Comment: Which means, if anything, the numbers of people with actual Coronavirus are being overestimated...


Global panic sets in as China moves the diagnostic goal-posts
coronavirus sign
In Hubei Province, China, where the 'new' virus was first diagnosed, and where the vast majority of the cases have occurred, it's no longer considered necessary to test for the presence of CV antibodies before diagnosing the disease.

Let's say that again.

The epicentre of the so-called new virus outbreak is currently diagnosing new cases of the disease without testing for the virus.

Instead they are relying on 'clinical diagnosis', which is defined as [our emphasis]:
"The estimated identification of the disease underlying a patient's complaints based merely on signs, symptoms and medical history of the patient rather than on laboratory examination or medical imaging."
Which means physicians look at presenting symptoms and make a guess on what is causing them.

Now if you're talking about something like Smallpox that option can make some sense - because Smallpox presents with one very distinct clinical feature - a recognisable rash - that makes it fairly easy to distinguish from other viral agents or other disease processes.

But the 'new' coronavirus does not do that. In fact, symptoms of the 'new' CV are exactly like symptoms of the numerous 'old' CVs, and indeed of the common cold or flu. Cough, fever, malaise, upper respiratory tract inflammation and (in severe cases) lung involvement - up to and including full-blown pneumonia.

The only way to differentiate a case of 'new' CV from severe regular flu, viral pneumonia or even environmental lung disease, is by testing for antibodies. If they aren't doing this, physicians in Hubei Province are now at grave risk of essentially diagnosing every single case of pneumonia or lung inflammation they see as the new CV.

Which goes quite a long way to explaining the sudden increase in cases [our emphasis]:
"China's Hubei province reported an additional 242 deaths and 14,840 new cases as of Feb. 12 — a sharp increase from the previous day. The province said it is starting to include "clinically diagnosed" cases in its figures and that 13,332 of the new cases fall under that classification."
By CNBC's figures, fully 89% of the "new cases" reported in Hubei province have never been tested for the virus.

According to Our World in Data, roughly 180,000 people die of pneumonia in China every year. Under this new system, all of those people could be diagnosed with coronavirus.

Further, "signs of pneumonia" don't have to be a sign of any disease at all. Pneumonic symptoms can come simply as the result of being exposed to a heavily polluted air, something very common in China's densely populated urban centres.

A major question here has to be - why? Why take a step that inevitably increases the number of false positives? Why intentionally inflate the apparent caseload? What rational benefit can there be in that?

Is it some form of hyper-caution? They would rather throw the net too wide than risk missing cases?

Or is it, as Jon Rappoport suggests, a cynical bid to drive up the numbers in pursuit of ever-valuable fear porn?

That this alleged outbreak is being used to promote fear as a backing for a number of control-based agendas is undeniable, and we have already pointed this out in previous articles (not to mention the financial aspect). The simple truth is that the reality of this 'new' virus, even as defined by those promoting panic, does not merit the fear being sold to us on its behalf.

Here are some stats for you, compiled by Kit Knightly.
  • There are currently 80,348 cases, or 0.0011% of the global population.
  • Over 77,000 (97%) cases, and 2,664 deaths (98%) are from China, and a large portion of those were "clinically diagnosed" (ie. untested).
  • The 2707 deaths (allegedly) due to Coronavirus mean it has death rate of just 3.4%. (For cases outside China, that number drops to 1.6%)
  • Conversely, over 40,000 cases are considered mild, and over 27,000 have been cured.
For the sake of further reassurance, study these tables:
coronavirus statistics deaths cases
© Off-Guardian.org
Essentially, unless you are either elderly or already sick, there's very little chance you are in danger.

On what rational basis can a disease with this profile possibly justify the government and media response worldwide? Are we really approaching a "tipping point"? Does this sound like a "public health emergency"?

Why is Italy going into lockdown and granting itself "emergency powers" based on seven deaths from a disease with a mortality rate about the same as severe regular flu?

Why has the UK government granted itself similar powers based on a disease that has infected only 13 citizens, 8 of whom are already recovered?

Why are hotels and cruise ships being quarantined?

Some (including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) are claiming the disease is being under-reported by China (and Iran), and the panic is a response to much more alarming but hidden statistics.

Well, that is possible of course. But similar claims were made about SARS, Swine Flu and all the other non-event overhyped 'death bugs' we have been told about in recent times.

At this stage, it might seem more likely that 'new CV' is just another one of these. The latest scare tactic being used to close down rational thinking in the world populace and normalise increased government control.

That the Chinese government might be party to any such idea might seem unthinkable to those who like their geopolitics simple and binary, but can't be rationally excluded.

Time will tell of course. But if - as we consider overwhelmingly likely - this 'new' scare bug turns out to have been as overhyped as all the rest, maybe those panicking in our comments and elsewhere will learn a valuable lesson, and decline to play along with this particular sick little game next time?