In addition to the change in Covid diagnosis issued by the WHO just following the rollout of vaccinations to make it appear that the vaccines are saving us from Covid, UK health officials actually replaced PCR testing with LFD testing to ensure Covid case numbers plunged following vaccination. More smoke & mirrors...
Three huge but unannounced changes regarding 'case' counting in the UK are the keys to reducing the ‘casedemic’;
Interestingly, now they can only count a positive LFD test as a COVID-19 case if accompanied with symptoms or in probable contact with asymptomatic/PCR Positive individual.
These BIG unilateral decisions were:
1. Between 10-20th Nov, PHE started including LFD data in Test Volume & Cases metrics.
2. As of 5th Jan 2021, a massive scaling of asymptomatic LFD tests commenced across community, business, and healthcare staff.
3. As of 27th Jan 2021, Positive LFD tests no longer (on a temp basis) require a confirmatory PCR test to be treated as a case, contact traced and subject to self-isolation rules.
The outcome of these decisions are enormous! Firstly, the affect these decisions had on "cases" and overall test positivity.
Secondly, this allows for the UK Govt to ween themselves off the clinically questionable PCR test.
UK Govt are now performing more LFD than PCR tests.
Moreover, they have been dialing down PCR volumes since early Jan. Lo and behold, look what has been happening to "cases" and positivity.
Currently in the UK, PCR tests have a positivity rate of 11.7% (1 in 9), whilst LFD tests have a tiny value of 0.6% (1 in 167)!
Add the winter seasonality effect on respiratory viruses and mortality burden is tapering down from here on out - and voila!
It’s the perfect story. All thanks to ‘lockdowns, vaccines, travel bans and mask mandates’ - naturally...
It's looking pretty clear, as declared from the outset, that this variant mania instigated mid-December was and is a red herring to get everyone in line for vaccination.
And regarding the vaccine push... well, the timing is awfully convenient, effectively riding on the coattails of this testing pivot, the PCR Ct/weak positive cautions by WHO, and the RV/mortality seasonality curve.
The only fly in the ointment re the Vaccine push is the total mortality data is looking concerning, and there is a lot of scientific concern about the UK strategy of single dosing and experimentation on the most frail.
These testing pivots are considered temporary… so the Govt can swing back to PCR whenever they want/need more cases.
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SOURCES: data comes from PHE Coronavirus dashboard and the latest Gov NHS Test & Trace report;
PHE CORONAVIRUSDASHBOARD: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk
NHS ENGLAND TEST &TRACE STATS: https://www.gov.uk/.../nhs-test-and-trace-england...
TEST & TRACEMETHODOLOGY: https://www.gov.uk/.../nhs-test-and-trace-statistics...
