What can we do with the corona numbers?
Let me just say a few more: a number of reasons why we should not attach too much importance to an important part of the corona figures that are flying around our ears. Especially when we want to compare the figures of different countries.
Most surveys only show the figures per country. The number of inhabitants per country is not taken into account. In Europe, this varies from 1000 inhabitants in the Vatican City to 142 million in Russia. A figure per, for example, 10,000 inhabitants would provide a much clearer picture.
Each country has its own testing policy, and the number of tests conducted differs significantly. There is a consensus that the actual number of infections is much higher, but no one knows exactly how much higher.
How many infected people end up in hospital are also very different from country to country. This has to do with the availability of staff and hospital beds, how health care is organised. In the Netherlands there are 6.4 IC beds per 100,000 inhabitants, while in Romania there are more than 20 beds and in Germany almost 30. In one country they try to prolong life at all costs, in the other country the quality of life is greatly taken into account.
In most countries, the first cases of corona have been observed at different times. If you want to put the numbers side by side, you should shift the tables relative to each other so that for example you can see how the situation is in all countries on day 21 or day 100.
Er worden vaak appels met peren vergeleken. Wij hebben hier op Curacao 13 besmettingen gehad: 1 is overleden, 7 genezen, dus nog 5 patienten: 1 nog in het ziekenhuis, 4 in thuisisolatie. Het lijkt belachelijk weinig, in vergelijking met bvb NL, maar ons inwonertal is maar 160duizend. Verder worden er nog 32 personen 'actief gemonitord' door de GGD: het is mij niet duidelijk hoe dat in zijn werk gaat.
Met je eens dat alles voortdurend moet worden bijgesteld.