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Did anyone imagine it would be otherwise?

Afraid I find it difficult to think of medicine, as practised, as a science. In the areas I very often read, one statistical issue affects probably a majority of papers which discuss the use of two medicines (rather than one alone). It is Simpson’s Paradox. If we take "science" to include...

I disagree. I read papers/abstracts most days. And I follow a lot of them reasonably well. But there is a flood of them which are not worth spending any time on at all. You can, all too often, dismiss the paper due to major deficiencies in the research and/or analysis. Sometimes the grounds are...

Do you know if your PCR was done at a lab that can detect all Omicron variants? There was a point at which it was said only around 35% of tests were picking up Omicron.

The person I most often think about when discussing things was seen by six or seven consultants - none of whom had the slightest idea of her major issue, the one for which she had been referred. She self-diagnosed, requested referral to another specialty (one that was not obvious from the...

Afraid I have remarkably little faith in professionals recognising almost anything that isn't highlighted in their training. (Some are brilliant. This isn't a case of knocking all doctors.) I've spent much of the past twenty years involved deeply in these disorders. As have many of the people...

Two or three days of feeling rubbish would be nothing. I'm referring to several weeks of non-stop unwellness. And the feeling that their existing disorder, which had been just about tolerable, had escaped from control. It has often taken people years to reach the sort-of level they had achieved...

Alert level rises to 4 but no more restrictions? Seems odd.

I spend much time prompting those who have had bad reactions to put in Yellow Card reports. Quite a number have done so. It is, of course, vitally important that this is done. Imagine you have a disorder, and you are in contact with many who have the same disorder. Initially, all are willing to...

Ah! He's going to ask us a load of quiz questions.

Johnson is going to speak to us at 20:00 today, so I have read. I guess it will be to do with Covid - rather than a resignation.

There are also some who have an existing condition. (Not talking about those with conditions which are recognized as contraindicating a Covid vaccine.) When they see many others who suffer the same pre-existing condition then have significant reactions to vaccines, it makes them wonder if they...

Perhaps we have been wearing rose-tinted Omicron glassses? UK has Omicron Covid patients in hospital, government confirms Top UK medical adviser says growing number of people going to emergency departments diagnosed with Omicron...

Swinging tories! Do they have pampas grass outside?

It's only an opinion poll, of course... Labour races to nine-point lead in polls in wake of sleaze controversies at No 10 Labour has its biggest lead since 2014 while a large majority of voters now think Johnson should resign

Well aware of that. But companies have had so many issues with drinking, including answering phones with slurred voices, poor adherence to serious health and safety issues, driving home after - while over the limit, and the many mistakes in performing duties that are so easy to make when even a...

I'm truly infinite miles from perfection. But I also know that some places I have worked would have had me escorted from the premises for being in possession of alcohol (other than, possibly, in a shopping bag to take home). I'd like to think Downing Street as offices is free from smoke...

Wandering round with an automatic weapon with safety off - but it didn't fire, so that's OK. Consequences of an illegal act might compound the original illegal act, but lack of consequences do not excuse the act.

Would ZZ Top be a good combo? :) (In the spirit of the legendary popular beat combo.) AZ/AZ/PB is what I got.

What? No editors from Guardian, Mirror, Morning Star, New European!