On the Marr show yesterday, the Health Secretary responsible for the pandemic strategy in England was asked about the rates in the UK as-a-whole. Why?
Does using the term England soften the blow a little? It drags the other three nations into the failure but, of course, it’s quite inaccurate. The UK has only the second-highest death rate:
Tragically for our friends and relatives, everyone, down there, England has the highest number of deaths per head of population.
Wales has a slightly worse figure and Northern Ireland a slightly better figure than Scotland but the rate in in England is twice as high.
Perhaps surprising, given the dramatic special reports by UK media there, Brazil and the USA have lower rates per head of population.
Not surprising, small independent countries such as Norway, have done better than Scotland despite them not having the the broad shoulders of the UK around them. Professor Sridhar has recently suggested that an independent Scotland would also have done better.
Now,what would your vaccination strategy be if you had a huge increase in infection rates?
Blame the virus for mutating?
Vaccinate as many people as possible within supply contraints and create a narrative about 12 weeks being a safe limit between doses?
Hide your infection rates behind your other identity?
Ducking and diving,dodging and weaving.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Incredible that England is much worse off in the death stakes than the two countries held up to Brits as suffering Covid disasters, Brazil and the USA. Two countries who have been led through Covid by Presidents who for starters haven’t believed in basic Covid precautions.
And then Britain is an island. The easiest place to stop re- infection being imported into.
LikeLike
Great digging John . . . . Keep it up!
LikeLike
Anthony Costello
@globalhlthtwit
·
21 Jan
“The proposed change [paying all positive testing £500 to isolate]is thought necessary because government polling found only 17% of people with symptoms are coming forward to get a test for fear a positive result could stop them from working.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anthony Costello
@globalhlthtwit
·
21 Jan
61% of poorer people are paid in part, rather than in full, under furlough. By contrast, over half of the highest-earning people were paid in full. “Those hardest hit are people on low pay, young people and parents of dependent children.” ONS
LikeLiked by 1 person
Knew it. That story about the cobra bounty in India has relevance to at least one Tory.
https://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/conservative-candidate-for-greenlands-suggests-poor-people-might-catch-covid-19-deliberately-for-500-payout/
“CONSERVATIVE candidate for Greenlands and Woodrow, Emma Marshall, has come under fire after suggesting poor people might catch Covid-19 ‘deliberately’ for a £500 government payout.
Marshall was referring to a one-off payment, considered by the Government recently, which would see £500 awarded to people who need to self-isolate because of the virus.”
In the now deleted tweet, she said: “It would possibly spur the poorest to try to get Covid deliberately just for the payout. If you were that desperate, wouldn’t you?”
LikeLike