Incidence rates

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

Thanks again to Harald Sommer for this week’s incidence rates.

Previous ArticleMadeira registers 33 cases this Sunday, the lowest value in 76 days
Next ArticleFuels rise for the eighth consecutive week in Madeira
Tobi Hughes

6 Responses

  2. The incidence rate is the sum of new cases over 7-days or 14-days per 100,000 population of that region.

    The incidence rate is useful if it is provided in context will all the remaining data: total number of tests, positivity rate, hospital admissions, rate of increase/decrease. The incidence rate (just like the death rate) by itself and standalone is fairly meaningless in regions with low numbers of population because the 100,000 “unit” is too large compared to that population. For instance, if you look at San Marino and Gibraltar they have the worst death rates in Europe. This is because just a few dozen deaths are enough to make the “rate” look to large because of the small population. I think everyone recognizes the situation in UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and even Germany, was far worse than in Gibraltar or San Marino. The same happens with the incidence, if it is not provided with a combined context, it is useless. If the incidence is all that matters, the mother of all criteria, the reference for air corridors, etc, then there is a very easy way to drop that value. Just make less tests. Just like Greece is doing.

    1. Berlin has 3,800,000 inhabitants.
      Porto Moniz has 3,000 inhabitants.

      If both regions have a 7-day incidence rate of 400, it means in the last 7 days there were 12 cases in Porto Moniz. It also means that there were 15,200 cases in Berlin. Conclusion based just on incidence: Porto Moniz poses the same danger/risk to Berlin as Berlin to Porto Moniz. Makes no sense. Incidence by itself, without any other data, is just a meaningless number.

  4. In 1964, I visited Israel. The tour guide explained that the murder cases had increased by 100% over the year before. In 1963, there was ONE case. – Everything is relative to something.

    1. Correction: It was in the Lebanon which in those days was the most peaceful place in the area

Comments are closed.

© 2021 Madeira Island News | Privacy Policy
%d bloggers like this: