All Things CAF and Covid/ Covid Vaccine [merged]

[brihard]

You ask why I had presented my data in a simplified way, as in using rates at the population level rather than by age cohorts, but then acknowledge that I was responding to McG's use of similarly oversimplified data... Apples to apples. I also took aim at his reference to Ontario's "Science Advisory Table", which I suggested had been misrepresenting data is it did not align well with the data coming out of Public Health Ontario. The Science Advisory Table was also disbanded over a month ago, and the website no longer updated, so even if it was once a trustworthy source of data, this is no longer the case. My post even stated afterward that "age trends in vaccination likely played a major role"... which I assumed people would understand but apparently not, thus my longer explanation of risk and vaccination uptake by age cohort in the specific province of which we were discussing (Ontario).

Was my initial statement overly simplistic? Yes. It was not to mislead people though, but rather intended to lead them to question why, if true, this was the case. In response, you outright accused my statements of being false, and made some rather unpleasant remarks on my behalf, however, even though they were not. You also included a diagram taken from Twitter that uses entirely hypothetical hospitalizations rates to try and explain "base rate fallacy"... it even stated that "hospitalization rate is 5x higher in unvaccinated population (50% vs 10%)". Do you think that your use of this graphic was misleading? It presented ratios, for illustration, that are nowhere near representative of actual hospitalization rates for either group. It also did not break risk down by age cohort.

I doubt you have taken objection to posts where people spoke ill of the "unvaccinated" population as a monolithic group without acknowledging the differences in risk between age cohorts. If it is so important to recognize relative risk by age group, do you think that measures such as vaccine mandates and passports should have taken age and other individual risk factors into account (like in Greece)?

I was rude, and I’ll apologize for that without qualification. My tone was inappropriate, sorry.

I apparently was reading what you were saying very differently from how you intended to present it. I still have some disagreements and was going to say more but I’ve just had something else come up and the conversation will likely have moved on. Regardless of whether I get caught on the rest, please accept my apology for how I approached this.

 

[QV]

"Vaccines don't work. Those who are vaccinated actually have worse COVID outcomes."

That's not at all what I got out of that.

 

[Winds]

Be interesting to see how it played out in court.

Perhaps I overlooked this quip. Let's see, when I look up "slander", I get the two following definitions:

"a false spoken statement intended to damage the good opinion people have of somebody; the legal offence of making this kind of statement"

Given that the statement was made online and thus semi-permanent, perhaps it is more accurate to label it as "libelous". Although it is not that part of the definition that brihard has issue with, but rather insists that his statements were "very short of the threshold of defamation and falsehood".

Well, my initial statements have been somewhat acknowledged as being true. His initial reaction to it was:

Uhh… What are you smoking? Unvaccinated people were a grossly disproportionate source of deaths and serious illness. I suspect you’re getting all fucked up from seeing slightly more vaccinated than unvaccinated people hospitalized, but with over 85% of the population vaccinated. Classic base rate fallacy.

Whether this counts as defamation is debatable.

I see that he has now apologized for this comment, which I wholeheartedly accept.

 

[mariomike]

Whether this counts as defamation is debatable.

Wouldn't know. The extent of my legal education was watching Matlock.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Wouldn't know. The extent of my legal education was watching Matlock.

I always preferred "Murder She Wrote" myself

Perhaps I overlooked this quip. Let's see, when I look up "slander", I get the two following definitions:

"a false spoken statement intended to damage the good opinion people have of somebody; the legal offence of making this kind of statement"

Given that the statement was made online and thus semi-permanent, perhaps it is more accurate to label it as "libelous". Although it is not that part of the definition that brihard has issue with, but rather insists that his statements were "very short of the threshold of defamation and falsehood".

Well, my initial statements have been somewhat acknowledged as being true. His initial reaction to it was:

Whether this counts as defamation is debatable.

I see that he has now apologized for this comment, which I wholeheartedly accept.

Jesus dude, lets go easy on throwing around words like libel and slander. It detracts from your argument.

 

[kev994]

And then he called for an inquiry on his use of the EA.

The last one should be the most telling piece; instead of waiting for the uproar from his opponents to reach an untenable fever-pitch and caving to their demands for accountability, he initiated it himself instead of trying (fruitless as it may have been) to avoid accountability.

