UK Covid death toll

[baggy1]

And again the figures out for deaths as at the week ended 24th July show no increase in excess deaths i.e. we are running about normal for this time of year. 161 less deaths against the 5 years average being the 6th week in a row that we have had less deaths than the 5 Year average in England and Wales (221 less against 2019).

Added to that there is no increase in hospital admissions, patients in hospital or patients on ventilators and the signs are that either something has changed in the way this virus is spreading or who it infects, or the social distancing measures in place are working, or a combination of both.

The news keeps focussing on number of cases rising which can be scary but it would be more accurate to say 'the number of cases identified' because you can only say they are rising in the population if you know what the comparative figures were / are, and we had no view on the number of cases in March, April, May or June - they could well have been the same if we had the same way of measuring (testing).

Again, some good figures showing that things have levelled out despite mass gatherings, relaxation of rules, and general apathy in some of the public. And again long may it continue.