Covid-19 pandemic

[Ray de Galles]

The ONS has the UK death toll at about double that, it's truly frightening and worrying that the media has ignored that figure.

Edit:
Not double, nearly 55,000.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...break-says-ons

I did ask a few days ago if the estimates using these figures were being addressed, or raised in questions, during the government briefings.

Hancock did actually refer to ONS excess mortality figures yesterday but in terms of trends (saying we were having a normal winter's number of death's but in spring/summer) which was a fudge I'm to sure he was questioned on.

[Balderdasha]

The ONS has the UK death toll at about double that, it's truly frightening and worrying that the media has ignored that figure.

Edit:
Not double, nearly 55,000.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...break-says-ons

Yes, I've seen figures suggesting that excess deaths this year in the UK are running at about 61,000. But no country is reporting the excess deaths figure, they're all reporting the tested or clinically diagnosed figures.

[Diable Rouge]

[Diable Rouge]

Most of Spain promoted to phase 2 of de-escalation.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I did ask a few days ago if the estimates using these figures were being addressed, or raised in questions, during the government briefings.

Hancock did actually refer to ONS excess mortality figures yesterday but in terms of trends (saying we were having a normal winter's number of death's but in spring/summer) which was a fudge I'm to sure he was questioned on.

The excess mortality figures are probably a good reflection of the indirect effect of the virus as much as the direct, inasmuch as it's been suggested that although some of the difference between confirmed virus deaths and the additional numbers is almost certainly down to un- or mis-diagnosed COVID-19 related causes, a lot of the rest have come as a result of the disruption to medical services as they've focussed on the epidemic and unwell people have either avoided seeking treatment or been unable to do so.

[Balderdasha]

Brazil now has 20,000+ deaths. At the current rate it will overtake a lot of the European countries in the next week. My prediction is that the UK press will latch onto this and produce lots of hysterical articles about how terrible things are in Brazil to distract from the continuing shitstorm at home.

[Balderdasha]

With a population of 210 million as of 2018, and a similarly sociopathic right-wing leader who is not supporting lockdown measures, Brazil has the potential to have a similar death toll to the USA.

[Snake Plissken]

Tens of thousands of coronavirus tests have been double-counted, officials admit


Two samples taken from the same patient are being recorded as two separate tests in the Government's official figures

Diagnostic tests which involve taking saliva and nasal samples from the same patient are being counted as two tests, not one.

Next up, they count a test once when posted, once when delivered.

[That Night In Barcelona]

Remember when we get a drip drip of 'how did it come to this' articles from the columnist class, that no one asks a rhetorical question if they want to know the real answer.

[Kowalski]

A thread on the report from the independent version of SAGE regarding the idea of schools reopening

[URL="https://twitter.com/Y6SUPPORT/status/1263833100590686214"]https://twitter.com/Y6SUPPORT/status...33100590686214[/URL]

[Tactical Genius]

Re the 3,000 deaths in Africa, that relatively low number (compared to e.g. Western Europe and the US) is quite impressive, and can't just be down to the much lower average age of the population. There was an interesting piece by Afua Hirsch in the Guardian yesterday about how well (i.e. much better than us) some African countries are dealing with the outbreak.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...tion-europe-us

Thanks for the article, It was an interesting read which I agree with.

The world would do well to learn how Africa deals with contageous diseases, The continent does after all have a track record of success over the last 3000 odd years.

[Eggchaser]

Next up, they count a test once when posted, once when delivered.

And once when it's packaged up in the factory.

[Jimski]

Bloody hell - still over 60 thousand new cases of Covid-19 a week in the UK, and that's according to the government's spokespeople. It's not even nearly under control, is it? The thought of trying to track and trace all that. Why aren't they still trying to get R *as low as possible* to give themselves some chance of getting on top of it quickly?

[Tactical Genius]

Bloody hell - still over 60 thousand new cases of Covid-19 a week in the UK, and that's according to the government's spokespeople. It's not even nearly under control, is it? The thought of trying to track and trace all that. Why aren't they still trying to get R *as low as possible* to give themselves some chance of getting on top of it quickly?

Well it's only killing old people, fatties and darkies so no big loss there innit?

[Jimski]

Compare to South Korea where a couple of hundred new cases (linked to nightclubs) caused them to delay reopening schools. And even over there with so few new cases, parents have been trying to prevent schools reopening with petitions, etc.

[Ray de Galles]

A thread on the report from the independent version of SAGE regarding the idea of schools reopening

[URL="https://twitter.com/Y6SUPPORT/status/1263833100590686214"]https://twitter.com/Y6SUPPORT/status...33100590686214[/URL]

A pr?cis ;

Ministers rejected school reopening plan recommended by Sage experts

"Follow the science", eh?

[elguapo4]

11 further deaths in Ireland, 115 new cases. Apart from the tragedy of 11 more families in mourning, the number is stubbornly refusing to go down.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Bloody hell - still over 60 thousand new cases of Covid-19 a week in the UK, and that's according to the government's spokespeople. It's not even nearly under control, is it? The thought of trying to track and trace all that. Why aren't they still trying to get R *as low as possible* to give themselves some chance of getting on top of it quickly?

Herd immunity.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Meanwhile my local coffee shop has reopened. Only the patio, and one person at a time is allowed inside to order. Still I've really missed their bran muffins, so Yay!

[Nefertiti2]

https://twitter.com/david_conn/status/1263910042056757248?s=20

[Antepli Ejderha]

https://www.tes.com/news/dont-catch-...rk-says-labour

A possible debate in education? RLB is only looking at a handful of year groups but at least it's a start.

[Kowalski]

https://twitter.com/david_conn/status/1263910042056757248?s=20

[URL="https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1263914317436669955"]https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status...14317436669955[/URL]

[Kowalski]

[URL="https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1263914724305055745"]https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status...14724305055745[/URL]

[That Night In Barcelona]

Remember, as the BBC keep saying, there's never been a more important time to support journalism.

[Nefertiti2]

Is it really part of the role of the BBC's Chief political editor to act as spin doctor for the prime Minister's leading advisor?

Apparently yes...