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Wednesday 13 May 2020

COVID-19 13th May 2020


Summary

New

Cases
Change Deaths Change
Rec'ry

Rate
Death

Rate
IT 1,402 188.44% 172 96.1% 77.91% 22.09%  Inc.
ES 1,377 39.57% 176 143.1% 87.02% 12.98%  Inc.
DE 595 85.37% 122 132.6% 94.98% 5.02%  Red.
FR 802 177.04% 348 132.3% 68.16% 31.84%  Inc.
UK 3,403 87.77% 627 298.6% 1.04% 98.96%  Red.
US 22,802 125.31% 1,630 161.7% 78.06% 21.94%  Inc.

Commentary

Brazil is now moved ahead of Germany with 177,602 cases with a death rate of 6.98%.

Russia continues to have over 10,000 cases per day for the 10th consecutive day, however the no. of deaths so far is still relatively low at  2,116 (less than 1% of total cases) with the highest reported to date of 107.

IT - new cases +658 (188.44%), deaths -7 (96.09%), active cases -1,222 (75.06% of peak)

ES - new cases -2,103 (39.57%), deaths +53 (153.09%), active cases -1,423 (62.44% of peak)

FR - new cases +349 (177.04%), deaths +85 (132.32%), active cases -607 (97.99% of peak)

DE - new cases -102 (85.37%), deaths +30 (132.61%), active cases -1,065 (25.02% of peak)
Germany now has 25% of active cases from peak on 6 Apr (a 75% reduction in just over a month) and are now at levels they were on 19/20 Mar. 

US - new cases +4,606 (125.31%), deaths +622 (161.71%), active cases -13,349 (98.72% of peak).
Even though new cases and deaths increase US shows first sign that active cases are declining.

UK - new cases -474 (87.77%), deaths +417 (298.57%), active cases +2,776 (100% of peak)
UK deaths increase as non-hospital deaths are reported each Tuesday.  It is claimed that there are 51,000 'excess' deaths above the average expected death rate for this time of year.  This is based on ONS data reported by Financial Times and The Independent.

It is impossible to socially distance on public transport, be that train, plane or bus and also impossible to sanitise adequately (apart from a plane) between journeys as buses and trains are in constant use.  

A quick calculation: A normal underground train's capacity is 6 people per square meter.  If a carriage holds 124 people then to socially distance at 2m the maximum capacity must be 0.5 per sqM i.e. 1 person per 2 sqM which is a reduction of 0.083 = 10 (124 * 0.83), so if you are in carriage with more than 10 people you are not adequately socially distanced.

Even a taxi is not safe unless it's a black cab where driver is separated from passengers and driver sanitises vehicle after each trip.  So it astonishes me how many are risking their health travelling on public transport.  The 'r' number may be below 1 now but how anyone can imagine that it will stay below 1 when people are crammed on public transport is inconceivable.  

The average weekly new cases has reduced by about 25% in the last week from 4,341 to 3,265.  It will be interesting to see the figures in a week or two.  I understand that many need to work to provide for their family, but they won't be any use to their family if they are sick, in hospital or worse.  The virus is invisible and does not discriminate. Employers may do everything to provide a safe environment but it will be the commuting on public transport that is the major risk.

Is this a government social experiment? Have they rekindled their herd immunity strategy?  I personally think it is total irresponsible to 'encourage' people to go back to work if you have to use public transport. Whilst they have 'advised' not to, this is not enough, they should ban the use of public transport unless safety can be guaranteed as I believe this is where a new epidemic could be started.  The Transport Minister Grant Shapps this morning when interviewed seems to think that by encouraging people to walk, cycle or drive to work will reduce numbers using public transport.  He seems to think the whole country lives and works in London.  If you work in London but live outside M25 you can't walk or cycle and probably can't drive as there will be nowhere to park, never mind the traffic congestion.

The media is having a field day tearing to pieces the government's latest 'advice'.  The economy is gravely in risk with a 2% reduction in 1st quarter which only had one week of lockdown - the last week of March.  I believe the government is more concerned about the next quarters result which will be significantly worse which is why they are 'encouraging' people to return to work.  

They got it wrong at the start by delaying lockdown, having insufficient testing and PPE (which they were warned about in the Cygnus report in 2016).  They knew in advance that the worst affected in Italy were the elderly yet still care homes are not adequately catered for by PPE or testing.  Perhaps this can be 'forgiven' for being unprepared for the unknown, but what is not forgivable is the early release of lockdown when we are still the worst affected country in Europe and arguably the world as whilst not as many cases as some we have the highest no of deaths and up until Russia and Brazil escalation (apart from US) the highest no of daily new cases.  

