There's been a claim made over at least the past couple of years by all manner of sources that vast swathes of the working-age UK population have exited the workforce because long-term illness has apparently rendered them incapable of work. Whilst there have been exceptions, the version of the explanation for this that seems to … Continue reading Are vast numbers of Britons really exiting the workforce due to long term sickness?
Tag: Health
Most Britons favour legalising assisted dying, irrespective of political affiliation
Today sees the big vote by our British Parliamentarians on introducing a law to allow for assisted dying taking place. There have been strong views espoused in both directions from the politicians, oftentimes transcedning party lines. Curious coalitions have formed, not least the the one between Diane Abbot and Edward Leigh who penned a joint … Continue reading Most Britons favour legalising assisted dying, irrespective of political affiliation
Why the majority of England’s Covid deaths are now from vaccinated people despite the fact that the vaccines work well
It may be more than two and a half years into the pandemic, but the battle of "what is true?"" regarding many aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic continues. Many of us have probably seen a chart like this floating around social media in recent times. A representative example of these charts, this one from The … Continue reading Why the majority of England’s Covid deaths are now from vaccinated people despite the fact that the vaccines work well
Study estimates that the Covid-19 vaccines saved 15 million lives last year
In a new study published in the Lancet, Watson et al. estimate that by the end of 2021, the Covid-19 vaccines have prevented an estimated 14.4 million deaths (with a 95% credible interval of between 13.7- 15.9 million deaths) . The estimate would rise to 19.8 million (19.1 - 20.4 million 95% CrI) if they … Continue reading Study estimates that the Covid-19 vaccines saved 15 million lives last year
The Roe vs Wade leak and data privacy
Earlier this month, as anyone who has been anywhere near social media or a newspaper even here in the UK will know, a draft opinion from the US Supreme court was leaked. It showed a majority opinion that the decision that has protected the right of Americans to access abortion services for the past almost … Continue reading The Roe vs Wade leak and data privacy
The effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine: 95% or 0.84%?
At the time of writing, about 87% of UK adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The huge majority of mainstream scientific or journalistic sources report the vaccine efficacy as being very high, up to 95% depending on the specific vaccine and specific measure in question. It may be somewhat lower … Continue reading The effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine: 95% or 0.84%?
Covid-19 testing in England’s secondary schools: the story so far
Last week, secondary schools in England reopened for all pupils, after several months of semi-closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During that period, most teachers were busy labouring hard to conduct their lessons remotely, often persevering with minimal extra resources and inconsistent central guidance. A smaller proportion were still going to school, in order to … Continue reading Covid-19 testing in England’s secondary schools: the story so far
Official UK Covid-19 vaccination progress data
Now that the Covid-19 vaccination program is under way, data fans might be interested in obtaining the stats of how the UK is doing in terms of vaccinations administered so far. The NHS is publishing a variety of these reports and, even better, the underlying data here. The most comprehensive data there is likely the … Continue reading Official UK Covid-19 vaccination progress data
Solving the the case of the 6cm man with assertive programming
Liam Thorp, political editor of the Liverpool Echo, was recently surprised to receive an invite to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. Whilst the UK does seem to be numerically ahead in absolute terms of many (but not all) other countries when it comes to at putting first-doses into people, we're still at the stage where only … Continue reading Solving the the case of the 6cm man with assertive programming
Average age at menarche by country
A question came up recently about variations in the age at menarche - the first occurrence of menstruation for a female human - with regards to the environment. A comparison by country seemed like a reasonable first step in noting whether there were in fact any significant, potentially environmental, differences in this age. A quick … Continue reading Average age at menarche by country
Dabbling with Data 