Coronavirus death rate falls

As of last night:

Scotland had 25 deaths from 894 cases giving a mortality rate of 2.8%, down from 3% the previous day.

The UK had 578 deaths from 11 658 cases giving a mortality rate of 4.8%, down from 5.3% the previous day.

Obviously, these falls derive from large increases in the number of cases but, equally, from the ability of the NHS to keep deaths down.

Things may well get worse in the weeks to come but these mortality rates, two months since the first recorded cases of infection in York, do not suggest a crisis on a scale anything like that in Italy or Spain as irresponsibly predicted by one medic close to the BBC.

14 thoughts on “Coronavirus death rate falls”

  1. John, could you maybe listen to GMS on radio Scotland next week to compare reporting with the telly news programmes? I realise you don’t have a great deal of staff to analyse all the different news sources, but I think the GMS reporting has been pretty good over the past few weeks, but can’t tell if that’s because my attitude, or theirs, has changed! I woke up this morning to the presenter saying ‘deaths in Scotland are still COMPARITIVELY low’. Noting a difference to the uk in a positive light? Never heard the like before. Generally paying attention to Scottish government peeps (rather than opposition party pundits to get a negative take), interviewing actual relevant people instead of those chosen for their negative views etc.

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    1. NO!!! You can’t make me!

      Alasdair does that anyway

      Alasdair?

      Re comparatively low, did they say compared to what? Until they do?

      Respect for SG peeps? Didn’t they do the same on Brexit?

      If the SNP would just concentrate on their comfortable dreams of a post-Blair meritocracy and give up on that separation stuff?

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      1. GMS is marginally better than it was a few months back.

        I think that is mainly due to the fact that Hayley Miller and Gillian Marles no longer present it. Their hatred of the SNP was aurally palpable (to mix different senses and metaphors!!). The questioning was invariably hostile, with persistent interruptions. Indeed, on one occasion Gillian Marles interrupted so much that the recording was used by a training organisation as an example of appalling interviewing which completely prevented anything informative coming across.

        Gary Robertson has always been reasonably fair and was even prepared to challenge THE COLONEL on the rare occasions she deigned to be interviewed.

        Laura Maxwell, is probably fairly conservative in her approach and framing of questions, but interviewees actually get the chance to respond.

        At the weekends there are still Bill Whiteford (“Text us about what you are panic buying!!!!” ipse dixit) and the bombastic Tory-sympathising oaf (once, allegedly a Trotskyist), Gordon Brewer. Isabel Fraser has always been a good presenter.

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  3. All she was doing was pointing out that there were insufficient facilities for people to disinfect their hands when they come into hospitals.
    Obviously the hospital management hadn’t listened to her and she was annoyed at that.
    Anaesthetists do have to be infection control experts as they get very close to their patients, wash their hands before and after touchingly patients, put tubes into lungs, cannulas into veins, spinal needles into cerebrospinal fluid, epidural needles between vertebrae and have to police staff and visitors going into ICUs who neglect to wash their hands. She’s not a political plant at all.

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    1. Didn’t say she was a ‘plant’ but ‘close to BBC.’

      How many annoyed anaesthetists have made it onto BBC 1 on a regular basis in this way?

      Though NHS London may well be close to Italy and Spain in terms of situation, would BBC UK dare suggest that?

      Her suggestion regarding Italy and Spain? Do you agree with it? Do you think it helps in any way to suggest it?

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      1. Yes I do agree with the risk of us ending up like Spain or Italy if we don’t pay attention to physical distancias and hand washing. You don’t see doctors on the TV criticising NHS management as it is not a good career move – Google Chris Day, Peter Duffy and David Drew.

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    2. Dr Webster did you actually follow the lady’s media comments closely?

      In terms, she claimed that this NHS hospital had worse practices than the on-site supermarket? Credible, measured, not sensationalised, respectful to colleagues? Come on!

      And then she focused specifically on hand sanitising in the hospital lobby. The hospital spokesperson responded – as your own contribution here would expect – that hand sanitising facilities were provided in line with practice guidance/regulation throughout the hospital and in particular where they are critically required, namely where staff and visitors ‘get very close to patients’. I’m not sure the individual ever presented information to suggest that the latter was not being done – did she?

      If hand sanitisers are indeed now being used by visitors in the entrance lobby I hope they do NOT think use here will be sufficient. Hospital lobbies are not close to patients!

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      1. I did listen to it.
        Having been to the local Co-op this week I see more sanitising going on in there to protect staff and shoppers than I have seen in any hospital. In England there is a national shortage so the sanitizers are being rationed and only 50% of that required is being issued to wards. It’s a UK wide problem.

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    1. It’s my declaration of interest – so when someone says “how do you know” I don’t have to explain.

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