They claim they are following the science and the 'r' number but I'd like to know how they are calculating the 'r' number.  I know what it means but I don't now how it is calculated and therefore cannot verify it so have only got their word for it ... and this government is not beyond trying to 'blind sde' us with ambiguous numbers now are they think 100,000 tests by end of April which they have only met one day since and failed again to meet yesterday (85,293), no. of new nurses and no. of new hospitals.  We have given them the benefit of the doubt so far but this is potentially a monumental error which could result in harsher lockdown and worse affects to the economy in my view.

My partner works in a school and is back at work today but with no children.  What concerns me is that they open schools again.  Whilst the children themselves are low risk, what about transmission to school staff, their families and onwards if members of the family are also out to work? What about infected children spreading it to other children who take it home and spread to their family? I do not believe it is the interest of the children they are thinking about but the 'child care' so that people can return to work.  With the best will in the world younger children cannot be socially isolated at school.  Opening schools again too early would be a huge mistake. 

Latest stats from Worldometers


Latest v previous day - Recovery rate v Death Rate

Total Active Conc. Recvd. Deaths Recvd% Death%
IT 221,216 81,266 139,950 109,039 30,911 77.91% 22.09%
ES 269,520 62,130 207,390 180,470 26,920 87.02% 12.98%
DE 173,171 18,233 154,938 147,155 7,783 94.98% 5.02%
FR 178,225 93,449 84,776 57,785 26,991 68.16% 31.84%
UK 226,463 193,427 33,036 344 32,692 1.04% 98.96%
US 1,408,636 1,028,465 380,171 296,746 83,425 78.06% 21.94%

Removing UK from above stats (as figures are not accurate as recovered cases are not being recorded) gives an average Recovery Rate of 81.24% and a Death Rate of 18.77%.  I ask you would you take these odds? i.e. an almost 20% risk of death if you contract the virus?   That then begs the question of what is the risk of catching the virus - currently 1/3 of 1% (0.0033%) of the population have been infected - so arguably 18.77% of 0.0033% = 0.0006%.  So the risk is pretty low - but would you want to be one of the unfortunates in intensive care on a ventilator for 3 or 4 weeks with only 50% chance of survival?

Latest v previous day - increase / decrease

Country
New Cases

12 May
New Cases

11 May
New Case Increase

Deaths
12 May

Deaths
11 May

Death
Increase
IT 1,402 744 658 172 179 -7
ES 1,377 3,480 -2,103 176 123 53
DE 595 697 -102 122 92 30
FR 802 453 349 348 263 85
UK 3,403 3,877 -474 627 210 417
US 22,802 18,196 4,606 1,630 1,008 622

Latest v previous day - actuals

Day 12-May 11-May
Ctry New Cases Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate% Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate%
IT 1,402 221,216 30,911 14.0% 219,814 30,739 14.0%
ES 1,377 269,520 26,920 10.0% 268,143 26,744 10.0%
DE 595 173,171 7,783 4.5% 172,576 7,661 4.4%
FR 802 178,225 26,991 15.1% 177,423 26,643 15.0%
UK 3,403 226,463 32,692 14.4% 223,060 32,065 14.4%
US 22,802 1,408,636 83,425 5.9% 1,385,834 81,795 5.9%

Latest v one week ago - actuals

Week 12-May 05-May
Ctry New Cases Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate%
Total

Cases
No.

Deaths
Death Rate%
IT 1,402 221,216 30,911 14.0% 213,013 29,315 13.8%
ES 1,377 269,520 26,920 10.0% 250,561 25,613 10.2%
DE 595 173,171 7,783 4.5% 167,007 6,993 4.2%
FR 802 178,225 26,991 15.1% 170,551 25,531 15.0%
UK 3,403 226,463 32,692 14.4% 194,990 29,427 15.1%
US 22,802 1,408,636 83,425 5.9% 1,237,663 72,271 5.8%

Latest v one week ago - percentage rate increase

Daily Weekly
Country
Total

Cases
Increase
Factor
Death Rate

 Increase Factor
Total

Cases
Increase
Factor
Death Rate

 Increase Factor
IT 100.6% 99.9% 103.9% 101.5%
ES 100.5% 100.1% 107.6% 97.7%
DE 100.3% 101.2% 103.7% 107.3%
FR 100.5% 100.9% 104.5% 101.2%
UK 101.5% 100.4% 116.1% 95.7%
US 101.6% 100.3% 113.8% 101.4%


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