Your idea of stable??

Callistemon

Josianne one factor may be that people who took PCR tests were told by the Wolverhampton laboratory, where south-west testing was done, that they were negative and consequently went out into the community, to work and school and thus spread the virus.

That is a big scandal, involving some 40,000plus results.

As a matter of interest, the lab's contract was one of those 'crony contracts'. It had only been set up 4 months before the contract was given, apparently without any due diligence.

Just in case anyone's interested:

twitter.com/dgurdasani1/status/1448933287796281365

Thinking about 20-29 year olds. Maybe it’s because their immune system is still working pretty well at that age (without googling am I thinking of the hypothalamus gland?). It starts to drop of after that, doesn’t it, unless you keep yourself hyper fit. Many will have continued to mix with friends and have been exposed to small amounts of the virus over a period of time but won’t be exposed on a daily basis in the way that schoolchildren are. This is a baffling, complicated virus. I remember doctors at the beginning saying they’d never come across anything like it and that hasn’t changed. We’re all playing Russian roulette with our lives while this virus is still with us.

As a matter of interest, the lab's contract was one of those 'crony contracts'. It had only been set up 4 months before the contract was given, apparently without any due diligence.

I suspected it might be a "crony contract"
No proper controls were set in place.

Deepti Gurdasani
@dgurdasani1
· Oct 15
How long back does this issue go? Was it only picked up because of discordant LFDs? How do we estimate the 43,000? Could numbers be higher, but we don't have LFDs for comparison for many people, and over other time periods? We need urgent transparency on this.

MaizieD

Callistemon

Josianne one factor may be that people who took PCR tests were told by the Wolverhampton laboratory, where south-west testing was done, that they were negative and consequently went out into the community, to work and school and thus spread the virus.

That is a big scandal, involving some 40,000plus results.

As a matter of interest, the lab's contract was one of those 'crony contracts'. It had only been set up 4 months before the contract was given, apparently without any due diligence.

Just in case anyone's interested:

twitter.com/dgurdasani1/status/1448933287796281365

Yes, which brings us back to growstuff's comment I think it does indicate that it's not all the fault of the public's non-compliance with guidelines.

That testing company was a fiasco. If the government can pay so little attention to its efficacy and performance then we can see how some might distrust their promotion of the vaccine, though I'm not going there.

Did the company lie about their set-up, the processes in place and the controls they used or did whoever awarded the contract not bother to investigate their protocols before awarding the contract?

Crikey it was only set up 3 weeks prior to the G7 summit in Carbis Bay. So anyone say in the hospitality trade there might have tested negative by mistake and carried on working? Makes you wonder.

MayBee70

Thinking about 20-29 year olds. Maybe it’s because their immune system is still working pretty well at that age (without googling am I thinking of the hypothalamus gland?). It starts to drop of after that, doesn’t it, unless you keep yourself hyper fit. Many will have continued to mix with friends and have been exposed to small amounts of the virus over a period of time but won’t be exposed on a daily basis in the way that schoolchildren are. This is a baffling, complicated virus. I remember doctors at the beginning saying they’d never come across anything like it and that hasn’t changed. We’re all playing Russian roulette with our lives while this virus is still with us.

The immune system doesn't stop people being infected by a novel virus, however robust it is (and whatever the quacks say). However, it could be that their systems are generally in good shape and that they hardly noticed that they were infected.

Increasing age is associated with an increase in PRR genes and ACE2 receptors and maybe some other proteins, which make it more likely that the human body will be affected. The reasons aren't properly understood. Moreover, younger people are less likely to have so-called lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, lung disease and cardiovascular conditions, which mean the body is vulnerable to infection.

What's happening in schools is a result of almost no mitigations. Pupils have been forced to sit near each other in poorly ventilated classrooms and it was forbidden to wear masks. They have to go to school even if a family member is infected and close contacts aren't required to self-isolate. Even young adults don't have to work in those conditions.

MaizieD

Callistemon

Josianne one factor may be that people who took PCR tests were told by the Wolverhampton laboratory, where south-west testing was done, that they were negative and consequently went out into the community, to work and school and thus spread the virus.

That is a big scandal, involving some 40,000plus results.

As a matter of interest, the lab's contract was one of those 'crony contracts'. It had only been set up 4 months before the contract was given, apparently without any due diligence.

Just in case anyone's interested:

twitter.com/dgurdasani1/status/1448933287796281365

People should read that thread. It's horrifying.

*Neither Immensa nor Dante labs are accredited*:

Contrary to some media reports, neither Immensa Health Clinic Ltd nor its related company Dante Labs Ltd is currently accredited by UKAS.

UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is appointed by government, to assess and accredit organisations that provide services including certification, testing, inspection and calibration.

www.ukas.com/resources/latest-news/statement-immensa-health-clinic-dante-labs/

Boris Johnson told reporters on a visit to Bristol that officials were still 'looking into' what went wrong at the testing centre. But the Prime Minister insisted that the fiasco did not affect 'overall' cases numbers.

Despite having contracted Covid himself, Boris Johnson has yet to fully grasp how it is spread.

However Kit Yates, a senior lecturer at the University of Bath and a member of the Independent Sage scientific advisory group, warned that knowing the number of false negatives doesn't 'come near to the cost of the mistake'.

He added: 'Many of these people will have been forced into school or work, potentially infecting others.

'^This could be part of the reason behind some of the recent rises we've seen. It's really important that we've had lateral flow tests which, at the very least, allowed us to understand there was an issue even if people weren't allowed to act on the results^.

