In the early hours, the Scotsman tells us that there is a demand for mass regular testing in Scotland. Oooh, where is this demand coming from? Is it the people? The source doesn’t make it to the front page so I can’t see who it is. Do I care enough to find out? No. Anas Sarwar?
As if by magic, the demand makes its way to headline on Reporting Scotland at 1pm:
And, twice weekly coronavirus tests will be offered to people in England – will the same happen here?
Oooh, again! They get everything, like that ‘Operation Moonshot‘ mass testing last year which….oh no…didn’t happen at all.
Then David comes on to tell us about the exciting new developments from England:
We don’t get a reminder of any of the previous big launches by Boris and Matt which have come to nothing and/or cost billions but we do hear that the Scottish Government will face calls to do something similar here. By whom? Oh, you’ll need to ask the guy at the Scotsman who made up the story in the first place. Just say Anas Sarwar and leave it at that?
Missing from both reports, of course, will be this:
The rapid test kits most widely used in UK universities, schools, and care homes detect just 48.89% of covid-19 infections in asymptomatic people when compared with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, real world data from the Liverpool pilot have shown.
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4848
BBC UK do tell the truth, eventually, right at the bottom of the page:
“Mass testing is a scandalous waste of money,” said Allyson Pollock, professor of public health at Newcastle University. “When the prevalence rate of coronavirus falls as low as it is at the moment then an increasing proportion of cases are likely to be false positives meaning that cases and contacts will self isolate unnecessarily.” Prof Pollock said it is likely that mass testing “is going to do more harm than good” and there had been no evaluation of mass testing programmes by the government.
Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a barrel 
It was being run on Good Morning Scotland from 6.30am. Clearly, this was to be the ‘story’ as dictated by the Scotland Office, with its multiple Union flags.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Astute observation, but you cannot help but wonder how long the explanation of the tactic took to penetrate the rich but thick Kack brain, sorry, Alister Jack, his boss Baronless Dunfuckall, and that wee laddie with permanent foot in mouth and flegs…
LikeLiked by 2 people
And, of course, Johnson DID NOT announce such testing, but no one asked him why.
LikeLike
Many, many months ago, Jason Leitch was heard to describe these tests as “a wee bit rubbishy,” I believe.
Now he has been known to be a wee bit rubbishy himself at times but, in this instance, he was prescient.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And these so called Journalist’s will be looking for other jobs in the Scottish Media soon . They had better get started on writing new CVs
LikeLike
Ah don’t be too hard on David Wallet-Lockjaw (Mr Enunciation 2021 ?), he’ll read out any old shite with an end on Contract clause dangling from “Lady” Sarah…
It’s actually quite comical, almost like a rerun of the skittery pigeons farce with a splash of “if England accepts this why shouldn’t you?” by way of garnishing, perhaps not the most alluring analogies, like Glenn Campbell – Journalist 🤣
London grows increasingly desperate, “operation Salmond leap” has floundered and the Sturgeon is getting away…
I’ll get my coat….
LikeLiked by 3 people
Can you have too much elll ohhh cuutttiiooonnnn?
LikeLike
“London grows increasingly desperate, “operation Salmond leap” has floundered and the Sturgeon is getting away…
I’ll get my coat….”
After that, I’ll hold the door! (Or possibly the Dory!)
Now, don’t be nasty to young David Wallace-and-Gromit. Actually, I’ve often thought how easy it must be for deaf people to understand what he’s saying.
Even if what he actually *does* say is a load of unmitigated (and irritating) horse hockey…
LikeLike
Rapid tests will find some positive but in spite of the warnings the false negatives will help the virus spread
LikeLiked by 1 person
And those bar-stewards in London know this full well…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Also very possibly to avoid vaccine passports? Have test, can travel? The English governments’ shambolic Brexit meaning people cannot easily travel to their costa del sols etc, on top of EngGovs’ catastrophic mishandling of the virus, might just cause a few wee problems down in the English shires.
Scotland needs to ensure strict quarantine and vaccine passports are required by all coming into Scotland in the next few months, because Scotland is going to be England’s bolt hole for hols this year. Plenty ads on youtube for ‘chalets’ etc…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Technically speaking, I think this is called the coercion of public interest. Which is standard practice for the BBC, which is ever so friendly towards British nationalism and English Torydum.
https://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/blog/covid-19-public-health-public-trust-and-public-support
LikeLike
Off Topic:
You are conspicuous by your absence from WoS Cameron.
