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5 Oct, 4 tweets, 2 min read
Towards the end of last week, over 15,000 UK coronavirus cases were not entered into the official figures, and none of their contacts were traced. It's time for those in charge of test, track & trace to be held accountable. It's just a complete shambles.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-544125…
I'm afraid to say, but the government has now lost control of the virus and where it is in the community. Contact tracing is broken and we are getting dangerously close to another situation like March where Covid begins to rip through communities. #r4today
For my own city of York, data on Friday was showing 66 weekly cases per 100,000. Now after a weekend of adjustment, analysing the data in detail shows the true number was actually 125 cases per 100,000. We should actually have had enhanced lockdown measures for the weekend.
In York, and across the country, its a whole weekend of people in pubs or seeing family and friends, without some of them knowing they should actually be self-isolating, and without the others knowing that Covid risk was significantly higher than they thought. #r4today #bbcnews

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More from @professor_dave

David K Smith Profile picture
1 Oct
Am sure the 'ship migrants to Ascension Island' story was only leaked so the real 'lock them up on a ferry' story would seem more 'reasonable'. They then say 'Denmark do it', using Denmark as code for tolerance, when in fact, it currently has, like us, a hard right govt. #r4today
You can find a good analysis of Danish politics shift to the right and the increasingly hard-line approach to immigration here: time.com/5504331/denmar…
I should slightly correct that - the restrictive Danish ideas on immigration (and that Time article) date back to early 2019, when the right wing Liberal Party was in power with the far right Danish People's Party in 2nd place. The current Prime Minister is now a Social Democrat.
Read 4 tweets
David K Smith Profile picture
30 Sep
The way Trump wins The White House again is by suppressing the vote of moderates, so his base can carry the day. His debate/election strategy is about making these ordinary folk feel politics is just such a mess that they can't be bothered to vote. #DeterringDemocracy
His strategy is not about persuading people to vote for him - it is about persuading people who might vote for the other guy, but aren't all that bothered, to just stay home instead. Turn the debates into a shambolic mud-slinging match, and that's what you achieve.
This approach will be backed up by targeted social media adverts to certain demographics to specifically lower their enthusiasm and deter their vote. In 2016, Trump did this with the black community and turnout fell by 25% in mainly black districts. #DeterringDemocracy
Read 4 tweets
David K Smith Profile picture
27 Sep
1 million Covid deaths in 8 months - it will be 1.5 million in a year. That will make Covid the joint deadliest infectious diseases in the world in 2020. Image
You may wonder what else kills 1.5 million a year. It's tuberculosis. TB is completely curable & preventable, but because it only kills people in the developing world, those of us with privilege ignore it. Of course we want a Covid vaccine - but let's fix TB too!
And for more context, each year:
HIV (treatable) kills 650,000,
Flu kills 500,000,
Malaria (curable and preventable) kills 400,000.
Let's think globally about who lives, who dies, and why.
Read 4 tweets
David K Smith Profile picture
25 Sep
Not many unis have even started yet but this is where we are. In my view, students should have stayed at home with established friendship groups, with online blended lectures, then gone to campus in small groups for intensive (2-3-week) periods of practical/tutorial teaching. Image
I know that would not be financially viable for most universities, and it is not what was sold to students, but it would have been pedagogically sound and more Covid-secure.
In this way, you cut hall density to 10-20%. You have capacity to accommodate any students who need to self-isolate during or after their intensive training, before they return home.
Read 8 tweets
David K Smith Profile picture
24 Sep
I did my post-doc with Francois Diederich in Zurich. 68 is really too young. He was an inspiration to me in many ways.
A brilliant insightful physical organic chemist, his team made marvellous molecules to probe fundamental interactions. He became fascinated with applying supramolecular principles in medicinal chemistry - it really inspired me to try & solve real-world problems with my chemistry.
Every year at the Christmas party, he talked with passion about chemistry & his pride in the group. Except the year he took his teenage son on sabbatical to Israel. The usual chemistry lecture was dropped and he shared photos & stories of the quality time he'd spent with his son.
Read 5 tweets
David K Smith Profile picture
23 Sep
Keir Starmer absolutely right in #PMQs that the Prime Minister appears totally clueless about the fact that >10% of kids are off school waiting for tests, year groups are closed because of actual cases, and education is being disrupted because test, track & trace isn't working.
And it isn't even that all the kids have Covid, or are at risk if they do get it, it's simply because they have colds with Covid symptoms, and just need a negative test result to get back to school - and for their parents to get back to work.
One of the 7yo's classmates is on his 5th day off school waiting for a conclusive Covid test result. He is missing out on his education, and if, God forbid he actually does have Covid, al the class, 30 other kids, have been mixing for a full additional week.
Read 5 tweets

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