UK reports surge in COVID deaths, builds temporary wards

[Sherman A1]

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. reported a sharp increase in coronavirus-related deaths Thursday as the National Health Service announced it was building temporary structures at hospitals in England to prepare for a possible surge of patients infected with the highly transmissible omicron variant.

The government reported 332 deaths, the highest figure since March 2. Public health officials cautioned that the number included a backlog of cases that stemmed from incomplete reporting during the Christmas holiday period.

https://krcgtv.com/news/coronavirus/uk-reports-surge-in-covid-deaths-builds-temporary-wards

[Tomconroy]

1. From the Financial Times

Link to tweet

?s=20

[T_i_B]

2. It's not just about the number of deaths

It's also about how many NHS staff are unable to work because of Covid, or because there aren't enough lateral flow tests.

[The King of Prussia]

3. There has been no surge in Covid deaths in the UK.

That's a deliberately misleading headline. I wonder if there was a similar story reporting the stunning collapse in reported coronavirus deaths over the preceeding couple of days?

Not saying there won't be a surge in deaths, given that there has been a significant increase in hospitalisations, but headlining that it has already happened isn't helpful in understanding the impact of Omicron. In fact, an examination of the figures indicates that the Johnson "government" presents a far bigger threat to public health than Omicron.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths