China Coronavirus

[thewobbler]

In this context I understand plenty.

The reason why there's been an increase in recent months of Covid sufferers with symptoms of sore throats and runny noses, can be deduced just as quickly as the reason why roughly 90% of all crimes are committed by right handed people.

Your making a big assumption that it's hayfever giving the symptoms not COVID. You've no way of knowing that. But that's beside the point to be honest. The reality is that it's just reporting the symptoms that people tested positive with COVID have declared. Hardly something to get dismayed about.

I'm not making any assumptions at all.

Between 20 and 25% of the UK population suffers from hay fever, and they suffer greatest between May and July.

There are no assumptions needed.

This data may be real but the correlation is nonsense.

[J70]

In this context I understand plenty.

The reason why there's been an increase in recent months of Covid sufferers with symptoms of sore throats and runny noses, can be deduced just as quickly as the reason why roughly 90% of all crimes are committed by right handed people.

f**king hell thewobbler, I think you should contact these researchers and let them know that you've sorted this out.

Its obviously never occurred to these amateurs that seasonal allergies are a problem for people in spring and early summer.

Of course they're aware of it.

But do you know something J70? The fact that neither the article nor the quotes mentions hay fever suggests they do not wish to entertain or acknowledge the obvious.

Staying relevant is vital for one of these organisation's oxygen. I'd have sincerely hoped that the other organisation would only give them that oxygen when needed. It's not a big ask.

Have you even looked at who the organization behind the Zoe Covid Symptom study are?

Massachusetts General and Kings College London are two of the creators. They're collaborating with a host of other organizations including the Harvard and University of Texas' Schools of Public Health.

They're not some lowly community college researcher who barely scraped a third class honours degree.

As for the article, its a brief story on the BBC, not some in-depth academic paper or even a review in a dedicated medical or science magazine. Its not meant to go into the details of the research and analysis and whatever statistical controls they put in to account for potential confounding data.

[thewobbler]

Here's how the article should have been penned:

Title: Headache and runny nose linked to Delta variant, with seasonal factors potentially at play.

Synopsis: A headache, sore throat and runny nose are now the most commonly reported symptoms linked to Covid infection in the UK, researchers say. Though as these symptoms spike annually in tandem with pollen counts, these findings should not be unexpected.

——

There is a world of difference between what I've written and what the BBC have published. The BBC have penned a Covid propaganda piece.

[armaghniac]

In this context I understand plenty.

The reason why there's been an increase in recent months of Covid sufferers with symptoms of sore throats and runny noses, can be deduced just as quickly as the reason why roughly 90% of all crimes are committed by right handed people.

Your making a big assumption that it's hayfever giving the symptoms not COVID. You've no way of knowing that. But that's beside the point to be honest. The reality is that it's just reporting the symptoms that people tested positive with COVID have declared. Hardly something to get dismayed about.

I'm not making any assumptions at all.

Between 20 and 25% of the UK population suffers from hay fever, and they suffer greatest between May and July.

There are no assumptions needed.

This data may be real but the correlation is nonsense.

Any similar with symptoms would merely increase the number being tested, it would not show any more having Covid unless they had Covid.

[trailer]

The vaccines work. Get vaccinated. Get your kids vaccinated and this disappears.

[Armagh18]

The vaccines work. Get vaccinated. Get your kids vaccinated and this disappears.

Theres enough vaccinated now that case numbers should be irrelevant. They keep moving the goalposts and trying to scare people with these variants.

[trueblue1234]

In this context I understand plenty.

The reason why there's been an increase in recent months of Covid sufferers with symptoms of sore throats and runny noses, can be deduced just as quickly as the reason why roughly 90% of all crimes are committed by right handed people.

Your making a big assumption that it's hayfever giving the symptoms not COVID. You've no way of knowing that. But that's beside the point to be honest. The reality is that it's just reporting the symptoms that people tested positive with COVID have declared. Hardly something to get dismayed about.

I'm not making any assumptions at all.

Between 20 and 25% of the UK population suffers from hay fever, and they suffer greatest between May and July.

There are no assumptions needed.

This data may be real but the correlation is nonsense.

So if you take those figures and apply it across the people that have COVID and suffering this effects that still leaves 75-80% who still have the symptoms but not hay fever. Still worth the population being aware. I'm really struggling with your annoyance at this.

[thewobbler]

I'm not following your figures True Blue. Especially the 75-80%.

Probably in no short way because the article doesn't contain any actual figures (just sweeping statements), and my attempts to find a related data sheet or news article on Covid Symptom Study site, aren't producing anything.

I think we are both running blind on this one. The only difference being I prefer to ask why I'm being told to run blind, rather than just assume the voices will guide me.

[J70]

Here's how the article should have been penned:

Title: Headache and runny nose linked to Delta variant, with seasonal factors potentially at play.

Synopsis: A headache, sore throat and runny nose are now the most commonly reported symptoms linked to Covid infection in the UK, researchers say. Though as these symptoms spike annually in tandem with pollen counts, these findings should not be unexpected.

——

There is a world of difference between what I've written and what the BBC have published. The BBC have penned a Covid propaganda piece.

Have you read the original research, even the abstract (assuming its published)? Are you getting your headline and synopsis from that, or from your own personal assumptions and opinions?

[trueblue1234]

I'm using your figure that the general population has 20-25% of people that suffer hayfever.
So you can apply that % against the number who contract Covid. (Rough sums obviously but you'd expect a similar % to the general population).
That still leaves a fairly high % who wouldn't have hayfever within the Covid cases.

