TallGuyJohninBKK

You seem surprised that COVID killed a lot of people, millions of people, especially during (1) early 2021 before vaccines were widely available and then later in 2021 and into 2022 with the arrival of (2) the more deadly Delta and (3) far more transmissible Omicron variants. WORLD: Source: UNITED STATES: Source: The U.S. Census Bureau below did a good job of explaining what happened when and why because of seasonality and the new COVID variants that emerged (though the U.S. timeline diverges somewhat from the world timeline): Pandemic Disrupted Historical Mortality Patterns, Caused Largest Jump in Deaths in 100 Years ... "Throughout 2020, as mandates changed and more became known about the virus, we saw spikes and dips in deaths that reached a peak by November and December during the holiday and winter months, when people were more likely to gather indoors. Deaths began to drop In January 2021. By April that year, the United States saw a decline in deaths corresponding to increases in vaccinations. And that June, death levels returned to near June 2019 levels. This decline was short-lived, though, as the Delta variant caused another spike in deaths in July and August. Deaths dropped slightly in the fall, but then the Omicron variant emerged just as holiday travel picked up in December 2021." https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/03/united-states-deaths-spiked-as-covid-19-continued.html All well-documented and explained many times before.

Unclear how US will respond It is unclear how the US, Israel’s closest ally, will respond to the ICJ’s order. The Biden administration has spoken out strongly against the genocide case against Israel, but it has repeatedly warned Israel that Washington will not support a major ground offensive in Rafah unless it sees a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. This month, the US halted arms shipments to Israel for the first time out of fear that they could be used in Rafah to harm civilians. In an interview with CNN, US President Joe Biden acknowledged that American bombs had been used to kill civilians in Gaza, in a stark recognition of the US’ role in the war. The US is Israel’s biggest weapons supplier. The move by the ICJ is likely to add to mounting pressure on Israel to scale down its war in Gaza, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country will defend itself even if “forced to stand alone.” https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/24/middleeast/israel-icj-gaza-rafah-south-africa-ruling-intl/index.html

ICJ ruling underscores Israel’s growing isolation, experts say ... The international pressure facing Israel today is “unprecedented,” Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the Chatham House think tank in London, told CNN. “Because this war is unprecedented, and the way Israel conducts the war is unprecedented.” While there has always been criticism of some of Israel’s actions, such as regarding the expansion of settlements, “this is on a different scale, a different universe altogether,” he said. “The current Israeli government does its best to make Israel a pariah state,” said Mekelberg." https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-05-24-24/index.html

South Africa welcomes "groundbreaking" ICJ ruling ordering Israel to halt military offensive in Rafah The South African government expressed support for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling Friday that orders Israel to “immediately halt” its military offensive in Rafah. “This order is groundbreaking as it is the first time that explicit mention is made for Israel to halt its military action in any area of Gaza, this time specifically in Rafah,” Zane Dangor, director-general of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said in a video statement. ... Johannesburg will approach the United Nations Security Council with this order for the latter to implement it, including allowing an independent investigation of claims of genocide in Gaza, according to Dangor." https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-05-24-24/index.html

Part 1: "Earlier, Israel signaled it, too, would brush off an ICJ order to stop its operations. “No power on earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza,” Avi Hyman, the government spokesperson, said in a press briefing Thursday." https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38 Part 2, per the Washington Post: "The court’s rulings are legally binding, but enforcement can be tricky, and rulings can be ignored. Russia, for example, rejected a 2022 order to cease its war against Ukraine. The only way to enforce an ICJ order is through a vote of the U.N. Security Council. Any of the council’s five permanent members, including the United States, could veto any such measure. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has previously called the genocide element of South Africa’s case “meritless.” https://archive.ph/bw3ku#selection-1113.0-1143.300

Both sides in this have an interest in playing the propaganda game to further their respective ends. And sometimes the line between reality and fiction gets blurred in the reporting of things, as illustrated in the AP report below from yesterday: How 2 debunked accounts of sexual violence on Oct. 7 fueled a global dispute over Israel-Hamas war ... Israel points to sexual violence on Oct. 7 to highlight what it says is Hamas’ savagery and to justify its wartime goal of neutralizing any repeated threat coming from Gaza. It has accused the international community of ignoring or playing down evidence of sexual violence claims, alleging anti-Israel bias. It says any untrue stories were an anomaly in the face of the many documented atrocities. In turn, some of Israel’s critics have seized on the ZAKA accounts, along with others shown to be untrue, to allege that the Israeli government has distorted the facts to prosecute a war — one in which more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed, many of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials. A U.N. fact-finding team found “reasonable grounds” to believe that some of those who stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7 had committed sexual violence, including rape and gang rape. But the U.N. investigators also said that in the absence of forensic evidence and survivor testimony, it would be impossible to determine the scope of such violence. Hamas has denied its forces committed sexual violence. https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-sexual-violence-zaka-ca7905bf9520b1e646f86d72cdf03244

Another version of the above report with a bit more detail: Charter court accepts petition seeking removal of PM Srettha’s status The Constitutional Court voted 6:3 today to accept for consideration a petition, by a group of 40 senators, challenging the legitimacy of the appointment of Phichit Chuenban as PM’s Office minister, but voted 5:4 to reject the senators’ call to suspend Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pending the court’s final decision. The prime minister was given 15 days to submit his written rebuttal to the court. The court also voted not to accept the senators’ petition seeking a ruling on the legitimacy of Phichit’s appointment, on the grounds that he resigned from the cabinet on Tuesday. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/charter-court-accepts-petition-seeking-removal-of-pm-sretthas-status/

Sounds like the COVID vaccines program for the un- and under-insured was doing pretty substantial business... until Congress rescinded the federal funding that was being used to run the program for 25 to 30 million eligible Americans:

Government urges citizens to wear masks Singapore is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19, with authorities recording over 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung advised the public to wear masks again on Saturday. ... Significant surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that the number of COVID-19 cases increased significantly, from 13,700 the previous week to 25,900 in the week of May 5 to 11. Average daily hospitalisations rose to about 250 from 181 the previous week, while intensive care unit (ICU) cases remained low, increasing slightly from two to three daily. To manage hospital capacity, public hospitals have been directed to reduce non-urgent elective surgeries and transfer suitable patients to transitional care facilities or home care through the Mobile Inpatient Care@Home program, which allows clinically suitable patients to be treated at home. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/other/singapore-braces-for-covid-19-surge-with-over-25-900-cases-recorded-in-a-week-govt-urges-citizens-to-wear-masks/ar-BB1mDfY4

A federal program providing free COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured and underinsured adults is shutting down this summer, before the fall rollout of updated vaccines to fight against the latest variants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said its Bridge Access Program will end in August because of a lack of funding. The program has provided more than 1.4 million free COVID-19 vaccines since it launched in September 2023 at a cost of more than $1 billion. The Bridge Access Program was meant to be temporary and was originally scheduled to end in December 2024. (more) https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4670459-cdc-ending-free-covid-vaccines-uninsured/

Fact Check: No evidence to link UK excess deaths to COVID-19 vaccines February 7, 2024 "For example, ONS data show all-cause deaths in England were higher among the unvaccinated than those who had received at least one dose, for every month in its April 2021 to May 2023 dataset. “There is no evidence COVID-19 vaccinations are linked to these estimated excess deaths,” a spokeswoman for the ONS said via email. Experts point to the long-term effects of surviving COVID infection, NHS delays and a lack of preventive care as explanations for the higher-than-average mortalities. https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-evidence-link-uk-excess-deaths-covid-19-vaccines-2024-02-06/ Current evidence shows COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t increase risk of sudden cardiac death "In April 2024, the CDC published a study evaluating immediate or contributing causes of death via death certificates of young adults aged 16 to 30 in Oregon[1]. The aim of the study was to determine risk of SCD among adolescents and young adults after COVID-19 vaccination. ... To do this, they examined deaths that weren’t caused by COVID-19 and could potentially be cardiac-related. They further narrowed down the deaths of interest by looking at only deaths that had occurred within 100 days of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. The researchers chose this time period given evidence that adverse events associated with vaccination tend to occur within 42 days of vaccination. From these remaining death certificates, just three deaths occurred within 100 days of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. The researchers determined that death in all three cases was due to natural causes. https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/current-evidence-shows-covid19-vaccination-doesnt-increase-risk-sudden-cardiac-death/