I can only imagine your mental health has improved immeasurably since your departure.
LikeLike
Tam the bam , people move from blog to blog especially today from WGD
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got booted from WOS as I was beginning to get back into the swing of things, and possibly getting a bit technical and overconfident. I was also being systematically othered by a particular individual, who’s judgement was poor and ignorance profound. Though he probably subconsciously encouraged SC to exert his authority.
With regards my mental health, thanks for your concern. Although I suffer from PTSD and clinical depression, the state of my mental health has never been an topic for open debate, or significantly undermined my judgement. I may have appeared to have been loosing the plot and letting my anger get the better of me, though the truth is I struggle with intransigence and have little time for cupid stunts. So I was trying to give voice to my emotions in a productive and edumicational fashion, that was probably a bit over ambitious. 🙂
LikeLike
Well oh Well
I have been patiently sitting on the sidelines awaiting my opportunity to comment Re.The fiscal costs of Tests
But attempting to get at the total cost of
Procure,Admin, Logistics of is nigh on impossible and 100 % so to find out what
The private companies charge for conducting the tests and reporting the results
The only solid Fiscal fact is to be found in The March Budget when £2.5 Billion set aside to purchase new test kits @ £ 25 each
So i am forced only to use that figure only
And before i give you the costs and the monies saved by Scotland
It is almost impossible to separate Wales & NI and certainly so for England the respective No.of testswith confidence, But not so for Scotland
It is of the highest importance to consider such
1.It is only the end result of testing that
Really matters and that is DEATHS only
2.England pro rata has 45.5 % higher death rate than Scotland
3.Norway who have tested / million of population slightly less than Scotland
But England’s Death rate 1283% higher
4.Scotland mainly tests using SHNS
5.England mainly private companies
So here the monies ( remember procurement of test kits only)
And data is from the very beginning to 04/ 04/2021
England, Wales & NI
Spend £3.19 Billion
Scotland if pro rata / million of population spend would be
£0.31 Billion
But Scotland actual spend £ 0.13:Billion
This represents a saving of £ 180 Million
Such begs the question were the monies for tests distributed in a equitable manner
If so then Scotland has at the very least
£ 180 million spare cash far less the monies saved from private testing
Maybe this Explains Dross recent comments that Scotland is spending
More than the fair share of our monies
From Westminster
If so he retracted fast and probably for the reason he would be letting the cats out of the bag concerning the whole unaccountable fiasco of the Westminster
Allocation of £ 32.5 Billion for test trace etc. For private company contracts
Important and very much so
Remember the Death Ratios whereby large no.of tests DO NOT produce the correct result
The whole bloody thing is nothing but a gravy train for the Tories and their pals
LikeLiked by 2 people
Spot on premieroneuk
LikeLike
Terence i could have went a lot further
But a lack of solid irrefutable facts prevented me doing so
I only deal in verifiable reliable facts from
Trusted sources
I onlybbut can hope all can deduce the vast sums of money corruptly being thrown around
Regarding the £32.5 Billion Westminster has borroweed here
LikeLike
OT
re. me getting booted from WOS. I certainly don’t hold a grudge against SC. Who I’ve been in private communication with since, which was characterised by its cordiality and mutual respect. He even sent me a wee present out of the blue, which was nice. My absence certainly has made a lot more room for other voices, which is a good thing. Apart from those voices who are offering false friendship and guff opinion. Of which there are several, IMHO. 😉
LikeLike
My referencing your mental health (re last post) was purely a pointer to my opinion of the current level of discourse on that particular platform
In essence..it was a flippant remark and certainly not intended as anything else .
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, as I realised you were inquiring in good faith and genuine empathy. I suppose I should have kept things a bit more straight forwards, and simply replied Yes, as I’m no longer constantly having to justify myself for existing and having an informed opinion. Or arguing with those supporting the radical-right. All the best, and thanks again for your ‘concern’. 😉
LikeLike
F.A.O:- C. Brodie
No worries.
Onwards & Upwards.
LikeLike