From the annals of grim milestones!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021

The U.K. passes one more: As you know, statistics are hard. But within the world of taxing data, there's one statistic our journalists tend to love:

We refer to the classic "grim milestone." 

In this morning's New York Times, a headline announced that yet another such milestone has been passed. Headline included, the news report started like this:

Britain Passes a Grim Milestone of 100,000 Coronavirus Deaths

LONDON—Britain on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus, a tragic milestone that laid bare the missteps in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic, as well as the tough choices he now faces in trying to keep lethal new variants of the virus out of the country.

Britain’s death toll has long been the worst in Europe, but a fast-spreading variant of the virus has propelled the country’s daily fatality rates to levels not seen since the peak of the pandemic’s first wave in April, despite a national lockdown. Per capita, Britain’s death rate has been the worst in the world over the last week.

This milestone wasn't simply grim. It was also tragic. 

As a statistic, the milestone in question—100,00 Covid deaths to date—doesn't really tell us much. We decided to fill you in on Britain's current death rate.

Below, you see some relevant numbers. These numbers come from the Covid data site at the Financial Times:

Current daily deaths from Covid-19 per million population
7-day average, as of January 25/26
Portugal: 23.6
United Kingdom: 18.6
United States: 10
European Union: 7.7

The Times seems to mean the U.K. when it refers to Britain. Here are the constituent parts of that fabled realm:

Current daily deaths from Covid-19 per million population
7-day average, as of January 25/26
England: 20
Wales: 11.7
Scotland: 11.0
Northern Ireland: 8.6

Adjusted for population, England's current daily death rate is double our own. The U.K.'s death rate is almost that bad. According to the FT's data, Portugal's rate is worse. 

What's happening elsewhere? Below, you see corresponding numbers from some peer nations. 

Current daily deaths from Covid-19 per million population
7-day average, as of January 25/26
Germany: 9.2
Italy: 7.9
France: 6.0
Canada: 4.2

Finally, those puzzling Pacific nations:

Current daily deaths from Covid-19 per million population
7-day average, as of January 25/26
Japan: 0.7
South Korea: 0.2
Australia: 0
Taiwan: 0

We remain amazed by the lack of journalistic interest in those extremely low Pacific statistics. That said, just let the latest "grim milestone" pass. They'll headline it every time!

Total deaths to date: Adjusted for population, Belgium has suffered many more total deaths than the U.K. has. 

Adjusted for population, the Czech Republic and Italy aren't real far behind. Adjusted for population, our own total deaths to date are roughly 10-11 percent lower than the U.K.'s.

All we know are the statistics contained within the two linked sites.

 

16 comments:

  1. All kneel to liberal God, COVID The Omnipotent!

    All marvel at bullshit stats, liberal God COVID's Bible!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those "bullshit stats" include my husband who passed away last March 21. He was a nice old guy and didn't deserve to spend 10-days on a ventilator before passing away without any family by his side.

      Delete
    2. Trump tried to gaslight a viral pandemic, like it was some mouth-breathing Republican voter.
      It's no wonder his parents hated him.

      Delete
    3. Who can worry about covid when goebellsian dems force celibacy upon fuckstick trolls. Gott im himmel!

      Delete
  2. "We remain amazed by the lack of journalistic interest in those extremely low Pacific statistics. That said, just let the latest "grim milestone" pass. They'll headline it every time!"

    First, it is obvious why there is little interest in Pacific stats. Zero deaths indicates that there is not a problem there. The absence of a pandemic is not news, whereas the struggles of Britain are news.

    Second, it might be suggested that journalists should be interested in how those Asian countries managed to keep their statistics so low. The lack of interest arises from the understanding that there are major cultural differences that mean that we could not enact the same policies here with the same success.

    One way anthropologists classify cultures is into two kinds: (1) individualist (like the US and Britain) versus (2) collectivist (like the Asian nations). In a collectivist culture, a person is raised to be aware of how his or her behavior affects others, to conform to the expectations of parents and authority figures, to not stick out and to work toward the common good, sacrificings one's own needs for family interests if necessary. Traditions are important, as are rules and social norms. In an individualist country, the interests of the individual are primary, children are raised to be independent and assertive, creative, aggressive, and to be less concerned about the expectations, needs or concerns of others. Self interest is emphasized over common concerns, and freedom of action is important. Conformity is seen as a bad thing and individuals pursue their own goals and needs, as opposed to listening to family. Authority is seen as a necessary evil and resistance to it is permissible if it is seen as interfering in individual lives.