Study: COVID Still Deadlier Than the Flu -- But the Gap Is Narrowing https://aseannow.com/topic/1327600-study-covid-still-deadlier-than-the-flu-but-the-gap-is-narrowing/

Some useful context provided in Dr. Thira's COVID report above: --COVID hospitalized cases requiring ventilator assistance reached the highest levels in 17 months. --New weekly COVID hospitalizations have now increased for 10 consecutive weeks. --The number of COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition with pneumonia type symptoms has increased for seven consecutive weeks.

It's an English language recap of the doctor's Thai language Facebook post. I'm guessing what he meant was that people should wear face masks when outside (away from home) for things like shopping, traveling on public transportation, etc etc. -- which is pretty common guidance here. As for how he arrived at his estimate of daily cases, as opposed to the government's publicly reported statistic of weekly new COVID hospitalizations, the article above explains: "Dr Thira based his projections on data released by the Public Health Ministry for the previous week (May 12 to 18)" -- which was the latest MoPH weekly update from Monday of Thailand having 1,882 new COVID hospitalizations last week. Clearly, it takes larger numbers of just COVID infections in order to produce smaller resulting numbers of COVID hospitalizations.

As the number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals with lung infections continues to climb, an expert in preventive medicine, a doctor from Chulalongkorn University, issued a stark warning, predicting that daily infections in Thailand could surpass 18,000 individuals. Associate Professor Doctor Thira Woratanarat, a faculty member at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, expressed his concerns in a recent Facebook post, urging schools to remain vigilant in the face of this escalating threat. Dr Thira based his projections on data released by the Public Health Ministry for the previous week (May 12 to 18), estimating that the virus may currently be infecting between 13,443 and 18,671 individuals daily. Although he did not delve into the specifics of his methodology, he emphasised the gravity of the situation given the concerning statistics provided. (more) https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/doctor-warns-schools-to-anticipate-a-surge-in-covid-infections

Righttttt..... literally! Hardly a surprise to find all GB's loyal fans posting here... But pretty clear who's telling porkies more often. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/gb-news-uk-bias/ vs BBC: https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/bbc/

You're citing research that, not surprisingly, found the past bivalent (older) COVID vaccines weren't effective in preventing mere COVID infection (the study didn't assess severity of illness risks) from the much later arising XBB COVID variant. Which of course is why the newer XBB focused COVID vaccines were developed and approved by many countries last year, and became the basis of 2023-2024 COVID vaccination campaigns. But as for the study's incidental finding about an association between numbers of COVID vaccinations and risk of COVID infection: Cleveland Clinic study didn’t find that taking more COVID-19 vaccine doses causes increased COVID-19 risk; association alone doesn’t imply causation Inadequate support: Association alone doesn’t imply causation. Associations can appear due to a causal relationship between two variables, but can also arise as a result of confounding factors. The Cleveland Clinic study couldn’t rule out some potential confounding factors, such as whether people who received more doses of COVID-19 vaccine were also those working in patient-facing jobs. Cherry-picking: Several other published studies reported that receiving additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine enhances a person’s protection against COVID-19. However, instances in which the claim appears generally leave out any mention of such studies, leaving users with a one-sided view of the research on this subject. ... Health Feedback reached out to the lead author of the study, infectious disease physician Nabin Shrestha, who clarified in an email that “association is not causation”, and that “Any claim that our study shows a causal relationship between getting more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and higher risk of infection is false”. [emphasis added] https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/cleveland-clinic-study-didnt-find-more-covid-19-vaccine-doses-causes-increased-covid-19-risk-association-alone-doesnt-imply-causation/

