The “great big melting pot” sure holds surprises aplenty.

Dan

To put things in perspective, in the past eight months, there have been 816 deaths attributed to COVID-19 across Australia, population 25.5 million.

729 of those deaths have been in Victoria, population 6.65 million, over the past eight months.

Most of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 have been in people over 80 years old, i.e. over the age of life expectancy.

To further put these figures in perspective, the ABS reports 55,047 doctor certified deaths occurred in Australia between 1 January 2020 and 26 May 2020 and were registered by 30 June. This compares to a baseline average of 53,361 over the past 5 years. It’s interesting there appear to be 1,686 deaths over the average - I wonder how many of these might be ‘lockdown’ deaths?

Going back to the 729 deaths in Victoria attributed to COVID-19, I’ve been having a look at the Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria website. Consider these figures:

Deaths registered in Victoria July 2020: 3,561
Deaths registered in Victoria July 2019: 4,102

So in July 2019 there were 541 more registered deaths than in July 2020. There were more deaths in July last year than July this year...

Keeping in mind over the past six months 729 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in Victoria, also consider these monthly death statistics via place of death:

April 2020: Hospital 617 Nursing home 1,591 Usual residence 1,181 Other 196 Total 3,585
May 2020: Hospital 556 Nursing home 1,380 Usual residence 1,037 Other 298 Total 3,271
June 2020: Hospital 593 Nursing home 1,418 Usual residence 943 Other 172 Total 3,126

Average age at death was around 77.9

Interesting figures to think about in the context of deaths attributed to COVID-19, and the extraordinary disruption governments’ response to COVID-19 is causing in Australia, particularly Victoria.  

Well, it's all 'act' and no 'balance' in Victoria. The fact that the most draconian, totalitarian government in the country still has the China virus and the sane ones do not, doesn't get a mention. The fact that 'The Lancet' long ago published the finding that lockdowns do not have any influence on the spread of the virus, is ignored. The fact that Taiwan had only 7 deaths and 447 non-lethal cases, is ignored. The fact that 98% of Swedes are now immune, is ignored.

Australian politicians and Australian dud doctors are morons. The people who sit back and allow themselves to be treated the way they are by Australian governments are also morons. People who keep writing the same garbage are morons. People who don't know that the average age of those dying with the virus for men is 81 and for women, 85. Meanwhile, the average life expectancy for men is 81 and for women is 85, are morons.

Peter

Why do you say individual rights are in conflict with the common good?

Is it that you don't trust individuals to make choices that would serve the common good?

I'd say Queenslanders overwhelmingly supported and made individual choices, in the common good, during the initial containment or 'panic' phase of the virus. But since the objective changed from containment to eradication, I'd contend, we haven't as rigorously bothered overly much with adherence to the reopening phases dictates.

I think many people assessed a personal acceptable risk, and now make individual choices.
eg. Hand sanitizer is now pretty much ignored or has disappeared as has much social distancing... outside of government operations.
'
Indeed, generally, I'd like your definition of the common good.
If your definition is one that excludes personal responsibility, then, try going to live in Sictoria, The Police State ...where that idea pervades everything.

ElizabethHart

I watched your FB video last night after reading your posts yesterday.
Vaccination to my mind, should be a voluntary thing, except regarding vaccinations for infants and children against the old childhood chestnut diseases.

You raised many disturbing points of interest during your video. Vested interests of course is the big one.

Interesting you noted the silence of the ABC in particular. Why do you think that is?
I have my own views of course, not being a lover of them).

Dan

I'm 80, so probably more vulnerable than most.

However I'd much rather take my chances, & live in Sweden, than in the new police state of Victoria.

If ever there was a reason for rioting in the streets, it has to be the police behavior in Victoria today.

Given we still are almost alone among democracies, without a bill of constitutional rights! Our alleged rights and freedom are whatever some power junkie, control freak, self-indulgent, narcisstic, Polly says they are?

That said, no infectedperson has a right as an Asymptomatic super spreader to infect others willy nilly with a virus that can and does kill people.

And no polly-waffling Polly has a right to politicise a pandemic for some obnoxious political outcome!

As for the pandemic? What we or rather our erstwhile leaders have never done, has been to acquire and roll out the, 95% accurate, Israeli Saliva test. And deploy it at all exit and entry points, at borders, bridges, Supermarkets, entertainment and sporting venues. With those testing negative for the virus/illicit drugs allowed to proceed to wherever or their jobs/a fully reopened economy.

Those testing positive for the virus/ilicit drugs, immediately sent to a currently disused refugee detainment camp, where razor wire and armed dog patrols will all but ensure a locked down compliance, the missing element in the Victorian, second wave?

Not to mention the cold turkey, enforced withdrawal, of illicit drug users!

The latter detained behind razor wire and drug free for six months could all but kill the illicit drug trade?

Why not the Saliva test and a result in seconds? Because it's not lost on the Mr bigs of organised crime/illicit drug distribution, that the same saliva can be also tested, also in seconds, for illicit drugs?

And who knows who the untouchable Mr bigs are? A pillar of society, the millionarie playboy, a butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth, as honest as the day is long, political leader, minister of the faith etc-etc?
Alan B.

ttbn makes the most sense in all of this.

see http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=21104#372523

Let us know when you are leaving, Hasbeen and I'll make a point of coming to see you off/wave you goodbye as you go! How do you say farewell and bon voyage in Swedish? XXXOOO.

