Cathie Never Fails To Brighten My Day -- Palindromic Friday -- 2-25-22

Much more to blog today, but I am taking a break. I will leave you with this which has been previously posted but it always brightens my day.

From Cathie Wood, and this is not a parody, but it's really from "the real" Cathie Wood, said to have been the best fund manager in 2020, from twitter, July 15, 2020:

Oil demand probably hit a secular peak last year and, thanks to EVs, now is in secular "decline." Though ARK has no formal forecast, I believe that oil prices are on their way back to $12, the level reached after the 1973 oil cartel crisis, or lower, now that EVs are taking off."

Several observations:

• why in the world did she put "decline" in quotes?
• whenever you hear an analyst use the word "secular" be prepared for some bullshit
• I don't know whether EVS are "taking off," but I do know they are burning out of control in the middle of the Atlantic, as well as almost anywhere they might be parked.

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Pediatric Deaths: Seasonal Flu and Covid-19

Link here. 

Either the graphic below includes Covid-19 or it doesn't and/or no one really knows. Regardless, it hardly matters.

Factually, "seasonal flu" is known to be particularly serious/dangerous for those less than four years of age compared to adults, as recorded frequently prior to 2019, prior to any knowledge of Covid-19.

On the other hand, just the opposite, Covid-19 for those under the age of four seems to be a lot less concerning than for adults.

And what do we see here? This is absolutely stunning. Direct quotes from the CDC:

• One influenza-associated pediatric death occurring during the 2021 - 2022 season was reported to the CDC during week 7 (most recent week for reporting).
• A total of six influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurring during the 2021 - 2022 season have been reported. 

The current season is not yet over.

• Last season, 2020 - 2021, arguably during the worst season for Covid-19, there was one pediatric death attributed to "influenza." 
• One. In the entire United States, for the 2020 - 2021 influenza season, there was one pediatric death related to influenza.
  
• For the season prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 (remember, the lock downs began in March, 2020, the total number of pediatric deaths attributed to influenza: 199.

The season prior to that, 2018 -2019, 144 pediatric deaths.

By the way, this is in line with what the Danes are seeing in their own country according to a reader who recently replied to the blog, posted earlier.

It will be most interesting to see what 2022 - 2023 "flu" season brings.