International COVID-19 Megathread

[CumbrianLefty]

684 virus related deaths in the UK yesterday, another significant jump upwards.

[CumbrianLefty]

Pretty horrifying news out of the UK. Sounds like it could be turning into the next Italy or Spain. Possibly an even bigger display of political incompetence given they knew what was coming and yet still chose to sit on their hands for two weeks.

Still a hope we might have locked down *just* in time to prevent total disaster. But yes, some of the decisions (or non-decisions) in the first half of March are looking more reckless by the day.

[CumbrianLefty]

Over 700 virus related deaths in the UK yesterday, another small increase.

[CumbrianLefty]

Sweden's death toll per capita surpassed Norway and Denmark's, the government has asked for legislation to grant them emergency powers to enforce stricter measures including potential lockdown 😕

The "herd immunity" enthusiasts have been using Sweden as a poster boy, so this is "interesting if true".

[CumbrianLefty]

Virus related deaths in the UK down a bit to circa 620 yesterday, though this may just be the "weekend effect" again.

[CumbrianLefty]

Though people are going to *need* some sort of indication when lockdowns will at least be eased soon  - otherwise a breakdown of its effectiveness, with chaotic and likely disastrous consequences, is inevitable.

In that context Austria is doing the right thing, even though timings can be questioned.

[CumbrianLefty]

Kaczyński doesn't have to observe stupid restrictions.

Image link

Hmmm, any comments on this?

[CumbrianLefty]

Watching how these staged removals of lockdown go is going to be fascinating.

[CumbrianLefty]

Kier Starmer rightfully asking the UK not to give a timetable as such, but a 'what opens first' outline.

Sorry (no, genuinely I am) but its K-E-I-R!!

(and you're a Scot too!)

[CumbrianLefty]

UK deaths and cases seem to have (thankfully) reached a plateau.

(though there may still be a post-holidays "bump" in the next day or two)

[CumbrianLefty]

Now looking increasingly clear that deaths in the UK have peaked and reached the "plateau" stage.

[CumbrianLefty]

According to the BBC updates, even though Ecuador has only reported 403 death officially, the country's largest province, Guayas, has reported 6700 deaths in the first two weeks of April vs 1000 in the same period last year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-52319956

Which maybe makes them a contender for the "who is coping with the virus worst?" thread.

[CumbrianLefty]

Chilean government wants to reopen the shopping centers and is going to bring back public employees to work face-to-face, without consulting the expert council that rejects those measures and while we are still at the peak of infections.

Sometimes I want to believe that they are evil, it's easier to swallow than to accept that they are really that stupid.

Right wing governments across the world are making noises like this, it fits their underlying ideology.

[CumbrianLefty]

Big drop in UK deaths today, likely to be the "weekend effect" again but still encouraging.

[CumbrianLefty]

Big drop in UK deaths today, likely to be the "weekend effect" again but still encouraging.

Until the UK figures out how to account for home deaths it'll be hard to get a true picture

That's true of most countries, though?

A real and consistent drop in hospital deaths still means something IMO.

[CumbrianLefty]

And its "only" about 450 deaths today for the UK, almost too good to be true by recent standards.

The next few figures are going to be crunch time, I think. If they confirm this recent trend, then at least an easing of lockdown measures a few weeks from now has to be a possibility.

[CumbrianLefty]

Less than 2000 active cases in Australia now, according to figures. We've been unbelievably lucky here so far.

It seems that right wingers in Oz have less of the ideological hostility to state action that some of their Anglosphere counterparts in the UK and US do, and this helped them take effective action quicker?

[CumbrianLefty]

Despite claims of a blue and yellow apocalypse, Sweden is doing (relatively) just fine

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/no-lockdown-in-sweden-but-stockholm-could-see-herd-immunity-in-weeks.html

Hmmm, how much work is "could" doing in that title?

[CumbrianLefty]

Still seem to be an underlying figure of 600-700 deaths a day in the UK.

Needs to go quite a bit lower for a major easing of lockdown to be viable, I would say.

[CumbrianLefty]

UK now over 20k hospital deaths alone

[CumbrianLefty]

UK deaths less than half yesterday's high figure - the truth is likely in between.

[CumbrianLefty]

Yesterday's deaths number for the UK the lowest since the end of March.

[CumbrianLefty]

To put that into context, approaching 600 deaths announced in the UK today.

And this is being presented as (albeit qualified) "good news".

[CumbrianLefty]

Retrospective UK figures trying to collate *all* virus related deaths (not just those in hospital) have been released - revealing a peak of over 1200 on Good Friday.

That's pretty sobering.

[CumbrianLefty]

Looking more likely that a limited lifting of the UK lockdown might be announced next week.

(though it may not come into place immediately)