Professor Karel Sikora

[Machiavelli]

One of the only voices going that way instead of excavating misleading bad news from it. Rather than concentrating on what he isnt. He is a Doctor, he is an oncologist and he is right in reporting that people have been scared to get checked up on cancer. This would ultimately kill more people through fear.

I'm not quite sure why you're responding to that particular post but I'll have a stab:
You want good news related to CV19. I also want good news related to CV19. There's good news from South Korea on CV19. There's bad news from the UK on CV19. I trust that isn't too contentious a series of claims.
I'm also a doctor, and I think it's great that he's entering the public realm to encourage people to get checked up on cancer. My problem is that he's regarded to be the oracle on CV19, when he's an oncologist. The doctors you want on CV19 are the likes of oncologists, virologists, and statistical modellers. And yet there's been a series of campaigns on NSC against certain of these, largely because they're announcing bad news, while also indicating different policies to diminish future bad news.
The best two on CV19 that I've come across in the UK are Devi Sridhar (yes, please) and Anthony Costello (not for me thanks).

 

[Saunders]

I'm not quite sure why you're responding to that particular post but I'll have a stab:
You want good news related to CV19. I also want good news related to CV19. There's good news from South Korea on CV19. There's bad news from the UK on CV19. I trust that isn't too contentious a series of claims.
I'm also a doctor, and I think it's great that he's entering the public realm to encourage people to get checked up on cancer. My problem is that he's regarded to be the oracle on CV19, when he's an oncologist. The doctors you want on CV19 are the likes of oncologists, virologists, and statistical modellers. And yet there's been a series of campaigns on NSC against certain of these, largely because they're announcing bad news, while also indicating different policies to diminish future bad news.
The best two on CV19 that I've come across in the UK are Devi Sridhar (yes, please) and Anthony Costello (not for me thanks).

No he is regarded as someone who focuses on the positive facts. There are far too many focusing on the negative the recent OMG GERMANYS R IS OUT OF CONTROLL!!!! PANIC is a great example of that.

 

[Mr Banana]

I suppose he's reinforced the certainty that you can't reason with people who are determined to "think positive" at all costs. Trying to explain to people that good news isn't good news if it's not accurate is tiring. It's also hard to find much motivation to debate when you see that most of his ardent followers on Twitter are the types with "never afraid to tell it how it is, you either love me or hate me" and multiple GB flags in their bios.

I feel sorry for the infectious diseases experts who get far less attention, or are even criticised, for posting the facts on balance during what is, realistically, an almost impossible time for any scientist to post with strong certainty. Sometimes reading his posts feels a bit like listening to an estate agent telling you your house could go up in value while you can see it's in the process of burning down.

 

[A1X]

I suppose he's reinforced the certainty that you can't reason with people who are determined to "think positive" at all costs.

 

[Notters]

I suppose he's reinforced the certainty that you can't reason with people who are determined to "think positive" at all costs. Trying to explain to people that good news isn't good news if it's not accurate is tiring. It's also hard to find much motivation to debate when you see that most of his ardent followers on Twitter are the types with "never afraid to tell it how it is, you either love me or hate me" and multiple GB flags in their bios.

I feel sorry for the infectious diseases experts who get far less attention, or are even criticised, for posting the facts on balance during what is, realistically, an almost impossible time for any scientist to post with strong certainty. Sometimes reading his posts feels a bit like listening to an estate agent telling you your house could go up in value while you can see it's in the process of burning down.

I'm more of a "think negative at all costs" kinda guy but he has given me some reassurance at times. I think most of what he's said has been suitably vague to avoid criticism, although you're right of course that he's not an infectious diseases expert.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I'm more of a "think negative at all costs" kinda guy but he has given me some reassurance at times. I think most of what he's said has been suitably vague to avoid criticism, although you're right of course that he's not an infectious diseases expert.

I see him as a counter balance to people like Piers Shouty Morgan ..and position yourself somewhere in the middle

 

[Mr Banana]

I'm more of a "think negative at all costs" kinda guy but he has given me some reassurance at times. I think most of what he's said has been suitably vague to avoid criticism, although you're right of course that he's not an infectious diseases expert.

