Infection rates down!

The number of tests has gone down by about 10% and the number of cases has gone down by 30%. It can't all be due to reduced testing.

geekesse

One reason rates may seem to be falling is that schools have broken up. Secondary school children and staff were testing twice a week, and so asymptomatic infections were picked up and reported to the NHS. It’s quite possible that there are similar or rising numbers of schoolchildren with the virus, but now they are on holiday and not testing, these cases are not being detected or reported.

This is absolutely the reason recorded infection rates have gone down. Spot on geekesse.

Have a lot of pinging apps been deleted? Perhaps I am old and cynical. Never mind, hope it’s true.

TwoWolves

Found them! My pearls of wisdom validated, Alegrias. I remember because after every pronouncement, I'd mutter 'Facemasks not working, then, Sturgeon?'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57712737
www.scotsman.com/health/covid-why-does-scotland-have-the-highest-infection-rates-in-europe-3296453
www.livemint.com/news/world/scotland-becomes-covid-capital-of-europe-as-infection-rates-spiral-11625615507999.html

I can see from those links that Scotland did have the highest infection rate in Europe on 5 July. but it does not follow from that fact that face masks were making no difference. How do you know that the Delta variant, combined with low population immunity and probably mixing while watching the Euros, would not have meant even higher infection rates without the face masks? (And therefore more long Covid at the very least.)

Here is a ‘science brief’ by the USA Centers for Disease Control. It says, ‘At least ten studies have confirmed the benefit of universal masking in community level analyses’.
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/masking-science-sars-cov2.html

I hate wearing masks, but evidence is important.

I think it is bad manners not to wear a mask these days and I am sure they do work. It costs a lot here if you don’t wear them , $200 a pop , which certainly motivates those anti maskers.

Infection rates have gone up here but whether that has resulted in hospitalisations I do not know.

Of course, we're desperate for any good news and hopeful that vaccination is, at last, lowering the infection rate.

Still - we do know that it's far too early to tell, don't we?

We don't know how long immunity lasts for. There is always the prospect of new variants. When restrictions are lifted, cases will rise. Caution is needed and we haven't beaten Covid!

Reported, there is no need to resort to personal insults TwoWolves.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I don`t take much notice of the covid rates going up or down,as i don`t truly believe they are accurate enough.
Eight miles from me covid is higher than ever.

Actually I'm not convinced about their worth, but weighing up the evidence it's probably more likely that they offer some protection than not, so I'll continue wearing them even though I find them difficult and uncomfortable.

While you appear to think you're some kind of freedom fighter with more knowledge than the rest of us, sticking it to The Man.

No, Alegrias, definitely not worth it, because you will never change my mind about the uselessness of facemasks, just as I'll never change your mind about their worth.

SueDoku

Well, I have been using the ZOE app to report since last September, and noting down how many active cases there are in my area each day.
Last week (20th) there were 918 -- today the number is 2127 ? So I'm not sure where the cases are decreasing, because they sure aren't round here..!

Zoe changed the way they calculate the figures on the 21st.

covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-estimates-updated-vaccine

Oh dear.

Validated. Yes, that's right, course they are.

I was going to post some graphs but I don't think its worth it, is it? ???

It sounds most improbable that your brother in law had Covid as the cause of death written on his death certificate if he didn’t die from it HiPpyChick57. Doctors are legally obliged to enter correct information on death certificates.
As lemongrove suggested if his next of kin (your niece?) believes that the cause of death was incorrect they should act, I’d suggest they contact the Chief Executive of the Hospital where he died, or the GP practice manager if he died at home, and ask for a formal written response to the question.

I’m sorry you considered that my explanation was ‘as clear as mud’, but querying the cause of death will confirm whether he did have a positive Covid test on his records or all the clinical signs of a Covid infection, which is the critical missing piece of information.

Well, I have been using the ZOE app to report since last September, and noting down how many active cases there are in my area each day.
Last week (20th) there were 918 -- today the number is 2127 ? So I'm not sure where the cases are decreasing, because they sure aren't round here..!

Found them! My pearls of wisdom validated, Alegrias. I remember because after every pronouncement, I'd mutter 'Facemasks not working, then, Sturgeon?'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57712737
www.scotsman.com/health/covid-why-does-scotland-have-the-highest-infection-rates-in-europe-3296453
www.livemint.com/news/world/scotland-becomes-covid-capital-of-europe-as-infection-rates-spiral-11625615507999.html

Hilarybee

I do a weekly PCR test because I can now visit my mum more regularly (she’s in a care home). The last PCR I did was on Thursday and I still haven’t had the results back. If the delay is happening to others who have also done a PCR this will affect the statistics that come out daily.

I think it’s regional, friends of ours had their PCR test at 4pm on Sunday, their results were back 2.30pm on Monday.

Oh they are going to lemongrove!

GG13 yes, but 131 deaths, highest since March, hopefully as cases reduce, deaths will too.

I do a weekly PCR test because I can now visit my mum more regularly (she’s in a care home). The last PCR I did was on Thursday and I still haven’t had the results back. If the delay is happening to others who have also done a PCR this will affect the statistics that come out daily.

it's getting younger Alioop not sure about worse in terms of ICU and death.

that's certainly strange Hippychick I would have had words with both his GP and the hospital about that.

Our cases are getting worse by the day, 1450 new positives just today in N.I. Also just heard a 3 week old baby in ICU in a local hospital with Covid and 2 teenagers fighting for for their lives so it's just getting worse here.

Today’s figures U.K. 23,511 last Tuesday 46,558 that is approximately 50% down.