Media Coverage of COVID -19

[DustyBin]

Ok, perhaps someone should suggest to her that she pays wages for all the people who've lost their jobs, accept public services will get worse due to lack of funding and in addition she'll see greater tax rises and probably a drop in pension. Will she be so keen then?

Precisely. I honestly don't believe that the government can or will provide another extensive economic support package to businesses or individuals in the event of another lockdown, in which case it would be carnage. Unfortunately there still seems to be an awful lot of people out there who either don't see or simply don't care about the damage being caused to the economy.

 

[DelayRepay]

Unfortunately there still seems to be an awful lot of people out there who either don't see or simply don't care about the damage being caused to the economy.

I think there are a lot of people who don't understand what the economy is, and think it's something that only matters to rich people, bankers and stockbrokers. I think they struggle to understand that the economy is what pays wages, pensions, funds the welfare system, the NHS and far more besides. They seem to think the government's coffers are bottomless, and if there is a shortage of funds, it can be solved by simply printing more money.

 

[trebor79]

I think there are a lot of people who don't understand what the economy is, and think it's something that only matters to rich people, bankers and stockbrokers. I think they struggle to understand that the economy is what pays wages, pensions, funds the welfare system, the NHS and far more besides. They seem to think the government's coffers are bottomless, and if there is a shortage of funds, it can be solved by simply printing more money.

Agree. A lot of people say things like "Well the government could just pay for x itself", and/or believe that taxes go into ministers back pockets.
They don't seem to realise that the government can't pay for things with money that it doesn't have, and that ultimately everything government does is paid for with tax (fiddles like quantitative easing aside).
I don't think many people have much understanding at all about how an economy works.

 

[greyman42]

I think Beth Rigby sounds like she is eager for a second lockdown, so the mood hasn’t changed everywhere

She's been like that for weeks to the point where i no longer watch Sky News. Sky really need to reel her in.

I think there are a lot of people who don't understand what the economy is, and think it's something that only matters to rich people, bankers and stockbrokers. I think they struggle to understand that the economy is what pays wages, pensions, funds the welfare system, the NHS and far more besides. They seem to think the government's coffers are bottomless, and if there is a shortage of funds, it can be solved by simply printing more money.

A perfect summing up. It astounds me how many people don't have a clue about pensions (private and state) given how important they are.

 

[yorkie]

Can I just remind people that when referring to any external source, please add a source (a hyperlink if at all possible) and a text alternative (this could be a quote for an article, or a description/summary for a video or image). Thanks

There is a risk this forum is becoming a bit of an echo chamber, post the stories that reflect your view, ignore those that don’t, and come to the conclusion everyone thinks the same

That's your view and you are entitled to it but it does not match my experiences.

In the conversations I've had with people in many other settings, including at work, I'd say the view of those people generally matches the views you get on the forum i.e. the more well informed majority tend to be a bit quieter and are against the restrictions, while those who are more vocal tend to be in the minority, tend to be more vocal, and are very much lacking in relevant knowledge.

The cleaners I regularly talk to seem to be a lot more clued up about Covid matters than a head of department I was talking to, who is in favour of restrictions, for example!

A perfect summing up. It astounds me how many people don't have a clue about pensions (private and state) given how important they are.

Indeed; those who favour restrictions don't generally tend to consider the bigger picture.

The media are partly responsible for this, and I believe the media are misunderstanding the noise from the vocal minority and believing this is somehow representative of the less vocal majority and are writing articles designed to bolster the pro-lockdown view.

I believe the hysterical brigade and the media (generally; not the whole media of course!) are both jointly to blame for the current situation.

 

[bramling]

I think Beth Rigby sounds like she is eager for a second lockdown, so the mood hasn’t changed everywhere

Easy for her to take that line from the shelter of a (reasonably) secure job.

One of the presenters on the Sky press preview also seems to be a lockdown enthusiast, and pro-mask too. Any time one of the commentators says anything which is against restrictions or masks (there’s certainly a handful who are anti) she interjects something about deaths and then manages to conveniently move swiftly on.

They have had Peter Hitchens on there a couple of times though.

 

[Richard Scott]

Just stopped at Services and read newspaper headlines, see Express thinks that the majority want a stricter lockdown according to a survey. I'm not being rude here but what do majority of general public know about the virus? I'm sure some are scared whitless, some like working from home and some in cloud Cuckoo land over what is happening to economy and possibly their job along with those who think that they're being kind to their fellow human by accepting stronger measures. What will it achieve? Surely we tried this once and it didn't go away? Another paper quoting 'experts' again warning we aren't doing enough. Totally fed up with so called experts. Who are these people? Just after their 15 minutes of fame?