But as I mentioned it's a pretty weird thing to be getting annoyed about either way. There's no scaremongering going on, it's just reporting facts. It mentions the loss of taste that everyone was aware of is less prevalent. There's absolutely nothing in there that should annoy anyone, unless you wanted to be annoyed.

[BennyCake]

The vaccines work. Get vaccinated. Get your kids vaccinated and this disappears.

Theres enough vaccinated now that case numbers should be irrelevant. They keep moving the goalposts and trying to scare people with these variants.

They'll be forever moving the goalposts, and there'll always be another variant.

[J70]

I'm not following your figures True Blue. Especially the 75-80%.

Probably in no short way because the article doesn't contain any actual figures (just sweeping statements), and my attempts to find a related data sheet or news article on Covid Symptom Study site, aren't producing anything.

I think we are both running blind on this one. The only difference being I prefer to ask why I'm being told to run blind, rather than just assume the voices will guide me.

Ok, so you haven't read the research itself or anything beyond the tiny BBC piece.

Which means you don't know what you're talking about with respect to the research itself, no more than the rest of us who haven't looked further into it.

You're a very sensible, smart contributor to the board, in my opinion, but this Spector guy is a head of department at Kings College London. You don't ascend to that position or get to be involved in an international collaboration with leading hospitals and universities by being a quack or a charlatan. Your objections are at the level of mistakes that an undergrad science student would be laughed out of their advisor's office for.

[thewobbler]

Here's how the article should have been penned:

Title: Headache and runny nose linked to Delta variant, with seasonal factors potentially at play.

Synopsis: A headache, sore throat and runny nose are now the most commonly reported symptoms linked to Covid infection in the UK, researchers say. Though as these symptoms spike annually in tandem with pollen counts, these findings should not be unexpected.

——

There is a world of difference between what I've written and what the BBC have published. The BBC have penned a Covid propaganda piece.

Have you read the original research, even the abstract (assuming its published)? Are you getting your headline and synopsis from that, or from your own personal assumptions and opinions?

There's really nothing personal or assumptive in what I write.

There has been a spike in Covid sufferers having hay fever symptoms, when pollen is at its highest.

The BBC have an article that uses a headline and intro to suggest correlation of Covid and these symptoms.

Then it neither presents research nor links to back this up. And nor is there any acknowledgement of the seasonality of the symptoms. No figures. No analysis. No research on display. No queries. Just a big bastard Covid headline. In essence it's a Covid fear story.

Why oh why oh why oh why would anyone support this type of journalism as being a service ?

[thewobbler]

I'm not following your figures True Blue. Especially the 75-80%.

Probably in no short way because the article doesn't contain any actual figures (just sweeping statements), and my attempts to find a related data sheet or news article on Covid Symptom Study site, aren't producing anything.

I think we are both running blind on this one. The only difference being I prefer to ask why I'm being told to run blind, rather than just assume the voices will guide me.

Ok, so you haven't read the research itself or anything beyond the tiny BBC piece.

Which means you don't know what you're talking about with respect to the research itself, no more than the rest of us who haven't looked further into it.

You're a very sensible, smart contributor to the board, in my opinion, but this Spector guy is a head of department at Kings College London. You don't ascend to that position or get to be involved in an international collaboration with leading hospitals and universities by being a quack or a charlatan. Your objections are at the level of mistakes that an undergrad science student would be laughed out of their advisor's office for.

I've had a good hoke through their site trying to find research and articles on common symptoms. I can't find anything that backs up or reflects this research.

Considering the BBC published this a day ago, I didn't think I'd have to work this hard to find it.

You don't need to be so quick to defend all things science. I do believe in this instance they've been misrepresented.

There's something very amiss in how this has been reported. And I do believe that the research piece which should have been available in tandem, has been removed so it can be reconsidered or repositioned.

[J70]

I'm not following your figures True Blue. Especially the 75-80%.

Probably in no short way because the article doesn't contain any actual figures (just sweeping statements), and my attempts to find a related data sheet or news article on Covid Symptom Study site, aren't producing anything.

I think we are both running blind on this one. The only difference being I prefer to ask why I'm being told to run blind, rather than just assume the voices will guide me.

Ok, so you haven't read the research itself or anything beyond the tiny BBC piece.

Which means you don't know what you're talking about with respect to the research itself, no more than the rest of us who haven't looked further into it.

You're a very sensible, smart contributor to the board, in my opinion, but this Spector guy is a head of department at Kings College London. You don't ascend to that position or get to be involved in an international collaboration with leading hospitals and universities by being a quack or a charlatan. Your objections are at the level of mistakes that an undergrad science student would be laughed out of their advisor's office for.

I've had a good hoke through their site trying to find research and articles on common symptoms. I can't find anything that backs up or reflects this research.

Considering the BBC published this a day ago, I didn't think I'd have to work this hard to find it.

You don't need to be so quick to defend all things science. I do believe in this instance they've been misrepresented.

There's something very amiss in how this has been reported. And I do believe that the research piece which should have been available in tandem, has been removed so it can be reconsidered or repositioned.

But you've nothing on which to base your belief that they've been misrepresented. The article is just quoting what Spector says, verbally, in the linked video. The research itself, given that he says they're seeing the change in symptoms among covid cases since May, may not even have been published yet.

As trubeblue says, the whole point is to warn people, especially the young (and that's mainly who they're talking about) that the typical symptoms have changed with this Delta variant and that they shouldn't be cavalier and dismiss the symptoms as a heavy cold and just go on about their lives seeing other people, especially because this new variant is so much more transmissible. Its a PSA. They saw concerning data, and instead of sitting on it they did the right thing and went public.