Well I know Dr Bharat Pankhania down this way is pretty insensed about it all and is demanding a full enquiry.

I believe the ONS figures on deaths show that we are currently running below the average for the time of year. Far from seeing excess deaths attributed to the pandemic, we are still seeing fewer deaths from pneumonia, flu, etc. This is why there is no immediate rush back to full restrictions.
Wearing masks as the cold and flu season ramps up, is a pretty sensible thing to do, pandemic or not. I think many people are observing the guidance they feel appropriate.

Hello, its your friendly neighbourhood fact checker here.

I believe the ONS figures on deaths show that we are currently running below the average for the time of year.

This is not the case.

‘Hundreds of people dying each week’ ?did you know in the UK approximately 1700 people die everyday.
It is completely normal to die at the end of life, but unfortunately the vulnerable are at risk of dying from any virus or bacterial infection that happens to be in general circulation. I think is referred to as the circle of life.

Indeed death does always end life, but there's no reason to add another cause and to hasten the end of life.

If it's OK with you AJKW, I'd rather hang on for a few more years and I'd rather not be breathed on by some infected person. I'd also like to lead a relatively normal life.

Callistemon

^Boris Johnson told reporters on a visit to Bristol that officials were still 'looking into' what went wrong at the testing centre. But the Prime Minister insisted that the fiasco did not affect 'overall' cases numbers.^

Despite having contracted Covid himself, Boris Johnson has yet to fully grasp how it is spread.

However Kit Yates, a senior lecturer at the University of Bath and a member of the Independent Sage scientific advisory group, warned that knowing the number of false negatives doesn't 'come near to the cost of the mistake'.

He added: 'Many of these people will have been forced into school or work, potentially infecting others.

'^This could be part of the reason behind some of the recent rises we've seen. It's really important that we've had lateral flow tests which, at the very least, allowed us to understand there was an issue even if people weren't allowed to act on the results^.

How on earth can Johnson claim that it hasn't affected overall case numbers?

Does anyone know what the average daily death rate was from common 'flu, pre-Covid?
It would be interesting to compare it to the present Covid death rates. It was just accepted that a certain number of people would die of 'flu every year, and no-one questioned it.

Well hello everyone. My husband and I have just brought our nine year old grandson to the Isle of Wight for a short break as he’s on half term. The terms and conditions of the ferry company stated that everyone travelling on the ferry (except children) are required to wear a mask, onboard the ferry in inside spaces, and inside the terminal buildings. Almost no one was wearing a mask in either the terminal buildings or on the ferry. This is the behaviour that leads me to believe that many in the population believe it is all over. Why? It must be the lack of guidance and leadership shown by the government. I’m very concerned about what may happen during the winter months.

He is talking a load of rubbish and the government has their heads buried in the sand. We, the uk, are deemed a high risk area within the world. So Johnson has shown we are world beating at something.!1

And this is despite the very concerning recent news that so many people were told they were negative despite actually being positive!

growstuff

Incidentally, case numbers are underreported. That's because people who have Covid more than once aren't included, nor are those who are asymptomatic (usually because they don't know they're infected) and those who only have mild symptoms, recover quickly and don't bother reporting.

So if I am unfortunate enough to get it again, God forbid, I won’t count in the numbers? I don’t know how to explain how that makes me feel, except just why?

Anniel

It's all the governments fault again!!! Well no it is NOT. It is the fault of the people who refuse to get vaccinated. In the Caribbean the majority of the indigenous population simply refuse to have the jab. St Lucia is second to bottom of the list . St Vincent and the Grenadines are the worst. I have spoken to a few Caribbean people here in London and they all told me of family members who, for religious reasons or because of slaves being given injections ( I know nothing about that) they are mistrustful of such medicines. Our housekeeper refuses and so do her adult children. She says she has a healthy body and eats well and looks after herself and does not need it. She works all day masked at the house and is not giving in. Doctors are tearing their hair out and in London we have a lot of ethnic minorities who refuse too. Some people have the mistaken opinion that they will live forever. I do not want to live in a country where jabs are compulsory but I obey the rules about masks in public and on public transport and the government has to get the economy on its feet again. It is up to us to protect ourselves. You can only do so much to persuade people. I must say I was astonished to read that people working in hospitals and care homes still have not been vaccinated! It is simply ignorance. You cannot legislate against stupidity!

It’s my opinion that life should be made uncomfortable for vaccination refusers. To do this a vaccine passport would need to be introduced. If people found they couldn’t go into a pub, a restaurant, work, a cinema, a theatre, or a club, I think it would effectively remove a lot of people’s objections.
When we are vaccinated, we’re not just protecting ourselves, we are protecting one another. We are responsible and unselfish. We are society minded. We care about ourselves and our families and friends. We care about those we meet in shops, theatres, and other social places. Those who do not get vaccinated (unless a medical reason) do not care about anyone. They are arrogant and selfish.

GrrenGran78 On average 30,000 people a year die of flu and pneumonia according to ONS. Assuming most deaths are over the coldest 6 months, that’s 5,000 deaths per month (obviously varies a lot), or 166 a day over the winter.

GreenGran78

Does anyone know what the average daily death rate was from common 'flu, pre-Covid?
It would be interesting to compare it to the present Covid death rates. It was just accepted that a certain number of people would die of 'flu every year, and no-one questioned it.

Sorry, I'm in a hurry, so don't have time to look up Scotland, but these are the figures for England and Wales for 2018 and 2019.

www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/influenzadeathsin20182019and2020