Pete you're entitled to your opinion! Even if the only one you share it with is the fool in the mirror?

I'd have thought everyone here not already senile would want both the borders and economy fuly reopened? But then?

And the illicit drug trade effectively demolished? But then,that's only what I believe. And silly isn't it?

Who in their right mind would want a reasonably accurate result in seconds as the, up your nose test, can take several days and allow superspreaders to go about their work of shutting down/destroying the economy and knocking off a few useless, impoverished old farts?

Those useless, moribund, senile old farts with a few quid can afford to opt for a different outcome! Thank heavens for small mercies and Granddad's money.
Alan B.

Consider the death statistics I provided previously...

816 across the entire country in eight months, and 729 of those are in Victoria, and most of them over the age of life expectancy.

I mean, really?!?!?

Given that we all die, and most of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 are in people likely over the age of life expectancy, do you think there is a proportionate response to the virus?

Just think about what's happening on the back of those very questionable figures in Victoria...

And there's the dying 'with' or 'of' COVID-19 angle.

And problems with the definition of 'cases' and testing, see for example: Covid-19: the problems with case counting: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3374

QUOTE

What is a “case”?
One issue in trying to interpret numbers of detected cases is that there is no set definition of a case. At the moment it seems that a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive result is the only criterion required for a case to be recognised.

“In any other disease we would have a clearly defined specification that would usually involve signs, symptoms, and a test result,” says Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford and the editor of BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. “We are moving into a biotech world where the norms of clinical reasoning are going out of the window. A PCR test does not equal covid-19; it should not, but in some definitions it does.”

END OF QUOTE

Further to my previous comments, also consider my email to PM Scott Morrison:

Transparency for coronavirus/COVID-19 statistics - are these being beaten up? 31 August 2020:

https://elizabethhart.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/transparency-for-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics-1.pdf

Dan, taxpayer-funded vaccination policy in Australia is a cesspool of conflicts of interest.

I've been investigating this area for the past 12 years now, starting with pet vaccination, and what a rabbit hole that has taken me down...

You've obviously seen my presentation, here's the transcript if you want a closer look, also including slides:

https://elizabethhart.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/conflicts-of-interest-in-vaccination-policy-e-hart.pdf

Well here is a stunning revelation re real Covid case numbers, well worth the read

http://www.rt.com/op-ed/500000-covid19-math-mistake-panic/

For those posting links you must remove the ‘s’ from the https or it won’t work.
Galen

Thanks Galen, Dr Malcolm Kendrick has been providing a series of posts on the coronavirus situation on his blog. It's great that he has bravely stuck his head above the parapet on this issue, which so desperately needs scrutiny.

Thanks for the tip about the links, and removing the 's', I didn't know that... The links I provided in previous comments do work when pasted into a browser though, but I'll just post them here again in case anyone is interested to pursue them:

- Transparency for coronavirus/COVID-19 statistics - are these being beaten up? 31 August 2020:
http://elizabethhart.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/transparency-for-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics-1.pdf

- Transcript of presentation re conflicts of interest in vaccination policy:
http://elizabethhart.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/conflicts-of-interest-in-vaccination-policy-e-hart.pdf

Also, here's an interesting perspective on the coronavirus situation in Western Europe from Bell & Potter: http://bellpotter.com.au/ideas/coronavirus-analysis-outlook-1-september/

Note: I tried to leave the comment below on Judith Sloan's article in The Australian today, but it was deleted: 'Once it was distance, but a new tyranny has emerged in coronavirus era': http://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/once-it-was-distance-but-a-new-tyranny-has-emerged-in-coronavirus-era/news-story/173654a1dfd96ea36e280d0f34b2b4a2

My deleted comment below (the first sentence is a quote from Judith Sloan's article):

"It also is not just the fact many epidemiologists and, for that matter, state chief health officers have zero clinical experience, including in infectious disease management."

This is the key point. We don’t appear to have effective and independent specialists in infectious disease management in Australia.

We need to look to Sweden and examine what happened there, is anyone doing this? Is anyone involved in public health policy in Australia liaising with specialists in Sweden, e.g. Anders Tegnell?

It’s fashionable of course to attack Sweden’s approach, and their death toll, which occurred mainly in the elderly. (See my BMJ rapid response for some background: Looking at Sweden, COVID-19 and vitamin D… 13 July 2020.)

Tegnell acknowledges “the mortality rate was due to deaths in elderly and long-term care facilities that had weaknesses making it possible for the disease to spread”.*

But otherwise Tegnell’s and Sweden’s handling of the coronavirus situation appears to be working, certainly in avoiding the problems of lockdowns, including serious infringements on people’s liberty, and a myriad other health, social and economic problems that are looming ahead of us in Australia.

It’s crucial to properly and objectively consider Sweden’s approach – where is Australia going with the apparent ‘elimination’ policy that has now replaced the original ‘flattening the curve’?

We’re getting boxed into a corner by so-called ‘experts’ here, this needs critical analysis now.

* Herd immunity ‘definitely not’ Sweden’s goal for coronavirus, says chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell. Newsweek, 14 September 2020.

Also see:
– The surge in Covid cases is not as it seems. Spiked, 15 September 2020
– Will a surge in coronavirus infections lead to a similar surge in deaths? The intriguing evidence from Sweden and US that suggests not necessarily. Daily Mail, 14 September 2020

Thanks Elizabeth, appreciate your links and posts, informative and interesting. I agree with your thoughts wholeheartedly.
Cheers
Galen