UK faces soaring COVID-19 death rate unless it moves fast, medics warn

[snoop1130]

UK faces soaring COVID-19 death rate unless it moves fast, medics warn

By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton

 

Commuters walk across the London Bridge during the morning rush hour, amid an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain September 21, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government moves urgently to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country's senior medics said on Monday.

 

The United Kingdom already has the biggest official COVID-19 death toll in Europe - and the fifth largest in the world - while it is borrowing record amounts in an attempt to pump emergency money through the damaged economy.

 

But new COVID-19 cases are rising by at least 6,000 per day in Britain, according to week-old data, hospital admissions are doubling every eight days, and the testing system is buckling.

 

Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, cautioned that if left unrestricted the epidemic would reach 50,000 new cases per day by mid October in the United Kingdom.

 

"If this continued along the path...the number of deaths directly from COVID ... will continue to rise, potentially on an exponential curve, that means doubling and doubling and doubling again and you can quickly move from really quite small numbers to really very large numbers," Whitty said.

 

"If we don't do enough the virus will take off and at the moment that is the path that we are clearly on and if we do not change course then we're going to find ourselves in a very difficult problem."

 

The virus is spreading across all areas of the country and less than 8% of the population have antibodies to the virus, though in London around 17% of the population may have antibodies, Vallance said.

 

Speed and action are urgently needed, Vallance and Whitty said, adding that as winter was approaching the COVID problem would haunt Britain for another six months at least.

Johnson is due to speak on Tuesday.

 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the restrictions would be different to last time. The government wants to crack down on socialising but schools and many workplaces will stay open.

 

"If we do have to take action, it will be different to last time and we've learnt a huge amount about how to tackle the virus," he told ITV.

 

"Schools aren't where a lot of the transmission happens, it's more about people socialising," he said.

 

Asked about Christmas and if people would be able to hug their relatives, he said he wanted it to be as normal as possible.

 

"If this runs out of control now, we'll have to take heavier measures in the future," Hancock said.

 

The official UK death toll stands at 41,777 people.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-21

 

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[cmarshall]

Uh-oh  The UK is in big trouble now since the Johnson government is far too incompetent to be able to manage exponential growth of the virus.  

[elliss]

Would you prefer the incompetent  Labour , silent socialist partly , to be in office .?

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by elliss

[samsensam]

1 hour ago, cmarshall said:

Uh-oh  The UK is in big trouble now since the Johnson government is far too incompetent to be able to manage exponential growth of the virus.  

 

hummm... don't disagree, but... suppose labour was in power, i'd like to see you name a half competent cabinet from their ranks...

[oompie69]

Annual winter flu season is on its way, so no reason to expect that infections will not increase over the coming months. The issue is, what can they do better this time around as their first attempt was an abject failure.

This is pertinent for all Northern Hemisphere countries bar perhaps Sweden who will have a large portion of the population with herd immunity. They might get off lightly this time around. 

[RayC]

This really is poor, factually inaccurate and misleading journalism.  A couple of examples:

 

"Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government moves urgently to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country's senior medics said on Monday.

 

Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, cautioned that if left unrestricted the epidemic would reach 50,000 new cases per day by mid October in the United Kingdom."

 

What was actually said was that if and Whitty's words were "big if" the current rate of inflection continues exponentially, then the UK will have 50k daily infections and the number of daily deaths from the virus will inevitably increase. 

 

[CG1 Blue]

5 minutes ago, RayC said:

This really is poor, factually inaccurate and misleading journalism.  A couple of examples:

 

"Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government moves urgently to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country's senior medics said on Monday.

 

Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, cautioned that if left unrestricted the epidemic would reach 50,000 new cases per day by mid October in the United Kingdom."

 

What was actually said was that if and Whitty's words were "big if" the current rate of inflection continues exponentially, then the UK will have 50k daily infections and the number of daily deaths from the virus will inevitably increase. 

 

This is the problem with most news outlets. They like to sensationalise. And when they do this with something like Covid, it has a huge mental impact on the population. I find it too depressing to listen to more than 1 news broadcast per day because of this. 

