jmcrookston, 2 months ago

@jane_eyrie they actually say fewer than flu?

That's a lie because in the US where they track they are much higher. And that's considering the tracking is as minimal as possible

Andii, 2 months ago

@jmcrookston @jane_eyrie
That seemed odd to me too.

jane_eyrie, 2 months ago

@Andii @jmcrookston That's why it's (sneakily) combined as "influenza or pneumonia")

jmcrookston, 2 months ago

@jane_eyrie @Andii

Stats Canada also combines those two. I think it's more a function that people don't usually test to distinguish. This is just my guess.

Andii, 2 months ago

@jane_eyrie @jmcrookston
So, is it saying the covid figure is smaller than flu and pneumonia combined or smaller than either /each separately?

jane_eyrie, 2 months ago

@Andii @jmcrookston Combined. It's put in quotes as a category.

Andii, 2 months ago

@jane_eyrie @jmcrookston
Thanks, that's less surprising than I took it to be at first sight.

jmcrookston, 2 months ago

@Andii @jane_eyrie

Still surprising to me. I'll go see what Canada's nunbers are

jmcrookston, 2 months ago

@Andii @jane_eyrie

Here. And we group influenza with pneumonia and it is still 9th vs covids 3rd or 4th leading cause of death

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310039401

jane_eyrie, 2 months ago

@jmcrookston The notice is at the top: https://cy.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/weeklyprovisionalfiguresondeathsregisteredinenglandandwales

There's another possibly related point, which is that the new ONS methodology for tracking excess deaths relies on age groupings — something now no longer transparent regarding public covid stats. I'm not a statistician, but I don't understand giving the public less information when the system is set up for more. We already have to hunt through spreadsheets and disappearing gov't pages for the little available