Media Coverage of COVID -19

[kez19]

Notice the media have now caught on to the fact we're now in recession and that we have a huge backlog of medical issues. Perhaps they're over-reaction to this virus caused some of the reactions we've had leaving us in this position. Obviously they won't admit that but they're now wondering what the Government is going to do about it. Typical, I'm sure the media is responsible for a number of issues in this country.

You could always call it a distraction for something (I understand your point too) but I woudn't be surprised if people will say the Governments are distracting people from something else, I also agree on the backlogs in terms of say hospital/GPs etc this was seen a mile off since the pandemic started but at a guess for myself it'll take at least 6 months to at least 2 years before things get back ie catchup with appointments (I could be overestimating but you know what I mean)

 

[scotrail158713]

I’ve just noticed the BBC are continuing with misleading headlines with a recent one on Scottish schools

Coronavirus: School pupils linked to Glasgow virus cluster

Pupils at a Glasgow secondary school are among eight people to have tested positive in a cluster in the city.

www.bbc.co.uk

Pupils at a Glasgow secondary school are among eight people to have tested positive in a coronavirus cluster in the city.
NHS officials said the pupils at Bannerman High School in Baillieston all tested positive before the school returned on Wednesday morning.
They are all currently self-isolating at home, and none have actually attended school.
All eight of the cases are said to be only experiencing mild symptoms.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said test and protect staff had been contacting anyone else who may be affected by the cluster.
They were said to be working closely with the school and a number of other local businesses to trace any close contacts of the eight confirmed cases.
'No added risk'
But the health board said there was "no added risk" to teachers or pupils who were returning to school.
It said no further details of the cluster would be made public for patient confidentiality reasons.
Dr Linda de Caestecker, the director of public health at NHSGGC, said the cluster was being "thoroughly investigated and managed".
She said advice had been given to the school and other places the eight cases had visited.
Dr de Caestecker added: "Anyone affected will be contacted through the Test and Protect service.
"We want to reassure the wider community and especially pupils and teachers returning to school that there is no added risk due to this cluster.
"We also want to remind people to stay off school or work and get tested if they experience any symptoms.”

The headline implies that schools reopening has led to an increase in cases in Glasgow, however also contains a section (copied
below) which explains what really happened - school re-openings had nothing to do with it.

the pupils at Bannerman High School in Baillieston all tested positive before the school returned on Wednesday morning.
They are all currently self-isolating at home, and none have actually attended school.

 

[DB]

You could always call it a distraction for something (I understand your point too) but I woudn't be surprised if people will say the Governments are distracting people from something else, I also agree on the backlogs in terms of say hospital/GPs etc this was seen a mile off since the pandemic started but at a guess for myself it'll take at least 6 months to at least 2 years before things get back ie catchup with appointments (I could be overestimating but you know what I mean)

It would be quite reasonable to assume that their motivation might include a wish to avoid people paying attention to their lack of progress in securing trade agreements!

 

[kez19]

I’ve just noticed the BBC are continuing with misleading headlines with a recent one on Scottish schools

Coronavirus: School pupils linked to Glasgow virus cluster

Pupils at a Glasgow secondary school are among eight people to have tested positive in a cluster in the city.

www.bbc.co.uk

The headline implies that schools reopening has led to an increase in cases in Glasgow, however also contains a section (copied
below) which explains what really happened - school re-openings had nothing to do with it.

.....but but where is the lockdown for that area one might ask... oh wait never mind...but let’s haul Aberdeen once more...
Just to add I don’t know that part of Glasgow but still...lockdown and all that...

 

[kez19]

It would be quite reasonable to assume that their motivation might include a wish to avoid people paying attention to their lack of progress in securing trade agreements!

True but at same time not owning up to their own mistakes (could put this for both governments again)

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

.....but but where is the lockdown for that area one might ask... oh wait never mind...but let’s haul Aberdeen once more...

