View Full Version : Would it be better if the dashboard stats were published weekly rather than daily?
I have been wondering this over the past few days, especially given Wales' daily Covid (and related) stats published on the dashboard site have been a bit haphazard recently, as they didn't originally publish their stats on Friday, plus they haven't been publishing their stats on Saturdays routinely for a good while now, which tends to skew each set of UK-wide daily figures in the sense of being artificially lower on the days where one UK nation fails to publish their daily stats, then being artificially higher on the following day due to double-counting of the stats in the affected nation.
Scotland and NI have also been affected on the odd occasions.
So, does anyone on here reckon that weekly rather than daily publication of dashboard stats might be more representative?
Pulisa has actually questioned the publication of daily case stats on a couple of occasions on here over recent months, which also has partly inspired me to create this thread.
I know the ONS stats are always published weekly but they're always a week behind.
Lencoboy, I don't look at stats at all but if I were to I would prefer a weekly stat to a daily one.
I believe a daily stat is not a true account of a true day. Information carried over from a previous day and possible carrying over from that day to tomorrow. Statistics that are missed from one day to another, errors, additions, blah, blah, blah.
Have you ever gone into a shop where they have tilled up early and said you "I'll put this on tomorrow's takings"? Charity shops do this a lot because they want to get home on time and don't want to be staying in the shop after hours, normally alone doing paperwork.
Similar will apply to gathering daily statistics, especially at the weekend when staff is thin.
Lencoboy, I don't look at stats at all but if I were to I would prefer a weekly stat to a daily one.
I believe a daily stat is not a true account of a true day. Information carried over from a previous day and possible carrying over from that day to tomorrow. Statistics that are missed from one day to another, errors, additions, blah, blah, blah.
Have you ever gone into a shop where they have tilled up early and said you "I'll put this on tomorrow's takings"? Charity shops do this a lot because they want to get home on time and don't want to be staying in the shop after hours, normally alone doing paperwork.
Similar will apply to gathering daily statistics, especially at the weekend when staff is thin.
That's exactly the point I'm making, Carnation.
I've now come to the conclusion that day-to-day stats are rather vague and don't really tell us much, especially as they're often subjected to complications such as individual UK nations being unable to publish their daily stats on occasions, plus of course Wales not publishing their stats on Saturdays, both of which I generally consider a bit of a hindrance.
I also find the ZOE stats confusing, as they too are frequently subjected to chopping and changing, plus they're at least 4-5 days behind, and of course I find some of Tim Spector's commentary a bit contradictory (and also confusing) at times, for various reasons.
After all, stats for say, crime and unemployment don't get published on a daily basis, which would probably be just as problematic, if not more so, than publishing daily stats for all things Covid.
It's not a matter of frequency they publish stats at all. Its a matter of the frequency one is looking at them.
FMP
It's not a matter of frequency they publish stats at all. Its a matter of the frequency one is looking at them.
FMP
Then in that sense one would only need to look at them just once a week if published on a weekly rather than a daily basis.
Then in that sense one would only need to look at them just once a week if published on a weekly rather than a daily basis.
Again, they could publish them hourly but it still comes down to how often one looks at or ruminates over them. Lenco, its well documented here that COVID stats are an obsession with you (and others here). I admit, when this thing started, I was somewheat obsessed with it too but after a while I realized that it made no difference looking at them and it just caused angst. It came down to doing what I needed to do to play my part in reducing the numbers. Following the guidelines and getting vaxxed is all we can do to be one less statistic to add to the list.
This subject obviously causes you angnst so why not try to reduce the trigger by limiting your research of the subject?
FMP
WiredIncorrectly
10-10-21, 13:23
It's not a matter of frequency they publish stats at all. Its a matter of the frequency one is looking at them.
FMP
Boom. You nailed it.
