Mumsnet, Mass hysteria and CV

[cinammonbuns]

I just want to start a thread detailing all the minor reports in the media that MN has taken hold off and blow out of proportion entirely concerning the virus.

First, the blood group thing. There was a study (not even a report) on about 2,000 people in China who has CV and there was a minor suggestion that people with blood groups A were more likely to get it (not die form it just get it) than other blood groups. Obviously this is an absolutely tiny sample size and no real conclusions can be made form it but MN has extrapolated to mean that anyone with blood group A is at risk of certain death and all other blood groups are safe.

Next is the symptom of ‘loss of taste and smell’. This a symptom which was added later to possible symptoms and as soon as this was done suddenly floods of people on MN had loss of taste and smell and definitely had Covid 19. Even ignoring the fact that a blocked nose can cause this symptom it was strange to me that as soon as it was mentioned suddenly everyone had it.
I would love there to be a study on psychomatic symptoms surrounding Covid 19 in the future.

Finally the media loves to point out the worst stories of Covid (honestly rightly so if it encourages social distancing) but everyone claims that Covid 19 was the worst illness of their lives when statistically most people shouldn’t have sever symptoms at all.

Finally is the theory that people belief they have had Covid 19 wins before it even existed in human beings. I have seem people claiming that they believe they had it in January 2019 even though all the reports obviously suggest this is impossible.

I can’t believe MN has become so anti science in the last few months.

Anyone have anymore to add?

@Rocketmam where did I say women cannot be scientists? It was another poster who made that bizarre statement.

@Bimbleboo this exactly. If someone has a cold or fever then yes absolutely please self isolate. But I’ve heard people say that they have a headache and therefore it must be a new coronavirus symptoms or they have watery eyes therefore that must be a coronavirus symptom.

Can they consider they may just have a headache and hay fever?

@ErrolTheDragon there are numerous long running threads which claim the who is lying that doctors are lying and that coronavirus has been here for months and that the government is lying about deaths and doctors are covering them up but yes MN is definitely not anti science.

MN is not a homogeneous group. There are doubtless some posters who are anti science or just scientifically illiterate. Much like the general population. This does not mean that 'MN is anti science' is a valid statement.

@ErrolTheDragon @cinammonbuns

I'm not even sure it's anti-science, because that would signify intent. Some of the most upsetting behaviour I've seen is, as with many things in the social media age, the idea that all opinions and emotional responses are of equal relevance in a discussion, which of course depends on the discussion.

That's not to say the opinion or observation isn't valid..eg:

If there was a thread discussing the first lockdown restrictions being lifted and how that was happening, and a poster adds to the discussion with 'how can this happen, my cousin's husband just died of CV etc' - yes that's sad, but it's an observation which isn't linear to the discussion as deaths will inevitably still occur.

I kinda feel that it's a case of 'the loudest voices are heard' type thing. Posts and threads based in validated science and data are subtlety going about their thing - shouty emotive threads are a cheap thrill/scare and feed more into our current clickbait obsession which is understandable.

I kinda feel that it's a case of 'the loudest voices are heard' type thing. Posts and threads based in validated science and data are subtlety going about their thing - shouty emotive threads are a cheap thrill/scare and feed more into our current clickbait obsession which is understandable.

A lot of those shouty opinionated threads probably just get ignored by many people.

But yes, you're right re the overvaluing of opinion, versus scientific understanding.

Which long running threads do you mean OP?
Because I'm on 2 of them and neither are saying what you mention.

Well we've already had 2 'finallys' so not sure there is much else to add

YABU to attribute the views of some of the population to an Internet forum. Bit random.

YANBU to think those who do think the way you describe might need to calm down.

My teen dd lost her sense of smell and taste for over a week. Her only other symptom was a slightly runny nose for a couple of days. She obviously has not been tested but she has never had this happen to her - even with a heavy cold - so it seems very likely that she did have it.

She lost her sense of smell and taste for a week and had a runny nose and hence "it's very likely" that she had it?

No, it just isn't

Thanks @SouthsideOwl. It was posted on the third daily numbers, graphs and analysis thread. They are on number four now-

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3876462-Daily-numbers-graphs-analysis-thread-4

It's a very informative thread, quite a lot goes over my head at the moment as I have not stats experience but I am trying to follow along as best I can!

Yanbu
Southside: absolutely agree.