As a species, have we really degenerated to the degree where we believe discredited internet "experts" rather than peer reviewed scientists? Do we really subscribe to conspiracy theories rather than evidence based science? Do we really need to don our tin foil hats rather than believe reason? Are we so degenerate that "it doesn't affect me, so it doesn't matter" is the prevalent mindset? Are we so selfish that "my rights" trump "my responsibilites"?

I would say that in some circles that would certainly appear true. There was one politician that stated during the UK referendum campaign that we don’t need experts anymore. The anti-vax lobby certainly seem to fit into “my rights trump my responsibilities” camp.

In part this is an outcome of social media and the computer systems that they use that create an echo chamber which just reinforces the beliefs of an individual - no contrary voices coming through to challenge the perceived orthodoxy prevalent in the echo chamber.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

35 yrs ago I was in love with a girl. We seperated after a while and went our own ways for 15yrs. Than she contacted me through a business network and we got best friends. Saw here children growing up, supported her during her divorce and interduced her to her actual husband. She was one of the first of the persons I know who got C19 end of january 2020 and she hadn`t any kind of health problems because she felt like having a flu for some days.

That changed everything. She started joining facebook/telegramm groups and talking about strange theories about the virus. Told me about QANON, the chip of Bill Gates and a govermental vaccine for affectings peoples minds. She organized demonstrations and protests against our goverments and its measures like wearing masks, lockdowns, etc. All that crazy stuff you heard and read about worldwide.

I always tried to talk to her and to discuss with her. I send her a lot of pdfs and papers, incl. links to videos of interviews or statements. I wrote many emails to her. I always tried to be gentle and not to get aggressive. Sometimes I failed due to my emotions about her credulity and foolishness. She lavished me with with her proofs of pure wisdom and truth. She started stalking me digitally with this kind of messages.

In february 2021 I got on a point that I had to break tie. Because I realized that this will never be turned into conversation, a discussion about a deadly desease. I felt that we were living in seperated intellectual worlds and that the person who was one of my best friends has gone through a metamorphose. So I wrote a last email and explained my thoughts, my feelings and my sorrow for my decission. I told her from now on I will block any kind of contacting.

For a few of our species my answer to your questions is 5 x YES

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That's a very sad story, Rapax. I'm sorry to hear that such a long term friendship ended like that.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

This is so sad. On behalf of all sensible people, thank you for trying. Hopefully, you had at least some positive impact. But even more important; kudos for walking away before you got even more hurt. That takes strength.

@brclarke
@ridingviking

Thanks a lot for your words!

But i would like to tell a story about how the pandemic situation affected me and others the good way:

Before the actual situation I was training old people (70-92yrs) in using a smartphone. Doing a workshop every 4 weeks and its free of costs. Came to this accidentally trough a neighbor who did it before and asked me if I could help because he had accepted too many participants once.

So I got to know an 81yrs old women. She is nearly blind means she has a remaining sight of 15%. She is using her computer with help of a software based magnifier and a screen reader. I got asked by her if could help her with a computer problem.

I fixed it and I recognized what difficulties blind people have to conquer if they have less skills and understanding of a computer. I offered her a personal training which forced by the pandemic situation we made by help of remote desktop software.
Teached her for health security reasons in the times of high incidences how to do online banking, how to shop secure online, how to download, transfer and listen a podcast/audiobook on her mp3 player, how to make a birthday card from a picture and so on.
Found out also that she was running into trouble with her iphone and the voice over functions nearly after every IOS update. Trained her on a better use of the iphone and set up with her shortcuts to make her iphone life more comfortable. Showed her how an ipad can function as a portable computer and how she can listen to the daily newspaper on it.

From March 2020 on I "adopted" (by her demand for friends) another 5 blind people (76-88yrs). I act as their 24/7 helpdesk and I train them remotely in handling computers, iphone/ipads and every other issue they would like to do with these devices. I organized vaccine appointments for them because the german process to this is a little complex to stand for old people. Meanwhile we meet regulary on zoom to talk, to discuss and share their belongings.

In a zoom meeting I saw a bookshelf full of motorcycle literature. I asked about and the blind guy told me that he had owned a brandfree motorcycle repair shop which he started as a mecchanic in 1965. Since he is fully vaccinated I visited him and he showed me his 5 motorcycle collection in his garage. I felt in love with his 1985 BMW R80 HPN Adventure but we haven`t yet spoken about....


