you just ask a question instead of shouting? Or click off? he’s happy to answer questions, even yours probably.

        1. f_lawless

          Compared to what? Taiwan recorded the highest mortality rate in the world from SARS-Cov-1.

          Why didn’t masks stop a severe flu epidemic in Taiwan in 2019? Have a look at this article.

          https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3641454

          In the space of just over one week alone “Over 99,000 emergency room visits were made due to flu-like symptoms”

          Similarly Japan, which, like Taiwan, also has a long history of mask-wearing, had it’s worst ever flu epidemic in 2019. Millions were struck down suffering from symptoms. Many died. Japan has had very few Covid-19 deaths too.
          https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2019/02/01/Millions-in-Japan-affected-as-flu-outbreak-grips-country/9191549043797/

          From the expert opinion I’ve read, a more plausible explanation is that the most significant factor is likely the existence of high levels of cross-immunity across the region acquired from prior exposure to respiratory viruses similar to SARS-Cov-2.

  16. Formerly known as @ireland.com

    He seems underqualified in comparison with the people taking the virus seriously. These include:

    https://www.doherty.edu.au/people/laureate-professor-peter-doherty
    which has these people involved:
    https://www.doherty.edu.au/people

    and these people:
    https://med.unsw.edu.au/our-people/raina-macintyre
    https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/26586-jodie-mcvernon
    http://www.healthdata.org/about/tony-blakely

    I will be following the advice of the experts, the elites if you like.

  17. Cui Bono?

    Some questions for Ivor:

    1. Any ideas on how to get people to ignore the “conspiracy theory” and “pseudoscience” comments and actually look at the data? So many won’t look at the data because they’ve heard it’s only for right wingers even though it’s just charts and graphs of the data.

    2. How can we get a live debate on RTE, Virgin Media, or TG4?

    3. Is it possible to flatten the curve any more!?

  18. Clampers Outside

    Ivor, have YOU seen Johnny Dangerously?

    The last fella hadn’t seen it, which is a shame. It’s got Michael Keaton in it polishing a hamster. What’s not to like?!
    No… get your head outta that!
    He’s literally polishing a hamster ’cause he works in a pet store!

    That’s my fargin question.

    1. Formerly known as @ireland.com

      Why are you called Johnny Dangerously?
      Because I like to live dangerously!

      “Thanks, Mom, I was thinking of taking up smoking.”
      His mother gave him an ash tray.

  19. Just Sayin

    One of the biggest problems with covid is an overactive immune system (cytokine storm) which causes massive inflimation and does more damage than the covid itself.

    I think Chloroquine and other treatments are used to dampen the immune system to prevent this happening.

    It may be that Rheumatoid Arthritis are uniquely protected by their existing medication.

    Bizarrely smokers are protected as nicotine has an anti imflamitory effect on the lungs

    Perhaps Ivor will comment further.

  20. Cian

    Two questions:
    1. What do you mean when you talk about “seasonality”? My understanding is that the time of year changes both the likelihood of transmission (temperature and humidity affect the length of time a virus stays alive) and how we act (time spent indoors, diet, sunshine/vitamin D levels, central heating, sports, travel, etc) and these factors make it more/less likely for one person to be infected by another. It also suggests that it will re-occur annually. Will Covid recur next March/April?

    2. Looking at Irish data, there was a trough in June/July. Since then there have been a steady increase in positive tests in the last seven weeks (this increase is not caused by the number of tests performed – more daily tests are happening because the number of positives increased ).
    There has been a steady increase in Covid hospitalizations for five weeks from a low of ~15 to 66 on yesterday – highest since 17 June (this dropped to 65 today).
    There has been an increase in ICU cases for 10 days (currently 14 – the highest since 22 June)
    There have been 11 deaths so far in the first 16 days of September (there were only 3 deaths in the previous 16 days).

    Is this (the start of) a second wave?

    2.(b) If no to 2, and if the number continue to rise, at what point would you acknowledge that it is a second wave?

    Thanks

    1. GiggidyGoo

      “Since then there have been a steady increase in positive tests in the last seven weeks (this increase is not caused by the number of tests performed – more daily tests are happening because the number of positives increased ).”
      What utter codswallop. If the number of tests increased, then the number of positives increase, as you can’t identify a positive without a test.

      1. Cian

        July had 203,300 tests: 592 positive (0.29%)
        August had 206,900 tests: 2,746 positives (1.33%)

        August had slightly more tests (1.8% more tests) than July, but a hell of a lot more positives (363.9% more positive tests). This increase in positives has nothing to do with the number of tests performed.

        Because of this 350+% increase in positives, there have been more daily tests performed.

        Cause and effect.
        Cause: “We are seeing a lot more positive tests.”
        Effect: “Let’s increase the number of tests were are doing each day.”

  21. Cui Bono?

    The burden of proof should be on the Irish government, NPHET, and HSE to justify any mandates and policies but they’re not providing this.

    The opposition parties are not speaking out and demanding this.

    With so much data contradicting the official narrative and with most people of influence acting in lockstep (whether by intent or stupidity), do you think that this is really the beginning of the New World Order, New Normal, UN Agenda 21, WEF’s Great Reset?

    I know it sounds crazy to most but with so much unscientific and irrational decisions being made you do end up having to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

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