Statistical Manipulation by Governments During the Pandemic

During the pandemic, the public and media have relied on government statistics at levels rarely seen during the pre-pandemic period.  Every day we are presented with a plethora of data; during the pre-vaccine stage of the pandemic we were repeatedly told about the number of new cases, the number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions and the number of deaths from COVID-19.  As the narrative morphed, the public was presented with additional data including the number of vaccinated individuals and the number of vaccines administered in their jurisdiction which has since morphed into the number of hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.  Governments have started using this latest data to bully/coerce the unvaccinated into joining the "tribe" of those who have been vaccinated by presenting data which appears, at first glance, to show that the unvaccinated individuals are responsible for the pressures in the hospital system.  With all of this in mind, let's look at an interesting example of how one government is using its own data in what can only be described as a nefarious way.

  

The province of New Brunswick is located in eastern Canada and has a population 794,300 according to Statistics Canada.  Here are two graphics from the New Brunswick government showing the province's vaccine statistics:

 

According to New Brunswick's own data, 83.6 percent of its population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine meaning that only 16.4 percent of New Brunswickers have had only one dose or no vaccine at all while 37.4 percent have received their third vaccination (i.e. booster dose).

 

Now, let's look at the province's hospitalization data.  Here is a graphic showing the growing number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and ICU bed occupancy with data going back to December 1, 2021:

 

That would appear to be rather alarming, wouldn't it?

 

Let's drill down further into the hospitalization data.  Here is a graphic showing the breakdown between protected and partial or non-protected individuals for hospitalizations, ICU bed occupancy and ventilator use:

 

 

From this data, it would appear that the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated are responsible for the vast majority of hospital admissions and stays.

  

But, wait one moment.  Here is what appears just under the hospitalization data:

  

"Protected refers to boosted or fully vaccinated less than six months. Partial or no protection refers to fully vaccinated more than six months, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated."

 

So, in other words, if a New Brunswick resident received both of their COVID-19 vaccines before August 2021, they are considered to have "no protection" and, as a result, are lumped with the unvaccinated and those who only received one dose.  This means that the share of the hospitalizations for the not-fully-protected cohort is now far higher than it would have been before the roll-out of what is proving to be nearly useless booster shots.  Obviously, being "fully vaccinated/fully protected" is a moving target in the eyes of the elected ruling class and, in New Brunswick, only includes the 37.4 percent of residents who have received their third dose.

 

Yet, despite this deliberate and rather transparent manipulation of the definition of fully vaccinated when it comes to hospitalizations, this is what appears on another New Brunswick government website:

 

 

You will notice that on this webpage, the New Brunswick government says absolutely nothing about being considered only partially or unvaccinated when you have two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.  And, as an aside, none of the vaccines have been tested for interchangeability, yet another government lie.

 

Why is this important?  Because, New Brunswick's government had proposed, then withdrew, a proposal that would have seen grocery stores given the option to refuse entry to an unvaccinated individual in early December 2021 from which they backed down on December 17, 2021 as shown here:

 

...and here:

 

It is my suspicion that this is not atypical of government data manipulation during the pandemic given that we are living in the post-truth era; this is but one example of our "new normal".  Governments around the world, most particularly those in the so-called "free/democratic world" (i.e. Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, France, Greece, Germany etcetera ad nauseam) are using the unvaccinated as their "whipping boys" when it comes to the seemingly never-ending pandemic.  By manipulating their own data and with the complicity of the mainstream media, governments have been very successful at one thing during this pandemic; they have created a two tribe system, pitting us against each other in an effort to deflect the blame for the pitiful state of the health care systems which they are supposed to be managing on our behalf.  Given that most of the public and media will never drill down into the data, this blatant attempt at manipulation will go unnoticed except for the minority of people who no longer believe that the government and the mainstream media have their best interests at heart.

Lies and the lying liars that tell them.  Caveat Emptor.