Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

In the US, it seems like roughly 80 percent of the fatalities involve people aged 80 and up with chronic health issues. My point is that these individuals are vulnerable to even a common cold; they could succumb to just about any infection...
The main goal here is to spread panic by claiming some new virus has arrived to decimate the population, driving everyone to hide away in their suburban homes.

The Coronavirus is just one of many viruses within the Influenza group, characterized by spontaneous mutations and seasonal surges during the winter months. The syndrome caused by this group of viruses manifests as upper and lower respiratory tract issues—ranging from rhinitis, pharyngitis, and laryngitis to bronchitis and pneumonia.

Essentially, this squad of viruses has been visiting the human race for about 150 years, showing up every single year. We know the proportional share of specific virus types; for instance, the contribution of Corona to overall flu syndromes typically sits between 7% and 15%. It isn't fundamentally different from other influenza viruses; it simply targets the throat, pharynx, and bronchi because it doesn't thrive in nasal mucus. Complications from the flu aren't due to some inherent "malice" in the virus itself, but rather the poor immunological status of the infected individual—things like chronic debilitating diseases, cancer, chemotherapy treatments, various medications, or diabetes. That is precisely why the mortality rate is so high among the elderly.
There are no inherently "evil" viruses; there are only compromised immune systems that cannot mount a proper response to kill the pathogen. This is why we see a spike in deaths among the elderly and the chronically ill during the transition from winter to spring.

However, this year, we rebranded Corona as SARS COVID-19 specifically to turn something familiar into something unknown. People fear the unknown, and that’s how you sow panic. If this had simply been called the flu, people wouldn't be terrified, and everything would proceed just as it has in previous years.
If you factor in this intense COVID strain, the mortality rate from the flu this year is right in line with all previous years. The mortality linked to COVID stays at about 1 percent of those hospitalized. When the dust settles this year, the total mortality will likely hover around one per thousand.
But when you sit through two press conferences every single day, hearing them repeat that "1,100 people died today, and now it's 14 more," you are manufacturing fear and injecting it directly into the public consciousness.

Paul Martinez73, I know you're absolutely terrified of a little flu; go ahead and call me narrow-minded now just because you happen to think differently...

Amanda Evans2 said:In the US, it seems like roughly 80 percent of the fatalities involve people aged 80 and up with chronic health issues. My point is that these individuals are vulnerable to even a common cold; they could succumb to just about any infection...
The main goal here is to spread panic by claiming some new virus has arrived to decimate the population, driving everyone to hide away in their suburban homes.

The Coronavirus is just one of many viruses within the Influenza group, characterized by spontaneous mutations and seasonal surges during the winter months. The syndrome caused by this group of viruses manifests as upper and lower respiratory tract issues—ranging from rhinitis, pharyngitis, and laryngitis to bronchitis and pneumonia.

Essentially, this squad of viruses has been visiting the human race for about 150 years, showing up every single year. We know the proportional share of specific virus types; for instance, the contribution of Corona to overall flu syndromes typically sits between 7% and 15%. It isn't fundamentally different from other influenza viruses; it simply targets the throat, pharynx, and bronchi because it doesn't thrive in nasal mucus. Complications from the flu aren't due to some inherent "malice" in the virus itself, but rather the poor immunological status of the infected individual—things like chronic debilitating diseases, cancer, chemotherapy treatments, various medications, or diabetes. That is precisely why the mortality rate is so high among the elderly.
There are no inherently "evil" viruses; there are only compromised immune systems that cannot mount a proper response to kill the pathogen. This is why we see a spike in deaths among the elderly and the chronically ill during the transition from winter to spring.

However, this year, we rebranded Corona as SARS COVID-19 specifically to turn something familiar into something unknown. People fear the unknown, and that’s how you sow panic. If this had simply been called the flu, people wouldn't be terrified, and everything would proceed just as it has in previous years.
If you factor in this intense COVID strain, the mortality rate from the flu this year is right in line with all previous years. The mortality linked to COVID stays at about 1 percent of those hospitalized. When the dust settles this year, the total mortality will likely hover around one per thousand.
But when you sit through two press conferences every single day, hearing them repeat that "1,100 people died today, and now it's 14 more," you are manufacturing fear and injecting it directly into the public consciousness.

Paul Martinez73, I know you're absolutely terrified of a little flu; go ahead and call me narrow-minded now just because you happen to think differently...

You forgot to use quotation marks or cite a source—just a retired pediatrician on Reddit.

