Coronavirus

[Max B Gold]

Some people just like to talk the Country down come what may. Even when the unemployment figures and economy strong before Covid , the lefties could not say anything in favour.

Agreed. It's time to talk us up. As I've pointed out above; out of 152 countries, and in terms of absolute Covid deaths, the UK has scored the fifth highest points.

It is difficult to identify what is ‘genuine anti Government criticism with valid constructive argument against pure ‘anti-Tory, pro Remain revenge’.

All Anti-Tory arguments are constructive whether true or not. Since when was telling the truth about "The Left" by Tories ever a thing? You need to do us all a favour and move away from the keyboard

[Oiram]

Agreed. It's time to talk us up. As I've pointed out above; out of 152 countries, and in terms of absolute Covid deaths, the UK has scored the fifth highest points.

It is difficult to identify what is ‘genuine anti Government criticism with valid constructive argument against pure ‘anti-Tory, pro Remain revenge’.

All Anti-Tory arguments are constructive whether true or not. Since when was telling the truth about "The Left" by Tories ever a thing? You need to do us all a favour and move away from the keyboard

Who is ‘us all?’

Are you ‘their’ spokeswoke head snowflake?

Cat got their tongue?

Lefty bigots like you are the worse kind of Socialists. Designed to keep people down, dependent on the state, rather than lift them
up to contribute to their country and help the people who cannot under any circumstances, through disability or sickness.

[Oiram]

Agreed. It's time to talk us up. As I've pointed out above; out of 152 countries, and in terms of absolute Covid deaths, the UK has scored the fifth highest points.

It is difficult to identify what is ‘genuine anti Government criticism with valid constructive argument against pure ‘anti-Tory, pro Remain revenge’.

All Anti-Tory arguments are constructive whether true or not. Since when was telling the truth about "The Left" by Tories ever a thing? You need to do us all a favour and move away from the keyboard

Your little pictures say it all about you. Suits you Sir.

Good idea, change ‘Gold’ to ‘Wall?’

[Still's Carenae]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

[Top of the JES]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

Hi SC, the number of tests 691,941 is for yesterday(7th). Tests numbers have a 24 hour lag. Based on yesterdays 52,618 cases that's 8.49% Infection rate.

Cases recorded today 68,053, we wont know how bad that is until todays tests numbers are released tomorrow. If the number of tests are roughly the same it will be 9,89% in percentage terms thats less than last week when we averaged 12.09% a day. Infections might be slowing a little compared with last week.

[Real Al]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

I think the media will push the fact that a record number of people have died.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

Fair bit of variability there - 12.5% and 9.6% in the past two days. Haven't sig tested these so not sure if these are meaningful changes though.

1,325 deaths reported today though.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

Hi SC, the number of tests 691,941 is for yesterday(7th). Tests numbers have a 24 hour lag. Based on yesterdays 52,618 cases that's 8.49% Infection rate.

Cases recorded today 68,053 we wont know how bad that is until todays tests numbers are released tomorrow. If the number of tests are roughly the same it will be 9,89% in percentage terms thats less than last week when we averaged 12.09% a day. Infections might be slowing a little.

Just so I know, where do you guys get this data from and how are you calculating the daily figures? I'm just using the coronavirus.data.gov website but looking at the data in a different way to you two. The post immediately above this just used Still's percentages from the past two days.

[Top of the JES]

Deaths are going to remain high for another 2-3 weeks until lockdown kocks in and the lag between Infection & hospitalisation materialise in more unfortunate deaths.

On a rolling 7 day comparison infections against number of test last week were 12.08% - this week 12.03% so it's flattened out but the next 2 to 3 weeks are going to be very ugly.

[Top of the JES]

I get the data from the PHE website - it's a bit of a minefield they show tests and cases on the page so you would assume they are from the same day but they are not, test numbers are delayed by 24 hours. I think SC has been using cases and tests assuming they are for the same day - understandable you would assume thats correct but there is a lag on tests.

[Mistadobalina]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

I think the media will push the fact that a record number of people have died.

And we're not likely to even be at the peak yet. Next few weeks are going to be brutal. Hard to believe we're in a position worse than last spring.

[Max B Gold]

I assume we have had this before but I will ask anyway. What is the real number of total deaths?

I can't accept the 28 day rule isn't excluding large numbers.

[StillSpike]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

What's the cause of more tests ? Is that more people calling 111 because they think they are symtomatic? More people being identified as contacts of positive-tested patients? Or more tests being carried out on people who have already been tested positive? Is there a programme to test asymptomatic people yet (other than those identified through T&T)?, or is there another driver making more tests get carried out ? (or, was there frustrated demand for testing that capacity is increasing to satisfy ?)

[Top of the JES]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

I think the media will push the fact that a record number of people have died.

And we're not likely to even be at the peak yet. Next few weeks are going to be brutal. Hard to believe we're in a position worse than last spring.

