Since the world wide COVID-19 farce started, we’ve been subjected to a variety of weird and wonderful opinions from many who, if we are to be realistic and pragmatic, really should know better.
We all know about the ‘Original Sin’ perpetrated on the entire world by the Chinese government and its cone of silence and secrecy. It could be argued that the Chinese transgression pales into insignificance alongside the complete fraud that we now know the World Health Organization is.
Just a couple of things for us to consider if we’re ever going to be allowed to move forward in a world that’s become totally haphazard. A world where huge numbers of people, who really should know better, seem to have completely lost their marbles in a flood of totally incoherent figures.
Believing the unbelievable. Repeating the unprovable. Adding insult to injury for millions of people world wide.
Although the numbers are still largely inconclusive because of the huge ineptitude displayed by authorities all over the planet, combined with differing circumstances, there are a few consistent messages filtering through the quagmire of cheap media sensationalism and scaremongering.
Where sensible comparisons are made among countries or states where lifestyle, housing density, median age and health standards are similar, at first glance Covid-19 outcomes appear to be quite similar. That in itself should sound some warnings about comparing apples with apples.
There have of course, been some completely odd numbers modelled that would be enough to scare the pants off any health administrator; and the occasional female prime minister, as we’ve seen. But perhaps one day somebody will sit all these folk down calmly in a little circle on the carpet and explain that mathematics never lies, but random numbers tossed together will give random outcomes, and random thinking without understanding the numbers will produce nonsensical outcomes.
Here’s a simple example of COVID-19 statistical nonsense.
The Republic of San Marino has the highest recorded total cases of Covid-19 per million of population in the entire world with 17,152 (more than 3 times higher than Spain) and a death rate per million of 1,208, also the highest in the world (Spain has a paltry 540 by comparison).
This is completely factual information provided by https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
The problem is that San Marino has recorded a grand total of only 582 cases since this all started and 41 deaths. The distortion of course comes from the fact that San Marino’s population is only around 35,000.
That, is the danger of using statistics without general knowledge. There will be ‘journalists’ working in major media outlets all over the place who have no idea what or where San Marino is. Indeed, I’d suggest a large part of the population won’t have a clue either.
I’m surprised nobody has thought to run with that headline. They’re missing a golden opportunity to make their mark.
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