On a group on another social media outlet, a folk club organiser posted about whether concert venues should be doing more to stop the spread of corona-virus. He suggested "deep cleaning" before every event and other random things.
So I did a search for "influenza deaths UK 2018" and the second returned link told me that...
According to government statistics (being consistent over the years), over 1,692 people died last winter in England for flu-related illness.
The winter before it was 26,408!
By all means consider health aspects (and I do wonder about safe microphone use) of concerts, but not because of the "exciting 'foreign' illness" of the moment.
Now, go wash your hands!
Sources:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-flu-reports
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839350/Surveillance_of_influenza_and_other_respiratory_viruses_in_the_UK_2018_to_2019-FINAL.pdf
P.51, Table 7. Number of deaths associated with influenza observed through the FluMOMO algorithm with confidence intervals, England, 2014 to 2015 season to 2018 to 2019
Season All ages
2014/15 28,330
2015/16 11,875
2016/17 18,009
2017/18 26,408
2018/19 1,692 (up to week 15)
Given the unknowns about this virus we ought to take some precautions. A lot of us have parents in the high risk group if they get it. The sheer numbers of people travelling all the time is helping the spread. It reminds me of the bit at the end of Planet of the Apes (recent one) where you see the virus spreading via planes.
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Precautions, yes, but I read an article in the Guardian where an epidemiologist (spelling?) stated that face masks weren't going to help. Wash your hands after travelling and don't touch your face with a hand that has touched anything you can't be sure is clean.
The detail on the numbers I quote above is that more than 90% of deaths are in the over 65s, and the next highest is in the under 5s.
So far, 1% of identified cases of this disease have ended in death, according to stats quoted by BBC News & Guardian. Better odds than cancer, but I wouldn't wish any illness on anybody.
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