And naturally, the text is riddled with errors, such as the claim that the coronavirus is one of the many viruses in the Influenza group.
It is not. Therefore, you can strike down everything written following that error as inaccurate.

We really need to start adopting a hedgehog doctrine

Look, SARS and MERS are basically the same family of coronaviruses as this current one, and I spent a good couple of months diving deep into all the research a while back—I’m getting a little fuzzy on the specifics now, but if my memory serves me right, there are about seven well-known coronaviruses out there. Four of them have been causing basic common colds for decades, and then, totally catching everyone off guard, SARS showed up back in 2002 and proved these things can actually be lethal with pretty high mortality rates, and then MERS came along being even more deadly, and now we have this.
So, you really shouldn't downplay this as just some other run-of-the-mill flu strain; calling it SARS-CoV-2 is actually totally justified.

The death rate isn't just 1% of people who get hospitalized; if you're looking at those actually in the hospital, the fatality rate is way higher, though here in the States, the mortality rate among those tested is sitting at around 1%.
What everyone is assuming, and what’s probably the truth, is that the actual number of people infected is way higher than what we see, but we won't really know for sure until we start massive testing and maybe look into antibody studies too. That's the only way we could truly prove if the mortality rate is actually lower than it looks.

The reality is that they're implementing this total lockdown without any kind of long-term strategy for how to actually fight this, which feels like a fast track to disaster, but honestly, when it comes to us in America, you can't really expect much better, since we tend to just wait for someone else to come in and put out the fire for us.

Hey guys, are you all holding up okay during these bizarre times?

Matthew Young35 said:You forgot to use quotation marks or cite a source—just a retired pediatrician on Reddit.

And naturally, the text is riddled with errors, such as the claim that the coronavirus is one of the many viruses in the Influenza group.
It is not. Therefore, you can strike down everything written following that error as inaccurate.

Look, hundreds of thousands of people kick the bucket from the standard flu every single year, so what’s even the big deal with this Corona stuff? What, are we supposed to lock everyone indoors when it's just regular old flu season? This whole argument is full of holes—you don't even get the basic math right, and you clearly have no clue how much this virus actually spread through the population. Plus, when I see the garbage coming out of the WHO—who we all know are just a bunch of corrupt hacks tied to Big Pharma—the whole thing just reeks. The only real story here is about preventing the healthcare system from collapsing under the weight; everything else is just massive overreaction. Take Italy—they were already in deep shit before this virus even showed up because they barely had enough hospital beds to begin with. During a normal flu season, their hospitals are basically at 100% capacity anyway. This virus was just the final nudge pushing them off the cliff they were already teetering on (and yeah, let's not forget they're one of the oldest populations in the West, have tons of smokers, weren't prepared, etc.).

restlesssurfer97 said:Look, SARS and MERS are basically the same family of coronaviruses as this current one, and I spent a good couple of months diving deep into all the research a while back—I’m getting a little fuzzy on the specifics now, but if my memory serves me right, there are about seven well-known coronaviruses out there. Four of them have been causing basic common colds for decades, and then, totally catching everyone off guard, SARS showed up back in 2002 and proved these things can actually be lethal with pretty high mortality rates, and then MERS came along being even more deadly, and now we have this.
So, you really shouldn't downplay this as just some other run-of-the-mill flu strain; calling it SARS-CoV-2 is actually totally justified.

The death rate isn't just 1% of people who get hospitalized; if you're looking at those actually in the hospital, the fatality rate is way higher, though here in the States, the mortality rate among those tested is sitting at around 1%.
What everyone is assuming, and what’s probably the truth, is that the actual number of people infected is way higher than what we see, but we won't really know for sure until we start massive testing and maybe look into antibody studies too. That's the only way we could truly prove if the mortality rate is actually lower than it looks.

The reality is that they're implementing this total lockdown without any kind of long-term strategy for how to actually fight this, which feels like a fast track to disaster, but honestly, when it comes to us in America, you can't really expect much better, since we tend to just wait for someone else to come in and put out the fire for us.

People who are infected aren't the same as people who are sick; there's a huge difference there.

Maria Anderson said:Hey guys, are you all holding up okay during these bizarre times?

Anthony Jackson2 🙏🙏🙏

Maria Anderson said:Hey guys, are you all holding up okay during these bizarre times?

