Covid - why is the UK exit wave so huge?

[rix]

Another corona thread, I know...

But. I have been liking at the numbers since the start out of curiosity really, and am hugely grateful our death rate seems to have dropped right down. However, when compared to the like of the US which are presumably about level pegged with us on the vaccine, why are our infection rates so huge as we come out of it? We must be at a similar percentage rate of vaccines so I don't get it.

Are we testing much more than others, or is it down to the delta variant being supposedly much more transmissible, or is there something else I'm missing?

[tigamilla]

We test more than most, if not all countries in the world, therefore we find the most cases.

[RobbieTheTruth]

rix said:

Another corona thread, I know...

But. I have been liking at the numbers since the start out of curiosity really, and am hugely grateful our death rate seems to have dropped right down. However, when compared to the like of the US which are presumably about level pegged with us on the vaccine, why are our infection rates so huge as we come out of it? We must be at a similar percentage rate of vaccines so I don't get it.

Are we testing much more than others, or is it down to the delta variant being supposedly much more transmissible, or is there something else I'm missing?

The disease is incredibly transmissible, so it spikes as soon as we are out of any lockdowns.

I agree with the personal responsibility approach as long as the NHS doesn't topple (which it's looking like it won't due to the vaccines).

Lockdowns and social distancing aren't sustainable, and being doubled jabbed should stop you getting seriously ill.

If you're still worried about catching it, get jabbed, wear a mask and stay in when possible.

If you're not worried, get jabbed, encourage loved ones to get jabbed, and go out and enjoy life again.

[m_cozzy]

Unless you are 80 plus with health issues, it's a bit of a non issue really and has been since may 2020. Stop panicking.

[MikeM6]

m_cozzy said:

Unless you are 80 plus with health issues, it's a bit of a non issue really and has been since may 2020. Stop panicking.

Why do you say that, when younger healthy people have been hit extremely hard with it? Surely you know what you are saying is just not true?

[Teddy Lop]

tigamilla said:

We test more than most, if not all countries in the world, therefore we find the most cases.

We've got teams of people running around banging on people's doors and shoving tests on them, we are testing at 3-4 times the rate of many of our European compatriates. So fair to say our numbers aren't relative to theirs. I think a truer picture is painted by the number on the serious/critical list which is harder to fudge of which ours has been a literal fraction of most for months now.

Add to that greatly elevated test cycles than is typically/previously regarded as a reliable positive (essentially test sensitivity, as you multiply you increase false positives, likelyhood of contamination etc) although many are doing this.

[grumbledoak]

tigamilla said:

We test more than most, if not all countries in the world, therefore we find the most cases.

^^ that. Answer in post 2.

The government effectively control the numbers they use to "justify" their preferred policies.

[Wattyler]

grumbledoak said:

^^ that. Answer in post 2.

The government effectively control the numbers they use to "justify" their preferred policies.

And people still can’t join the dots to this glaring fact

[spookly]

We not only test more than anybody, we also seem to run the PCR testing at up to 45 cycles. That'll give loads of positives that are not really positives or infectious.

[V88Dicky]

MikeM6 said:

m_cozzy said:

Unless you are 80 plus with health issues, it's a bit of a non issue really and has been since may 2020. Stop panicking.

Why do you say that, when younger healthy people have been hit extremely hard with it? Surely you know what you are saying is just not true?

The data says otherwise….

Edited by V88Dicky on Wednesday 7th July 07:55

[anonymous-user]

V88Dicky said:

The data says otherwise….

Nearly all deaths are of people with pre existing medical conditions anyway, this isn't carrying away people in the prime of life like the 1918 Pandemic. We are a small relatively densely populated country with a huge population of elderly people, so spread of infection and death rates were always likely to be relatively high compared to lightly populated countries or countries with large gaps between population centres.

Cases no longer really matter as long as the deaths and serious cases (hospitalisation) remain low, which they have as a result of vaccination or herd immunity.

