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Neil Oliver and Covid

16 replies

Ritascornershop · 06/07/2021 18:38

Not sure if I’m allowed to ask this, but does anyone have a share token for the Neil Oliver article in The Times? www.thetimes.co.uk/article/neil-oliver-sacred-duty-should-be-to-our-children-not-the-covid-cult-wgw8wq0q6

OP posts:
herecomesthsun · 06/07/2021 18:44

It's a bit fanciful and incoherent, I don't think he understands the issues very well.

"There is a Eucharist of sorts; communion wine in the form of vaccines that, to judge by appearances at least, work best when receipt of them is made public in the form of photographs of injections that might be posted on social media. And there are also those who want vaccine passports, so that their cleanliness might be worn proudly, as though upon the sleeve."

and so on, a bit anti-vax and prententious with it

puts me off him a bit. no, a lot.

MouldyPotato · 06/07/2021 19:47

Isn't he the guy on that Coast programme? With the hair

MrsLCSofLichfield · 06/07/2021 19:54

The guy with the hair. Not a public health expert Grin

Watercoloursky · 06/07/2021 20:03

Archaeologist, not epidemiologist!

MercyBooth · 06/07/2021 20:08

Neither is Stephen Reicher who is a professor of social psychology.

workwoes123 · 06/07/2021 20:13

I haven’t read the article but he has recently published a book on Disasters and how humanity deals (or otherwise) with them. One point he made on a podcast I listened to was that although people keep comparing Covid to the Spanish flu pandemic, in terms of fatality and contagiousness Covid is actually more like another influenza pandemic that happened in 1957 (except that one affected children as well). But the public health response to that one was completely different to our current response: schools didn’t close, there were no lockdowns. People died - because that’s what happens in a pandemic. Life went on, and it was widely accepted that people would die, and that wasn’t seen as something outrageous.

I wonder when it changed? Maybe our expectations have been changed as we live such cosseted, risk free lives these days.

Anyway, he came across as very anti lockdown. I don’t think he’s anti vax as such, more anti what he sees as a totally unrealistic and OTT response to a natural, periodic event.

ssd · 06/07/2021 20:15

I used to like his coast programmes but hes disappeared up his own arse now

Againstmachine · 06/07/2021 20:27

Archaeologist, not epidemiologist!

Neither are many members of sage.

Againstmachine · 06/07/2021 20:28

I have watched a lot of Neil's interview and he is a thoughtful guy who cares.

wonderstuff · 06/07/2021 20:32

Utter twaddle.

foxandbee · 06/07/2021 20:32

Covid is actually more like another influenza pandemic that happened in 1957

Covid is not flu. If you and the fragrant Neil don't understand this by now, well there is no hope for either of you.

Jiboo2 · 06/07/2021 20:33

I challenge anyone to disagree with his segment here:

herecomesthsun · 06/07/2021 20:38

@workwoes123

I haven’t read the article but he has recently published a book on Disasters and how humanity deals (or otherwise) with them. One point he made on a podcast I listened to was that although people keep comparing Covid to the Spanish flu pandemic, in terms of fatality and contagiousness Covid is actually more like another influenza pandemic that happened in 1957 (except that one affected children as well). But the public health response to that one was completely different to our current response: schools didn’t close, there were no lockdowns. People died - because that’s what happens in a pandemic. Life went on, and it was widely accepted that people would die, and that wasn’t seen as something outrageous.

I wonder when it changed? Maybe our expectations have been changed as we live such cosseted, risk free lives these days.

Anyway, he came across as very anti lockdown. I don’t think he’s anti vax as such, more anti what he sees as a totally unrealistic and OTT response to a natural, periodic event.

We weren't flying nearly so much in 1957, much less potential spread of variants.

Also, we are more urban, more mobile, we are more interconnected. Society is more complex, and in some ways that makes us more vulnerable. Lots of people living in cities away from family with tenuous support networks, probably a lot more so than in 1957.

It is like a house of cards and a national crisis like this takes out half the bottom rung.

foxandbee · 06/07/2021 20:38

[quote Jiboo2]I challenge anyone to disagree with his segment here:

[/quote] It's like sitting next to the pub bore. I loved NO's Coast series, but in this he has lost the plot.
Ritascornershop · 06/07/2021 20:39

I have no idea if it’s twaddle as I can’t read it! Anyone have a share token? I’m interested to see how a historian views it.

OP posts:
herecomesthsun · 06/07/2021 20:41

[quote Jiboo2]I challenge anyone to disagree with his segment here:

[/quote] I lasted 42 seconds, the person who said pub bore is right on
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