Again, they could publish them hourly but it still comes down to how often one looks at or ruminates over them. Lenco, its well documented here that COVID stats are an obsession with you (and others here). I admit, when this thing started, I was somewheat obsessed with it too but after a while I realized that it made no difference looking at them and it just caused angst. It came down to doing what I needed to do to play my part in reducing the numbers. Following the guidelines and getting vaxxed is all we can do to be one less statistic to add to the list.
This subject obviously causes you angnst so why not try to reduce the trigger by limiting your research of the subject?
FMP
What could you do instead of seeking out and trying to make sense of daily Covid stats, Lenco?
What could you do instead of seeking out and trying to make sense of daily Covid stats, Lenco?
Good question Pulisa.
After all, I do recall you wondering back in the late spring or early summer (IIRC) if there was any longer any point in daily publication of Covid case stats, and I have recently given it some thought and now believe that weekly rather than daily stats might be more representative, especially in view of a lot of the day-to-day complications I mentioned upthread.
You are correct though, I do tend to get a bit too emotionally embroiled in it at times, and I should try harder not to.
What could you do instead of seeking out and trying to make sense of daily Covid stats, Lenco?
So what could you do? As I'm trying to point out, at this point, over a year and a half into this, it just doesn't matter. It is what it is and the only thing you can do is be responsible for yourself. The world is a new normal and we all have to find our way to adjust to it.
FMP
Good question Pulisa.
After all, I do recall you wondering back in the late spring or early summer (IIRC) if there was any longer any point in daily publication of Covid case stats, and I have recently given it some thought and now believe that weekly rather than daily stats might be more representative, especially in view of a lot of the day-to-day complications I mentioned upthread.
You are correct though, I do tend to get a bit too emotionally embroiled in it at times, and I should try harder not to.
Wales haven't published their stats yet again today.
Cue a massive jump in overall recorded UK-wide cases tomorrow.
We might just as well go the whole hog and have a fourth national lockdown soon then. Only at the beginning of September, there was speculation about schools breaking up a week earlier for half-term and having an extra week off as a kind of 'firebreak'.
On Friday, my mom's home care person said that she reckons whenever Boris Johnson says something won't happen, it almost always does end up happening!
And the antivaxxers and non-believers who think the pandemic is over will be forced to face the music yet again!
I'm with FMP on this one Lencoboy.
Besides, it's bound to be fuelling anxiety.
Exactly. Best to do what we can and not dwell on it - what good will rumination do?
Is the extra vigilance and angst because of your fear of a 4th national lockdown and the terror you have of that instigating countrywide rioting on a scale of the August 2011 uprisings?
Is the extra vigilance and angst because of your fear of a 4th national lockdown and the terror you have of that instigating countrywide rioting on a scale of the August 2011 uprisings?
Possibly, coupled with a growing sense of discontent over all the other stuff like shortages and the endless reports of the general spiralling costs of living of late. I can also sense another economic recession in the not-too-distant future, though so far the media haven't elaborated on it, at least not in those exact words. In that sense it also feels like 2008 all over again right now.
Sorry to sound so pessimistic but nearly everything just seems like a ticking time bomb right now.
Sorry to sound so pessimistic but nearly everything just seems like a ticking time bomb right now.
To YOU! Some of us choose to grab onto the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives. "Life is 10% what happens to us, 90% how we handle it." - Charles Swindoll
FMP
I'm with FMP on this one Lencoboy.
Besides, it's bound to be fuelling anxiety.
Yes, coupled with all the other horrible things in the news of late, such as the shortages/spiralling living costs, the recent stampedes for petrol, the Sarah Everard case and the odious antics of the Insulate Britain protesters (e.g, blocking ambulances), of which actually risk alienating and doing a disservice to the 'genuine' anti-climate change activists and inadvertently tarring them all with the same brush!
Ditto for all male police officers potentially being labelled perverted 'bogeymen' over the actions of a tiny minority, in the wake of the Sarah Everard case.
At least they're standing up for what they believe in rather than carping about it on a forum.