The population of Aberdeen is around 3x smaller than Glasgow. For an entire lockdown of the Glasgow City region you'd need daily cases to be at the 100 or so mark, I'd reckon.

 

[kez19]

The population of Aberdeen is around 3x smaller than Glasgow. For an entire lockdown of the Glasgow City region you'd need daily cases to be at the 100 or so mark, I'd reckon.

Yet one may ask why no similar treatment, pretty quick to judge Aberdeen but in areas around Glasgow there is no need for it..
Yet no “local” lockdown though..

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Yet one may ask why no similar treatment, pretty quick to judge Aberdeen but in areas around Glasgow there is no need for it..
Yet no “local” lockdown though..

In the past 24 hours there were 10 positive cases recorded in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde health board. The number of new cases in this region has been fairly constant the past few days (10 today, 8 yesterday, 13 the day before).

On the day restrictions were imposed on Aberdeen, there were 36 positive cases recorded. New positive cases were increasing each day - potentially indicating community transmission.

The population of Glasgow is approximately 3x greater that of Aberdeen, so for any restrictions to be imposed I'd expect the number of daily positive cases to be 3x that of 36 - i.e. around 100.

 

[yorksrob]

Not so much media coverage itself, however in the recent outbreak at the Greencore food factory reported on the BBC, I noticed the following comments from a Ms Weightman, presumably linked to the factory:

" She said the outbreak was "about how people behave outside of Greencore, not at work," adding if people failed to follow the rules "a possible local lockdown will follow". "

I'm not not suggesting that the factory wasn't following best practice - this virus seems to creep in even where best practice is followed. I just find it amusing that some people are so determined to project a narrative that any outbreak must automatically be the fault of the proles cavorting, even though the biggest outbreaks still seem to be linked to places of work.

Perhaps all 300 or so of the infected employees were all squashed in to the same pub ?

 

[Huntergreed]

Not so much media coverage itself, however in the recent outbreak at the Greencore food factory reported on the BBC, I noticed the following comments from a Ms Weightman, presumably linked to the factory:

" She said the outbreak was "about how people behave outside of Greencore, not at work," adding if people failed to follow the rules "a possible local lockdown will follow". "

I'm not not suggesting that the factory wasn't following best practice - this virus seems to creep in even where best practice is followed. I just find it amusing that some people are so determined to project a narrative that any outbreak must automatically be the fault of the proles cavorting, even though the biggest outbreaks still seem to be linked to places of work.

Perhaps all 300 or so of the infected employees were all squashed in to the same pub ?

A lot of media outlets seem to have a misguided (in my opinion) vision to blame the public and pubs in particular for any spikes of the virus, and the government are just as bad (if you misbehave, we'll lock you down again).

I appreciate the need for local lockdowns if the local health board is at risk of being overwhelmed, but when it's just cases that are not leading through to hospitalisation or death and there's low risk of this, I do not believe they are justified. Especially given how many businesses need as much support as they can get right now if they want to have any hope of surviving this crisis.

 

[yorksrob]

A lot of media outlets seem to have a misguided (in my opinion) vision to blame the public and pubs in particular for any spikes of the virus, and the government are just as bad (if you misbehave, we'll lock you down again).

I appreciate the need for local lockdowns if the local health board is at risk of being overwhelmed, but when it's just cases that are not leading through to hospitalisation or death and there's low risk of this, I do not believe they are justified. Especially given how many businesses need as much support as they can get right now if they want to have any hope of surviving this crisis.

Some people will never pass up the opportunity to finger wag.

 

[kez19]

In the past 24 hours there were 10 positive cases recorded in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde health board. The number of new cases in this region has been fairly constant the past few days (10 today, 8 yesterday, 13 the day before).

On the day restrictions were imposed on Aberdeen, there were 36 positive cases recorded. New positive cases were increasing each day - potentially indicating community transmission.

The population of Glasgow is approximately 3x greater that of Aberdeen, so for any restrictions to be imposed I'd expect the number of daily positive cases to be 3x that of 36 - i.e. around 100.