[V88Dicky]

Newarch said:

V88Dicky said:

The data says otherwise….

Nearly all deaths are of people with pre existing medical conditions anyway, this isn't carrying away people in the prime of life like the 1918 Pandemic. We are a small relatively densely populated country with a huge population of elderly people, so spread of infection and death rates were always likely to be relatively high compared to lightly populated countries or countries with large gaps between population centres.

Cases no longer really matter as long as the deaths and serious cases (hospitalisation) remain low, which they have as a result of vaccination or herd immunity.

Precisely

[MikeM6]

V88Dicky said:

The data says otherwise….

There have been deaths under of those under 80, but it is not just deaths that are the problem. It's those that are out of work for months and seriously ill who are affected too. Three of my otherwise healthy staff have really struggled with long covid, all in their late 30s or early 40s.

To say that it doesn't matter to anyone under 80 (and hasn't don't for over a year) is just wildly ignorant to the harsh reality of it.

[djc206]

rix said:

Another corona thread, I know...

But. I have been liking at the numbers since the start out of curiosity really, and am hugely grateful our death rate seems to have dropped right down. However, when compared to the like of the US which are presumably about level pegged with us on the vaccine, why are our infection rates so huge as we come out of it? We must be at a similar percentage rate of vaccines so I don't get it.

Are we testing much more than others, or is it down to the delta variant being supposedly much more transmissible, or is there something else I'm missing?

Both. We are testing more than most, we are testing our unvaccinated teenagers a lot, teenagers are grubby creatures who love to spread their lurgies around, we’re finding a load of completely inconsequential “cases”. The government uses the number to scare people when the reality is we’re not really facing a covid problem at the moment. Very few are needing hospital treatment, those who do are staying for shorter periods thanks to the work of medical and scientific minds in finding new treatments. Delta has made a difference of course but it’s not the super death strain that some of the more vociferous commentators would have us believe.

[Douglas Quaid]

MikeM6 said:

V88Dicky said:

The data says otherwise….

There have been deaths under of those under 80, but it is not just deaths that are the problem. It's those that are out of work for months and seriously ill who are affected too. Three of my otherwise healthy staff have really struggled with long covid, all in their late 30s or early 40s.

To say that it doesn't matter to anyone under 80 (and hasn't don't for over a year) is just wildly ignorant to the harsh reality of it.

Are you paying them full pay while they are off with ‘long covid’? I know quite a few self employed people that have had covid and strangely enough not one of them has ‘long covid’.

[WonkeyDonkey]

These covid deniers that flood every topic are such bores.

Edited by WonkeyDonkey on Wednesday 7th July 08:11

[Sahjahd]

rix said:

Another corona thread, I know...

But. I have been liking at the numbers since the start out of curiosity really, and am hugely grateful our death rate seems to have dropped right down. However, when compared to the like of the US which are presumably about level pegged with us on the vaccine, why are our infection rates so huge as we come out of it? We must be at a similar percentage rate of vaccines so I don't get it.

Are we testing much more than others, or is it down to the delta variant being supposedly much more transmissible, or is there something else I'm missing?

Because obedience to lockdowns and isolation has wrecked our natural immunity.

[WonkeyDonkey]

Sahjahd said:

Because obedience to lockdowns and isolation has wrecked our natural immunity.

Yeah, no.

[MikeM6]

Douglas Quaid said:

Are you paying them full pay while they are off with ‘long covid’? I know quite a few self employed people that have had covid and strangely enough not one of them has ‘long covid’.

Yes they had full pay, but they are back at work and for a long while they were really struggling to keep up. They don't want to be ill and were not faking it, some of them were out of breath talking on the phone and hugely embarrassed about it.

They are contientious people, but their mental health has seriously been affected. They are mostly physically well again, but none of them came back quite the same.

[Mr E]

tigamilla said:

We test more than most, if not all countries in the world, therefore we find the most cases.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104645/covid19-testing-rate-select-countries-worldwide/