Coronavirus skeptics

[throbber]

There’s nothing about the virus that’s hard to believe, viruses can break out at any time and with the population of the planet being higher than its ever been and constantly rising an outbreak like this has been long overdue.  Specialists have been warning about it for years. This particularly chain is so nasty as it’s so contagious yet so many carriers display no symptoms yet so many potential catchers of the virus are very high risk. There really is nothing remarkable about it happening at all. 

[Turkmenbashi]

I mean I don't think it is ridiculous to say that is possible that the Chinese government are probably covering up something and have lied about it's true origins. Whether it came from a lab or not who knows, obviously definitely not some form of bio weapon. Beyond that it is quite clearly real.

[D.A.F.C]

The virus has been disected by independent scientists in numerous countries and found to be natural and untampered with. You're right it has mutated as it has travelled around the world though with there being three main strains. Unfortunately the strain in Europe is more deadly than the ones in North America or Asia.

That's why theres more dead americans.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, throbber said:

There’s nothing about the virus that’s hard to believe, viruses can break out at any time and with the population of the planet being higher than its ever been and constantly rising an outbreak like this has been long overdue.  Specialists have been warning about it for years. This particularly chain is so nasty as it’s so contagious yet so many carriers display no symptoms yet so many potential catchers of the virus are very high risk. There really is nothing remarkable about it happening at all. 

It's not like you to debunk conspiracy theories, throbber. Everything ok?

[The Moonster]

1 hour ago, Turkmenbashi said:

I mean I don't think it is ridiculous to say that is possible that the Chinese government are probably covering up something and have lied about it's true origins. 

The irony of Brits pointing the finger at other governments for not being truthful whilst our own PM is denying things he said merely two months ago and being made to correct himself in Parliament will never be lost on me.

[Smurph]

2 hours ago, Turkmenbashi said:

I mean I don't think it is ridiculous to say that is possible that the Chinese government are probably covering up something and have lied about it's true origins. Whether it came from a lab or not who knows, obviously definitely not some form of bio weapon. Beyond that it is quite clearly real.

I don't think it is ridiculous

possible

probably

"something"

lied

who knows?

obviously

definitely

quite clearly

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Pretty shite bio weapon if it’s only taking out pish-stained pensioners.

[Granny Danger]

4 minutes ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

Pretty shite bio weapon if it’s only taking out pish-stained pensioners.

“First they came for the pish-stained pensioners and I did not speak out....”

When it’s the turn of the fat internet trolls you’ll be too late to heed the words of Niemöller.

 

[Sergeant Wilson]

3 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

“First they came for the pish-stained pensioners and I did not speak out....”

When it’s the turn of the fat internet trolls you’ll be too late

What did I say?

[Granny Danger]

1 minute ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

What did I say?

Something unforgettable.

[BFTD]

2 hours ago, throbber said:

There’s nothing about the virus that’s hard to believe, viruses can break out at any time and with the population of the planet being higher than its ever been and constantly rising an outbreak like this has been long overdue.  Specialists have been warning about it for years. This particularly chain is so nasty as it’s so contagious yet so many carriers display no symptoms yet so many potential catchers of the virus are very high risk. There really is nothing remarkable about it happening at all. 

We don't take warnings well, as a species. Until something has actually happened to us, and not to our ancestors, we turn a blind eye and hope for the best. No matter where you stand on global warming, that's a good example of the head-in-the-sand approach.

As you say, it seems like we're probably overdue a good pandemic. The next movie plot to affect us in predictable ways could end up being a big rock from space, although that might be easier to deal with. Possibly Yellowstone Park erupting, although I think we're just fucked when that happens. Bit difficult to persuade a supervolcano not to erupt.

[GordonS]

2 hours ago, Turkmenbashi said:

I mean I don't think it is ridiculous to say that is possible that the Chinese government are probably covering up something and have lied about it's true origins. Whether it came from a lab or not who knows, obviously definitely not some form of bio weapon. Beyond that it is quite clearly real.

It's not ridiculous to say that many things are possible. That doesn't make them likely or provide any reason to believe that they are true.

The big failing of conspiracy theorists is that they learn about the many real and appalling conspiracies that have happened, and then project them everywhere - ignoring the obvious reality that most things aren't a conspiracy. They also have very little understanding of how governments actually work. They think they do, but their knowledge is limited to the times when conspiracies have taken place, not the day-to-day in the vast majority of governments around the world. On top of that, they have a compulsion to interpret everything that happens as though it were the deliberate and conscious act of somebody, somewhere, when in reality that's not how the world works at all.

When they hear hooves they look for zebras.

Everything about coronavirus is predictable and normal. Epidemiologists have been warning about and modelling viruses just like this for many decades. Maybe it escaped from a lab (like foot and mouth in Surrey in 2007), maybe it was deliberately released for reasons passing understanding. In the absence of actual evidence to believe either I'm going with the simplest explanation, and leaving the speculation to zoomers.

[throbber]

2 hours ago, welshbairn said:

It's not like you to debunk conspiracy theories, throbber. Everything ok?

I’m okay, I liked the 9/11 stuff for a few years and enjoyed the debate but nothing about this virus is unusual or suspicious in the grand scheme of things. I suppose it’s largely down to who/what you follow on social media but if you want information about viruses you should follow people who are from a medical background as opposed to David Icke/Katie Hopkins etc and social media will be a better experience all round.

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 hour ago, Granny Danger said:

Something unforgettable.

Aye, probably.

[Archie McSquackle]

That's why theres more dead americans.

That's probably more down to how it's been dealt with by different countries. I'm only going by the science (admittedly, I'm getting it second-hand from my wife but, as she works with the vaccine and knows what she's talking about, I'll take her word for it).
There are three main strains of the virus with the worst affecting Europe. To address one of the main conspiracies going around, the virus has been taken apart by scientists in numerous countries and is not man-made or deliberately altered.

[Shandon Par]

10 minutes ago, throbber said:

I’m okay, I liked the 9/11 stuff for a few years and enjoyed the debate but nothing about this virus is unusual or suspicious in the grand scheme of things. I suppose it’s largely down to who/what you follow on social media but if you want information about viruses you should follow people who are from a medical background as opposed to David Icke/Katie Hopkins etc and social media will be a better experience all round.

Just like 9/11 then? 

[throbber]

1 minute ago, Shandon Par said:

Just like 9/11 then? 

f**k you.

[Broomhill Ultra]

COVID-1984 more like. It’s about stopping Brexit innit.

[The Moonster]

2 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

FFS don't start apologising for having a different opinion from the eejits in the gallery. 

You are as entitled to your say as everyone else. It doesn't make you a douche.

Complaining about you expressing your view is the behaviour of a douche.

You see, you've got this all the wrong way round bud.

He hasn't apologised there.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Is oaksoft Peter Ebdon?