Very interesting. I hadn’t heard of that before.
I hope that our own hospitals know about that (I’m sure they must) and are practising it.
Good article Bruce, and one that sounds very logical to me. If most of the older generation are like me, and I suspect they are, I’m not doing anything much different than I was during lockdown. With the odd exception of a meal out about once a fortnight, I’m religiously wearing a mask while shopping and avoiding crowded places. Which is fairly easy in a small village on the edge of the country.
It seems like we’re going to have to endure these special measures for the unforeseeable future, and it’s going to be the new normal…
I’m not going to any hospital that are still ‘practising’ 
I’ll wait until they’ve got it right JB…
It’s different for medics, of course.
When we normal people are practising something, we hope to get it right eventually.
When doctors practise something, they assure us all that they wouldn’t do it if they weren’t expert at it!
Matt Hancock recently announced that we’ve run out of testing kits. Demand has outstripped supplied…so much for our groundbreaking track and trace system.
It will apparently be at least ten days before the UK is restocked with test kits.
So… We currently have a surge in cases which have brought about local lockdowns and may lead to national lockdown. HOW can we calculate new Covid Cases if there are no tests? I was under the impression that new cases are counted from positive test results…in exactly the same way that deaths are counted from positive results with death resulting within 28 days.
Covid data for Saturday, 19 September 2020
Global Cases 30,694,541
Global Deaths 956,438
Australia
Cases 26,885
Deaths 844
Critical 12
Cases per Million 1,052
UK
Cases 385,936
Deaths 41,732
Critical 127
Cases per Million 5,679
USA
Cases 6,925,941
Deaths 203,171
Critical 14,179
Cases per Million 20,897
Covid data for Sunday, 20 September 2020
Global Cases 30,984,431
Global Deaths 961,400
Australia
Cases 26,897
Deaths 849
Critical 12
Cases per Million 1,052
UK
Cases 390,358
Deaths 41,759
Critical 138
Cases per Million 5,744
USA
Cases 6,967,403
Deaths 203,824
Critical 14,084
Cases per Million 21,022
A man in his early 70s has died of coronavirus, bringing the NSW death toll to 55.
This is the first death in the state for several weeks.
The coronavirus pandemic could cut demand for housing in Australia by between 129,000 and 232,000 dwellings over the next three years, research by a federal government agency shows.
The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s study found that population growth could be cut by 214,000 between 2019 and 2021, a 0.8% decline only surpassed by the first world war and the unwinding of the 1971 baby boom.
This is the result of international border closures that have effectively shut down net overseas migration, which has accounted for 59% of population growth since 2007.
International students account for 50% of migration and the study notes Covid-19 hotspots such as India and Brazil are large contributors to Australia’s pool of students.
Covid data for Monday, 21 September 2020
Global Cases 31,237,539
Global Deaths 965,065
Australia
Cases 26,912
Deaths 851
Critical 8
Cases per Million 1,053
UK
Cases 394,257
Deaths 41,777
Critical 138
Cases per Million 5,801
USA
Cases 7,004,768
Deaths 204,118
Critical 14,020
Cases per Million 21,135
Gosh! USA have topped the 7 million mark of cases.
Yes it does sound a lot when you put it like that Mags…
However; Based on those figures there is less than 3% of those infected actually dying.
And:- Unless everyone in America had been tested those figures could be wildly short of the mark, with perhaps three or four times as many people infected but not tested and therefore not included in the list.
This would make the percentage of deaths less than 1%…
This does sound like an assumption on my part, but figures relating to deaths would be reasonably accurate, whereas, you can only guess how many people are infected if you don’t test everyone…
And why do they express it as ‘Cases per million’ instead of a percentage?
For best effect I’m betting…
Interesting that the UK figures are 394,257 which comes out at just over 1%…for the percentage of deaths…
I think your maths is a bit out I work it out as 10%
41777/394257*100=10.6%
Oops! It must be that floating decimal point Bruce…
https://heart.bmj.com/content/58/6/567Hhttps://heart.bmj.com/content/58/6/567i
An honest mistake is never a problem.
There were dire warnings on this mornings radio news that the UK could go the way of Victoria if something is not done urgently.
The UK’s top government scientists warn the country will have nearly 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October if the current infection rate does not drop.
That sounds pretty serious. Is that what you are being told?
Even at 1% mortality that is 500 deaths a day! and if Victoria is anything to go by the economic effect is dramatic, The Victorian lockdown alone nearly halved Australia’s production.
Covid data for Tuesday, 22 September 2020
Global Cases 31,482,599
Global Deaths 969,298
Australia
Cases 26,942
Deaths 854
Critical 11
Cases per Million 1,054
UK
Cases 398,625
Deaths 41,788
Critical 138
Cases per Million 5,865
USA
Cases 7,046,216
Deaths 204,506
Critical 14,041
Cases per Million 21,259
This is yesterdays news report so a bit out of date but about half way through deals with USA, Europe and Asia. It deals with the John Hopkins Uni numbers. Anyway you might find it an interesting point of view.
Victoria had 28 cases today so their improvement continues.
Covid data for Wednesday, 23 September 2020
Global Cases 31,783,504
Global Deaths 975,471
Australia
Cases 26,972
Deaths 859
Critical 11
Cases per Million 1,055
UK
Cases 403,551
Deaths 41,825
Critical 181
Cases per Million 5,937
USA
Cases 7,097,937
Deaths 205,471
Critical 14,059
Cases per Million 21,415
It is creeping up on 1 million dead world wide from this virus (less than a week perhaps?). India will soon overtake the USA as the country with the most cases.
Yes we are being told that.
It’s an absolute disaster .
Half the people think it’s some sort of conspiracy theory .
An excuse for not taking precautions .
The government has vacillated putting it trust in the herd immunity theory but now looks like it will take sterner actions ( threats of the army coming in)
Our economy is totally Donald Ducked .