Pandemic Data and Analytics, better known as Panda, burst onto the scene a year ago with their infamous report the economic consequences of the lockdown would allegedly kill more people than Covid-19. The media gave them significant coverage but no one questioned their and front man Nick Hudson’s faulty, mischievous assumptions and analysis. Later when they issued a “study” that questioned epidemiological models predicting Covid deaths could exceed 50,000, and they said deaths would not exceed 20,000, the media still reported them, although with less interest. But as the pandemic wreaked its heavy toll, Panda fell out of favour and was eventually sidelined. Recently Daily Maverick’s Nafeez Ahmed and Rebecca Davis took down Panda – “Kung Flu Panda: dodgy analytics or pandemic propaganda”. But like most of the media, they have a short memory. At the time the media never critically examined Panda for what they obviously are: pandemic denialists. Th...
Blog on medical and health matters with a focus on the Western Cape's public health system.