All about defeating the SARS2 coronavirus and the COVID19 disease it causes
For more detailed onjectives and the author's biography, please see https://bit.ly/blogobjectives
Superceded SAVING THE SUMMER. SAVING THE ECONOMY. THE PROPOSAL.
You don't understand the R rate. Lockdown never got us to 0.5 and keeping it longer doesn't mean it gets lower. Other measures are more effective at getting it down (track and trace) once infections are low enough to manage.
The published R rate went down to 0.4-0.7. New infections couldn't have fallen rapidly unless R was significantly below 1.
Track/Trace/Isolate is fine in theory but fraught with problems in practice. False negatives on testing of 40% or more I am reliably advised by someone working on a research project on swab tests. False positived on contacts. And without testing, this leads to false imprisonment. Plus a whole host of techincail problems with "Got it" testing, such as dealing with RNA changes in the virus. Already over 13 variants.
So I do understanfd the R rate and don't think Track/Trace/Isolate is the magic answer. Techniques to actually stop transmission of the virus are the answer
See larger version below My motto for COVID-19 is “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. This is especially relevant to whether the UK is going to need another lockdown. My assessment as I write on 19 May is that there is at least a 50:50 chance of a lockdown being needed before the end of this May. But I am hoping I am wrong: The R factor will almost certainly be above a national average of 1 before the end of May, which means COVID-19 will be rising exponentially again. It has already risen from an estimate in the range of 0-5-0.9 a week ago to 0.7-1 a week later. Keeping below 1 in the next two weeks seems rather too optimistic. Conversely there will be enormous pressure on the government from their backers and the right-wing press to avoid another lockdown. Despite the risks of a lockdown and leading to far worse economic damage. Yet the government will be keen that the death count will not become even further ahead of the rest of Europe ...
Waiting for the bus I’ve just had an unplanned bus tour of the infamous Blackbird Leys estate. In 1991 it hit the headlines for the riots when police cracked down on a joy-riding craze. It reminds me of estates in my industrial home town. Blackbird Leys is an estate of mainly terraced houses, the occasional semi, but nothing posh. It was purpose-built from the 1950s to clear city centre slums and house workers for the nearby Morris Motors factory. The point is that I was the only person on the bus who was wearing a face covering or mask of any kind. Yet the advice from the government is to wear one whenever on public transport. It was only as we got closer into the city that people were getting on wearing facemasks. Every single one of them. Why such a difference? [Update: On the journey back, only one other passenger had a face covering. The first journey certainly wasn't a one-off.] Blackbird Le...
Led by Alex Johnson, Prime Minister Supported by Professor Steve Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England This posting was written very early on 25th May, and updated at 11am. The entire presser can be found on YouTube . There is also a transcript . The graphics can be found here . This web page also lists links to the graphics shown at other pressers. Johnson talked principally about two things: 1. Decision to retain Dominic Cummings despite his travel to Durham Cummings acted “legally” and “honestly” as he had “No alternative”. Foolowed his "instinct" as a parent When Johnson was questioned he simply repeated what he had said without answering any of the questions 2. On track to partially re-open schools on 1 June, subject to a formal review by Thursday 28 May Powis presented the daily graphics. He said nothing new, with no update on the estimate of R Few questions were adequately answered. T...
You don't understand the R rate. Lockdown never got us to 0.5 and keeping it longer doesn't mean it gets lower. Other measures are more effective at getting it down (track and trace) once infections are low enough to manage.
ReplyDeleteThe published R rate went down to 0.4-0.7. New infections couldn't have fallen rapidly unless R was significantly below 1.
DeleteTrack/Trace/Isolate is fine in theory but fraught with problems in practice. False negatives on testing of 40% or more I am reliably advised by someone working on a research project on swab tests. False positived on contacts. And without testing, this leads to false imprisonment. Plus a whole host of techincail problems with "Got it" testing, such as dealing with RNA changes in the virus. Already over 13 variants.
So I do understanfd the R rate and don't think Track/Trace/Isolate is the magic answer. Techniques to actually stop transmission of the virus are the answer