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Covid

Are we 2nd in the world for deaths, behind the USA?

25 replies

ssd · 09/05/2020 12:11

Are we?

OP posts:
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SillyBub · 09/05/2020 12:15

I do so very much hope that one day they invent something that allows you to search the internet for information. Hmm

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emz771 · 09/05/2020 12:17

Officially yes - realistically absolutely not.

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WindmillsofmyMind · 09/05/2020 12:18
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cinammonbuns · 09/05/2020 12:18

Yes

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onalongsabbatical · 09/05/2020 12:19

Total deaths? Deaths per million of population? Deaths as percentage of tested and infected?

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PigletJohn · 09/05/2020 13:14

there are bound to be some countries that either don't know, or don't wantto divulge, the true figures. Somalia and Russia, for example.

In some cases it might trigger a change in the sysyem of government.

European countries are, I think, comparable, especially the Western parts of the EU where living conditions, prosperity and health systems are not a million miles apart.

You can reasonably look at UK, France, Holland, Germany, Italy and Spain, and see what the differences are.

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LastTrainEast · 09/05/2020 13:19

Depends how you count it. if you want it to be true then you pick the way that makes it true.

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Popuppippa · 09/05/2020 13:25

Deaths per million is a more accurate comparison but you're comparing apples and star fruits.

There are so many variables in different nations - population density, households (single residents vs. multi generational households), tactile vs. distant social behaviour, age profile of population, democracies vs. more draconian regimes and on and on and on.

I thought Germany only count a death as Covid if there were no other contributors factors. Very different here as anyone who tests +ve and dies is included (I have personal experience of this).

The only real true measure will be excess deaths.

I also do not trust the accuracy of the figures coming from some nations.

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oralengineer · 09/05/2020 13:27

At the moment. We are still in the early stages of this pandemic. Our first wave may just have been higher than other countries. We have seen that our health services can cope but after nearly two months lockdown the world is going stir crazy. The eventual death toll will really depend on how we cope going forward.
A larger first wave may instill greater fear/caution in the general population so they are more likely to respond quickly during later waves.

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Harpingon · 09/05/2020 13:28

No.

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oralengineer · 09/05/2020 13:29

In addition there may be thousands of cases worldwide currently being kept alive on ventilators with no chance of recovery. It would be interesting to see these figures.

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TheCanterburyWhales · 09/05/2020 13:50

The thing about Germany isn't true and has been debunked on eleventy million threads. Check the graphs thread for sensible discussion about the statistics.
If you look at deaths per million inhabitants the UK is about fourth as of today
Percentage of people who have tested positive who die it's second.

Depends on what the criteria is, but the UK is not going to be used as the "this is how you deal with a pandemic" chapter in the history books tbf.

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Sandybval · 09/05/2020 13:55

Percentage of people who have tested positive who die it's second

That's largely as we aren't testing many people though. Plenty of people who have it do not die and do not require hospital care, but as we are only testing select people and those in hospital, of course a high % are dying compared to countries using other methods of testing.

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TheCanterburyWhales · 09/05/2020 14:01

Exactly- the UK has tested half the number Italy has, which is doing mass community testing.

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Dialdownthedrama · 09/05/2020 14:04

Per population. No. You're on the internet if you're posting here so have a look?

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KingJarvis · 09/05/2020 14:05

No

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DippyAvocado · 09/05/2020 14:14

Interesting article here which compares excess death rates between countries in Europe - so the number of people who have died this year compared to the 5-year average. Some people think this will be a better way to compare the effect of Covid-19 across different countries. The excess death rate may not necessarily be only Covid-related deaths as there could be other excess deaths caused by, eg not accessing the NHS for other health conditions. Worth bearing in mind too that in a normal year, we would probably have expected a lower death rate than usual for the time of year as the weather has been so mild which usually shortens the flu season.

According to this data, the peak of excess death rates was eqyally high between England/Wales and Spain. The excess death rate for the UK as a whole will be higher because this data didn't include the excess death rate in Scotland or Northern Ireland, which the ONS does not report for. Also significant is that the excess death rate in the UK is not dropping as quickly as it did in other European countries.

www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/charts-and-infographics/understanding-excess-mortality-the-fairest-way-to-make-international-comparisons

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DippyAvocado · 09/05/2020 14:17

I should add, many of the excess deaths would seem likely to have been caused by Covid as we are in the middle of a pandemic, but will not have been recorded as such, for whatever reason.

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Keepdistance · 09/05/2020 15:15

TheCanterburyWhales
That really made me laugh.
I agree. In fact it is surprising there is any country doing worse. However it looks like nyc has higher immunity so may actually have done better.
When your pm catches it and nearly dies you are definitely not protecting people.
We put our foot on the gas when other countries were shutting down. We invited infected over ti events and in our public transport..
I suspect some of gov will face some charges...

Just personally i wont be able to see my parents till a vax
Have asthma so sending dc to school will risk my health.
Will have lost 2/5 of our income and it coukd be more.
Lost 800£ holiday etc
Tbh i may stand against conservative as a candidate next time as i am that cross. I personally vow t ensure they dont get back in in my lifetime! Although have to say it seems to have been mismanagec by BJ so the issue is 1 person with too much power. And really we need politicuans with more brains who can follow the science or if that is too much follow the other countries!
Nyc was always going to be heavily affected due to being lots of high rise.

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PicsInRed · 09/05/2020 15:15

Different results if you look at it per head of population.

Belgium wasn't doing too well on that scale iirc.

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Keepdistance · 09/05/2020 15:23

Our deaths could have been limiypted topeople returning from italy (and unfortunately their families) and then anybody returning from eu (who should also have been quarantined).

We didnt get to choose this herd immunity policy and we cant get off this rollercoaster!
Thing is they wont let us sort out the balls up they already made so they are going to continue imo to go for herd.. But they could still have almost eliminated it.
Now we are stuck with inside
Shielded
Over 70s
And vulnerable back to work but scared. For probably a year.
(While so many bleat on about their kids mental health where they cant see their friends. What about mh of everyone scared shitless they are going to die or that their kids cant see their GP for a year. Or for the kids who have already lost a parent. (3yo who lost care home worker mum)

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TheCanterburyWhales · 09/05/2020 16:28

Belgium has always included carehomes and deaths in the community though, which has skewed their numbers cf other places.
Flu this year was also abnormally light everywhere. Which will in turn mess with the totals.

It's never going to be an exact science but it's sure going to be studied for years to come.

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Random452 · 09/05/2020 16:46

Depends what criteria you use.
Deaths per million population? No
Deaths by total number? Yes.

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PicsInRed · 09/05/2020 17:23

Belgium has always included carehomes and deaths in the community though

Our numbers now include this so that shouldn't be a factor. The comparison was a few days ago with our all inclusive numbers vs theirs.

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PigletJohn · 09/05/2020 17:37

As our testing has always been inadequate, our "number of cases" will always be too low.

And the people who die without being tested will not be counted.

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