We locked down four weeks too late - I could see the number of infections ticking up in schools locally which spread faster as December went on.if we had locked down in early December we could have avoided a lot of this - Tier 4 never worked and keeping thousands of asymptomatic kids at school was a disaster.

[Long slender neck]

I assume we have had this before but I will ask anyway. What is the real number of total deaths?

I can't accept the 28 day rule isn't excluding large numbers.

Why would it exclude people?

[Top of the JES]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

What's the cause of more tests ? Is that more people calling 111 because they think they are symtomatic? More people being identified as contacts of positive-tested patients? Or more tests being carried out on people who have already been tested positive? Is there a programme to test asymptomatic people yet (other than those identified through T&T)?, or is there another driver making more tests get carried out ? (or, was there frustrated demand for testing that capacity is increasing to satisfy ?)

It's driven by testing capacity which has ramped up since summer- If people call 111 they are likely to be advised to get a tes,t The tests include thoses done at testing centres,self testing and some private tests I believe, there was capacity for 778,382 Tests available yesterday . There is a programme to test people with and without symptoms I'm not sure that T&T is driving anything at the moment,

[Top of the JES]

I assume we have had this before but I will ask anyway. What is the real number of total deaths?

I can't accept the 28 day rule isn't excluding large numbers.

Why would it exclude people?

The way deaths are calculated change in the summer it used to be that anyone who ever had Covid and died was counted - no matter the actual cause of death, now it's anyone who had a positve Covid test in the 28 days before death. In some countries deaths are only recorded if Covid was the specific cause of death. The number of deaths based on the initial way of calculation will obviously be higher.

[StillSpike]

Today's figures 10.99% positive.

Around 120,000 more tests than prevous records. Look at the percentage not the 68,000, that the media will push and pulsate about.

What's the cause of more tests ? Is that more people calling 111 because they think they are symtomatic? More people being identified as contacts of positive-tested patients? Or more tests being carried out on people who have already been tested positive? Is there a programme to test asymptomatic people yet (other than those identified through T&T)?, or is there another driver making more tests get carried out ? (or, was there frustrated demand for testing that capacity is increasing to satisfy ?)

It's driven by testing capacity which has ramped up since summer- If people call 111 they are likely to be advised to get a tes,t The tests include thoses done at testing centres,self testing and some private tests I believe, there was capacity for 778,382 Tests available yesterday . There is a programme to test people with and without symptoms I'm not sure that T&T is driving anything at the moment,

Thanks for that - it's kind of what I expected to hear.

So looking simply at positive tests as a % of the total tests undertaken, and viewing a movement in that % over time, could lead to a falsely over-optimistic picture, I guess.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Will be interested to see the percentages from the next round of the ONS survey.

[Top of the JES]

What's the cause of more tests ? Is that more people calling 111 because they think they are symtomatic? More people being identified as contacts of positive-tested patients? Or more tests being carried out on people who have already been tested positive? Is there a programme to test asymptomatic people yet (other than those identified through T&T)?, or is there another driver making more tests get carried out ? (or, was there frustrated demand for testing that capacity is increasing to satisfy ?)

It's driven by testing capacity which has ramped up since summer- If people call 111 they are likely to be advised to get a tes,t The tests include thoses done at testing centres,self testing and some private tests I believe, there was capacity for 778,382 Tests available yesterday . There is a programme to test people with and without symptoms I'm not sure that T&T is driving anything at the moment,

Thanks for that - it's kind of what I expected to hear.

So looking simply at positive tests as a % of the total tests undertaken, and viewing a movement in that % over time, could lead to a falsely over-optimistic picture, I guess.

Should be the opposite really there are more cases this week but there have been more tests, the media in particular tend to report cases without factoring the tests. In % terms it's more or less the same as last week.

[PoliticOs]

I assume we have had this before but I will ask anyway. What is the real number of total deaths?

I can't accept the 28 day rule isn't excluding large numbers.

Why would it exclude people?

The way deaths are calculated change in the summer it used to be that anyone who ever had Covid and died was counted - no matter the actual cause of death, now it's anyone who had a positve Covid test in the 28 days before death. In some countries deaths are only recorded if Covid was the specific cause of death. The number of deaths based on the initial way of calculation will obviously be higher.

Did we not already remove from the statistics those that did not 'qualify' under the new criteria? Hence the drop in the total number in the Autumn?

[Top of the JES]

Believe so I think the number of deaths dropped by a few thousand from memory.

[Dunners]

1,325 Covid deaths announced today.

And your regular reminder: The Government was made aware of the danger presented by the new strain on 18 December, but delayed locking us down until 4 January.

All so that Boris got to sneer at Starmer about trying to cancel Christmas.

[tuffers#1]

Believe so I think the number of deaths dropped by a few thousand from memory.

It went from 50k+ down to about 40k

[Disoriented]

Anywhere worse than here?

Er, no.

Idiot of the year is wrong

The real idiot is moderating this board.

1325.

Makes you feel proud, does it?