I understand your point and I couldn’t agree with you more but yet no lockdown why? (was it as little as that in Cumbria regarding the other cluster but yet was instructed to lockdown?) I’ll guess the bigger the population in an area no lockdown but a smaller population expect lockdown (I could go a political route but won’t but still it’s not justified)

 

[AdamWW]

I understand your point and I couldn’t agree with you more but yet no lockdown why? (was it as little as that in Cumbria regarding the other cluster but yet was instructed to lockdown?) I’ll guess the bigger the population in an area no lockdown but a smaller population expect lockdown (I could go a political route but won’t but still it’s not justified)

Or the bigger the area, the less significant the same number is?

 

[kez19]

A lot of media outlets seem to have a misguided (in my opinion) vision to blame the public and pubs in particular for any spikes of the virus, and the government are just as bad (if you misbehave, we'll lock you down again).

I appreciate the need for local lockdowns if the local health board is at risk of being overwhelmed, but when it's just cases that are not leading through to hospitalisation or death and there's low risk of this, I do not believe they are justified. Especially given how many businesses need as much support as they can get right now if they want to have any hope of surviving this crisis.

The pubs are scapegoats for government to blame as well as some of the public (irony), I wish people would look and realise but what do I know...

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I understand your point and I couldn’t agree with you more but yet no lockdown why? (was it as little as that in Cumbria regarding the other cluster but yet was instructed to lockdown?) I’ll guess the bigger the population in an area no lockdown but a smaller population expect lockdown (I could go a political route but won’t but still it’s not justified)

We're going round in circles.

There's not even been a lockdown in Aberdeen. Hospitality has shut and you can't meet somebody in your home. There's also the (unenforceable) 5 mile rule in effect, and travel into/out of the area is not recommended unless essential.

It doesn't matter how big the population is - it's how many cases there are per the population of said area. 15 people in a village of 30 testing positive in one day, is completely different to 15 people in a city of 600,000 testing positive in one day, for example.

 

[kez19]

Or the bigger the area, the less significant the same number is?

Probably right on that point

 

[Huntergreed]

We're going round in circles.

There's not even been a lockdown in Aberdeen. Hospitality has shut and you can't meet somebody in your home. That's it.

It doesn't matter how big the population is - it's how many cases there are per the population of said area. 15 people in a village of 30 testing positive in one day, is completely different to 15 people in a city of 600,000 testing positive in one day.

There are travel restrictions, do not travel more than 5 miles unless essential, do not go on holiday to there or if you live there do not leave unless it's essential.

 

[kez19]

We're going round in circles.

There's not even been a lockdown in Aberdeen. Hospitality has shut and you can't meet somebody in your home. That's it.

It doesn't matter how big the population is - it's how many cases there are per the population of said area. 15 people in a village of 30 testing positive in one day, is completely different to 15 people in a city of 600,000 testing positive in one day.

Sturgeon herself yesterday said Aberdeen was still in lockdown (her words not mine)

Yet let’s close the area off?

I would have thought a bigger populated area was more of a concern compared to a smaller area... I guess not then...

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

There are travel restrictions, do not travel more than 5 miles unless essential, do not go on holiday to there or if you live there do not leave unless it's essential.

You're right - forgot about those. I've edited my post accordingly.

Sturgeon herself yesterday said Aberdeen was still in lockdown (her words not mine)

Yet let’s close the area off?

I would have thought a bigger populated area was more of a concern compared to a smaller area... I guess not then...

Lockdown is a very ambiguous term. Arguably the UK was never in full lockdown. FWIW, the Scottish Government routemap indicates lockdown being what restrictions were imposed in April/May - and this is certainly not the case in Aberdeen at present. To be honest, her parliamentary briefing yesterday seemed very rushed - presumably as there were other important matters ongoing at the time (see: Stonehaven).

No, because you need to look at the number of cases per population. E.g. 100 cases in Orkney is completely different to 100 cases in the Lothians. I can't explain it much better than that.

