Thread by @WoodReporting

Important Thread:

A much-hyped study used right now by Ontario for tighter lockdowns citing a more deadly 3rd wave is hugely flawed. Yet it underpins a PH scarefest alleging a UK variant ups the death risk by up to 100%.

@Roman_Baber

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(1/7)

The study’s conclusion; UK variant has "the potential to cause substantial additional mortality". And for Team Apocalypse, it adds the perfect argument to throw away the keys… "further coordinated and stringent measures are justified".

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(2/7)

But near the end of the paper, a less scary note with this: "The absolute risk of death in this largely unvaccinated population remains low". Oh, so … not so scary after all. But there’s more...

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(3/7)

Why the confusion? Because the paper doesn’t tease out the main factor that causes death in people who get COVID. Comorbidities -- people who are sick with something else which causes nearly all COVID deaths.

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(4/7)

In fact, in Canada, 100% of the COVID-involved deaths under 45 had at least one other disease or condition listed on their death certificate. In really old people it’s 89%.

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(5/7)

And yet, comparing death rates in 2 groups, 1 with COVID, 1 the variant, the researchers didn’t know who had CoMo – a flaw that would skew the data. "Information was not available about [CoMo] conditions in the data we analysed".

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(6/7)

So was the higher death rate from the variant the result of that group having more CoMos than the other? Is that why more of them died? We can’t know that. But the study is being cited by our experts for the new apocalypse.

#onpoli #COVID19 #DemandTheData

(7/7)