What's bollocks is your complete ignorance. Try reading it again... here's the magic phrase that shoots down your ludicrous comparison to flu...
The death rate among COVID-19 patients was 18.5%, while it was 5.3% for those with the flu. Those with COVID were nearly five times more likely to die than flu patients, according to the study published online Dec. 15 in the BMJ.
You'll notice there's
nothing about age in that phrase. In fact there's nothing about age in that study, other than to point out that the average age was the same for both groups (flu and Covid). In scientific terms, broadly speaking, that's
controlling for age to show that it isn't a factor in the difference in death rate. Read it again for yourself.
Have a read of this too, which also blows apart your argument:
Three charts measuring 'years of life lost' that disprove three ‘myths’ that were prevalent at the start of the pandemic.
www.health.org.uk
Here's the ONS data. That's the Office of National Statistics, the UK's largest independent producer of official statistics and its recognised national statistical institute:
Comparison of deaths from the coronavirus (COVID-19) with deaths from influenza (flu) and pneumonia. Includes deaths by date of death occurrence and breakdowns by sex and age.
www.ons.gov.uk
I reckon they know a bit more about maths than you do, mate. They say:
- In comparison with the deaths due to influenza and pneumonia occurring in the year to 31 August 2020, deaths due to COVID-19 have been higher than every year monthly data are available (1959 to 2020).
And here again, just published, the British Medical Journal reviews all the studies...
Much confusion has been seen in the UK media about the effects on mortality of flu and covid-19. Gareth Iacobucci separates fact from fiction Data from the Office for National Statistics show that in England and Wales the number of deaths from influenza was 1598 in 2018 and 1223 in 2019.1 This...
www.bmj.com
And comes to the conclusion. "
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in the US there were 1.8 deaths from flu per 100 000 population between 1999 and 2019.8 The estimated death rate from covid was 217.54 per 100 000 in the US and 206.73 per 100 000 in the UK"
So, how about a bet?
You provide actual scientific evidence like I've done, so peer-reviewed studies or official statistics, that back up your ludicrous claim that Covid is no more serious than seasonal flu and I'll give Nick £50 for a charity of his choice, and stay off the forum for a year. Facebook bullshit, or 'fat bloke down the pub told me' doesn't count I'm afraid.
If you can't provide evidence to that standard, then you do the same. Stay off the forum for a year, and give Nick £50 for a charity of his choice.
I get the impression you think this is a bit of a laugh, and I'm all for freedom of speech, but not when someone is spreading dangerously stupid lies.
Frankly mate, you're a menace, and when you either chicken out of the bet or lose it (as you will), then everyone here will see that - and hopefully remind you of it every single time you post your bullshit.