Merging the covid and flu figures

[CremantCharlie]

From the 8 October the figures for covid (published by Public Health England) will include flu ones too. I find this worrying. Of course there will be "normal" flu at this time of year, but adding them into covid stats will inflate them. Why are they doing this? Because Vallance's predictions a few weeks back have not come true and they need to justify the more draconian lock down measures that are coming?

twitter.com/juliahb1/status/1315346648051183619?s=21

Have you bothered to read the replies to that tweet? The numbers for flu and covid are still listed separately within the report, they're just publishing 1 report instead of 2 separate ones.

Does anybody know if within the report there will still be a breakdown between the strains? Never know on twitter if the tweeter has over egged the pudding. Trying to sort fact from fiction at the moment is so difficult.

Thank you @Reallybadidea but the tweet responses vary.

There's nothing in that statement to reflect the thought they will be combining the figures.

@CremantCharlie

Thank you *@Reallybadidea* but the tweet responses vary.

You could even check the report for yourself here www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports

But apparently it's easier to post a conspiracy theory on mumsnet.

Every winter we track the flu on a week by week basis and that data is published. It makes sense to make that information more easily available to the public because both have a bearing on the availability of hospital beds.

Thanks. I recently rejoined Mumsnet after a year or so away, because I found it to be some of the posters growing increasingly nastier. I thought maybe now time had moved on, that things might have changed.....quite the charmer.

That comment was directed at the bad idea one, thanks to the other posters.

Trying to sort fact from fiction at the moment is so difficult.

First step is usually to read the reported article fully, it usually doesn't even say what is being claimed.

Then check out the person reporting it. Its usually fairly obvious they are conspiracy types.

The comments can often shed some light.

And apply logical thinking. Question why the accused would be doing what they've been accused of doing. What benefit is it to them? If there's no obvious benefit, its usually bullshit.

Here is an example of a weekly flu report from last season

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/923246/National_Influenza_report_1_October_2020_week_40.pdf

Yes they do publish by strain. That information is important for predicting which types are in circulation and informing the next generation flu jab. As it is important that those predictions are as well-evidenced as possible, it is inconceivable that it would not be made available