Coronavirus

[Dave_Mole]

Ahem....! Do you really think so? It's worth reading Thomas Kuhn's classic about scientific progress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_St...ic_Revolutions

They'll also be aware of the Khunian model of science.

[noel]

What I make of the newspaper report and the MP's comment is that journalists and MPs will misuse statistics to 'prove' their particular point.

Scientists are far more likely to be aware about the correct use of statistics to support their reports.

One issue that has been raised, notably by Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet, is that scientific advisors that are part of the inner circle get influenced by the same "group think" as the politicians they are attempting to provide independent advice to. He argues we'd be better served by an independent COVID scientific committee.

I can't see that happening any time soon. Politicians like to control the message.

[Muddy Retriever]

The contract tracing app was launched two weeks ago and has been downloaded 16 million times. It has only sent one alert about a coronavirus outbreaks in a pub/bar venue.

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/coron...venue-12099651

[Dave_Mole]

"Department of Health officials said that the system was still in its infancy and was not expected to be used frequently."

[noel]

"Department of Health officials said that the system was still in its infancy and was not expected to be used frequently."

Amazing! Isn't the whole idea that they wanted millions of people to download and use it.

Also, irrespective of that: which bright spark thought the best course of action was to add that bit. "Still in its infancy" is a reasonable excuse in itself. The second bit just flags incompetence.

[Dave_Mole]

Amazing! Isn't the whole idea that they wanted millions of people to download and use it.

Also, irrespective of that: which bright spark thought the best course of action was to add that bit. "Still in its infancy" is a reasonable excuse in itself. The second bit just flags incompetence.

Nuts, isn't it?

[gej]

This implies that MPs know more about the sources and the stats than the scientists.

It is worth noting that she is one of the very few MPs to have a science degree so probably has a far greater understanding than most of her colleagues.

[Witton Park]

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon...spital-4590843

Only half of the Devon covid patients went in for Covid.

[Fellbeast]

Here's an interesting graph which was new to me - it shows today's reported 13,864 new cases but added by specimen date (ie spread back over the last few days).

The figures are still moving on an upwards/sideways trajectory but perhaps not in such an alarming and haphazard way. Still a worrying trend but ever so slightly reassuring that things aren't yet going completely tits up

[Witton Park]

https://assets.publishing.service.go...rt_week_40.pdf

This will be the last COVID-19 surveillance report, as of 8 October 2020, the information in this report will be published in a combined Weekly flu and COVID-19 Surveillance Report on GOV.UK.