 

[Richard Scott]

It doesn't matter how big the population is - it's how many cases there are per the population of said area. 15 people in a village of 30 testing positive in one day, is completely different to 15 people in a city of 600,000 testing positive in one day.

And yet the media make out this sort of number to be a huge issue, think the first number quoted in Aberdeen was about 100. I'm sure Sturgeon loves throwing her weight around, such numbers are almost irrelevant but the media lap it up giving her publicity.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

And yet the media make out this sort of number to be a huge issue, think the first number quoted in Aberdeen was about 100. I'm sure Sturgeon loves throwing her weight around, such numbers are almost irrelevant but the media lap it up giving her publicity.

Just to be clear, that was an example I gave in that post, not absolute numbers.

I imagine 100 was probably the number of close contacts traced at the time.

 

[kez19]

You're right - forgot about those. I've edited my post accordingly.

Lockdown is a very ambiguous term. Arguably the UK was never in full lockdown. FWIW, the Scottish Government routemap indicates lockdown being what restrictions were imposed in April/May - and this is certainly not the case in Aberdeen at present. To be honest, her parliamentary briefing yesterday seemed very rushed - presumably as there were other important matters ongoing at the time (see: Stonehaven).

No, because you need to look at the number of cases per population. E.g. 100 cases in Orkney is completely different to 100 cases in the Lothians. I can't explain it much better than that.

Population: everywhere will be different I understand that but for me I look at it differently if I am honest
Lockdown: why the need then for her to say Aberdeen is in lockdown if it’s not? I assumed every time I hear lockdown it’s back to phase 1 in that area then it’s reopened to the rest of the country?

 

[Richard Scott]

Just to be clear, that was an example I gave in that post, not absolute numbers.

I imagine 100 was probably the number of close contacts traced at the time.

Sorry, wasn't questioning what you wrote, point I was trying to make was stupidity over such small number of infections and how,I believe, Sturgeon is actually enjoying (and possibly abusing) her power but all supported by the media.

 

[kez19]

Sorry, wasn't questioning what you wrote, point I was trying to make was stupidity over such small number of infections and how,I believe, Sturgeon is actually enjoying (and possibly abusing) her power but all supported by the media.

This has been my line of thought ever since this started (I may not be good with words) but you have hit nail on head

 

[Darandio]

A great example of BBC clickbait here. The image shows a headline of 'Shielding ends but hugging child 'could kill dad'





Yet click on the link and the article itself is titled 'Shielding paused for 130,000 in Wales'. For me that would have been a far more suitable front page headline, the 'could kill dad' line is a great example of what has been discussed in this thread and is completely unnecessary.

The article itself is pretty good and does detail why one particular parent is vulnerable but such a silly headline is nothing more than the usual scare tactics that are becoming more commonplace on the BBC.

 

[Class 33]

I see the Express were at it again this morning with their usual scaremongering.....

Coronavirus map: Second wave BEGINS! UK has worst spike in WEEKS

FEARS of a second wave of coronavirus are fast sweeping across the UK ahead of schools reopening as the number of new cases skyrockets.

www.express.co.uk

Coronavirus map LIVE: Second wave BEGINS! UK has worst spike in WEEKS after Boris warning

FEARS of a second wave of coronavirus are fast sweeping across the UK ahead of schools reopening as the number of new cases skyrockets.

On Saturday Britain recorded its highest Saturday infection rate in eight weeks with 1,012 cases while a further 1,040 infections were added to the tally on Sunday. On Friday 1,441 people tested positive for COVID-19, marking the biggest one-day rise for two months. The Prime Minister is keen to get children back into classrooms in September and has said keeping schools closed any longer would be "socially intolerable, economically unsustainable and morally indefensible".

Boris Johnson said the reopening of schools would be treated as a "national priority".

The spike comes as Oldham in Greater Manchester is the latest town to be on the verge of a local lockdown.

