Just being curious - what do you think will happen .....

[Workingman]

Surely, the only statistic worth comparing is deaths per head of population?

From a strictly mathematical point of view I absolutely agree.

But then we get into such things as population density, how thick they are - we Brits are way ahead - ethnicity, weather, latitude, longitude, height above sea level, handedness and such, and it all goes pear shaped.

In practical terms can Leeds be compared to somewhere in the Gobi desert? No.

[cromwell]

There are so many variables at the moment. BAME people seem more susceptible to the virus than others. Men seem more susceptible than women. No one knows why and they will be arguing and tossing theories around about the whys for years to come.

[Kaz]

Public Health England are considering recommending Vit D supplements, Crommers. Vit D deficiency - rife in this country, due to lack of sunshine - affects the immune system.

BAME people in particular, due to having darker skin, are deficient. It's not that huge a leap to see why people with that heritage seem to be dying in larger numbers.

[cromwell]

Thanks for that Kaz. Vitamin D supplement here we come!

[Kaz]

It certainly can't hurt xx

[Suff]

Ossie, on deaths per head of population we are #6 in the world. Belgium, who are reporting suspected cases, is way ahead of us, nearly double, France, who are not reporting care home deaths, is just behind us.

Germany, who had a massive full population BCG immunisation programme in the East, plus went on an extensible pneumonia immunisation program this year for the vulnerable, is way down the list.

[Workingman]

Just about every news outlet is running with the BAME story. Depending on where you are reading / watching the menu of variables differs but the main ones remain roughly the same: Age; gender; underlying health issues; location; income; occupation; work place etc. It is all very informative and for now that is how it should remain as there is little or nothing that can be done to change most things. We cannot make someone younger or have them change sex, move to another place and swap jobs, they are just not possible.

We are already hearing calls to do this or change that and the danger is that some will take their eyes off the ball. There is a much bigger issue to be dealt with at present and we must keep our focus on that. The time to look at all these other things, and not just BAME, will come once we get on top of the virus. They must be done and the pressure to do them must remain, but for now we have a nasty little b*stard of a virus to deal with.

[cromwell]

Latest rumour according to the gf of Crommers junior is that a relaxation of the lockdown will be announced next Sunday.
We'll see I suppose.

[Workingman]

The BBC website did have the story, but it has since been removed. Sky has it as a headline for a long article but only the first short paragraph mentions it and then only to say: "Boris Johnson is expected to outline full details ... blah, blah.". No detail.

The government has no choice in the matters as the law states that the lockdown has to be reviewed on the 7th, Thursday, so something will have to be announced shortly after. It is not as though it is volunteering to give us information when it does not have to.

[Kaz]

It seems there will be some easing, announced Sunday with effect from Monday - but I suspect this will be mainly workplace related rather than any changes to social distancing.