    In Asia, then, there is no question about wearing masks. Everyone does it, not only for self-protection but to protect others and because it is the socially imposed responsibility of each person to help keep everyone safe. The same with other rules about social distancing, staying home from work and recreation, and so on. Rules imposed by authorities are followed, not challenged. A collective fight against covid is seen as important to everyone, and government is regarded as keeping people safe not harming them. That means that such countries can enact measures to contain covid and have them be followed scrupulously, by everyone. If you are a nation in which boundaries can be controlled (such as an island nation or one with few official entry points), then measures are more effective.

    I don't need to describe what our leadership and public response has been like. Neither do those journalists who have chosen not to discuss why Japan and Korea can control covid and we and Britain cannot. An effective response here would have relied on advertising and PR to gain public voluntary support and even then, been less successful than Asia, but it would have greatly reduced deaths here. That didn't happen because of Trump and the Republicans. I hope they are happy with their behavior, because this isn't over yet. Does Somerby really want journalists to rehash Trump's failures? I doubt that is productive now that Biden has taken office. It will appear partisan and may further entrench the resistance of the idiots who still won't wear masks.

    I find myself wondering whether Somerby wears a mask when he goes out. If he were a liberal, no question would arise, but he has shown such little sense lately that I wouldn't put it past him to join the forces of evil I encounter at the supermarket, the people so selfish that they cannot wear a mask to protect others whose health may be more fragile than their own.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Adjusted for population, Belgium has suffered many more total deaths than the U.K. has."

    People do not experience covid in the form of deaths adjusted by population size. They experience every death as the loss of a human being who was loved by friends and family and is now mourned, who had a life cut short. It is of no comfort to know that the death rate is lower if you adjust for population size, when it is YOUR loved one who has passed.

    Somerby displays his lack of empathy every time he writes one of these grating statistics reviews, after a pro forma acknowledgement that covid is a tragedy. Every time he adjusts the total deaths that way, he implicitly suggests that those who have died are less important because there are so many more who are still healthy. Death doesn't work that way. Every death matters because every death represents a life that was lived among other people.

    Somerby never thinks about what these statistics mean, what the reality is, behind the numbers. It is as if this were a game he is playing to assail journalists, most of whom know better than to display such callous disregard for death. Somerby needs to find a new hobby, pick a new obsession, and stop grinding his axe on a subject that has considerable personal significance to more and more people.

    ReplyDelete
  4. REAL AND GENUINE ONLINE LOVE SPELL CASTER TO BRING EX LOVER URGENTLY CALL OR WHATSAPP +2348118829899. 

    I want to use this opportunity I have to say a big thanks to Dr Great for getting back my ex husband. I’m Linda Gibson from USA, after 7 years of marriage my husband left me for another woman I did whatever I could to get him back but all I did was in vain I was sad, but I didn’t lose hope of getting him back because I had faith in God. So I search online on how to get my husband back, and I came across a post of Dr Great of how he helped a lady to get back her ex, I contacted him and told him the pain I was going through, he told me what to do and I did it, then he casted a love spell for me 48 hours later my husband called me and told me he is sorry for what he did and that he misses me very much, later that day he came back home and beg for my forgiveness, since then our love grew stronger. For the marvelous things Dr Great has done for me it would be unfair for me not to let the whole world know that such a powerful spell caster do live. If you want to get back your ex fast email Dr Great at infinitylovespell@gmail.com or infinitylovespell@yahoo.com or add him up on WhatsApp +2348118829899 Blog: lindagibson90.blogspot.com view his blog http://infinitylovespell1.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. “All we know are the statistics contained within the two linked sites.”

    Do tell.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Adjusted for population the US makes up 8 of the 10 worst areas for Covid deaths per million people, including the #1 spot. Somerby's sad attempt to obscure this significant fact is repugnant.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My name is Riana from USA i want to testify of a powerful spell caster who return my ex boyfriend,it all started when i took his phone and saw a lady message him that she enjoyed the last time and i confronted him about it he was angry and and stop talking to me from that day he started acting strange then he told me he didn't want me anymore that he loves someone else i was so diver-stated i cried all day and night he blocked me from his Instagram and on phone so i couldn't reach him anymore this made me sad and cry even the more i was searching for something online when i saw a comment about Dr Ogudugu great work i contacted him and told him about my problems and i did everything he asked me to do he told me after 24hrs my ex will return back to me well i doubted him though because my ex didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore the next day to my greatest surprise he called me and was begging me to give him another chance now we are both happy together all thanks to Dr Ogudugu he can also help you contact greatogudugu@gmail.com/WhatsApp: +2348063739701

