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Thursday 8 April 2021

Lower and lower

 


The latest PHE chart * of weekly observed all-cause deaths in all ages with the dominant circulating respiratory virus is now well below the five year baseline. 

Lower than it has ever been throughout the five year period, although Easter reporting may have some effect. Even so, surely there must be something alarming in there? 

*corrected - previously attributed to ONS

6 comments:

Sam Vega said...

Encouraged by his success, Boris is thinking of locking down everything in a bid to make us all immortal.

Scrobs. said...

I suppose that it might be something to do with the fact that nobody went anywhere, so didn't catch a cold, or flu - then pneumonia etc...

A few years ago, I usually caught a cold just before Christmas, but touch wood, that hasn't happened for ages!

DiscoveredJoys said...

The figures are suggestive... but my quibble is that the last 5 years (before the pandemic) didn't mimic the previous years too well either, so a longer time series is probably needed for comparison.

A K Haart said...

Sam - there's a thought. The name of the NHS could then become PIS - Public Immortality Service.

Scrobs - it could be quite a few things such as a seasonal decline in the virus, vaccination and all the most susceptible having died. Hard to tell although I'm sure we'll be told the official version over and over again.

DJ - yes it's slightly similar to climate change in that any chosen period is unique. Similar to other periods but never identical.

djc said...

The chart you link to is from PHE not ONS. Most recent ONS figure only go up to week 12, too early for Easter. But anyway the ONS figures show the week 12 figures are are at the bottom of the range.
http://djclark.co.uk/WuFluPanic.html

A K Haart said...

djc - thanks you are right, I'll correct the post