 

Yet when it comes to good news / positive developments, there is hardly a ripple and it fades from the headlines in less than a day. For example, the news a week ago that a method of modifying antibodies and implanting them into Covid patients is being tested on something like 2000 volunteers. Oxford scientists were apparently very optimistic that this was a major breakthrough in treating hospitalised Covid patients. I'd like to hear more about this stuff. 

[CGW]

26 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

This is the problem with most news outlets. They like to sensationalise. And when they do this with something like Covid,

There all owned by the people "driving" the covid "agenda" good news is not self serving, that's why they silence the medical profession if they are not repeating the narrative! ???? 

[Chelseafan]

6 hours ago, cmarshall said:

Uh-oh  The UK is in big trouble now since the Johnson government is far too incompetent to be able to manage exponential growth of the virus.  

 

The people are too stupid and incompetent to follow basic advice. Got to take responsibility for their own actions.

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by Chelseafan

[Kadilo]

5 hours ago, elliss said:

Would you prefer the incompetent  Labour , silent socialist partly , to be in office .?

 

 

 

Yes......next

[CGW]

1 hour ago, Chelseafan said:

The people are too stupid and incompetent to follow basic advice. Got to take responsibility for their own actions.

Indeed, obviously you have a superior grasp on the situation, the Brits have been saved* from the not-so-deadly virus by creating the biggest mental health and poverty crisis in history.

As Matt Hancock was saying ‘it’s not spread in schools or in the workplace it’s when people socialise’ - sounds good? what  I’m hearing is: the plan is for people in England to work, work, work but have no life whatsoever, sure you agree with that, the government need to save them, no matter what the cost, if they have to use whatever means at their disposal - fair game, it's for their safety, "reverse the trend & save the National health"! 

Technocracy rules!, don't let them peasant folk think for themselves ???? 

 

[Chelseafan]

5 minutes ago, CGW said:

Indeed, obviously you have a superior grasp on the situation, the Brits have been saved* from the not-so-deadly virus by creating the biggest mental health and poverty crisis in history.

As Matt Hancock was saying ‘it’s not spread in schools or in the workplace it’s when people socialise’ - sounds good? what  I’m hearing is: the plan is for people in England to work, work, work but have no life whatsoever, sure you agree with that, the government need to save them, no matter what the cost, if they have to use whatever means at their disposal - fair game, it's for their safety, "reverse the trend & save the National health"! 

Technocracy rules!, don't let them peasant folk think for themselves ???? 

 

 

This is the exact attitude that I'm talking about. "The Government are trying to control us", "the Government are eroding our rights", "The Government blah blah blah". Right from the outset the Government have been pretty vocal in what needs to be done, social distance, wash hands and (much) later wear a face-mask; day in, day out I see countless people ignoring the guidance and now they're complainging about more local lockdowns and pubs shutting an hour earlier (though what that's about I've no idea). I'm not saying the Government have got this right, hell no, they've screwed up along the way but in their defence, this is a once in a generation event - Stopping "fun" for a few months to get over this is a price worth paying.

 

It's a deadly virus!

 

As for the NHS, it's way past saving, it's never going to receive enough funding to function adequately unless taxes are raised, somthing that every Government is retiscent to do. Some radical thinking is required. German model perhaps ?

 

 

 

[torturedsole]

1 hour ago, Chelseafan said:

As for the NHS, it's way past saving, it's never going to receive enough funding to function adequately unless taxes are raised

The problem is the management structure within the NHS and their procurement department always opting for the highest bidder. Easy to do when it's not your money or that of your employer.  

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.  It's not about headlines or the environment.  

 

 

 

[kingdong]

5 hours ago, RayC said:

This really is poor, factually inaccurate and misleading journalism.  A couple of examples:

 

"Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government moves urgently to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country's senior medics said on Monday.

 

Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, cautioned that if left unrestricted the epidemic would reach 50,000 new cases per day by mid October in the United Kingdom."

 

What was actually said was that if and Whitty's words were "big if" the current rate of inflection continues exponentially, then the UK will have 50k daily infections and the number of daily deaths from the virus will inevitably increase. 

 

has it occured to anyone on tvf that these so called experts views are based not on compassion,but merely trying to cover their <deleted>.