Yeah, I think a lot of people (me included) have overreacted to him presenting evidence that he's entitled to highlight. I guess it just grates a bit when people wildly misinterpret his posts.

 

[Machiavelli]

The charlatan quite beautifully exposed:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/01/false-hope-pandemic-dangerous-disinformation

He's now been trotting out his nonsense for nine months, and still finds his place on to multiple platforms.
Earlier in this thread, the standard response from those that have imbibed his snake oil is that to quote the second contribution to this thread: "anyone that isn't doom and gloom gets shot down".
Well, anyone that continuously spouts drivel gets shot down. Now what was that that Einstein said about the first rule of madness?

 

[Billy the Fish]

The charlatan quite beautifully exposed:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/01/false-hope-pandemic-dangerous-disinformation

He's now been trotting out his nonsense for nine months, and still finds his place on to multiple platforms.
Earlier in this thread, the standard response from those that have imbibed his snake oil is that to quote the second contribution to this thread: "anyone that isn't doom and gloom gets shot down".
Well, anyone that continuously spouts drivel gets shot down. Now what was that that Einstein said about the first rule of madness?

Hmmmm, an Owen Jones opinion piece. It's just confirmation bias for people who don't like the prof's opinions.

It's pretty clear that the left hate Sikora, partly because of his views on NHS funding and partly because he doesn't exclusively promote an anti government narrative. He's just a commentator, I don't get all the hatred

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The charlatan quite beautifully exposed:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/01/false-hope-pandemic-dangerous-disinformation

He's now been trotting out his nonsense for nine months, and still finds his place on to multiple platforms.
Earlier in this thread, the standard response from those that have imbibed his snake oil is that to quote the second contribution to this thread: "anyone that isn't doom and gloom gets shot down".
Well, anyone that continuously spouts drivel gets shot down. Now what was that that Einstein said about the first rule of madness?

Do you not think his work promoting cancer awareness in the past few months deserves any praise?

 

[Machiavelli]

Do you not think his work promoting cancer awareness in the past few months deserves any praise?

Yes, I do but, then again, he's played a part in encouraging restrictions on social interaction which has led to more CV cases and, therefore, hospitalisations which has compromised the NHS' ability to focus on non-CV-related illnesses and conditions, including cancer.

 

[Machiavelli]

Hmmmm, an Owen Jones opinion piece. It's just confirmation bias for people who don't like the prof's opinions.

It's pretty clear that the left hate Sikora, partly because of his views on NHS funding and partly because he doesn't exclusively promote an anti government narrative. He's just a commentator, I don't get all the hatred

No it's not. There's nothing inaccurate in that article, yet Sikora has been repeatedly exposed as a charlatan. It's not left vs right, it's accuracy vs inaccuracy.

 

[beorhthelm]

Now what was that that Einstein said about the first rule of madness?

was it "journalists calling for censorship"? i agree with Jones on this, the media should be heavily restricted on what they say and print about such a complex subject involving public health. find it amusing a newspaper columnist would be advocating it though.

 

[Machiavelli]

was it "journalists calling for censorship"? i agree with Jones on this, the media should be heavily restricted on what they say and print about such a complex subject involving public health. find it amusing a newspaper columnist would be advocating it though.

It wasn't, and I'm pretty sure you're aware of that anyway.
There's a difference between Jones, who shows his colours and whose output is a little bit up and down accordingly in my view, and Sikora, who is an oncologist, but likes to think he's an expert on virology/epidemiology, and posts relentlessly on this subject, following the same line irrespective of what the data reveals. Sounds more like an ideologue rather than a falsificationist.
Unfortunately too many people are impressed with his title that he bandies around, and uses to stray onto territory that he's not equipped for. Another instance of irresponsible science.

 

[El Presidente]

As an academic I can’t stand Sikora, duplicitous, selective with facts and agenda driven.

As a progressive I can’t stand Owen Jones, duplicitous, selective with facts and agenda driven.

 

[clapham_gull]

An interesting little bit about him tonight. He was on the board of one of these "anti-lockdown" collectives called Panda along with that other academic "outlier" Sunetra Gupta.

They've edited their website now (and you've only got the Twitter screenshots) but they appeared to have been anti-vaccine too. Except they forget to tell him.....

He's resigned in protest over their (now edited) stance.

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