Comparison of COVID-19 Severity in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Patients during the Delta and Omicron Wave of the Pandemic in a Romanian Tertiary Infectious Diseases Hospital Published online 2023 Jan 28 "The multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age and comorbidities showed higher odds ratio for severe/critical COVID-19, intensive care need, and mortality in unvaccinated versus vaccinated patients. Our results support vaccination to prevent severe outcomes associated with COVID-19 due to both variants of concern. ... We analyzed the differences in duration of hospitalization between unvaccinated/vaccinated (primary and booster) patients hospitalized during the fourth and the fifth wave, respectively... ... In the multiple quantile regression analysis, there was a significantly shorter duration of hospitalization for a higher number of vaccination doses (primary or booster) compared to incomplete/unvaccinated—with a median reduction of 2.33 and 3.44 days in the length of stay, respectively, adjusted for age and comorbidities, as presented in Table 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9914916/ And more recently with the latest COVID XBB vaccine: Latest COVID-19 vaccines reduce hospitalization risk by around half March 01, 2024 The latest COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk for hospitalization or visits to an ED or urgent care by around 50%, according to interim data published in MMWR. ... Overall, VE against COVID-19-associated ME or hospitalization was 51% (95% CI = 47%-54%) in the first 7 to 59 days after receiving an updated vaccine dose and 39% (95% CI = 33%-45%) in the 60 to 119 days after an updated vaccine dose. https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20240301/latest-covid19-vaccines-reduce-hospitalization-risk-by-around-half

The numbers and rate of people who were going to, and did, die from COVID depended on what individuals and societies did or didn't do in response to the pandemic. For example: COVID vaccines saved 20M lives in 1st year, scientists say Nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines during their first year, but even more deaths could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been reached, researchers reported Thursday. ... The researchers used data from 185 countries to estimate that vaccines prevented 4.2 million COVID-19 deaths in India, 1.9 million in the United States, 1 million in Brazil, 631,000 in France and 507,000 in the United Kingdom. An additional 600,000 deaths would have been prevented if the World Health Organization target of 40% vaccination coverage by the end of 2021 had been met, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-england-54d29ae3af5c700f15d704c14ee224b5 AND Half a million in Thailand saved by Covid vaccine A research team from Mahidol University and Naresuan University led by Associate Professor Dr. Charin Modchang expanded the study and utilized the same mathematical modeling approaches to estimate the number of lives saved due to Thailand’s vaccine rollout. The study revealed that between the time the first vaccine was administered in 2021 and July 3, 2022, 490,000 lives were saved. Thus, half a million people in Thailand would have lost if the Covid vaccines had not been available. https://aseannow.com/topic/1266704-half-a-million-in-thailand-saved-by-covid-vaccine/

That seems to have changed lately... In conversations with several local COVID vaccine providers in Thailand earlier this spring, they indicated they were now sourcing the latest COVID XBB vaccine directly from Pfizer Thailand, without any direct involvement of the Thai government. The XBB vaccine from Pfizer is available here, at least at several BKK locations, on a limited basis. https://aseannow.com/topic/1323285-new-pfizer-covid-xbb-vaccines-finally-become-available-in-thailand-–-for-a-price/

