The PCR positivity map is out, and UKHSA is reporting another drop to 3.3% in England.
Taking into account all the areas that aren't reporting, we make that 4.38%.
That's more in line with 4.19% in Scotland (where there's much more reliable reporting).
https://jamestindall.info/skeuomorphology/ladb_covid/index.html
1/11
The outlier in Scotland is the Shetlands at 22.4%.
That consists of 11 positives from 49 tests - a fair amount, and I imagine everyone there's aware they're in a wave.
Elsewhere Fife, Falkirk, East Ayrshire and Highland remain double the Scottish average.
2/11
The outlier in England is Brighton, but it seems they're trying to do only a tiny fraction of the amount of testing in the Shetlands. Mad.
If you're anywhere in the area I'd go off West Sussex's rate.
3/11
Despite the amount of non-reporting in London, there's enough to see a wave is still rumbling on.
This started only as the rest of the country was beginning to recover, & may continue for some time.
4/11
In the west there continue to be higher rates in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Dudley, West Northants., with the highest of them in Swindon.
5/11
Norfolk is also showing rates double the national average.
Like London, it was late to this wave.
6/11
Levels looks like they're not worsening, but not improving either, across Cumbria, Durham, and Teesside.
No stats from Hartlepool, Stockport, or Sunderland, unfortunately.
7/11
Lastly, this area across Lancashire & West Yorkshire has been one of the persistent problem areas. Lots of non-reporting, which is worrying and atypical.
Calderdale is showing a rebound on the way up again.
8/11
There are problems with the flu data in England this week.
It may look like flu is slowing, but a combination of school half-term and the postponed lab surveillance results leave me looking at GP positivity instead. That was up very sharply this week.
9/11
I wouldn't normally put anything personal here, but this seems on point.
A friend's just spent 3 weeks in the ICU with covid, and got out last week. No relevant vulnerabilities & not old. Not eligible for a booster.
They're lucky to have got out.
I tell you this because the public seem to think this doesn't happen anymore.
10/11
But it does still happen.
In mid-October 2.5% of NHS bed capacity was taken up with covid beds.
It'd be nice if they'd use the map & other surveillance to implement mitigations, because these admissions are avoidable.
11/11
Dan O'Hara
Noodlemaz