Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

30% increase in mortality is pretty horrifying.

Yep. It was like this 12 days ago when we passed through.

Really?

His announcement is making quite big news here in Portugal. We're currently the world's no. 1 country in both cases per million and deaths per million and it's estimated around 40% of the currently active cases here are the UK variant. The fact that it's deadlier could explain this sudden spike in death rates after Christmas.

Vaccines can't come quick enough...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/22/tributes-paid-to-police-officer-who-died-after-contracting-covid-19

I get that some covid deaths are more newsworthy than others. This one's weird though, unless it's (or I'm) missing significant details. Why would a 'completely fearless' police officer work from home to look after their health, while their colleagues remain out in public?

Tragic nonetheless.

Can’t tell if you’re serious or not. Hope your recovery is going well.

We're currently the world's no. 1 country in both cases per million and deaths per million and it's estimated around 40% of the currently active cases here are the UK variant. T

Yesterday's print New York Times had an incredibly damning article about Johnson and Covid in the UK. It's very well written. Makes you realise how fucked our domestic press is.

Hahahaha. What a surprise.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55765875

Thinking about the statistical analysis required makes my head hurt.
Maybe I’m over thinking it but I’m guessing standard deviation against a non-normal distribution.

If one of the data geeks here can enlighten me feel free!

Am serious, but mainly angry as this seems to be acceptable. We have a government that goes with loved ones will die and we are not in uproar. Getting a vaccine, then not talking it as directed. Seems the Gov know more than the manufacturer. So it is a hope the vaccine works.

We as a country can't even wear mask properly, covering both nose and mouth. There are facebook adverts for solicitors to claim if a shop didn't let you in without a mask.

Thank you for asking, am better but still not right. I was very lucky as I'm in the going to die group being diabetic, overwieght, reduced lung capacity. What covid has done is messed up my blood glucose control and seems to be common, increased blood pressure too.

This is old news. The Uk press/media is controlled by a few people. Have a look at everytime an MP has gone up against Murdock, what did Murdock do?

I think it'll be an odds ratio thing.
So they'll work out who had this variant and died. Versus those with different variants. And compare mortality.

Obviously, they'll need to start looking at this for socioeconomic and ethnic and age and gender differences.

I'd go with an odds ratio as I think it's easier to use and explain.

The evidence on the variant being more deadly isn't very strong. Johnson might have jumped the gun.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55779171

"
That means there's a roughly 50-50 chance it will turn out to be true.
"

Just upping the fear factor to stop people having coffee with friends in parks...

If you’re in your 60s, 1% chance of dying after getting OG covid, 1.3% chance of dying if you get the news variant.

Doesn’t sound as bad that way.

Frame it a different way, if you had 100000 deaths from old variant, you would have seen 130000 with the new variant. Pretty grim.

Also been reading that care home staff are refusing vaccines? Wtf

The evidence on the variant being more deadly isn't very strong. Johnson might have jumped the gun.

I guess Gavin Williamson asked him to say it to emphasise post-'Brexit' Britain's increased lethality.

Or he had to distract people from something else again.

I also personally think it's unhelpful to use numbers like "30% more deadly" when this translates into a fraction of a percent of actual additional deaths. Unless the goal is to scare everyone.

Edit, essentially what @Acliff said above. Too slow replying. More coffee.

Also been reading that care home staff are refusing vaccines? Wtf

"It will make you infertile" says my nephews care home working fiancé. Apparently causing quite a lot of tension in their relationship at the moment. The majority of staff at the care home she works at are planning to refuse.

NYT has a dodgy record:

Have you read the article I'm referring to?

A cock up on one article does not mean another is incorrect.

Also, a Spectator Gossip Columnist saying that the NYT is anti British sets off quite a lot of alarm bells. Especially as the premise of the disputed article was correct.

A year ago today Hancock first told the Commons: “The CMO has revised the risk to the UK population from “very low” to “low” & has concluded that while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well prepared & well equipped to deal with them.”

This type of shit is one of the big reasons I didn’t join the military (+ the pay and the responsibility of keeping morons in line). It’s pretty clear the leadership is incompetent af, but no one’s being replaced, we’re just all trudging along, doing our best to avoid morons getting us and our loved ones killed while our leaders watch.

I’m sure the care homes will be thrilled to tell grieving family members that their father died of covid, caught from an unvaccinated staff member.
Also the guilt of getting covid, bringing it to work, and killing 10 people under your care.

I can completely understand a couple’s concerns about fertility, but I don’t think there is anything about the vaccine that indicates any concerns? Is it another conspiracy theory?

Thank you for asking, am better but still not right. I was very lucky as I'm in the going to die group being diabetic, overwieght, reduced lung capacity. What covid has done is messed up my blood glucose control and seems to be common, increased blood pressure too.

Glad you’re still kicking, sorry to hear about the after effects though. Hope you keep recovering.