Saturday 4 April 2020

When wiil it all... not so fast friends

SO much talk now about when will it all end. Way too soon to ask I fear folks.
I don't pretend any expertise but as a former emergency planner I cannot see any lifting of the 'lockdown' (it isn't really) until we have some really significant improvements - and as yet it is still going the other way.
Of course we have no real idea on how many people are being infected in the UK (never mind the rest of the world).
We have to just guess at that so far. Apparently we have tested as of today (3/04) 183,190 people, of which 41,903 were confirmed positive.
How that actually works I have no idea. Most young fit people apparently get no symptoms and thus will not report at all. The next group will get only mild symptoms and may report but will not be tested. Those needing hospitalisation, for whatever symptoms eventually will be tested.
So if there were just 5 unreported and untested for every one confirmed it would meansome 220,000 cases. Some suggest it is double that.
This would suggest a mortality rate between 1 and 2+%.
The rate of increase in confirmed cases and deaths continues to rise at a rate suggesting the reinfection rate - the R number - is still well above 2.
I would strongly suggest (and hope) that there will be no reduction in 'lockdown' until the R number looks to be well below 1 - a non-epidemic condition. And reasonably sustained.
When? How long is the piece of string. Maybe a month to six weeks? But I am not betting.
Even then I personally would not wish to see any let up in the international travel situation. This virus spread world wide due to global aviation coupled with inadequate handling and, eventually, quarantine operations at airports.


Side issue: Today's virus figures are:
Coronavirus Cases:
41,903
Deaths:
4,313
Recovered:
135
Puzzle - what does the 'recovered figure really mean? Surely not that only 135 out of those min ICU and on ventilators have recovered in the UK? The figure from other places has suggested as many as 40% recover and leave hospital.
My guess, for what it is worth is that this figure does not belong in this grouping as it applies to those recovered TODAY in direct comparison with those who DIED today.
Any of our brave band of media hacks want to discover for us?

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