Read on Twitter
THREAD: When sceptics tell us they think lockdowns/closing schools is a bad idea, we’re entitled to ask how good their previous judgements about the pandemic have been. So let’s look at a few of them…
May 20: Peter Hitchens asks "those who go on about a second wave" to read an article saying a second wave of the coronavirus is “very unlikely” https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1263125181746290690?s=20
May 22: Toby Young links to an article on his website, saying it suggests the coronavirus might be “no more deadly than a bad bout of seasonal flu” https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1263872345564995584?s=20
June 25: Toby Young writes: "But I’m going to go out on a limb and predict there will be no 'second spike' – not now, and not in the autumn either. The virus has melted into thin air. It’s time to get back to normal."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/25/day-day-coronavirus-edges-ever-closer-extinction-time-get-back/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/25/day-day-coronavirus-edges-ever-closer-extinction-time-get-back/
Sep 8: Toby Young says the rising number of cases is because of false positives. “It’s all over folks. Back to normal now.” https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1303317480774008834?s=20
Sep 18: Julia Harley-Brewer tells us “there is no evidence of a second wave”, despite cases rising and the weekly @ONS survey showing “the number of infections has increased in recent weeks” https://twitter.com/JuliaHB1/status/1306917366874476544?s=20
Nov 2: As @ONS says number of infections continue to increase, Peter Hitchens describes second wave as a “normal winter rise in respiratory illness” https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1323207149238030338?s=20
Nov 21: Allison Pearson say: "Regions the virus hit hardest in the spring are close to immunity. London is the biggest example." The previous day @ONS reported that "positivity rates have continued to increase in London" https://twitter.com/allisonpearson/status/1330122618360434689?s=20
Nov 24: Peter Hitchens says the Danish mask study “shredded the case for masks”. In fact, it was inconclusive about whether they protect the wearer and didn’t look at whether they stop the wearing spreading the virus https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1331304185141342211?s=20
Nov 24: Toby Young says the “second wave – or, rather, ripple – has petered out” https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1331297049074135042?s=20
Nov 26: Allison Pearson says "London and other places hit hard in spring must be close to immunity". She describes it as “brilliant news”. https://twitter.com/allisonpearson/status/1332024102379540483?s=20
Dec 20: Toby Young links to a blog on his website, saying it points out that the new strain of the virus is “probably less transmissible and almost certainly milder“ https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1340556288594501634?s=20
Given they have been repeatedly wrong about covid in the past, it seems unlikely they are the best people to listen to about it now. And if you edit a newspaper, TV or radio show, why not think about giving more of a voice to those who've been proved right? ENDS