 

[adc82140]

It's the Daily Express. It has an on/off relationship with facts.

 

[bramling]

Just stopped at Services and read newspaper headlines, see Express thinks that the majority want a stricter lockdown according to a survey. I'm not being rude here but what do majority of general public know about the virus? I'm sure some are scared whitless, some like working from home and some in cloud Cuckoo land over what is happening to economy and possibly their job along with those who think that they're being kind to their fellow human by accepting stronger measures. What will it achieve? Surely we tried this once and it didn't go away? Another paper quoting 'experts' again warning we aren't doing enough. Totally fed up with so called experts. Who are these people? Just after their 15 minutes of fame?

For a start people have been fed a diet of doom for 8 months, which we know from the SAGE papers was deliberate government-encouraged scaremongering. There may be a case to say that was justified back in March, but the problem is it’s never been countered by a dose of reality. Facts like the median age of death, the rate of death, or the numbers being asymptomatic are never mentioned by the politicians, and only recently are starting to get more mention in the media.

Meanwhile things like furlough and working from home have been embraced by some. Most of my road takes the line “it’s too dangerous to go to work by train or work in an office”, yet they are more than happy to take the train to Brighton, or make the most of the eat out scheme to dine in crowded restaurants. The furloughs might well be starting to sense a bleak reality, however the work from homes absolutely aren’t. Many really want this to continue for as long as they can milk it, and so what if their local pub closes at 10pm if it means they don’t have to get up any more?

And of course have heard constantly from the prime minister that “we can beat this”, no wonder some feel that a bit more lockdown is the push that we need. More and more people are realising that we are not beating this, that six months of experience tell us it’s not as deadly as initially thought, and that quite simply we can’t continue on this path. The problem is that there’s still a loud and vocal cohort of people who do my have the critical ability to analyse more than one dimension of this. Probably the same ones who went out and cleared the shelves of toilet rolls!

 

[Scotrail12]

Maybe not media per-se but am I the only person who is fed up with GMB allowing Dr. Hilary Jones on? He seems to be seriously insular and COVID-centric. Very pro-restriction and doesn't even think Sweden's method works.

I wish that they'd give more airtime to those who don't scaremonger. There's no balance to the views on that programme. Anyone with an even remotely anti-lockdown opinion is slaughtered by Piers or Dr Hilary.

And now he's been given an MBE.

 

[Yew]

Maybe not media per-se but am I the only person who is fed up with GMB allowing Dr. Hilary Jones on? He seems to be seriously insular and COVID-centric. Very pro-restriction and doesn't even think Sweden's method works.

I wish that they'd give more airtime to those who don't scaremonger. There's no balance to the views on that programme. Anyone with an even remotely anti-lockdown opinion is slaughtered by Piers or Dr Hilary.

And now he's been given an MBE.

Over the next few weeks, if Sweden doesn't see a spike then that will be incredibly telling, or if it doesn't see a spike worse than ours, then is shows that all of our measures have limited to no effect.

 

[kristiang85]

Over the next few weeks, if Sweden doesn't see a spike then that will be incredibly telling, or if it doesn't see a spike worse than ours, then is shows that all of our measures have limited to no effect.

Looking at all the major European countries, the only one without a new significant rise in deaths is Sweden. When is the time line for saying that they've got it right? I don't think they are this far behind the curve in general.

Certainly if nothing is showing by November, then much of the rest of Europe really needs to have a rethink.

 

[Mag_seven]

Meanwhile the BBC are at it again with scary headlines designed to frighten people.

Headline:

Covid reinfection: Man gets Covid twice and second hit 'more severe'

Detail below the headline:

Reinfections remain rare and he has now recovered.

Covid reinfection: Man gets Covid twice and second hit 'more severe'

The report raises questions about how much immunity can be built up to the virus and how long it may last.

www.bbc.co.uk

A man in the United States has caught Covid twice, with the second infection becoming far more dangerous than the first, doctors report.

The 25-year-old needed hospital treatment after his lungs could not get enough oxygen into his body.
Reinfections remain rare and he has now recovered.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Sky News are also ramping-up the fear...

