Benjamin Smart @bthsmart in the Sunday Independent (SA): ‘Hunger, SA’s worst threat’
Low Covid-19 death toll raises hopes Africa may be spared worst | Free to read | Financial Times
Continent has limited confirmed virus fatalities but experts warn it is too early to draw conclusions
— Read on www.ft.com/content/e9cf5ed0-a590-4bd6-8c00-b41d0c4ae6e0
Some of us have been suggesting for some time that the risk profile of Africa may differ from that of other regions. It is too early to draw firm conclusions but there is good reason to seek a stronger evidence base for extreme lockdown measures given their cost.
Wall Street Journal – Allysia Finley on Jon Ioannidis’s skepticism throughout the pandemic #epitwitter
Dr David Katz interview with Bill Maher: advocating middle-of-road anti-COVID measures. Excellent, articulate, highly recommended. Even connects to chronic non-communicable diseases. #epitwitter
Preventive medicine and public health expert Dr David Katz on Real Time with Bill Maher: https://youtu.be/Lze-rMYLf2E
Also shares interesting views about his experiences as a volunteer physician in Bronx hospitals
Statnews: ‘Scientists who express different views on Covid-19 should be heard, not demonized’ – Vinay Prasad and Jeffrey S Flier
‘Australian study suggests kids aren’t corona spreaders’ – World Israel News
https://worldisraelnews.com/back-to-school-australian-study-suggests-kids-arent-corona-spreaders/
Interesting that the retort from another academic, criticising the study, also included this: “Is this the work of some politician somewhere who doesn’t like their own kids and don’t want them at home? I don’t know.” Well, obviously she doesn’t know, because it’s a rhetorical question she made up to add rhetorical force to her (perfectly reasonable) critique, and to personally attack the authors of the study by suggesting they are politically motivated. Scientists should leave this sort of junk to the politicians, except where they actually do know.
Interview with SAFM on COVID documentary – 2020-04-27
UN condemns “toxic lockdown culture in SA” and rightly so – this video displays immoral and incompetent policing. Why is this tolerated? This is not how to enforce. Thanks @News24 for covering
And you have to ask what would have happened if there had been no filming.
PICS from @news24 | Protest over food parcels erupts in Johannesburg
https://m.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/pics-protest-over-food-parcels-erupts-in-johannesburg-20200428
You know it’s real when people protest in bad weather (seriously, it’s a real factor in turnout, as anyone who has tried to organise a protest will attest)