Neil Ferguson - is this Too good to be true?

[LilacTree1]

Resigns after breaking the lockdown?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/05/exclusive-government-scientist-neil-ferguson-resigns-breaking/

Interesting you should have mentioned not sharing the code Smilethoyourheartisbreaking. Just found this in Business Insider. It also explains the Oxford scandal years ago and suggests Neil Ferguson could have been the person who infected Boris Johnson:

www.businessinsider.com/neil-ferguson-transformed-uk-covid-response-oxford-challenge-imperial-model-2020-4?r=US&IR=T

I do think all this will affect his reputation.

I find it very strange that anyone living under lockdown in the UK doesn’t know who Ferguson is

It’s one thing to avoid news and another thing entirely to have your life turned upside down - if not yours, then millions of others - and not find out who was behind those decisions.

Hang on, I thought Macron ordered Johnson for the UK to go into lockdown.

Also the ail or un said Barnier infected Johnson.

Am I getting my conspiracy sources wrong?

Johnson extra-marital affair ✅
Johnson shaking hands of Covid patients ✅
That Tory bloke visiting his parents 40 miles away ✅

Am I getting my conspiracy sources wrong?

Not at all LadywithLapdog. They did suggest it but in fact Barnier and Johnson had not met in person so if transmission happened, it could only have been through an intermediary. Johnson had also met Nadine Dorries and Prince Charles in this period who also had it. The Business Insider article was published before tonight’s revelations so presumably they did not know about breaking the lockdown.

The Tory bloke ...visiting his parents wasn't the main issue...he was doing that having already driven 80 miles to his second home, or third.

I really hope no scandal emerges on Chris Whitty. Please no!

If the government change policy every time one of their advisers or MPs has a bonk against the rules
.... they'll be twirling in perpetual circles

It won't affect the decision that Boris has already made,
which is almost certainly to wait a few weeks and watch what happens to countries on the continent who relax social measures

I’m underwhelmed generally by our response in the uk. There are some great scientific minds, very hardworking individuals, and we had rehearsed pandemics.

Yet there seems to be a vein of arrogance, closed meetings, lack of challenge and robust scientific checks on models, SAGE and courses of action. Unfortunately it doesn’t surprise me that one of the more practical voices is also arrogant and a hypocrite by his actions.

I really felt we could have led the way internationally like South Korea. Alas no.

Macron, Merkel and most of the leaders in the world relied on their own scientists and predictions, who advised lockdown

They didn't lockdown because of a team at a London college
The rest of Europe locked down after taking fright at what was happening in Italy

Lockdown was a pause button, for doctors and scientists to learn more about COVID
and for the health services to be built up to handle the casualties.

"we had rehearsed pandemics"

The problem is that all the planning was for a bad flu pandemic and didn't fit COVID because:

. it has a much higher death rate
. it is more infectious - higher R0
. people are infectious days before showing any symptoms, so they spread it unknowingly
. the plan assumed that an existing flu vaccine could be tweaked within a couple of months and a full vaccination program within 6 months

Very convenient someone just happened to catch him out. Just when there's talk pressure to end lockdown before it's safe to do so.

Multi millionaires who live in (tax and Covid havens including private islands) are complaining about lockdown. They can afford the risk. It's not their risk.

They can afford to lose the gamble. Both in terms of lives lost and the financial consequences of a second wave happening before we've even got the first reduced sufficiently.

Like PP say. Him being caught out in a minor breach of lockdown doesn't make his expert advice wrong. Him ignoring his own advice doesn't invalidate it.

We have possibly the highest death rate in the world. (America has far less per million population). That's largely because we're not treating patients. Or treating too late.

We have a simple (safe) way out of lockdown. Treat early. Use the antivirals, get enough PPE. Other countries have managed it so it can't be too difficult.

We don't get a return to normality or a healthy recovering economy when half or more of the workforce are off sick for extended periods. Or dead.

@Walkingtohealth You didn’t break lockdown. You went to help someone in a vulnerable situation. Sending love to you and your family. X

@ToffeeYoghurt I agree it doesn't invalidate his advice. He just felt as long as the plebs were doing as they were told, everything would be fine.

Whilst I think what Ferguson did was wrong, he is clearly being used as a scapegoat. Possibly pushed because he opposed easing lockdown even.

Always question what news is being released, and when, by what papers and why.

The Telegraph (Boris’s old paper and all round Tory fave) leak this story on the day UK is named the worst hit in Europe.

Classic distraction from bad news.

It’s not a conspiracy theory it’s what papers, politicians and spin doctors have done for years.
M

And all these scandals about Ferguson, Jenrick, the Scottish scientist...

But Boris moving from no 10 to his second home to be with his lover and then back to no 10 again is completely super fine. Nothing to see here

Absolutely excitedmum

Wish they government would spend this time and energy on getting hold of the PPE we need, accurate tests, and the drugs and equipment to properly treat patients. That's the safe way out of lockdown.

@Alsohuman Yes I thought that was awfully misogynistic too.

Looking at deaths per million

We are not the highest death rate in Europe.

I’m glad I looked at that instead of just hearing headlines.

Personal behaviour is separate to professional opinion

An obese HCP who tells you to lose weight isn't wrong
... but also needs to take their own advice !

@ToffeeYoghurt Agreed! A few loved ones have had this and the tests and ppe still aren’t getting to the right people. I also agree with your point that people aren’t being treated early enough. This has happened with three loved ones who have ended up very poorly.

The message has been to only go to hospital once very VERY ill, but if you go sooner and are treated sooner, you have a much better chance of recovery (less damage to lungs as well as less chance of dying).

Please anyone reading this who knows someone with symptoms, encourage them to seek help sooner rather than later.

The nightingale hospitals are empty, the government say the nhs is not overwhelmed. Get the treatment you need. And you might need less treatment overall- you won’t be a burden.

Him ignoring his own advice doesn't invalidate it.

Well it does actually. If he doesn’t think it’s important enough to follow, why should anyone else think it is?

The deaths per million only quotes the gov stars (those tested) not the ons stats (all Covid deaths up to 24 April)

"We are not the highest death rate in Europe."

The Uk has the highest number of deaths in Europe

As to the deaths per million:
the Uk is the 4th highest out of the 44 countries in Europe

Very convenient someone just happened to catch him out.

Really? If he had been following the rules there would have been nothing to catch him out on