Johns Hopkins Medical Centre - World Coronavirus infection Map by Country.

[Marco]

Well said Martin, this why I am very careful when reading and quoting articles, unless backed up with corroborated evidence generally in public domain. Too many reporters/journalists go for sensationalism to get copy and in some cases make their own view, without due consideration as to its impact on the general public or keeping to the truth of the matter, generally known today as fake news.

Sure, and trust me I see where you're coming from and to an extent agree, but that's not reason enough though for me to completely dismiss it out of hand. For me, ALL reasonable opinions (based on MY definition of the word), especially those of educated and intelligent people, deserve proper *consideration* [the key word]. It's only respectful to do so.

Credible evidence, therefore, doesn't require to be peer-reviewed [double-blind tested, right up the wazoo of the finest 'white lab-coats', blah, blah, blah] in order to qualify as such. There's a danger here I feel of some only considering "credible evidence" as representing that which best appeases their belief system, or the current orthodoxy, and that is fundamentally NOT how my mind works!

It's rather more free-thinking, challenging of the status quo/accepted norm, and naturally inquisitive than that. I wonder why, historically, heretics have always been pilloried and generally given such a hard time?

What has everyone else got to be afraid of???

Right - really must dash... Laters

Marco.

[walpurgis]

he has admitted it

He's a very naughty boy!

[Macca]

I thought he'd admitted to doing so:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52780561

'Mr Cummings and his wife, who was also unwell, stayed at his parents' home while self-isolating.

[...]

A source close to Mr Cummings denied a breach of the coronavirus rules, saying the couple needed childcare help.
They told the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg that the couple had stayed in a separate building at the property.'

The point being that, under lockdown rules, anyone self-isolating should not leave home for any reason. Or is it one rule for 'us', another rule for 'them'?

Ah! fair enough then. The story I read much earlier today was just based on some bloke who reckoned he saw him.

[Joe]

Also every time I see the thread title I think 'It's actually Johns Hopkins .... '.

[Macca]

Also every time I see the thread title I think 'It's actually Johns Hopkins .... '.

Sorted now.

[Joe]

That's what I call quick service! Do you work for a delivery company?

[Macca]

Maybe.

[Marco]

Hi Adrian,

This is precisely what I was talking about earlier: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...tions-11979733

"In a small number of cases, it was not possible to confirm if a patient did or did not have an underlying health condition. But for those where it was, 95% were found to have serious pre-existing issues."

Also here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...ted-officials/

That is why I believe that the death figures from the virus are grossly exaggerated, or at best 'unreliable'.

Marco.

[Joe]

It's rather more free-thinking, challenging of the status quo/accepted norm, and naturally inquisitive than that. I wonder why, historically, heretics have always been pilloried and generally given such a hard time?

You'd have to ask the Pope about that. The Catholic Church has always been keen on rooting out heretics.

But, seriously, some people who like to pose as heretics are just charlatans, either harmless or aiming at ripping-off people by selling phoney cures for cancer, or DVDs of their ramblings. They can however be actually dangerous when they point the finger at specific groups of people as being behind all the bad things that happen, or when they suggest that people should burn down phone masts. When reputable companies take down their material, they then whinge about being 'martyrs' and 'heretics' who are persecuted for their unorthodox beliefs.

[Marco]

I fully agree, but there's also the middle ground, where the truth tends to lie. I also think that some folk 'bristle' rather too easily when their deeply-ingrained beliefs/thought processes are challenged, and aren't very receptive to a questioning of the 'accepted norm'.

It's classic human nature [the reason why heretics have historically always been pilloried] - but it won't stop me from doing that (or indeed welcoming such in return), as I firmly believe that one of the best ways of TRULY learning is to be forced out of your comfort zone, and to entertain notions that aren't necessarily a 'comfortable fit' with your belief system!

I don't believe that anyone should ever be persecuted for having unorthodox beliefs, providing that they are legal and don't represent anyone any harm.

Marco.