Re: Covid-19 data from 2018

[Toni Saari]

https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/country-byhs6product.aspx?lang=en#void

300215 isnt even on their list :) HTS code 3002.15 is "Immunological Products, Put Up In Measured Doses Or In Forms Or Packings For Retail Sale"

You can check 382200 too, its "Reagents; composite diagnostic or laboratory reagents, other than those of heading no. 3002 or 3006"

add /nomen/h293482394/ to the URL to get it renamed to COVID19 data. Weird.

So whats this /nomen/hX/ addon the the URL, it has some minor differences from original page, like some script added? Valid? Got a warning from browser.

-Toni

sunnuntai 6. syyskuuta 2020 klo 2.41.39 UTC+3 darko.n...@gmail.com kirjoitti:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I noticed that Wits provides data on COVID-19 equipment exports from 2018, period when COVID-19 disease was unknown and didn’t have a name. This seems to receive attention on social media, boosting conspiracy theories etc., so I am bringing it to your attention if you wish to look into it and provide additional information to users or take other action you find appropriate.

Specific data where this is visible are available i.e. on the following link:

https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ALL/year/2018/tradeflow/Exports/partner/WLD/nomen/h5/product/300215

Similar occurrences of COVID-19 terminology in context of 2018 data is also visible in other data (other export categories).

Kind regards,

Darko Narandzic 

Data Governance Officer at European Investment Bank 

[Toni Saari]

You can add any number to /h5/ part of the url

[Alice Trader]

This isn't some clever URL hack to cheat the system. https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/covid-19-medical-products.aspx does actually list these categories. 

My guess is some intern made a mistake classifying the data. The pdf they cited as a source (deleted but here's archive: http://web.archive.org/web/20200414231303/http://www.wcoomd.org/-/media/wco/public/global/pdf/topics/nomenclature/covid_19/hs-classification-reference_en.pdf?la=en ) lists it, but implying that's the correct code to label it, not that all products from code 300215 are COVID-19 tests. 

[Toni Saari]

Sidenote: Tests used at the moment are category 382200 nucleic acid tests. 300215 to determine if one have had covid19 at any point.

And yes WCO added covid19-products to HTS 03/2020, which doesnt interest the conspiracytheorists tho :)

Intern's mistake better than a hack :)

-Toni

[Robert Price]

Thanks Darko.

I’ve also noticed this and written to World Bank on the matter.  I’ll post here if I get a reply.

Also, Darko is the coolest name I’ve seen in 2020. 😉😃

[Sam Cornwell]

Hi there, 

Thanks for raising this issue. FWIW I have just seen an associate of mine post the above link, using it as part of a wider COVID-19 conspiracy story. I came here to debunk / fact check.

Thanks

[Mark Johnson]

I've looked at this and found as above the .../nomen/h5/ paths indicates a database/cms breach with this route as someone's playground.  As others I've used the concat address also.  It's extremely concerning as we already have enough to deal with in terms of conspiracy theories.

[Mark Johnson]

Alice, I noticed that PDF link was missing too.  The fact it's disappeared says to me WCO realised it wasn't supposed to be there.  I think the most logical explanation is this is a multi-organisational hack in attempt to make this data credible.

[mon lopo]

https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/AUS/year/2018/tradeflow/Exports/partner/ALL/nomen/h5/product/382200 also found at this link 

[Moonchild Wolf]

I landed here because someone quoted https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/covid-19-medical-products.aspx#void and asked me to verify. Good to see some people have already posted up the HST descriptions.

I think the mistake is a simple mislabelling, but is being used to fuel some conspiracies:
The problem seems to be that the covid-19 test kits, when you'd import/export them, could be given either of the two tariff codes used with the label "covid-19 test kits" on the page listed. But the problem is that presenting it that way makes it seem as if _all_ imports and exports under those tariff codes would be covid-19 test kits, which is of course wrong. Just because they are part of those trade/product groups doesn't suddenly make all trades/products in those groups that one particular thing :)

[Ludi Naucnik]

Zasto uvek neko sa ovih prostora mora da gura nos tamo gde mu nije mesto?
Bravo genije, bravo, zaradio si svaki cent svoje plate.

[Patrick A. Crawley]

Could someone please supply a photoshot of the original (with the mis-labelling) so that I can use this to dispel any unreasonable doubts and doubters?

Thank you.

[Patrick A. Crawley]

I mean the original of this. (see attachment)

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[Patrick A. Crawley]

I mean the original of this. (see attachment)

On Mon, 7 Sep 2020 at 14:33, Patrick A. Crawley <pabcr...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Patrick A. Crawley]

Dear Darko Narandzic 

Data Governance Officer at European Investment Bank 

I have no idea what connection you have with the WorldBank ir WITS or if it is of any consequence.

I did see the original Web-page before it was altered and asked for a copy of the original, allowing me to do further research.

I see that you are in no position to do this.

And you do not offer any explanation or dispute the authenticity of the original dates.

I thank you for the link that you sent me but I am still in no position to disagree with anyone who promulgates that c-19 was already named as such at least as far back as 2017.

This is very unsettling.

No credible explanation has been put forward. More work needs to be done on this in order to undermine unnecessary attention.

PAC. 

On Mon, 7 Sep 2020 at 14:33, Patrick A. Crawley <pabcr...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Jeff Andersen]

Hi Patrick,

Here is one Twitter thread that contains some ideas and screenshots that you may find helpful and interesting:

https://twitter.com/jeff_andersen/status/1302968525590425607

Also, I have attached screenshots from yesterday and today.

Cheers,

Jeff

[witsforum]

Dear All,

Please find a https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/statement/2020/09/08/statement-on-trade-data-related-to-covid-19-related-medical-supplies clarifying the issue on COVID-19 related Medical Products. We regret any confusions caused. 

With regards

WITS Admin