DaveS

Daily data:

Cases 102,483 (91,345 last Wednesday)
Deaths 250 (153)
Patients admitted 2,011 (1,541 the 12th)
Patients in hospital 16,720 (14,165 on the 15th)
Patients in ventilation beds 316 (281 on the 15th)
Vaccinated up to and including 22 March 2022:
First dose: 52,756,382
Second dose: 49,336,877
Booster: 38,683,737

The rolling seven day daily average for cases is now up 16.9% on the previous week and the same measure for deaths is up 17.9%. The rolling 7 day daily average for deaths is 125.1 today.

corporate-wage-slave

It's not good when we see a daily figure over 100k, but actually the trajectory is heading downwards. Unfortunately the lack of weekend reporting may mean we have to wait until Tuesday next week to see this for sure. Rates are now falling in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the rate of increase in England - and more recently Wales - have started to decrease. NHS staff absences are also falling slightly. There is some uncertainty about this, with Delta we did bounce along at a high rate for months, but the recent good weather may have a positive impact in about a week too.

DaveS

Daily data:

Cases 98,204 (89,717 last Thursday)
Deaths 165 (138)
Patients admitted 1,979 (1,806 the 13th)
Patients in hospital 16,975 (14,327 on the 16th)
Patients in ventilation beds 302 (281 on the 16th)
Vaccinated up to and including 22 March 2022:
First dose: 52,754,119
Second dose: 49,341,160
Booster: 38,701,747

The rolling seven day daily average for cases is now up 19.5% on the previous week and the same measure for deaths is up 22.2%. The rolling 7 day daily average for deaths is 129.0 today.

The observant will notice the number of first jabs has fallen today. Scotland has changed the way it counts these which means anyone who has died or moved away from Scotland is removed from the figures.

DaveS

Daily data:

Cases 77,509 (90,349 last Friday)
Deaths 172 (126)
Patients admitted 2,227 (1,946 the 14th)
Patients in hospital 17,440 (14,740 on the 17th)
Vaccinated up to and including 24 March 2022:
First dose: 52,759,213
Second dose: 49,352,885
Booster: 38,718,546

The rolling seven day daily average for cases is now up 8.5% on the previous week and the same measure for deaths is up 26.3%. The rolling 7 day daily average for deaths is 135.6 today.

Badenoch

The studies, charts, graphs, percentages, rates are a mind-numbing avalanche of largely irrelevant information. It's all macro when micro is what matters. I care about me not the impact of people not wearing masks in Bangladesh.

Therefore salient question is: How can I reduce my chances of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID 19 while at the same time enjoying some of the activities I did before the pandemic and not shut myself out of modern society?

The answer is being vaccinated and wearing a proper fitting masks when in close proximity to people I don't know.

I'm going to be in the UK in early May. I know the mask mandate for public transit ends on March 28. Nevertheless, I will be wearing my N95 on the tube and don't need the government to make me do it.

Radiation Station

There is no mask mandate in the UK as a whole. I believe Scotland retains some legal mandate to wear masks indoors but based on my experiences in Edinburgh this week, that is not respected by at least 40% of the populace. And it’s clearly quite pointless requiring masks indoors when multiple households are mixing maskless indoors at packed restaurants and bars - this virus isn’t infecting people through transient encounters in Tesco. It’s almost as if the continued mask mandate is a political gesture by a government that likes to try and differentiate itself. England hasn’t had a mask mandate for some time and it’s fairly illuminating that Scotland has recently not enjoyed superior outcomes to England.

Edit: you’re far more likely to catch covid from someone you know, eg a family member you live with or a close friend you spend time with indoors sans mask. It’s a common logical fallacy that people assume covid is a stranger danger.

corporate-wage-slave

It's the whole range of things, including social distancing, doing things outdoors if you can, catching coughs and sneezes, hand washing, when talking try not to face to face at 180 degrees too close in for too long, minimise exposure time. Masks are just one part of this, but have caused much focused controversy, but in given circumstances have a significant role to play. The old Swiss cheese model / weakest link aspect. Some of this is a bit of a paradox: Wearing masks on The Tube when very few people were taking the Tube wasn't making much difference, since everyone sits facing into the aisle on most seats, there were gaps between people sitting, and those who chose to stand would have some space around them. At one stage in the pandemic we couldn't attribute any infections to mass transit, since the transit wasn't really mass. Now most people are not wearing masks on the tube, much more crowded and the social distancing has ebbed away at peak times at least. So that moves the tactics on a bit - going off peak and getting a seat probably now counts as an effective tactic.

The "people I don't know" bit isn't really relevant, you can catch COVID-19 from anyone. Overwhelmingly, most infections are from someone you do know.

Badenoch

The only "superior outcome" I have any interest in is my own. It's why I'm vaccinated and why I will wear a mask in those circumstances where I determine it has a benefit to me.

nk15

As CWS explained above, and logic dictates, for your individual micro level outcomes, when society as a whole drops protective measures, you have to actually increase your individual protection measures, in order to counterbalance the lost protection stemming from society dropping group measures. This essentially means vaccine/booster, N95, and continuing social distancing and outdoors/ventilation, when you can.

Misco60

On the other hand, Wales also still has a general mask mandate and has enjoyed significantly superior outcomes to England in recent months.

My point being that face coverings are just one part of a very complex picture and that it is difficult to compare outcomes in any two countries.

plunet

There is still a legal requirement to wear masks in public indoor settings and public transport in Scotland. Having been in the Highlands all week adherence is high, but there are always exceptions.

DaveS

Compliance may be high because other than the Outer Hebrides the Highlands have the highest case rate in the UK right now. Hopefully it is at its peak.

corporate-wage-slave

The NHS in Scotland is currently at its highest level of stretch in over 3 years, with the notable exception of intensive care settings. So it's non trivial and about a week ago nearly 10% of Scotland had COVID. But yes, the good news is that Scotland is seeing cases decline in absolute terms over the last 5 days or so, along with Northern Ireland. England and Wales are still seeing cases rise, but the speed of accelaration has sharply fallen in recent days. I expect Scotland to now follow the NI pattern, where infection case levels are now below England.

DaveS

Daily data:

Cases 71,667 (75,508 last Monday)
Deaths 72 (56)
Patients admitted 2,380 (2,077 the 15th)
Patients in hospital 17,685 (15,061 on the 18th)
Patients in ventilation beds 334 (287 on the 18th)
Vaccinated up to and including 27 March 2022:
First dose: 52,783,242
Second dose: 49,393,056
Booster: 38,761,519

The rolling seven day daily average for cases is now down 3.3% on the previous week and the same measure for deaths is up 27.0%. The rolling 7 day daily average for deaths is 142.4 today. There are more signs that cases are past their peak in the UK with the first week on week drop since BA.2 appeared. The worst affected areas of Scotland are almost all seeing cases falling.

S_W_S

It seems like it's my turn to test positive, just over 2 years after the last time.

I got an invite to the Principle trial through ZOE, but it seems having filled out the questionnaire I'm not eligible.

So far symptoms are mild, I would have put them down to hay fever in a normal year, I just did a lateral flow yesterday out of routine, much to my surprise it was positive!

The ZOE study had already asked me to do a PCR before the lateral flow turned positive, so I'm awaiting that result now too.