The setback for AstraZeneca vaccine today need to be set in context. By being easily-stored (and made here) UK has protected more people than any comparably-sized country...
The AZ success is reflected not just in trials but antibody studies. Vaccine success has helped 55% of population acquire Covid antibodies: a figure that rises all the time...
This has helped push Covid cases for the over-60s down markedly faster than those of other age groups...
...Daily Covid cases now 94% below peak...
...UK now has lowest Covid deaths in Europe....
... Covid deaths in UK falling faster even than in fully-vaccinated Israel.
All of these charts are updated daily on The Spectator's data hub: data.spectator.co.uk
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Sunak’s furlough scheme was a lifeline , created at breakneck speed. It was a case study in how the civil service can innovate and launch a successful product for millions.
But as Sunak knew, its longer-term effects were deeply uncertain. Would it really facilitate a jobs bounce back?
Is Sweden about to have a Conservative Prime Minister? Right now Ulf Kristersson's coalition leading the red-greens 176-173. Result may not come until wed svd.se/a/eEVAgy/valet…
Latest below - NB things can take days to settle in Swedish elections. But Conservative PM (a historical rarity) currently looks like the most likely outcome
With 92% votes counted, Sweden’s conservative coalition leads the red-greens by just one seat. So; too close to call, but Ulf Kristersson still has the advantage (even though his own party is now in third place after showing by the Sweden Democrats) svd.se/a/EQW8da/valet…
Sweden and UK are more comparable than many think: 88pc of Swedes live in cities, vs 84pc of Brits.
What matters with Covid is the concentration of people, not the distance between towns - as shown by Oliver Johnson et al: arxiv.org/abs/2005.01167
After rejecting lockdowns, Sweden's Covid hit - so close to ours first wave - started to stay significantly lower than for subsequent waves. How could this be, if lockdowns (in grey) made the difference?