Vaccine claims, Alzheimer's treatment and Tim's Parkrun times
Oct 4, 2023
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Controversial claims by YouTuber John Campbell regarding excess deaths and the Covid vaccine are debunked. The effectiveness of a new Alzheimer's treatment, Dannanamab, is examined, including its ability to slow down the progression of the disease and remove amyloid plaques from the brain. Beth Mallory discusses the impact of French words in the English language and the challenge of constructing a sentence using only French-derived words.
Claims about excess deaths in vaccinated individuals were based on flawed data and incorrect population estimates, as the actual data from the Office for National Statistics showed higher mortality rates in the unvaccinated population.
The new drug for Alzheimer's, Denanamab, has shown promise in reducing amyloid plaques but the trial results indicate subtle effects and the average difference in cognitive decline between the drug and placebo groups fell below the minimum clinically important difference needed to notice a significant improvement.
Deep dives
The Controversial Claims About COVID Vaccines
A YouTube video by Dr. John Campbell suggested that there have been more excess deaths in vaccinated individuals compared to the unvaccinated. However, a peer review of the analysis found that the claims were based on flawed data and incorrect population estimates. The experts agreed that the actual data from the Office for National Statistics showed higher mortality rates in the unvaccinated population. The claims made in the video were deemed misleading and lacking validity.
The Limitations of a New Alzheimer's Drug
There has been excitement surrounding a new drug, Denanamab, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The drug has shown promise in reducing amyloid plaques in the brain and slowing the progression of the disease. However, the trial results indicate subtle effects, as the average difference in cognitive decline between the drug and placebo groups was only three points on a 144-point scale. This falls below the minimum clinically important difference needed to notice a significant improvement. Experts are uncertain whether the drug is actually slowing down the disease or merely alleviating symptoms. Further research and longer-term trials are necessary to fully understand the drug's potential.
French Words in the English Language
Contrary to a claim that nearly half of English words are of French origin, experts suggest that the proportion of French-derived words in the English language varies depending on how words are counted. While English does contain a significant number of French vocabulary words, it is essential to consider the presence of Germanic-derived grammatical words, which are prevalent in everyday speech. Sentencing comprising solely French-derived words is challenging to construct, as English relies on a combination of French and Germanic vocabulary to convey meaning and maintain grammatical structure.
John Campbell, a YouTuber whose posts get millions of views, has made claims about excess deaths and the Covid vaccine. We show why he's incorrect. Also will a much-vaunted new treatment for Alzheimer's really change lives and how much longer can Tim expect his Parkrun times to improve? We look at the trends – and the rest of the team’s times.
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