Hmmm - something to do with how the figures are reported.

Yes, I forgot only peer-reviewed, perfectly-balanced views were allowed from me in every forum and platform I post in.

Read your final line back: can you not see why you're constantly accused of condescension?

Its been mentioned many times, but anyone over 80 is likely to have some underlying heath conditions! 

At least it's still under 1,000 a day - However, I reckon this weeks figures will be pretty terrible.

But if you are asymptomatic and only have small amounts in your system, then perhaps you wont show up the test they are using?

This is awful.  Are these people being left to die, when there is still ample space in ICU beds? 

Of course, many in care homes may rather die at the care home, in familiar surroundings, rather than a traumatic trip to ICU.

NEW: Two of the UK’s largest care home providers say there have been 521 deaths from #covid19 in their homes.

311 at HC One care homes

210 at MHA care homes

It is clear the current data has so far woefully underreported the crisis in care.

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) April 14, 2020

Pointing out Govt failures is not "politically motivated", its called living in a free democratic country!

I know you don't like it when the Tories are criticised, but can you honestly say you would intervene if someone said the same about a Corbyn Govt?

I somehow doubt it!

I realise the following is a generalisation but it is basked on experience(s). There is a good chance that many very elderly people and those with life-shortening conditions do not want to be rushed off to ICU to be hooked up to machines and mechanically ventilated for something that may prolong their life for weeks or months and would rather die with dignity at “home”. I realise that is highly unlikely to account for all the cases but may account for a significant number?

Vampires are immune of course, but perhaps if you are only exposed to a small amount of virus, your antibodies can finish off the old Corona very easily?

Perhaps Bonking Boris was exposed to more. I reckon it was Mad-ine Dorries who gave it to him and they spent a lot of time together

I got Shingles in September 2013.

One of the worst experiences of my life. I looked like I had been beaten up with a swollen eye  and had terrible flu symptoms for weeks. I was told I was highly contagious and should stay away from children or anyone who hadn't yet got Chickenpox

Apparently, the virus can reactivate later in life when you are tired and stressed. The only positive was that l lost a lot of weight and couldn't go to the pub, so my liver detoxed!

Do any other coronaviruses remain dormant? I don't think so. I reckon it's a load of FUD caused by bad testing, personally, rather than something to be scared of.

Al Jazeera has a good article here:

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/doctor-note-coronavirus-reactivate-200412062905537.html

Pertinent parts:

Research on the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus has shown that immunity wanes after around 18 months and we build an average of two years' immunity to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, which seems to have the most in common, genetically speaking, with COVID-19.

From what has been observed about COVID-19 so far, researchers suspect that we will have at least a "short-term" immunity, so that you will be unlikely to catch it again this season.

A scientific research team based in China released a preliminary report looking at two rhesus macaques that had recovered from COVID-19 and were not reinfected when researchers exposed them to the virus for a second time, four weeks after their initial exposure.

...

While we cannot rule out reactivation as a possibility yet, it still seems more probable that these 91 cases were either due to the levels of the virus dipping below a detectable level, allowing symptoms to improve, but then surging again, or that there were flaws with the tests, where the clearance samples were false negatives. The tests are not perfect and, from the data received from China, the most commonly used type of test showed up to a 30 percent false-negative rate.

813 new deaths in the UK subject to no amendments later.

+96 on the 717 announced yesterday.

Our current peak remains 980

It has been reported as 778 by PHE. Can never understand how the numbers differ.

I think that  is spot on Michael... the reality for most people in care homes (not all but I'd have thought, the overwhelming majority) would want their lives in end in the relative peace and quiet of a room that is familiar [with loved ones around them, which of course is one of the particularly tragic things about the current situation in that this is not allowed to happen].  My father died peacefully in his room at the Care Home.. the last thing he'd have wanted would to have been hooked up in an ICU ward...

England 744

Scotland 40 

Wales 19 

NI 10

Not sure how they get to a figure of 778?

The retired have benefited from a massive wealth bonanza from the rise in property prices over the past 20-30 years, largely a result of persistently low interest rates.

Many/most of those already retired will have a final salary pension (or majority FS pension), as the forced move of employees onto money-purchase from FS schemes only really started in the 00's.

Compared to other current demographics, those who retired up to around 2010 have enjoyed a huge amount of financial luck compared to those who came after - especially those who only got onto the property ladder after or during the last house price boom (and will almost certainly have been denied a FS pension)

See my edit, you were too fast for me😊

Your guess is as good as mine. I struggle to have confidence in all these figures.

Sarcasm really helps, Nick, as an attempt to deflect. Not.

My point was every bit as valid as yours. I took the trouble to flag that there’s also a huge inter generational transfer going the other way.

My last sentence was an expression of disappointment; if you choose to interpret it as something else that’s your privilege, I guess. I didn’t really expect an ad hominem attack from you but I’ll bear it in mind if that’s deemed to be acceptable.

This was explained very well by the Horizon documentary with graphics. Worth catching up on iplayer

Apparently 20 phone masts were attacked over the weekend. Presumably these people also think the earth is flat and the moon landings never happened.

Is that before or after nuclear weapons are used?    I think this is one of Brian's provocative posts...