But either way, Reuters says those kinds of claims are nonsense: "“COVID-19 vaccines do not weaken your immune system’s ability to respond to other infections so getting your jab will not make you more susceptible to colds or flu,” said Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology. ... Meanwhile, Professor Neil Mabbott, personal chair in immunopathology at the University of Edinburgh, said O’Looney’s claim was “very dangerous” and the reality of the shot’s effect was “quite the opposite”. He told Reuters: “There have been several key studies showing how our immune response to the coronavirus vaccine is significantly strengthened by subsequent booster vaccinations… Our experience is showing that a third COVID-19 vaccine provides high levels of immunity, and this is the rationale for the current booster programme in the UK.” https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N2SY1SP/ COVID-19 Vaccination Increases Immunity, Contrary to Immune Suppression Claims The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines teach the immune system to recognize and fight the coronavirus, greatly reducing the likelihood of severe disease if a person is infected. There is no evidence the vaccines impair immunity, as some, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, have baselessly claimed. https://www.factcheck.org/2022/07/scicheck-covid-19-vaccination-increases-immunity-contrary-to-immune-suppression-claims/ Is it true? Do COVID-19 vaccines cause autoimmune diseases? Autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis, are chronic (long-term) illnesses and there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines can cause autoimmune diseases. Australian Department of Health and Aged Care https://archive.ph/Gv8Od#selection-635.0-639.193 10 May 2022

Thailand cumulative COVID deaths (34,641) and COVID hospitalizations (4.77 million) from the pandemic... Hardly what anyone should call a "sniffle." https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/?dashboard=main

I did answer your question above, citing your own Wiki entry on Clancy... that's also been reported elsewhere. Hydroxychloroquine in Australia: a cautionary tale for journalists and scientists ... Sometimes news organisations face a dilemma covering scientists recognised as specialists but whose views sit outside the mainstream. Retired immunologist Robert Clancy was an advocate for hydroxychloroquine frequently cited by Australian MP Craig Kelly. In February 2021, Sydney Morning Herald published an opinion piece by Clancy touting the drug’s benefits alongside an opinion piece by epidemiologist Catherine Bennett arguing there was insufficient evidence. The effect was to falsely suggest an evenly balanced debate within the scientific community. To address this, the newspaper added a note from Liam Mannix to the op-eds stating that “[t]he evidence shows hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin are not effective in treating or preventing COVID-19.” The University of Newcastle issued a statement that it “does not consider Robert Clancy a subject matter expert on COVID-19.” Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/hydroxychloroquine-australia-cautionary-tale-journalists-and-scientists

no, the forum's policy in general doesn't allow private party social media content (including YouTube) in news and current affairs topic, except as follows, regardless of their particular views: "18. Social media content is acceptable in most forums. However in factual areas such as but not limited to news, current affairs and health topics, social media cannot be used unless it is from a credible news media source or a government agency, and must include a link to the original source." https://aseannow.com/forum_rules/ But the Wikipedia entry you linked to for that individual did include the following interesting notation: "During the COVID-19 pandemic Clancy was involved in controversy when he was quoted by Australian MP Craig Kelly in support of unverified information about claimed benefits of the drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. Newcastle University issued a statement in which it distanced itself from Clancy's views, mentioning also that the vice-chancellor had said the university did "not consider Robert Clancy a subject matter expert on COVID-19".[5]

Some things the same... some not. Study: COVID Still Deadlier Than the Flu -- But the Gap Is Narrowing "...5.7% of patients with COVID-19 died within 30 days of admission versus 4.24% of patients with influenza, reported Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, of the VA St. Louis Health Care System, and colleagues. After adjusting for variables, the risk of death in people hospitalized for COVID-19 was 35% higher (adjusted HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.10-1.66), the authors detailed in a research letter in JAMA. https://aseannow.com/topic/1327600-study-covid-still-deadlier-than-the-flu-but-the-gap-is-narrowing/ "...there were nearly twice as many hospitalizations for COVID-19 compared with the flu for the 2023-2024 season, according to CDC surveillance data. In the study population, over three times the number of people were hospitalized for COVID-19 than for the flu." https://archive.ph/Fru20#selection-1363.47-1363.48