A Roundup of comments and discussions from recent TTE posts

A Million a Day, Fear is the Key and others.

We have received lots of thoughtful comments on two of our recent posts. We would like to respond and update you on some points, so let’s start with the Millions post.

Test and trace is a public health containment strategy (note the primary aim is not head counting). Traditionally you test under the guidance of communicable disease personnel to identify those likely to be contagious and ask them to isolate for a reasonable time based on what is known of the agent in question. It should be called case identification and contact assessment.

As in other countries, the practice was abused in the UK, and PCR tests were used indiscriminately by barely trained personnel. 

We know now it was a macho thing for Mr Hancock and an obsession with hitting a target based on meaningless numbers. So the money spent on this programme and the suffering it imposed on those who were “positive” was pointless. You may have also lost your business - but tough.

If anyone had contacted public health Lombardy (like…