Well, you're still breathing, aren't you? 🙏

So, where's Leonard Nimoy hiding? 🙂

Anthony Jackson2 said:Well, you're still breathing, aren't you? 🙏

Just keeping things moving!

restlesssurfer97 said:So, where's Leonard Nimoy hiding? 🙂

Prokariot🙂

Anthony Jackson2 said:What do you mean there isn't one? The Swedes have a strategy, the Germans laid out their plan the other day...

You should actually read up and see who is doing what, instead of just parroting the nonsense from American news sites. But hey, I guess it's easier to just float through life with half a brain.

Comparing America to Sweden and Germany?
Alright, enough arguing. You win. ☕

Paul Martinez73 said:Comparing America to Sweden and Germany?
Alright, enough arguing. You win. ☕

we've got Willie 🤣

wiredrider9 said:Look, hundreds of thousands of people kick the bucket from the standard flu every single year, so what’s even the big deal with this Corona stuff? What, are we supposed to lock everyone indoors when it's just regular old flu season? This whole argument is full of holes—you don't even get the basic math right, and you clearly have no clue how much this virus actually spread through the population. Plus, when I see the garbage coming out of the WHO—who we all know are just a bunch of corrupt hacks tied to Big Pharma—the whole thing just reeks. The only real story here is about preventing the healthcare system from collapsing under the weight; everything else is just massive overreaction. Take Italy—they were already in deep shit before this virus even showed up because they barely had enough hospital beds to begin with. During a normal flu season, their hospitals are basically at 100% capacity anyway. This virus was just the final nudge pushing them off the cliff they were already teetering on (and yeah, let's not forget they're one of the oldest populations in the West, have tons of smokers, weren't prepared, etc.).

If this "flu" mutates even slightly into something with a high mortality rate, we are absolutely screwed.
We know nothing about this virus. We don't have a vaccine, we don't have a cure, we don't have enough ventilators, and we don't have enough hospital capacity. Is it seasonal? Who knows. For all we know, we don't even fully grasp the exact mechanics of how it spreads.
All we know for certain is that it is highly infectious, and that's it.

On the flip side, we know a great deal about the flu. It's seasonal, we have vaccines, it's less contagious, and we understand its transmission.

Are we really supposed to believe that every single country on Earth is either incompetent or part of some grand pharmaceutical conspiracy?
I wouldn't go that far.
Just try considering the possibility that epidemiologists across the globe might actually be right, while a retired pediatrician posting on Reddit—someone whose expertise doesn't even cover this field and who apparently doesn't realize that Coronavirus isn't even part of the Influenza family—might be wrong. Just try it.

Matthew Young35 said:If this "flu" mutates even slightly into something with a high mortality rate, we are absolutely screwed.
We know nothing about this virus. We don't have a vaccine, we don't have a cure, we don't have enough ventilators, and we don't have enough hospital capacity. Is it seasonal? Who knows. For all we know, we don't even fully grasp the exact mechanics of how it spreads.
All we know for certain is that it is highly infectious, and that's it.

On the flip side, we know a great deal about the flu. It's seasonal, we have vaccines, it's less contagious, and we understand its transmission.

Are we really supposed to believe that every single country on Earth is either incompetent or part of some grand pharmaceutical conspiracy?
I wouldn't go that far.
Just try considering the possibility that epidemiologists across the globe might actually be right, while a retired pediatrician posting on Reddit—someone whose expertise doesn't even cover this field and who apparently doesn't realize that Coronavirus isn't even part of the Influenza family—might be wrong. Just try it.

Epidemiologists are a joke—they just crunch numbers and look at what happened in the past, doing their own little math problems, kind of like how seismologists act after an earthquake. Everything is always "we think," "we assume," or "we believe." That's not science, that's just being a psychic. Like, they're saying again that the next 2-3 weeks are "critical"—yeah, they said the exact same thing 2-3 weeks ago. 🤣 It blows my mind that there aren't any public debates happening about this situation, and there aren't any other types of scientists on that task force besides those epidemiologists. I'm not talking about conspiracies here; I'm saying there are just way too many weird things, too many gaps, and way too much controversy going on.

But one thing is for sure: they can take their "cure" for Corona and shove it. Of course, just like always, the only solution is some vaccine from the pharmaceutical companies. ☕

Paul Martinez73 said:Comparing America to Sweden and Germany?
Alright, enough arguing. You win. ☕

Those are just the cases that made the news—there are definitely more out there.

Our big strategy is basically "God will bail us out"—except we went ahead and locked up all the churches, so I’m not exactly sure how we’re supposed to reach Him now.