The inquiry is a mandatory, baked-in part of the act. Invoking the EA made the inquiry necessary, whether the PM called it or not.

 

[Kirkhill]

​

A SCIENTIST who worked closely with the Wuhan lab has claimed Covid was genetically engineered - and leaked from the facility.
Dr Andrew Huff, former vice president of EcoHealth Alliance, claims to have had a ringside seat to what he brands one of the greatest cover-ups in history - and the "biggest US intelligence failure since 9/11".

I worked with the Wuhan lab - this is how I KNOW Covid was a lab leak

A SCIENTIST who worked closely with the Wuhan lab has claimed Covid was genetically engineered – and leaked from the facility. Dr Andrew Huff, former vice president of EcoHealth Alliance, cla…

www.thesun.ie

 

[PMedMoe]

Maybe Dr. Huff is just trying to sell his book.

 

[dapaterson]

COVID may significantly impair male fertility.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1612104517264318465

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I'll bet sperms counts are lower for any male recovering from a sickness....

 

[PuckChaser]

Sorry, hard to take a scientific tweet seriously when it says #GetBoosted despite mounting evidence that the boosters are useless.

 

[Quirky]

Excess weight may affect sperm production, reduce fertility in men

A new study co-authored by Jorge Chavarro, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), finds that overweight and obese men are more likely than thei…

www.hsph.harvard.edu

They found that overweight men were 11 percent more likely to have a low sperm count and 39 percent more likely to have no sperm in their ejaculate. Obese men were 42 percent more likely to have a low sperm count than their normal-weight peers and 81 percent more likely to produce no sperm.

#exercise
#dontbefat

Fitting this being a CAF Covid thread.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I'll bet sperms counts are lower for any male recovering from a sickness....

. . . "sperm count is considered lower than normal if you have fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen" . . . (thankfully, one doesn't have to count all of them individually when doing the test)

Sperm count can be low due to a long list of factors.

Low sperm count - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org

Medical causes​

Low sperm count can be caused by a number of health issues and medical treatments. Some of these include:

• Varicocele. A varicocele (VAR-ih-koe-seel) is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle. It's the most common reversible cause of male infertility. Although the exact reason that varicoceles cause infertility is unknown, it might be related to abnormal testicular temperature regulation. Varicoceles result in reduced quality of the sperm.
• Infection. Some infections can interfere with sperm production or sperm health or can cause scarring that blocks the passage of sperm. These include inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis) or testicles (orchitis) and some sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea or HIV. Although some infections can result in permanent testicular damage, most often sperm can still be retrieved.
• Ejaculation problems. Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen enters the bladder during orgasm instead of emerging out of the tip of the penis. Various health conditions can cause retrograde ejaculation or lack of ejaculation, including diabetes, spinal injuries, and surgery of the bladder, prostate or urethra.
  Certain medications also might result in ejaculatory problems, such as blood pressure medications known as alpha blockers. Some ejaculatory problems can be reversed, while others are permanent. In most cases of permanent ejaculation problems, sperm can still be retrieved directly from the testicles.
• Antibodies that attack sperm. Anti-sperm antibodies are immune system cells that mistakenly identify sperm as harmful invaders and attempt to destroy them.
• Tumors. Cancers and nonmalignant tumors can affect the male reproductive organs directly, through the glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland, or through unknown causes. Surgery, radiation or chemotherapy to treat tumors also can affect male fertility.
• Undescended testicles. During fetal development one or both testicles sometimes fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that normally contains the testicles (scrotum). Decreased fertility is more likely in men with this condition.
• Hormone imbalances. The hypothalamus, pituitary and testicles produce hormones that are necessary to create sperm. Alterations in these hormones, as well as from other systems such as the thyroid and adrenal gland, may impair sperm production.
• Defects of tubules that transport sperm. Many different tubes carry sperm. They can be blocked due to various causes, including inadvertent injury from surgery, prior infections, trauma or abnormal development, such as with cystic fibrosis or similar inherited conditions.
  Blockage can occur at any level, including within the testicle, in the tubes that drain the testicle, in the epididymis, in the vas deferens, near the ejaculatory ducts or in the urethra.
• Chromosome defects. Inherited disorders such as Klinefelter's syndrome — in which a male is born with two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome instead of one X and one Y — cause abnormal development of the male reproductive organs. Other genetic syndromes associated with infertility include cystic fibrosis, Kallmann's syndrome and Kartagener's syndrome.
• Celiac disease. A digestive disorder caused by sensitivity to gluten, celiac disease can cause male infertility. Fertility may improve after adopting a gluten-free diet.
• Certain medications. Testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, cancer medications (chemotherapy), certain antifungal and antibiotic medications, some ulcer medications, and other medications can impair sperm production and decrease male fertility.
• Prior surgeries. Certain surgeries might prevent you from having sperm in your ejaculate, including vasectomy, inguinal hernia repairs, scrotal or testicular surgeries, prostate surgeries, and large abdominal surgeries performed for testicular and rectal cancers, among others. In most cases, surgery can be performed to either reverse these blockages or to retrieve sperm directly from the epididymis and testicles.

