BBC Scotland’s Christopher Sleight off-hands this to us:
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says that falling Covid-19 deaths in care homes and among the oldest Scots is the first “hard evidence” the vaccination programme is working. Can this drop in deaths be attributed to the vaccine, or could there be another cause?
Anon of BBC Scotland does its best to undermine the truth by dancing around the essential facts confirming both the First Minister’s claim and the far greater cut in deaths in Scotland than in England, clearly due to the Scottish strategy of protecting the care home as a priority above all else.
Most evasive of all is this:
Neither the Pfizer nor Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have an immediate effect. The jabs will take two to three weeks to provide some level of protection, with maximum protection following administration of the second dose several weeks later. Because of that, an instant drop in care home deaths would not be expected. However, the latest National Records of Scotland data shows that Covid deaths in care homes are falling as a proportion of the total number of deaths.
Why not look at the actual number of deaths? See this:
Never mind the percentage of all deaths that were in care homes. That has been used in the past to hide the actual scale of the deaths in England and to suggest they were higher in Scotland.
The actual number has fallen from a peak of 143 in Week 2 by which time Scotland had vaccinated 75% of care home residents but England had only done around 25%.
Two to three weeks later, as pointed out by the BBC, there is some protection. Look at the fall in deaths between weeks 4 and 5. What else but the Scottish Government’s strategy to prioritise the care homes above all else, while being accused of being slow with the other groups, could have caused this?
BBC Scotland offers no other cause. There is none.
In the week-ending 7th February, Week 5, there were 1 330 deaths in English care homes but only 58 in Scottish care homes.
England has ten times the population so had the rate been the same as in Scotland there would have been around 580 deaths. The rate, thanks to the Johnson regime strategy is 2.3 times higher.
You won’t find the above in the BBC Scotland report.
Sources:
Yes John, I read that propaganda piece this morning and was choking on my coffee, two things stood out in this bunkum – The first:
“The vaccination programme for this group was completed last week, with the BULK of the vaccinations being done in late DECEMBER and the FIRST HALF OF JANUARY” (my emphasis).
– Ok, so 2-3 weeks to take effect from December or mid January would make it the first week in February normally clearly not a BBC calendar.
But the second was the stunner, acknowledging maximum effectiveness would be attained only on second dose, but – “Because of that, an instant drop in care home deaths would not be expected”
SO…. HMS Sarah Smith has just destroyed the UK’s clinical justification for the second dose being stretched to 12 weeks to maximise the number of protected people, in PQ’s world they’d die anyway, apparently… Because the FM has to be wrong…
Unbelievable.
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Sadly typical BBC attempt to downplay Good News— simply for political reasons, and because it is in Scotland.
If the stats between Scotland and England had been reversed, the BBC would lead with the story—and include Scotland in a negative context.
How do we know? Ask Andra’ Marr.
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It is useful to compare the headline on the BBC Home page, with the one on Mr Sleight’s article. It reports an Imperial College study indicating a steep decline in infections in England. The headline is a statement and the report has an optimistic tone. Mr Sleight’s heading introduces doubt by the use of the question mark and the tone he adopts might charitably be described as ‘cautious’ but could also be described as ‘damning with faint praise’.
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Seems obvious from the table : covid deaths down. Non covid deaths the same. They do report this in the sentence “However, the latest National Records of Scotland data shows that Covid deaths in care homes are falling as a proportion of the total number of deaths.”
It ‘s the “However ” that’s casting doubt on the reason. Carry on Gaslighting.
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As always, comments add a great deal to my starter.
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PS – Hadn’t noticed until now, but since your grab the piece has been attributed to one Christopher Sleight…. Wonder if he comes from a village known as Hand 🤔 🤣
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Bob
Oh dear
No need to wonder is there
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Thanks
Updated
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👍
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A good tactic for any SNP or high profile supporter would be if asked to appear live TV or contribute on radio regards covid 19
Is this
If at any time you introduce what you are attempting to cleverly present as data or information to pass off which is infactual
Or out of context
Then i hereby serve notice and with full prejudice not only shall i call you out
But i have in my possession here all the main
Relevant data concerning how certain Governments have actually performed
That no hesitation whatsoever in presenting
Such in the event of you getting any truths wrong by presenting them yourselves or by any other contributor
Notice has been served
Yes now what is your Question
Stunned silence
Editors profusely sweating
Engineers pulling the plug
Invite letters e mails rescinded
Make a appointment with your Doc urgently
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Sarah Smith has already had to apologise for lying and giving false reports about the FM. Will she have to apologise again. For the misleading, lack of knowledge and misinformation being peddled day after day, incessantly. Trying to take people for fools. What an embarrassment.
No wonder no one listens or watches any more. Viewing figures going down and down. Into oblivion. Just like the unionist support. An absolute disgrace. The Westminster Gov. Killing people prematurely.
Westminster controls the BBC propaganda and the MSM. They can’t count or read a balance sheet. Ignorant of statistics or just lying. Beyond belief. Thank goodness for the internet. For sharing and an exchange of information.
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Dateline Scotland. Stephen Jardine. A bit more balance. Remarkably.
Unionist party reps displace their ignorance and arrogance.
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Divide by 11 to get corresponding approx ratio.
England pop 57Million. Scotland pop 5.4million.
Scotland has more elderly as a % of the pop. People in Scotland die younger (historical) because of Westminster unfair, unequal policies. The North/South divide Thatcher. Scotland’s revenues and resources taken to fund London S/E. Devolution 2000 better policies in Scotland to aid the economy.
Independence will be even better.Having the funds for what Scotland needs. Instead of paying for what it does not need, (Westminster policies). Undemocratic and unfair. Non taxation without representation. Westminster poor, bad policies. Killing people prematurely. Vote Tory/unionist to die younger.
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Death rates in the over 80s also seem to be falling in England according to this article in the Guardian (Note in over 80s who are not necessarily in Care Homes)
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/16/encouraging-signs-covid-vaccine-over-80s-deaths-fall-england
Deaths are falling in Scottish Care Homes as the figures show although it may not be solely down to the vaccination programme. There is also lockdown to consider and its effect on reducing levels of Covid in the community. If the levels are lower in the community at large then that will feed into the care homes by reducing the level/instances of imported covid into the homes.
At first sight it does look like the vaccine is having an effect but more analysis is required to give a definitive answer because of the complication of the concurrent lockdown .
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