Headline: This is what a second wave looks like (photo of man in hospital bed with respirator mask over face)

Article starts by saying
‘The faces of Covid19 victims seared into our collective consciousness are mostly elderly. Not exclusively but overwhelmingly. But as I walk through Warrington Hospital’s intensive care unit, I see that many of these patients are not old’

Then if you read on, two of these four younger victims are
• a cancer patient
• an overweight 57-year-old with diabetes
The others highlighted are a 28-year-old Asian man and a grandmother (whose age is not given)

Coronavirus: 'This is what a second wave looks like' in an intensive care unit

The first thing that strikes me is the ages of the patients filling the critical care beds.

news.sky.com

 

[Yew]

Sky News are also ramping-up the fear...

Headline: This is what a second wave looks like (photo of man in hospital bed with respirator mask over face)

Article starts by saying
‘The faces of Covid19 victims seared into our collective consciousness are mostly elderly. Not exclusively but overwhelmingly. But as I walk through Warrington Hospital’s intensive care unit, I see that many of these patients are not old’

Then if you read on, two of these four younger victims are
• a cancer patient
• an overweight 57-year-old with diabetes
The others highlighted are a 28-year-old Asian man and a grandmother (whose age is not given)

Coronavirus: 'This is what a second wave looks like' in an intensive care unit

The first thing that strikes me is the ages of the patients filling the critical care beds.

news.sky.com

Oh, back at exaggerating the risk to young people again?

 

[Mag_seven]

Sky News are also ramping-up the fear...

Headline: This is what a second wave looks like (photo of man in hospital bed with respirator mask over face)

Article starts by saying
‘The faces of Covid19 victims seared into our collective consciousness are mostly elderly. Not exclusively but overwhelmingly. But as I walk through Warrington Hospital’s intensive care unit, I see that many of these patients are not old’

Then if you read on, two of these four younger victims are
• a cancer patient
• an overweight 57-year-old with diabetes
The others highlighted are a 28-year-old Asian man and a grandmother (whose age is not given)

Coronavirus: 'This is what a second wave looks like' in an intensive care unit

The first thing that strikes me is the ages of the patients filling the critical care beds.

news.sky.com

And of course for balance they also visited a cancer ward to show people dying of cancer because it wasn't diagnosed in time as a result of COVID?

 

[kristiang85]

Yesterday ITV's News at 10 headlined that Blackpool Victoria Hospital is now full of COVID patients.

In the report, they then stated that “allocated” beds for Covid patients are full. Which is 8. The total bed capacity is 767.

 

[Yew]

Yesterday ITV's News at 10 headlined that Blackpool Victoria Hospital is now full of COVID patients.

In the report, they then stated that “allocated” beds for Covid patients are full. Which is 8. The total bed capacity is 767.

Positively overwhelmed, quick. reinstate the Thursday clap!

 

[trebor79]

Meanwhile the BBC are at it again with scary headlines designed to frighten people.

Headline:

Covid reinfection: Man gets Covid twice and second hit 'more severe'

Detail below the headline:

Reinfections remain rare and he has now recovered.

Covid reinfection: Man gets Covid twice and second hit 'more severe'

The report raises questions about how much immunity can be built up to the virus and how long it may last.

www.bbc.co.uk

So, it's possible to get COVID twice. Just like it's possible to get flu twice.
Big deal.

Yesterday ITV's News at 10 headlined that Blackpool Victoria Hospital is now full of COVID patients.

In the report, they then stated that “allocated” beds for Covid patients are full. Which is 8. The total bed capacity is 767.

Complaint to OFCOM required, completely misleading headline. They should ahve headlined "8 Covid Patients in Blackpool Hospital".

 

[Yew]

So, it's possible to get COVID twice. Just like it's possible to get flu twice.
Big deal.

It's also incredibly rare, we've seen handfuls of cases in 750,000,000 infections, the rate can't be far of one in a million.

 

[DB]

It's also incredibly rare, we've seen handfuls of cases in 750,000,000 infections, the rate can't be far of one in a million.

The BBC menntioned that it was a different strain of the virus.

Which might of course have implications for a vaccine, depending on how much it's mutated. Or of course the bloke concerned may be one of only a handful - and there was no mention of whehter or not he had a compromised immune system.

 

[DustyBin]

It's also incredibly rare, we've seen handfuls of cases in 750,000,000 infections, the rate can't be far of one in a million.

Yes but the BBC are all over it this morning, they seem positively enthusiastic about the prospect of ‘double covid’. Anything to maintain the fear....

The BBC menntioned that it was a different strain of the virus.

