It is just a year since the battle against the Coronavirus pandemic started. Perhaps time for an update.
In the UK we have had 104,701 deaths and some 3.7 million reported cases. Just how accurate these figures are is somewhat difficult to judge. There is no doubt that the numbers are inflated in some way by the way in which they are reported. Some cases are reported as Coronavirus related when in fact the death is possibly from some other factor. The fact remains however that we have been hit badly.
Many of the ‘knockers’ of the government in the UK are happy to gloat that they have made numerous errors in the handling of the pandemic, but one thing which they conveniently tend to ignore is the higher incidence of population per square mile in the UK than many other countries around the world.
To give just one set of figures.
UK 638 people per square mile
Germany 230 people per square mile
France 100 people per square mile.
Added to that is the high incidence of Afro Caribbean, Black African and Asian population within the UK. This is in no way a racist comment, it is simply a reflection of the numbers from those population who have died. Many people from these communities live in multi generation households and the incidence of unwillingness to accept that the vaccine is a valid and useful tool is often higher in these communities. Add to that the fact that many of the poorest of our nation are from these peoples. Poverty, once again, is a major factor in ill heath, disease and premature death, and always has been. Only now, many many years after the death of Joseph Cadbury who established poverty levels, is this seemingly being addressed.
Yesterday I received a letter asking me to make an appointment to have my first of two Covid 19 injections. I was happy to do so and am due at Preston Grasshoppers Rugby club to have my first injection this coming Thursday. This is an enormous relief for me and my wife. She has said during the past twelve months that she has had nightmares about me contracting the virus, and due to my underlying health condition, the last she would see of me would be getting into an ambulance. So far, so good.
The numbers being infected in the north west of the UK is beginning to fall, but the death rate is still rising. Presumably this is a fallout from the slight relaxation of the rules over the Christmas period. Then, people were able to congregate and mix. The outcome was predictable, and we are now seeing the figures.
In my area the figures are as follows.
In the past seven days 316 people have been reported with the virus. A drop of 98 on previous week.
There have been two deaths, a drop of 6 in past week.
These are for the town of Chorley with a population of 33,000.
In the UK so far 7.8 million people have had their first of two doses, whilst, 478K have had their second dose of vaccine. The EU have shewn their true colours by trying unsuccessfully to block the import of vaccine into Ireland and other non EU countries. The outrage against this forced them to climb down. So much for cooperation against a common foe.