The weekend rises of fresh infections took the UK's total to 317,379 and came just weeks after Mr Johnson warned of a second wave.

While the UK's case total has shot up since lockdowns were lifted, the number of deaths has remained low.


On Sunday, a further five fatalities were reported over the previous 28 days after registering a postive test, taking the total to 41,366.

Due to the rise in cases, fears of further local lockdowns have increased across multiple towns in the north of England and the Midlands.

There are around 20 towns and cities in Greater Manchester, Lancaashire, West Yorkshire and Leicestershire on the Government's red list.

Local lockdowns remain in Blackburn with Darwen and Leicester due to infection rates standing at 77.9 and 56.3 per 100,000 respectively.

On Sunday, a further five fatalities were reported over the previous 28 days after registering a postive test, taking the total to 41,366.

Due to the rise in cases, fears of further local lockdowns have increased across multiple towns in the north of England and the Midlands.

There are around 20 towns and cities in Greater Manchester, Lancaashire, West Yorkshire and Leicestershire on the Government's red list.

Local lockdowns remain in Blackburn with Darwen and Leicester due to infection rates standing at 77.9 and 56.3 per 100,000 respectively.

Note the use of exclamation mark in the heading, as though they actually find it exciting that the second wave has begun(which it hasn't). Then in the article itself it states "fears of a second wave", not that the second wave has begun like the headline indicates. It appears the second wave has not arrived yet, and may not even arrive atall. I think it must be about 3 and a half weeks ago now that the media and even Boris Johnson were saying "Second wave will arrive WITHIN A FORTNIGHT". It hasn't, they got that wrong! The uptick in new cases is due to the significantly increased testing over the past few weeks.

Today's new cases are 713. Which is a drop of about 35% from yesterday's 1,040, and a drop of over 50% from Friday's 1,441. Yet I see they haven't published any positive articles about this! Nor have they published any positive articles on the fact that daily deaths now are currently in single digits, FIVE OR LESS per day! Nor have they published any positive articles on the fact that daily deaths are now down by 99.5% on what they were in the peak back in April!

At the start of this pandemic, the media were very focused on the then HUGE numbers of daily deaths, but weren't taking too much notice of the numbers of new cases. Yet now, the numbers of daily deaths are now down to just single digits, the media aren't very interested in this and are now focusing more on the number of new cases! It's ridiculous!

 

[duncanp]

With regard to the 1,012 cases reported on Saturday and the 1,040 cases reported on Sunday, it is worth noting that on Saturday 166,180 tests were carried out, whereas on Sunday the corresponding figure was 182,987.

So there was an increase of over 16,000 in the number of tests, and only 28 more positive cases.

The figures for Monday are 713 new cases and 169,276 tests.

So comparing Monday with Saturday there are nearly 30% fewer cases, but not far off 2% more tests being done.

All this while hospitalisations have continued to decline even while cases are rising.

But this doesn't make good headlines.

 

[Mag_seven]

I see the Express Excess were at it again this morning with their usual scaremongering.....

Corrected that for you.

But seriously The Daily Express is now a shadow of the serious paper it used to be.

 

[birchesgreen]

Main problem with trash like that Express story is that a lot of people will only read/remember the headline and not the contradictory content.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Aug 2020 ==

Here is another example of nonsense

Lockdown fears for Birmingham amid sharp rise in UK coronavirus cases

City sees ‘extremely concerning’ rise to 30 cases per 100,000 as positive tests in Britain hit highest level since mid-June

www.theguardian.com

Positive cases rose 27% in a week, wow! That sounds serious... but wait. It rose from 22.4 to 30 cases per 100,000. So indeed a 27% increase on a small base.

 

[adc82140]

In today's Telegraph "Second lockdown warning". Starts rattling on about how a senior adviser has stated that as the R value could be 1.1 (oh for pitties sake) we are going to have another national lockdown, followed by another paragraph saying that Boris has ruled one out. Sorry can't link as paywalled.

Edit: Link here

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