Which might of course have implications for a vaccine, depending on how much it's mutated. Or of course the bloke concerned may be one of only a handful - and there was no mention of whehter or not he had a compromised immune system.

I’m not sure they claimed it was a different strain, only that the second infection made the person more ill. I may have missed something though.

 

[Yew]

The BBC menntioned that it was a different strain of the virus.

Which might of course have implications for a vaccine, depending on how much it's mutated. Or of course the bloke concerned may be one of only a handful - and there was no mention of whehter or not he had a compromised immune system.

I've not read that article in particular, but the last time it was more "genetically not identical", meaning it was a different infection as opposed to a "different strain".


Equally, the number of reinfections worldwide is so small not to bother with, and usually the symptoms of a reinfections a much less severe.

 

[DB]

I’m not sure they claimed it was a different strain, only that the second infection made the person more ill. I may have missed something though.

It was stated on Radio 3 news that it was a different strain - perhaps they didn't mention this elsewhere on the BBC though.

 

[Bantamzen]

The BBC are now reporting on a death from re-infection:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-54520651

But Dutch virologists have now released a report detailing the death of an 89-year-old woman, after catching the virus two months after she was admitted to hospital with Covid infection. That is the first such report worldwide.

The woman's immune system was compromised by a rare bone marrow type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. She was first admitted to hospital with a fever and severe cough but recovered and went home.

Fifty-nine days later, and just after she started a new course of chemotherapy, she developed coronavirus again. She was admitted to hospital, tested negative for antibodies, and died two weeks later.

Again this is quite misleading from the Beeb as this poor lady's immune system was probably heavily compromised through her illness and the chemotherapy, and although covid could have been the main cause, any number of viruses could have equally been so. My late step-father died during a long period of chemotherapy because he caught a cold when his immune system was compromised.

This sort of lazy & misrepresentative reporting makes me very angry.

 

[DustyBin]

The BBC are now reporting on a death from re-infection:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-54520651

Again this is quite misleading from the Beeb as this poor lady's immune system was probably heavily compromised through her illness and the chemotherapy, and although covid could have been the main cause, any number of viruses could have equally been so. My late step-father died during a long period of chemotherapy because he caught a cold when his immune system was compromised.

This sort of lazy & misrepresentative reporting makes me very angry.

Are they sure that she actually had COVID-19 on both occasions? I realise I’m playing devils advocate here, but were accurate tests carried out on both occasions? It certainly wouldn’t shock me if it turned out that one of the infections was in fact not COVID-19....

Edited to add that your point re her immune system is a good one.

 

[oldman]

Yesterday ITV's News at 10 headlined that Blackpool Victoria Hospital is now full of COVID patients.

In the report, they then stated that “allocated” beds for Covid patients are full. Which is 8. The total bed capacity is 767.

It was the 8 allocated ICU beds and there were also 75 patients on the wards. On the 7 October they had 44 in total.

Complaint to OFCOM required, completely misleading headline.

Something was completely misleading, certainly .

 

[adc82140]

Most people can't get chicken pox twice. But a very small amount do. Someone needs to educate the media about the existence of an infinitessimally small amount of outliers who buck the trend with any acquired disease.

 

[DB]

Most people can't get chicken pox twice. But a very small amount do. Someone needs to educate the media about the existence of an infinitessimally small amount of outliers who buck the trend with any acquired disease.

And about the impact of a compromised immune system (in those cases, if they can get it more than once then a vaccine won't work either).

 

[SS4]

The media coverage has been malicious for the pandemic. They've doubled down on the scaremongering and deaths and are now blaming everyone but themselves and government. Nobody has asked Boris how he's going to pay for his public spending, nobody is questioning him on Brexit and nobody is questioning him (or anyone else) on the facts behind the figures. It's as though the most right wing press in Europe is in cahoots with a right wing government. IIRC there was minimal reporting on the spreadsheet fiasco and the government's failed test and trace app.

Constant reporting on hoarding at the start of the pandemic likely encouraged it and they bleated the line about hoarders and blaming them with the only evidence of hoarding being empty shelves and the odd full trolley. Were people hoarding? Of course but was it as widespread as they implied? Probably not, supermarkets operate largely on tight stock margins and if everyone bought just one extra pack of toilet roll or pasta it would quickly empty shelves but could hardly be called hoarding. I don't know if my theory is true but I think it was irresponsible of the media to not mention it as a possibility.

Most concerning for me has been that nobody has reported the base facts and let the reader/viewer/listener draw their own conclusions