[rupert the bear]

well so far  the experts in uk have got absolutely nothing right so maybe theyre gonna surprise us, i doubt it!since day one theyve shot hi wide and handsome but they feel they have the right to tell people what to do.the NHS has killed how many?an idiot is exactly that.ask prof ferguson?<deleted> of the decade.so is it a surprise people say go forth?on the other hand the death rates almost disappeared ICUs are empty an d cases are up as they test people that are feeling fine or have minor problems.sink the rest of the economy what else is there that you cant get wrong,so how many do they say will die of covid not with covid in the next 3 mnths?the death nos are still well padded.they must justify their own nonsense by lying so they have some credibility.they have zero and arnt qualified to take a 4 yr old to a toilet and that sums up politicos jsu about world wide barring a few exceptions

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

It's a deadly virus!

Give it a rest .......it didn't kill anyone in my family.

[simon43]

The photo in the OP sums it all up.  A few people wearing masks and the rest just too damn selfish or stupid to do so....

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Give it a rest .......it didn't kill anyone in my family.

Arsenic hasn’t killed anyone in my family.

[tonray]

13 hours ago, cmarshall said:

Uh-oh  The UK is in big trouble now since the Johnson government is far too incompetent to be able to manage exponential growth of the virus.  

Can't even manage adhering to agreements made by predecessor from same party

[steven100]

[Stargeezr]

At least the UK governments seem to at least be serious about the virus.  What is the USA clown and present government doing?  Oh  Elect me  and I will have a vaccine for you, because I am your hero and savior.  Oh  but do not vote for  the other old guy, believe in me, Trump, and  eventually I will tell you the truth. eventually...  I  do hope the USA gets a handle on the virus and convinces at least some of the population to wear masks, and social distance, and look out for each other, and stop being red necks, who think FREEDOM or death.  The whole world needs all the luck it can get.

Geezer

[mommysboy]

Well, isn't just the case that the silent majority don't want lockdowns? So I guess we just have to accept it and no complaints when tragedy strikes.  I must say that's really tough on old people, but if that is what society wants.....

[cmarshall]

16 hours ago, elliss said:

Would you prefer the incompetent  Labour , silent socialist partly , to be in office .?

Starmer looks a lot more competent than Bojo.

[Nout]

7 hours ago, kingdong said:

has it occured to anyone on tvf that these so called experts views are based not on compassion,but merely trying to cover their <deleted>.

The evidence to support the scaremongering predictions by these to government experts are as reliable as the dodgy dossier that took us into the Iraq war.

[Nout]

5 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

Starmer looks a lot more competent than Bojo.

But he's not opposing Johnsons Junta or his authoritarian rule by decree. He is a slave to the Johnson Pandemic doctrine

 

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/09/21/why-wont-the-opposition-oppose-this-covid-authoritarianism/

[CGW]

40 minutes ago, Nout said:

The evidence to support the scaremongering predictions by these to government experts are as reliable as the dodgy dossier that took us into the Iraq war.

You don't have to look very far to realise that the major players in this "agenda" are compromised at best, criminal some would say? but most are incapable of "looking" any more they trust the "media" as they used to protect us from crooked politicians - those days are long gone, they closed that door! 

 

I guess most people can no longer read a graph, why would they need too in a "technocratic" society where they no longer have to think for themselves 

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19roundup/2020-03-26

[dunroaming]

2 hours ago, cmarshall said:

Starmer looks a lot more competent than Bojo.

A three legged blind donkey would be more competent than Johnson.  But when people respond to the fact that this government is screwing up at every turn (or should that be U-turn) with "Well Labour would do worse", then you know there is no point in the conversation.  

[Sheryl]

off topic post removed

[elliss]

20 hours ago, RayC said:

This really is poor, factually inaccurate and misleading journalism.  A couple of examples:

 

"Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government moves urgently to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country's senior medics said on Monday.

 

Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific advisWhat was actually said was that if and Whitty's words were "big if" the current rate of inflection continues exponentially, then the UK will have 50k daily infections and the number of daily deaths from the virus will inevitably increase. 

 

 

 So , can we take the big if , as being factually  accurate .?

    One thing , is for sure  Britain is no longer Great, and never will be again..

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by elliss