So i got new valuable friends who share their life experience with me and who supported me in taking my decission of cutting off a long lasting friendship. I lost one friend which still hurts sometimes but I have won 5 new ones. I call them my Gang of Blinds and they filled up my life in the past months with awesome fun and satisfaction.

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Give it a few weeks and I'll be eligible for your course . How depressing is that. What's even worse is that most of my friends are of similar age. With a couple of exceptions most of them have only misty eyed reminiscences of motorcycles, regarding themselves as much too old. The older I get I can't believe how people convince thenselves they're 'past it' (whatever 'it' is). Since I hit 65 I keep getting bombarded with adverts for assisted living blocks of flats as somewhere to spend my 'golden years'. A few blocks have gone up round here - usually within zimmer frame distance of a supermarket, but I keep wondering how some of the other residents would take to me starting up a two stroke on a Sunday morning and filling the place with smoke

I actually run an over 60's keep fit group locally (my fellow instructor is 81!) and it's interesting to see how different people respond to the more taxing exercises. Some push hard while others just coast, and it's nothing to do with their overall health level.

It was very sad to read your ex girlfriend story. I don't know what to say except I have experiences that parallel yours and it affects you at a very deep level. There's not a lot you can do beyond making the best you can of it.



We get the British Medical Journal every week (my wife is a member of the BMA) and I've been following the twists and turns of the various vaccines as they've been reported to the medical community over the last six months or so - since they became widely available. The big concern - since about February anyway - has been about blood clots and there's been quite a few articles about the differences between the various vaccines. The latest one I saw was about 3 weeks ago where a number of things were reported : 1. the risk of CVT (cerebral venous thrombosis) is '10 times' higher from catching Covid than from any of the vaccines. (in the ratio 39 : 4 for the Pfizer / Moderna RNA vaccine and 5 for the AstraZeneca). The numbers are incidents per million. 2. There is a second type of clotting issue with the AZ vaccine but there's no numbers given. 3. About 20% of people who get CVT from Covid die, with a similar mortality for CVT after the AZ vaccine (so overall about 1 person / million for the vaccine). There's no numbers for the Pfizer / Moderna vaccines.

There's a lot of info about how effective the various vaccines are but at the moment it's both complicated and confusing. (Very) roughly the Pfizer version boosts antibody levels faster than the AZ one but drops off faster as well - which is why you need the second shot sooner. They then give you similar 'protection' to actually having had Covid. The AZ vaccine has a slower 'rise' time but it lasted longer - hence the stretching out of the second dose interval in the UK. Quite why that should be the case I've not seen reported. There are reports of people contracting Covid after receiving vaccines but when investigated it seems that about 80% of them were incubating the virus at the time of vaccination.

Side effects between the two seem to vary. The commonest one with the Pfizer vaccine is a sore arm around the injection site lasting a few days. With the AZ vaccine its been a sort of 'low level' flu type symptom lasting a day or two and (in fewer people) a headache lasting some time. I had the AZ vaccine and had both of those - the headache lasted 10 days.

If there is a difference between the vaccines in how they work against the Covid variants that are popping up I've not seen it reported. Neither have I seen any reports (in the BMJ anyway) that the current vaccines are inneffective against any of the strains. It often takes longer to turn up in these journals though than it takes the newspapers to report it.

Thanks for the detailed response @Rapax and @backofbeyond

It would be very very interesting, to get an analysis of the people who did get after vaccination:

- serious sickness
- did pass away

They are not so much people (Germany), if we look deeper in the PSI Rapport. If we additional would get the information about their specific health situation, that would help too. A healthy man with 200kg, or someone with drug abusing - could bring a wrong picture quickly..

The Website https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations is very powerful, also if I will have to do an research for china - many other countries are listened! Exactly what i was looking for!

Surfy

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast

Call me old fashioned, but I like to get medical information from qualified medical sources rather than an overlanding forum

Of course if you want to find a repair shop in Madagan or details of the border crossing in Angola then here's the HuBB is a good place to ask

(PS all medication carries a risk of side effects or bad reactions, its not something restricted to COVID vaccines)