Increasing number of cases

[AutumnAlmanack]

Could anyone please explain to me why it is that the UK is recording such a high number of daily cases, and rising, whereas the rest of Europe and elsewhere seem to be showing a steady decline in numbers? It really baffles me!

6568 cases in Germany today and 58 deaths…whilst I am not happy with the situation in the U.K. at the moment because I think we’ve let it get out of control again, I don’t think the case numbers in other countries tell the full story.

I listened to Professor Tim Spector's you tube talk this morning, there are areas of England where the fully vaccinated rate is just over 55% - Birmingham for example!

This really shocked me - no wonder we're not getting out of this!

@MissAmbrosia

We have masks indoors and busy areas such as markets, covid passports, no mass gatherings still. Kids wear masks in school, windows open, need to stay in same seat, hand sanitizer when going into classrooms etc. Kids close to a positive case still have to isolate. About 70% of 12-17 yos are already fully vaccinated. Testing when entering the country from UK/high risk countries.

But unless you continue that forever, as soon as you relax, cases are going to rise.... You're just delaying the inevitable.

@Luckytattie

Have you looked at how many are being tested? I think the UK are doing double or more than what other countries are!

Not true. Malta and Denmark are both doing more. The UK are also including antibody testing in our figures, which skews it somewhat to look higher. I feel like an utter freak when I wear a mask now, not that it stops me. Went to school open evenings recently - maybe 1 in 50 was wearing a mask in close contact situations. Where I shop, maybe 1 in 20 wearing a mask. Most people seem to think it's all blown over. Wishful ignorance. 100 deaths a day still. Ambulance service on their knees.

Where I shop, maybe 1 in 20 wearing a mask.

That's odd. Round me I'd say around 75% of people in big shops are wearing masks.

I'm in Scotland so we are still wearing masks

John burn-murdoch has a good thread on it
twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1449801652207239176?t=xNrcjDDGxMpT8P_r2dan4w&s=19

Hes got several tweets about indoor mixing I will not be told i cant visit family again.

The most depressing point is regardless of how Europe is doing, now the cold weather is here our numbers are going to get far worse.

We’re about to see what ‘living with Covid’ untamed actually looks like and it’s not going to be anything like the ‘free’ utopia people are expecting.

@GoldenOmber - because we're all one country. And because it is far far more lax in Scotland and Wales than say Spain, France, Portugal, Germany etc where it is monitored.

@2Two

Where I shop, maybe 1 in 20 wearing a mask.

That's odd. Round me I'd say around 75% of people in big shops are wearing masks.

Not where I live. It’s definitely less than half.

Same on the trains in London.

I can’t believe people really are happy with loved ones dying when they may not need to “because people have to die one way or the other”. I call bullshit, people don’t want to back down from their arguments for fear of looking silly.

@makelovenotpetrol - I know lots of people who think this way. Sensible people. We're not talking about lockdowns, no one wants those. But imagining it's over and seeing 50,000 cases yesterday is madness.

@TeamRick

I listened to Professor Tim Spector's you tube talk this morning, there are areas of England where the fully vaccinated rate is just over 55% - Birmingham for example!

This really shocked me - no wonder we're not getting out of this!

And ironically those areas are where infections are lowest... I'm thinking there has been so much infection in inner-city areas that there is more population immunity despite lower vaccine numbers. Other area will achieve this too given time.

@Chosennone

I work in a school too and we seem to have peaked. Anyone else notice that? In week 3 we had over 100 kids and staff off with Covid! This week there are 32. It shot up really quickly and then had steadily come right back down. This, albeit small sample, had reassured me that we may be experiencing a natural peak.

Yes, the surges in schools won't continue.... Once you've had it rip through your school, you can look forward to a largely Covid free time for a year or so, and even then acquired immunity will mean you'll never have a similar situation again even when immunity wanes next year.

Speaking for the EU country I live in, we have vaccinated over 85% of the 18+ population, and over 75% of the 12+ population, masks are still compulsory in shops, public transport, restaurants and offices when you're moving around, sports centres.... And we introduced COVID passports last weekend, so now you need to show a certificate to access cinemas, restaurants, sports facilities, hotels, concerts, museums....

Oh, and kids in secondary school (so 12+) have to wear masks in class

@MercyBooth

Good luck with a plan B lockdown after the news coming out about No 10 last Christmas!

How true do we know this was?

Amyboo, is that (locally to you) seen as a reasonable trade-off to keep cases lower and most things open, or as an intolerable restriction of liberty?

@Windows01 - well they've admitted it so I guess it's true.

@cantkeepawayforever

Amyboo, is that (locally to you) seen as a reasonable trade-off to keep cases lower and most things open, or as an intolerable restriction of liberty?

Totally seen as acceptable. I've never heard anyone complain about it. We didn't have any protesta about the Covid pass either (unlike in France). And no one ignores it - on my train to work right now everyone is wearing a mask even though there's no one checking compliance.

You can always tell when things are getting a little out of hand. When it’s becoming apparent the Govt are willing to risk slipping into the same old because of no action.

The bullying and passive aggressiveness slips out from the data thread. All those it’s fiiiiiiiine people who have all day to post (clearly not working outside the home if at all) get unusually nasty and goady.

@BunsyGirl

6568 cases in Germany today and 58 deaths…whilst I am not happy with the situation in the U.K. at the moment because I think we’ve let it get out of control again, I don’t think the case numbers in other countries tell the full story.

And why do you think that? Why do you think the numbers reported from other countries are wrong? I still don’t know a single person in Germany who has had Covid.

With 58 deaths you would expect cases to be higher that’s all.

@Delatron

With 58 deaths you would expect cases to be higher that’s all.

It depends on who has it I guess. If they’ve managed to keep it out of secondary schools and universities then they can have fewer asymptomatic cases amongst the population it spreads most quickly in but still have a similar number of cases to us in the more at risk groups which translates to the different ratio in deaths. Germany is one country which is insisting on twice weekly lateral flows for schoolchildren.

One way to test this theory would be a comparison of positive case numbers broken down by age.

@Delatron

Wow how have other countries managed to vaccinate people who have refused *@LidlMiddleLover* ?

Compulosory vaccination of healthcare workers and (as has been said) the adoption of covid passes. For example, the Green Pass in Israel is cancelled for any person who has not had a booster withing six months of their second vaccination - meaning that they are denied access to gyms, hotels, theatres, music venues, cinemas, restaurants, museums and many other places. Basically, life becomes very restricted without a green pass. In the UK, there has been far too much concern about loss of rights for the unvaccinated and far too little about the health of the population.