Environmental causes​

Sperm production or function can be affected by overexposure to certain environmental elements, including:

• Industrial chemicals. Extended exposure to benzenes, toluene, xylene, herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents, painting materials and lead might contribute to low sperm counts.
• Heavy metal exposure. Exposure to lead or other heavy metals also can cause infertility.
• Radiation or X-rays. Exposure to radiation can reduce sperm production. It can take several years for sperm production to return to normal. With high doses of radiation, sperm production can be permanently reduced.
• Overheating the testicles. Elevated temperatures impair sperm production and function. Although studies are limited and are inconclusive, frequent use of saunas or hot tubs might temporarily impair sperm count.
  Sitting for long periods, wearing tight clothing or working on a laptop computer for long stretches of time also might increase the temperature in your scrotum and slightly reduce sperm production.

Health, lifestyle and other causes​

Other causes of low sperm count include:

• Drug use. Anabolic steroids taken to stimulate muscle strength and growth can cause the testicles to shrink and sperm production to decrease. Use of cocaine or marijuana might reduce the number and quality of your sperm as well.
• Alcohol use. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels and cause decreased sperm production.
• Occupation. Certain occupations might be linked with a risk of infertility, including welding or those associated with prolonged sitting, such as truck driving. However, the data to support these associations is inconsistent.
• Tobacco smoking. Men who smoke might have a lower sperm count than do those who don't smoke.
• Emotional stress. Severe or prolonged emotional stress, including stress about fertility, might interfere with hormones needed to produce sperm.
• Depression. Being depressed may negatively affect sperm concentration.
• Weight. Obesity can impair fertility in several ways, including directly impacting sperm and by causing hormone changes that reduce male fertility.
• Sperm testing issues. Lower than normal sperm counts can result from testing a sperm sample that was taken too soon after your last ejaculation; was taken too soon after an illness or stressful event; or didn't contain all of the semen you ejaculated because some was spilled during collection. For this reason, results are generally based on several samples taken over a period of time.

Risk factors​

A number of risk factors are linked to low sperm count and other problems that can cause low sperm count. They include:

• Smoking tobacco
• Drinking alcohol
• Using certain illicit drugs
• Being overweight
• Being severely depressed or stressed
• Having certain past or present infections
• Being exposed to toxins
• Overheating the testicles
• Having experienced trauma to the testicles
• Being born with a fertility disorder or having a blood relative, such as your brother or father, with a fertility disorder
• Having certain medical conditions, including tumors and chronic illnesses
• Undergoing cancer treatments, such as radiation
• Taking certain medications
• Having a prior vasectomy or major abdominal or pelvic surgery
• Having a history of undescended testicles

 

[Winds]

Excess weight may affect sperm production, reduce fertility in men

A new study co-authored by Jorge Chavarro, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), finds that overweight and obese men are more likely than thei…

www.hsph.harvard.edu

#exercise
#dontbefat

Fitting this being a CAF Covid thread.

Perhaps even more relevant to this thread is that obesity has long been known to be associated with significantly increased risk of hospitalization after being infected with COVID19. This was no surprise to anyone, though, as being overweight/obese lowers people's immunity in general and makes them prone to all sorts of health issues... of course, health authorities have avoided recommending for the general public to look after their health by promoting things like exercise, eating healthy, reducing consumption of alcohol, and losing weight. Rather, the messaging for a long time was "stay home, stay safe", which lead the waist lines of many to expand.

