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Author Topic: Coronavirus  (Read 184840 times)

littleminnie

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Coronavirus
« on: January 23, 2020, 03:56:07 PM »

4 people in Scotland being tested. 
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Sparrow

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2020, 04:33:49 PM »

It's to be expected, the world is a small place these days.

Can't say I'm over worried.  Apparently it's nowhere near as deadly as Sars, and that only killed about 800 people worldwide.

Higher chance of being struck by lightning but it will keep the gutter press busy for a while.  Every cloud etc.
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ElkWarning

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2020, 05:24:54 PM »

As someone who works in a British university with approximately 10,000 Chinese students, all of whom live in this very small town, I must say, I'm concerned.  However, I did notice today that campus was practically deserted.  And this is accompanied by a deafening silence from management about infection control.
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Sparrow

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2020, 05:32:54 PM »

As someone who works in a British university with approximately 10,000 Chinese students, all of whom live in this very small town, I must say, I'm concerned.  However, I did notice today that campus was practically deserted.  And this is accompanied by a deafening silence from management about infection control.

I think the 10,000 number must be a typo EW.

There are around 20,500 students at Brighton Uni, of which only 8% are international.  Only a proportion of them will be from China, surely??
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ElkWarning

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2020, 06:15:08 PM »

No, it's not a typo.  This is why the Secretary of State for Health has specifically mentioned Chinese students at British universities and several MPs have raised the thorny issue.  What happens is that the students aren't registered at the Universities, per se, instead the institutions have set up international colleges with 'bespoke' degree programmes.  Recent estimates suggest around 110,000 Chinese students in the UK (see the Times or the Telegraph), plus any dependants, none of whom essentially appear in openly available statistics.  Of course, Brighton, as a town, has both universities (Brighton and Sussex - with close links to the CUHK) and numerous language schools.  We're a favoured destination due to the pleasantness of the place and relatively low incidence of violence.
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Sparrow

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2020, 06:22:07 PM »

I still don't quite understand.  I got the numbers from Brighton Universities own website.

Where did you get yours from??
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ElkWarning

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2020, 09:57:15 PM »

The numbers you're referring to are for undergrad and post grad courses, yes?  They do not include the number of students registered for other courses.  Perhaps this article will help - https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jan/23/uk-universities-issue-health-warnings-over-travel-to-china-coronavirus.  Universities have now issued health alerts.  And it would appear I under reported the most recent estimates, it's 120,000 Chinese students.  If divide the number of students by the total number of universities in the UK (106) we arrive at an average of 1,132.  Taking your example of Brighton, this would mean that virtually all the international students would have to be Chinese.  As you can see, there's something of a hole in the figures, largely caused the 'hidden population' registered on courses other than undergrad and post grad.  Obviously, some cities have more Chinese students, due to their popularity as cultural destinations.  Brighton is one of these cities, I should imagine London is as well, and York, etc.
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Sparrow

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2020, 10:22:59 PM »

Computer still says No.

The numbers table says 'all students'.

You are now saying 1,132,  which sounds better, BUT, there are in fact 1710 international students at Brighton University.  Of them only a percentage will be Chinese, and only a few if any, will come from the infected area.

Where does your original number of 10,000 Chinese students at Brighton University come from??

https://www.brighton.ac.uk/about-us/statistics-and-legal/facts-and-figures/student-population.aspx

« Last Edit: January 24, 2020, 09:48:57 AM by Shadyglade »
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ElkWarning

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2020, 07:21:04 PM »

As I've previously said, you're looking at the numbers for undergrad and post grad students, which is why those numbers say no.

Kaplan runs UoB's International College - https://www.kaplanpathways.com/colleges/university-of-brighton-international-college/.  None of the students who attend this international college are taken into account in Brighton's headline number, instead their courses are provided by https://www.kaplanpathways.com/.

Study Group runs UoS's International Study Centre - https://isc.sussex.ac.uk/about-the-isc.  None of the students who attend this study centre are taken into account in Sussex's headline number.  As they say on their website 'Study Group is the first private pathway provider to be accepted on to the Office for Students (OfS) Register of English higher education providers'.  In other words, they're not Sussex, but they're on the Sussex campus.

And you're right, it's disturbing these figures aren't publicly available, and that our institutions have massive, largely hidden, private organisations embedded on their campuses.

Oh, and I got the number from the amount of student accommodation built and owned by Kaplan to house their students.
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Sparrow

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2020, 07:44:46 PM »

That's all very interesting but these examples are not Brighton University, which is what you first said.  The first is a pathway college and the second is Sussex University.

This may seem a petty point to you but I'm a bit of a statistics geek.  For numbers to mean anything they have to be correct.

Actually even if you had said 'the total Chinese student population in Brighton is 10,000', I still wouldn't believe it. You have given no numbers anyway or where you got the 10,000 figure from.

In fact Brighton & Hove City Snapshot, gives the total student population to be just under 33,000, and that's all students of 16 years plus.  A 10,000 Chinese proportion would mean that around 1 in 3 students would be Chinese. I don't think so. Especially as the overseas, non EU Percentage is only around 8%.

I really don't like the misuse of statics, especially in relation to health matters,  which may cause people to be unnecessarily worried.  With Sars there were only 4 PROBABLE cases in the UK.

Sorry but there it is.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2020, 10:41:26 PM by Shadyglade »
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yellowflower

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2020, 02:41:10 AM »

We have just had a confirmed case in Melbourne. The person came into the country from Wuhan.
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CLKD

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2020, 02:37:06 PM »

Deaths are being incorrectly reported.  It is people that are already compromised: those with cancers, Parkinsons, or are being treated for other long-term diseases. 

Any healthy person should take the usual precautions when there's a 'bug' doing the rounds.  I haven't seen any reports on if those who have had the 'flu vaccine which is pushed by the NHS is likely to be less/more affected  :-\

If one is going to invest in a mask make sure that it is a correct fit and that the person selling it to you has been 'mask fit' trained!  ;)

Statistics can be manipulated depending on who is providing the funding or those who want Research Grants ;-) - think of the 'chocolate is good for you' - funded by British Sugar Corporation
« Last Edit: January 25, 2020, 02:38:41 PM by CLKD »
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CLKD

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2020, 03:05:17 PM »

BBC News:

Tests in the UK on 31 people for the new strain of coronavirus have come back negative, the government has said.
"There are currently no confirmed cases in the UK or of UK citizens abroad, and the risk to the public is low," the Department of Health said.
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CLKD

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2020, 02:59:47 PM »

Report from China:

The coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory infection and there is no specific cure or vaccine.

Most of the deaths have been of elderly people or those with pre-existing respiratory problems.
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Pennyfarthing

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Re: Coronavirus
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2020, 07:28:58 PM »

I don't think they should allow anybody from China into the UK until this is sorted.
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