Amanda Evans2 said:In the US, it seems like roughly 80 percent of the fatalities involve people aged 80 and up with chronic health issues. My point is that these individuals are vulnerable to even a common cold; they could succumb to just about any infection...
The main goal here is to spread panic by claiming some new virus has arrived to decimate the population, driving everyone to hide away in their suburban homes.

The Coronavirus is just one of many viruses within the Influenza group, characterized by spontaneous mutations and seasonal surges during the winter months. The syndrome caused by this group of viruses manifests as upper and lower respiratory tract issues—ranging from rhinitis, pharyngitis, and laryngitis to bronchitis and pneumonia.

Essentially, this squad of viruses has been visiting the human race for about 150 years, showing up every single year. We know the proportional share of specific virus types; for instance, the contribution of Corona to overall flu syndromes typically sits between 7% and 15%. It isn't fundamentally different from other influenza viruses; it simply targets the throat, pharynx, and bronchi because it doesn't thrive in nasal mucus. Complications from the flu aren't due to some inherent "malice" in the virus itself, but rather the poor immunological status of the infected individual—things like chronic debilitating diseases, cancer, chemotherapy treatments, various medications, or diabetes. That is precisely why the mortality rate is so high among the elderly.
There are no inherently "evil" viruses; there are only compromised immune systems that cannot mount a proper response to kill the pathogen. This is why we see a spike in deaths among the elderly and the chronically ill during the transition from winter to spring.

However, this year, we rebranded Corona as SARS COVID-19 specifically to turn something familiar into something unknown. People fear the unknown, and that’s how you sow panic. If this had simply been called the flu, people wouldn't be terrified, and everything would proceed just as it has in previous years.
If you factor in this intense COVID strain, the mortality rate from the flu this year is right in line with all previous years. The mortality linked to COVID stays at about 1 percent of those hospitalized. When the dust settles this year, the total mortality will likely hover around one per thousand.
But when you sit through two press conferences every single day, hearing them repeat that "1,100 people died today, and now it's 14 more," you are manufacturing fear and injecting it directly into the public consciousness.

Paul Martinez73, I know you're absolutely terrified of a little flu; go ahead and call me narrow-minded now just because you happen to think differently...

🙂
And instead of isolating the high-risk groups—namely retirees and those with chronic illnesses,
they choose to wreck the entire fabric of society by declaring a state of emergency, banning people from doing anything, outlawing social gatherings, and essentially killing off all social life...
just so these old-timers can linger for a few more months... what a brilliant strategy... ☕

Laura Chavez93 said:🙂
And instead of isolating the high-risk groups—namely retirees and those with chronic illnesses,
they choose to wreck the entire fabric of society by declaring a state of emergency, banning people from doing anything, outlawing social gatherings, and essentially killing off all social life...
just so these old-timers can linger for a few more months... what a brilliant strategy... ☕

Seriously, you can't even sneeze in public without someone watching you like they're checking to see if you've got your pants on straight. Total bullshit.

wiredrider9 said:Epidemiologists are a joke—they just crunch numbers and look at what happened in the past, doing their own little math problems, kind of like how seismologists act after an earthquake. Everything is always "we think," "we assume," or "we believe." That's not science, that's just being a psychic. Like, they're saying again that the next 2-3 weeks are "critical"—yeah, they said the exact same thing 2-3 weeks ago. 🤣 It blows my mind that there aren't any public debates happening about this situation, and there aren't any other types of scientists on that task force besides those epidemiologists. I'm not talking about conspiracies here; I'm saying there are just way too many weird things, too many gaps, and way too much controversy going on.

But one thing is for sure: they can take their "cure" for Corona and shove it. Of course, just like always, the only solution is some vaccine from the pharmaceutical companies. ☕

So, epidemiologists are useless when it comes to actual epidemics, but we should definitely listen to a retired pediatrician from Maxportal, a totally unhinged Sladoljev, some crazy anti-vax internist, and the "experts" over at Bujanec.

Not.

Matthew Young35 said:So, epidemiologists are useless when it comes to actual epidemics, but we should definitely listen to a retired pediatrician from Maxportal, a totally unhinged Sladoljev, some crazy anti-vax internist, and the "experts" over at Bujanec.

Not.

Exactly—everyone else is just "insane" if they happen to think differently, right? Bravo. Why don't you just go live in North Korea then. I wasn't even aiming at them, but I'm positive Sladoljev, that unhinged internist, or that Vrček guy definitely know way more than you and me. And newsflash: it’s the same story in Germany, America, and pretty much everywhere else—plenty of these "nutjobs" around.