Science | AAAS

www.science.org

Also, as PuckChaser pointed out, the currently available vaccines have largely proven ineffective at preventing infection and transmission, so how would getting "boosted" potentially provide a male with a lowered risk of reduced sperm count?

 

[Halifax Tar]

Perhaps even more relevant to this thread is that obesity has long been known to be associated with significantly increased risk of hospitalization after being infected with COVID19. This was no surprise to anyone, though, as being overweight/obese lowers people's immunity in general and makes them prone to all sorts of health issues... of course, health authorities have avoided recommending for the general public to look after their health by promoting things like exercise, eating healthy, reducing consumption of alcohol, and losing weight. Rather, the messaging for a long time was "stay home, stay safe", which lead the waist lines of many to expand.

Science | AAAS

www.science.org

Also, as PuckChaser pointed out, the currently available vaccines have largely proven ineffective at preventing infection and transmission, so how would getting "boosted" potentially provide a male with a lowered risk of reduced sperm count?

Are you attacking my sense of body positivity! Don't you know fitness and working out are facets of toxic masculinity and fascism ?

 

[QV]

Are you attacking my sense of body positivity! Don't you know fitness and working out are facets of toxic masculinity and fascism ?

You know... it's all so absurd you have to wonder if this all isn't just one of our adversary countries who have completely infiltrated all aspects of our society to perpetuate the decline of western society by talking us into all of this crazy shit by using our own rules (weaknesses to them) against us... I'm sure there is no country in the world that would pursue long term aims like that... or no country in the world that has managed to get tentacles in practically every industry and field...

 

[daftandbarmy]

You know... it's all so absurd you have to wonder if this all isn't just one of our adversary countries who have completely infiltrated all aspects of our society to perpetuate the decline of western society by talking us into all of this crazy shit by using our own rules (weaknesses to them) against us... I'm sure there is no country in the world that would pursue long term aims like that... or no country in the world that has managed to get tentacles in practically every industry and field...

Of course, once you map it out it all makes sense

 

[OldSolduer]

Are you attacking my sense of body positivity! Don't you know fitness and working out are facets of toxic masculinity and fascism ?

When captured German soldiers were given medical examinations by the Allies it was noted that Germans - the SS in particular- were bigger, fit and health issues were minimal.

Physical and mental fitness are a national security matter as well as a health issue.

 

[Lumber]

Sorry, hard to take a scientific tweet seriously when it says #GetBoosted despite mounting evidence that the boosters are useless.

Useless, you say? I haven't seen a single study, article, or report anywhere that claims that the boosters are useless. Less effective that the original shots, maybe, but certainly not useless. Is that just hyperbole on your part, or are you getting your info from FJ's national enquirer articles?

Anyways, here's how usefull they are:

In mid-December, the CDC put out new data from two studies that suggest the bivalent boosters offer significant protection against illness and hospitalization. In the first study, 798 patients ages 65 and up received one dose of a bivalent booster in addition to at least two doses of the original, monovalent vaccines. Those who received the bivalent vaccine were 84% less likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than those who were unvaccinated and 73% less likely to be hospitalized than those who received two or more doses of the monovalent vaccine.

In the second study, adults 18 and older who received a bivalent booster were 57% less likely to seek care at an emergency department or urgent care clinic compared to those who were unvaccinated

So, still very effective for those 65 and older, and still, what I would say, quite effective for those under 65. Wouldn't YOU want something that would reduce by 50% your chance of experiencing serious illness?

 

[Quirky]

Physical and mental fitness are a national security matter as well as a health issue

Doesn't seem like it with the decline in the CAF physical fitness standards. The FORCE test is a joke.

of course, health authorities have avoided recommending for the general public to look after their health by promoting things like exercise, eating healthy, reducing consumption of alcohol, and losing weight. Rather, the messaging for a long time was "stay home, stay safe", which lead the waist lines of many to expand.

There is a lot of money to be made in treating obesity and all the health issues that go along with it. Trillions, likely.