Corona Virus: How Are We Doing?

[Ming the Merciless]

Dentists have just been allowed to reopen in Switzerland along with hairdressers albeit strict measures

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-swiss-business-idUKKCN2291R5

So you can get your hair and teeth done at the same time🤔

 

[Smokin Joe]

There is quite a lot wrong, though, with that article. For example, he is assuming that care home deaths where Covid-19 is not mentioned as a cause or as a factor, are dying of other causes and then, somewhat bizarrely, he is blaming those "non-Covid-19" deaths on the lockdown.

This ignores the fact that care home deaths have been occuring for weeks without anywhere near full Covid-19 testing. As a result, it can't be assumed that all care home deaths recorded solely as, say, cardiac failure or pneumonia are all not due to Covid-19, especially when those causes of death are precisely how the virus kills.

Having completely misrepresented the ONS death bar chart, he then says "How can it be clearer?". Idiot.

I get what you say, nothing can really be proven as to the cause of the spike in deaths. But one reason put forward is that people are avoiding reporting other symptoms that they normally would due to a fear of going into hospital and being exposed to the virus. Elderly people are more likely to be anxious over this because of their increased vulnerability.

It will be a long time yet before the dust settles and we have any idea of the true scale of fatalities caused by Covid 19.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

We are good today. Did some low intensity cycling today

 

[Rezillo]

I get what you say, nothing can really be proven as to the cause of the spike in deaths. But one reason put forward is that people are avoiding reporting other symptoms that they normally would due to a fear of going into hospital and being exposed to the virus. Elderly people are more likely to be anxious over this because of their increased vulnerability.

It will be a long time yet before the dust settles and we have any idea of the true scale of fatalities caused by Covid 19.

Fear of Covid-19-affected hospitals, giving rise to deaths at home from non-Covid-19 causes, is undoubtably behind some of the deaths but how many is not known. I'm not sure it ever will be now those who died with non-Covid-19 certified conditions have been cremated or buried. Probably a paper review to compare, say, typical time of year cardiac cause numbers with actual.

For care homes, the decision for ambulance callout is not the patient's, it's the care home manager, who will have a strict checklist to follow. No matter what the resident wants to do, the ambulance comes regardless. My frail mother-in-law was forever having minor incidents that resulted in callouts because they fulfilled the home's checklist. We would go there, usually in the small hours of the morning, to find her recovered but we would still have to wait for the paramedics to arrive, who were patient and thorough. If there was any doubt, they would insist on hospital admission. I suppose technically she could have refused to go but it was never an issue. Eventually, her scare wasn't a scare but the real thing.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Fear of Covid-19-affected hospitals, giving rise to deaths at home from non-Covid-19 causes, is undoubtably behind some of the deaths but how many is not known. I'm not sure it ever will be now those who died with non-Covid-19 certified conditions have been cremated or buried. Probably a paper review to compare, say, typical time of year cardiac cause numbers with actual.

This would also be a universal fear anywhere in the world, so it doesn't account for the much higher death toll in the UK.

 

[pawl]

Busy mowing a meadow

He can come and do mine when he is free.

 

[Julia9054]

He can come and do mine when he is free.

Al has been stress/boredom mowing ours constantly. We now have a brown dust bowl!

 

[Rezillo]

There is quite a lot wrong, though, with that article. For example, he is assuming that care home deaths where Covid-19 is not mentioned as a cause or as a factor, are dying of other causes and then, somewhat bizarrely, he is blaming those "non-Covid-19" deaths on the lockdown.

This ignores the fact that care home deaths have been occuring for weeks without anywhere near full Covid-19 testing. As a result, it can't be assumed that all care home deaths recorded solely as, say, cardiac failure or pneumonia are all not due to Covid-19, especially when those causes of death are precisely how the virus kills.

Having completely misrepresented the ONS death bar chart, he then says "How can it be clearer?". Idiot.

I get what you say, nothing can really be proven as to the cause of the spike in deaths. But one reason put forward is that people are avoiding reporting other symptoms that they normally would due to a fear of going into hospital and being exposed to the virus. Elderly people are more likely to be anxious over this because of their increased vulnerability.

It will be a long time yet before the dust settles and we have any idea of the true scale of fatalities caused by Covid 19.

Unfortunately, the same fundamental error, of failure to appreciate that Covid-19 deaths outside hospitals were for weeks not being tested and certified with Covid-19 as cause or contributor, is shown in a Telegraph column today. Like the Critic article, it also blames the lockdown for "non-Covid-19" excess deaths without any realisation that the non-Covid figures are substantially affected by such a simple artefact as lack of testing.

This is unintentionally ironically titled "A mass breakdown over the limits of science." You couldn't make it up.

 

[C R]

A friend from primary school died of Covid yesterday. 48 years old, though with a heart condition.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Started my next lockdown challenge -

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Good today. Did an easy ride taking in some bridleways. Rain meant I didn’t see anyone at all.

 

[Accy cyclist]

A question to those who watch 'soap operas'. Are they still on tv and if so are they up to date with the virus? Meaning are they practising social distancing, or are they showing months old episodes? If they are then the Rovers Return,The Queen Vic' and The Woolpack will still be open i take it.

 

[tyred]

My exercise restriction has been increased from 2km to 5km

 

[GM]

Thought this was quite witty...

 

[Julia9054]

A question to those who watch 'soap operas'. Are they still on tv and if so are they up to date with the virus? Meaning are they practising social distancing, or are they showing months old episodes? If they are then the Rovers Return,The Queen Vic' and The Woolpack will still be open i take it.

Eastenders stopped filming some time ago. They have gone from broadcasting 4 episodes a week to 2 episodes to make the completed filmed episodes last as long as possible. Before the broadcast of each episode, the programme announcer says something like “filmed before the current restrictions . . . “
I guess soaps will just go off air when they run out of material