Coronavirus

[4D]

It’s because the countries which have seen fewer excess deaths than us locked down sooner and told their citizens to lockdown sooner

Our government dallied and it’s led to more people dying than if they’d acted sooner. They gambled and got it wrong - fine if the stakes are small but they’re not

Having to deal with Covid is not their fault. The health response to it is

Can't argue with that last bit Dave but Spain and Italy have very high figures even with stricter and earlier lockdowns. I think the NHS are doing a fantastic job.
New Zealand have shown the world how to deal with this.

[pauld]

It’s because the countries which have seen fewer excess deaths than us locked down sooner and told their citizens to lockdown sooner

Our government dallied and it’s led to more people dying than if they’d acted sooner. They gambled and got it wrong - fine if the stakes are small but they’re not

Having to deal with Covid is not their fault. The health response to it is

Exactly this.

[Bogus Dave]

Can't argue with that last bit Dave but Spain and Italy have very high figures even with stricter and earlier lockdowns. I think the NHS are doing a fantastic job.

Spain and Italy didn’t have the luxury of learning from Spain and Italy like we did though

If you see someone skid off on some black ice, and then proceed to drive over that Ice without changing your approach - the fault is on you when you crash

[4D]

Spain and Italy didn’t have the luxury of learning from Spain and Italy like we did though

Spain followed Italy.

Also, this virus was probably already embedded,  a lot of people show no symptoms.

[pauld]

Spain followed Italy

Both did a poor job, as has much of Western Europe. We have done worst of all.

[Sippo]

Both did a poor job, as has much of Western Europe. We have done worst of all.

Yes the Government haven’t help, but the public could have done more to help. People still oblivious to It all.

[Bogus Dave]

Spain followed Italy.

Also, this virus was probably already embedded,  a lot of people show no symptoms.

Spain did follow Italy, and has a slightly lower death rate

[pauld]

So because the FT has the highest death rate figures then that's the one you like to quote all the time?

No. The FT are quoting excess mortality, the measure that Chris Whitty, Iain Vallance and even Hancock and Johnson have said are the only realistic measures to judge the government's handling of this on. Because you don't then get the anomalies of different reporting mechanisms etc etc. That is why I quote the FT figures.

[4D]

Both did a poor job, as has much of Western Europe. We have done worst of all.

That's down to the lightweight lockdown. The tighter the measures the lower the death rate. New Zealand did it right.

[4D]

Yes the Government haven’t help, but the public could have done more to help. People still oblivious to It all.

Yep.

[pauld]

Yes the Government haven’t help, but the public could have done more to help. People still oblivious to It all.

Of course individuals need to take responsibility for their own actions. Unless they're senior govt figures, of course. But individuals can only have a small impact, govt policy has a massive impact. Even the hugley pro-Johnson Telegraph admits we could have prevented 3/4 of deaths if the govt had locked down a week earlier:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/20/earlier-lockdown-could-have-prevented-three-quarters-uk-coronavirus/

[pauld]

That's down to the lightweight lockdown. The tighter the measures the lower the death rate. New Zealand did it right.

It isn't. It's because we locked down too late. Because government dithered. What New Zealand did right was lock down early

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/20/earlier-lockdown-could-have-prevented-three-quarters-uk-coronavirus/

[4D]

Spain did follow Italy, and has a slightly lower death rate

If you look at the UK the highest death rates relate to England, understandable due to the bigger population. Compare population density and England's is higher than Spain or Italy. Belgium has a high population density and they have suffered a high percentage of deaths. There's a lot of factors in this.

[4D]

It isn't. It's because we locked down too late. Because government dithered. What New Zealand did right was lock down early

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/20/earlier-lockdown-could-have-prevented-three-quarters-uk-coronavirus/

And close the borders

[pauld]

And close the borders

Indeed, something we bafflingly failed to do.