Yes, coupled with all the other horrible things in the news of late, such as the shortages/spiralling living costs, the recent stampedes for petrol, the Sarah Everard case and the odious antics of the Insulate Britain protesters (e.g, blocking ambulances), of which actually risk alienating and doing a disservice to the 'genuine' anti-climate change activists and inadvertently tarring them all with the same brush!
Ditto for all male police officers potentially being labelled perverted 'bogeymen' over the actions of a tiny minority, in the wake of the Sarah Everard case.
:doh: :lac: :shrug:
C'mon Lenco... seriously... enough.... I'm sorry this is consuming you but no need to continue to spead negativity.
FMP
The thing is..if you watch and monitor the news round the clock it's always going to be doom, gloom and outrage in the UK. If the news were censored and you only heard positive stuff you would wonder what the hell was going on. We Brits are used to complaining, whingeing and having lots of choice. Any form of "deprivation" or "restriction" is guaranteed to whip up outrage but the majority of us just carry on and cope. That's not very newsworthy though.
The thing is..if you watch and monitor the news round the clock it's always going to be doom, gloom and outrage in the UK. If the news were censored and you only heard positive stuff you would wonder what the hell was going on. We Brits are used to complaining, whingeing and having lots of choice. Any form of "deprivation" or "restriction" is guaranteed to whip up outrage but the majority of us just carry on and cope. That's not very newsworthy though.
Yes, a lot of us Brits can be a rather ungrateful bunch at times, where we often make a big drama over the slightest of inconveniences, but on the more positive side, I'm sure you're right in the sense that the vast majority of us just try to carry on and cope as best we can.
But like you say, it's not very newsworthy.
MyNameIsTerry
12-10-21, 06:41
The thing is..if you watch and monitor the news round the clock it's always going to be doom, gloom and outrage in the UK. If the news were censored and you only heard positive stuff you would wonder what the hell was going on. We Brits are used to complaining, whingeing and having lots of choice. Any form of "deprivation" or "restriction" is guaranteed to whip up outrage but the majority of us just carry on and cope. That's not very newsworthy though.
Lenco, the examples you give are comparable to those of other generations. It will never change.
Changing your attitude towards things and learning not to be triggered by the downsides of life is an important part of growing as an adult.
People may even seem apathetic but maybe they've learnt to pick their battles? Not all of us have the emotional energy to get involved in things like activism. And activists can be quite narrow in their interests.
As far as I am concerned they should just stop the reporting full stop - never mind weekly, daily etc.
Absolutely no point in continuing with this (what is effectively) 'fear porn' designed to keep the more anxious among the public on the edge of their seats. Context of reported 'cases' is sadly lacking and the stats are meaningless without this. No distinction between age groups, genuinely symptomatic, false positive/negative testing - even 'covid' hospitalizations stats need to be treated with caution and put into context along with cases. Otherwise there is no true picture worth a damn. And not to mention the enormous cost of this endless testing regime which we as tax payers are going to have to bear the brunt of.
We should just get on with our business.
We should just get on with our business.
Thing is and the point I've been trying to make is that we have a choice to look at the stats regardless if they're daily, weekly or otherwise. I've done what I've needed to do and am moving on and adjusting to the 'new normal' as best I can. I suggest people should try their best to do the same.
FMP
Context of reported 'cases' is sadly lacking and the stats are meaningless without this. No distinction between age groups, genuinely symptomatic, false positive/negative testing - even 'covid' hospitalizations stats need to be treated with caution and put into context along with cases.
You've pretty much hit the nail on the head there Dorabella!
Our general Covid stats IMO have always been rather vague and hodge-podge basically from the off, though Dr JC does his best to explain the differences between age groups, geographical regions, etc, which I thoroughly commend him for.
However (for better or worse) the BBC don't seem to be making a song and dancing over the latest national stats at around 45k, which would have been big news this time last year, or even some 6 months ago this year!
Also back then there would have been talks of another national lockdown with cases at these levels, which AFAIK isn't being discussed right now.
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