Forum Topic

The Telegraph reports on coronavirus test numbers....

Tens of thousands of coronavirus tests have been double-counted, official admits https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/tens-thousands-coronavirus-tests-have-double-counted-officials/?fbclid=IwAR0KjsgNHpchoMHiAsogSexRxwoYIn7EvBOfV05FM3B6DwnKcrMie9MSb-0 How upsetting!  I hope good news come soon.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2150d8 Comments

Lies, damned lies and statistics, thus it ever was....

Bunny Payne ● 2150d

"I believe they also count posted swab kits on the way out and also when they are returned  to the test centre."Test sent to satellite centres such as Wandsworth Town hall or Chessington are included even if they are not used. As long as they are sent.

Ed Robinson ● 2150d

I think some of us pointed out before last December that Johnson, and hence any government he headed, couldn't be trusted. He's just proving us right in a way one couldn't have predicted ...

Michael Ixer ● 2150d

The government is just plain cheating. Lying. Miscounting. The discrepancy is more than 20%. There can be no excuse for Public Health England saying a patient who is swabbed in the mouth and nasal passages magically counts as two tests. It’s not rocket science. I believe they also count posted swab kits on the way out and also when they are returned  to the test centre.They still expect us the trust them. Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2150d

More evidence for the very poor way the government has dealt with the crisis: the two countries with the highest death rates per capita are those amongst those with the lowest rate of tests per case are Italy and the UK:

Richard Carter ● 2150d

As I noted on the planning topic, I'm not sure this is deliberate massaging of statistics. I suspect it might just be chaotic communications caused by a lack of planning because of incompetent leadership.  However, listening to the radio 4 More or Less programme that challenges statistics it appeared that research tests as well as diagnostic tests are also being included in the daily figures. My understand us research tests don't aid clinical acttions will not contribute to the track and trace programme then that does look like an attempt to bolster the testing figures.

Michael Ixer ● 2150d

what a farce.

Matt Palmer ● 2150d

And this is in the Telegraph, the government's friend!It's also reporting that modelling suggests that an earlier lockdown could have prevented three-quarters of UK coronavirus deaths:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/20/earlier-lockdown-could-have-prevented-three-quarters-uk-coronavirus/If only the government had some idea of what it was doing...

Richard Carter ● 2150d