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That's right Ray - temperature (35C here today), UV rays and Vitamin D all rumouredly helpful. Roll on. BFN
Maybe the reduction in air pollution will help by increasing the UV radiation getting through to us.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18637361
"This study also shows that a substantial reduction (up to 50%) in the UV radiation on days with high levels of air pollution. "
Bermuda - your 09.05 today no problem and thanks. Re. polarisation on chatrooms, I'd say 'twas ever thus, (not just Brexit) and as for my own thoughts, in fairness, not from hindsight but held from the start. I've tried to post positive bits too and observations in Th. lead me to the hope that the UK crisis will ease with warmer weather, if not before ! Difficult times to come - my thoughts are with you and all in the UK.
Bermuda post recommended.
As you say views influenced by any other bias than purely a wish to find out what is the best strategy to combat Covid 19 should best be kept to themselves.
Equally the interpretation that anyone’s views who makes comment are opposed purely on the basis of an assumed political bias are just as unwelcome.
Yes these are very complex matters and fast moving events and evidence and knowledge changes all the tine.
Yes we know the scientific community will never all have the same views and there are legitimate questions to be asked but maybe not now.
There will be plenty of time afterwards for analysis and comment but ATM the prime objective should be to fight the virus.
The needs of the front line staff are paramount and yes there do seem to be supply issues if POE and availability of tests..
But let us leave it in the hands of the “ experts” to sort it out.
BB please ignore the following post which is for TF.
TF, I should pre-empt this post by stating that I am not a Brexiteer and most definitely no fan of Boris Johnson or DC.
I believe that it's an absolute tragedy that this country is fighting this virus at a time when it is so bitterly divided with Brexit divisions still running deep and polarisation of views to the far left and right. This has resulted in a toxic environment, particularly on social media. Any excuse to criticise is seized with glee and many facts are being twisted to suit. There are far too many armchair experts forming judgements based on their political opinions rather than facts or knowledge. It's so easy to take the cynical, negative route rather than taking any time whatsoever to balance with positives and believe me there are some positives. Facts are simply dismissed if they don't suit the agenda as clearly demonstrated by Balerno yesterday.
I am absolutely convinced that the many UK scientists involved in devising and implementing the UK strategy have done so to the best of their ability with the information available at the time. As more data has come along they have escalated their planned response, fully in line with their strategy from the outset. We won't know for at least another year whether they were right or not.
There are legitimate questions to be answered by the Government, especially regarding PPE and testing which must be resolved with the utmost urgency but I find the constant sniping, linking to alarmist and often poorly research articles and the attempts to undermine the scientific experts utterly, utterly depressing. Who knows you may be right and I may be the one suffering from confirmation bias but at least I'm open minded enough to realise that!
I can only hope that when this is all over, researchers in the field of epidemiology will have vast amounts of data and evidence which will help to protect us from future pandemics.
The deaths per Million of population are independent of the numbers tested.
I believe the UK is not unique in not including the numbers who are dying at home, but ONS said they will start publishing that number. There will be some are missed because there is little post mortem testing, and others are having their deaths attributed to other underlying causes, including psoriasis.
My thought a few weeks ago is that we need something like a pee test which can be administered at home. After reading that another country was testing waste water to predict outbreaks, I'm hoping that someone will take up the challenge and mass testing with a high confidence factor will be created.
I'm not sure where I read it, but one of the leading transmission non-human spreaders for those not serving on the front lines in the NHS is actually phones. This makes sense to me and about the only advantage of my needing to use the speaker to hear conversations properly.
Keep safe.
Many 'experts' seem to be commenting that testing is a critical factor in controlling the virus, so I'm guessing it's relevant to the comparison of Germany to the UK ?
As for France, Spain, Italy and the USA - it's hard to know what the drivers are . . . and too early to surmise as you say.
TF
The experts don't yet understand it so I'm sure we're not going to come up with the explanation here.
The point I'm making is that if you want to judge the performance of the UK by making comparisons to other countries then you have to take into account the full facts, not just select those that suit. At this very early stage I think we'd all agree that it would be nonsense to claim the UK were performing better than France for example.
However, you might see a lower death rate, per 1,000,000 of population in say, Germany, because Germany is carrying out more tests per 1,000,000 than the UK is ? Demographics is another factor, particularly with many older people in N. Italy. And so on.