    ReplyDelete
  8. To know more about Chief Dr Lucky you can visit his website (https://chiefdrluckyherbaltherapy.wordpress.com/)
     
     A friend that suffered from Herpes and was cure with the help of this great herbal doctor Chief Lucky so i decided to contact him for help in getting rid of my families genital herpes virus 1/2 which i did and all i was told to provide was just some useful information and some materials used in preparation of the natural cure and that i did and now i am the happiest person on earth because i am writing this testimony of mine with joy and happiness in my heart to the whole world to know that natural remedy is real because i am a living testimony of Chief Lucky traditional herbal cure and i want you all to contact Chief Lucky via his email: chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or WhatsApp him +2348132777335 am sure he will help you too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello to everyone out here, I am here to share the unexpected miracle that happened to me … My name is Susan Christian , I live in London, UK. we got married for more than 9 years and have gotten two kids. thing were going well with us and we are always happy. until one day my husband started to behave in a way i could not understand, i was very confused by the way he treat me and the kids. later that month he did not come home again and he called me that he want a divorce, i asked him what have i done wrong to deserve this from him, all he was saying is that he want a divorce that he hate me and do not want to see me again in his life, i was mad and also frustrated do not know what to do, i was sick for more than 2 weeks because of the divorce. i love him so much he was everything to me without him my life is incomplete. i told my sister and she told me to contact a spell caster, i never believe in all this spell casting of a thing. i just want to try if something will come out of it. i contacted Dr Emu for the return of my husband to me, they told me that my husband have been taken by another woman, that she cast a spell on him that is why he hate me and also want us to divorce. then they told me that they have to cast a spell on him that will make him return to me and the kids, they casted the spell and after 24 hours my husband called me and he told me that i should forgive him, he started to apologize on phone and said that he still love me that he did not know what happen to him that he left me. it was the spell that Dr Emu casted on him that make him come back to me today, me and my family are now happy again today. thank you Dr Emu for what you have done for me i would have been nothing today if not for your great spell. i want you my friends who are passing through all this kind of love problem of getting back their husband, wife , or ex boyfriend and girlfriend to contact Dr Emu , if you need his help you can contact him through his private mail: emutemple@gmail.com or you can contact him through his website https://emutemple.wordpress.com/ fb page Https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341 and you will see that your problem will be solved without any delay.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just finished up with Dr Okiti, very happy with the service which has left me with better than 20/20 vision. Highly recommend moving forward with Dr Okiti, the Temple is clean, modern and the optometrists supporting the practice are professional and knowledgable - definitely not my experience at some of the other, I met with prior. follow up was also fantastic.( https://Drokitispellhome.com )email okitilovespelltemple@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good day everyone here i want to say a big thank you to Dr peter who helped me get back with my wife who left me a year ago, i tried every means i could to get her back she refused and said she don't want me anymore. few weeks ago i came across Dr peter contact on the internet that he specializes in casting love spell and i quickly contacted him to help me get my wife back home and to my greatest surprise, my wife came back to me begging for forgiveness and i forgave her and now we are together happily and stronger than before . i will never forget this you have done for me Dr peter thanks a lot . You can reach Dr peter for help regarding love spell, death spell TO REVENGE at your enemies, to cancel a divorce and spell to win court cases via noblespellhome@ gmail. com for quicker communication add him on WhatsApp +2349059610643 website: https://noblesolutiontemple.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I want to thank this great Dr. Ogedegbe for bringing my husband back to me. I have seen many people who will help me get him back but nothing happened, Dr. Ogedegbe gave me a consultation and told me all the truth, and I trusted Dr. Ogedegbe and had him do the spells for me. It took awhile because it was very very messy between us. I had to wait for each spell to do its work. but once the last spell was finally working and the other spells had worked, that is when he called. We met. then it took many more meetings. but now we are back together and I can only thank Dr. Ogedegbe, he is the greatest, I will come to Dr. Ogedegbe for life. Dr Ogedegbe took care of me like a father. contact him if you need any help via email dr.ogedegbe6@gmail.com or whatsapp him via +2348109374702.... he also cast the following spell.....

    ReplyDelete