Drop the daily numbers. Make it weekly instead.

Chivito550

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-doctors-call-for-utterly-meaningless-daily-figures-to-be-dropped-1.4346550

Uncle Pierre

I agree 100%.

Happened to hear Ciara Kelly on Newstalk about this yesterday too. She made a lot of sense.

Jim_Hodge

Can't disagree with that. Weekly would do just fine at this stage.

Oranage2

Probably enough interest in the misery porn, people watching Rte to get their daily dose is good for the station's ratings

I think it would be good to not report them as top news every evening on RTE and virgin.

But they should still be available somewhere for people who wish to see them and collect the data etc.

I can look at the numbers every day without freaking out. A lot of people can't.

facehugger99

Provides the Covid bed-wetters with a daily opportunity to whip themselves into hysterics.

Should be canceled immediately - it's outrageous it's been allowed to persist for so many months.

Gerry Hatrick

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

I agree 100%.

Happened to hear Ciara Kelly on Newstalk about this yesterday too. She made a lot of sense.

I suppose there's a first time for everything.

Gerry Hatrick

Really think the daily numbers are keeping us well informed of the virus and it's course.

Keep up the good work imo.

kirving

Gerry Hatrick wrote: »

Really think the daily numbers are keeping us well informed of the virus and it's course.

It's not helpful information at this point as it fluctuates too much day to day.

It's effectively oversampling the data.

Met Eireann don't report sunshine times every minute, because that could be influenced by a cloud going over the sensor and doesn't help us in working out that Wexford is sunnier than Donegal.

We look at things like that over a long period of time to average out the noise.

Deeper Blue

Gerry Hatrick wrote: »

Really think the daily numbers are keeping us well informed of the virus and it's course.

Keep up the good work imo.

Weekly numbers would do a better job of that as it would provide meaningful trends

lawred2

Chivito550 wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-doctors-call-for-utterly-meaningless-daily-figures-to-be-dropped-1.4346550

And can we get a little bit of context to whom has contracted it and as to their condition/level of symptoms..

And can we get a bit of detail about medical history for those passing away?

Fr_Dougal

Do them right before the Lotto numbers.

They should do a daily tally of how much this is costing the taxpayer alongside the COVID numbers and how many people in total are dying from preventable illnesses that are being missed because of "telemedicine" and the impossibility of getting tests done or "routine" GP appointments.

PCros

Totally agree with this.

However would it look bad if we ran with 500/600 cases in one day. I could see the likes of the Daily Mail and other international rags running with "Ireland Hit with 600 New Cases" as a headline...and then actual explanation buried in the article.

Possibly bad PR for Ireland.

MrStuffins

facehugger99 wrote: »

Provides the Covid bed-wetters with a daily opportunity to whip themselves into hysterics.

Should be canceled immediately - it's outrageous it's been allowed to persist for so many months.

Is it really?

MrStuffins

Keep the daily numbers coming.

Those who want weekly numbers can check them weekly.

Grand!

duffman13

Release the figures daily but have a weekly update! Its a feckin joke and actually causing confusion. Once a week on a Monday. The figures are readily available just release them daily with no bloody commentary.

MrStuffins

Deleted User wrote: »

They should do a daily tally of how much this is costing the taxpayer alongside the COVID numbers and how many people in total are dying from preventable illnesses that are being missed because of "telemedicine" and the impossibility of getting tests done or "routine" GP appointments.

Nah!

ShyMets

I prefer a weekly press conference and weekly figures released.

HSE to still publish daily figures on website, if people want to check them they can

bikeman1

I have been looking for this since June when we had the low numbers.

The daily announcements are a source of anxiety for very many people who try to become epidemiologists each day and “understand “ a useless piece of information.

The numbers are all over the place and the secret deaths that get added and then de-notified serve no benefit.

Hospital admissions and a weekly press conference on a Monday or Tuesday for the 7 days to Sunday is sufficient. If public health deem an area or school should close, that is dealt with locally.

Time to open up and live with this like another disease that we have to manage in our lives. The doom merchants might not be happy with this approach though.

vid36

Every other country releases daily figures. Some don't at weekends but not releasing figures looks like we are trying to hide something .

Xterminator

Sure it will go away by itself, and the only reason the numbers are rising is because we are testing so many people. /S
Oh and big pharma are delaying the release of a vaccine, and wash your mouth with bleach and hydroxychloroquine!

hmmm

7 and 14 day moving average, released daily

The problem is that so many people just don't understand basic maths, so explaining what a "moving average" is could be difficult.

hmmm

hmmm wrote: »

7 and 14 day moving average, released daily

The problem is that so many people just don't understand basic maths, so explaining what a "moving average" is could be difficult.

:rolleyes:

Harry Palmr

Rolling average is your only man and yes the public consists mainly of idiots (this forums is proof enough of that) so it would take some talk loud and slow for a while before it's understood (and the rationale behind its use)

MadYaker

Can you not just ignore it no? I honestly couldn’t tell you how many cases were announced any day this week.

meeeeh

vid36 wrote: »

Every other country releases daily figures. Some don't at weekends but not releasing figures looks like we are trying to hide something .

First thought I had when hearing this was that they would be straight away accused of cover up. I think it's nonsense and they could easily report just weekly numbers but the usual overreaction would happen.

That being said I like seeing the daily numbers. It's more curiosity and lack of patience than any panic. The worries I would have are around lockdowns and business and I don't think that will happen any time soon.

Quantum Erasure

hmmm wrote: »

7 and 14 day moving average, released daily

The problem is that so many people just don't understand basic maths, so explaining what a "moving average" is could be difficult.

Don't be mean....

Diarmuid

MadYaker wrote: »

Can you not just ignore it no? I honestly couldn’t tell you how many cases were announced any day this week.

The point is that a large percentage of the public can't help themselves and as a result have driven their anxiety levels through the roof

mirrorwall14

The issue is not with the numbers. The issue is the media frenzy

Publish the numbers on the HSE website but ban the media from reporting on them. Do one weekly press conference and they can report then.

Wanderer78

mirrorwall14 wrote:

Publish the numbers on the HSE website but ban the media from reporting on them. Do one weekly press conference and they can report then.

Ban the media, sounds interesting!

People don't have to listen to the daily reports if they don't want to, weekly may dilute the seriousness of the situation