Simon Lang, president of the Hampstead Scientific Society

• I AM sorry to read of a scientist being so worried by the Covid-19 statistics as to only venture out of his house for essentials before six in the morning, (‘Covid is still out there – I go shopping before 6am’, May 19).

And then, despite wearing a mask, Simon Lang, president of the Hampstead Scientific Society, holds his breath if someone passes too close to him on the pavement; which does seem a little extreme, sorry.

Of course, like many people, Mr Lang is not only thinking of himself: he shares his home with a vulnerable partner and does all he can to protect her from any infections.

And the statistics are worrying or, I would say, were worrying. The Office for National Statistics says: “Looking at our entire data time series back to 1838… the number of deaths registered in 2020 [607,922 England & Wales] was the second highest”.

The only year to have a higher number, 611,861, was when the 1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic occurred.

But, the ONS adds, death rates per 100,000 people in 2020 were still below 1,000, as against the 1,200 number for most of the years since the 1918 flu epidemic [through to 2019, I emphasise].

And, now that vaccination rates are high immunity is increasing, and the disease is in retreat; ONS data showing the percentage of the population testing positive for Covid-19 in England continuing to decrease, to 1.9 per cent in the week ending May 13 2022.

Overall hospital admissions of Covid-19-confirmed patients decreased to 6.81 per 100,000 people and intensive care unit and high dependency unit admissions remained very low at 0.27 per 100,000 people in the week ending May 15 2022.

The number of deaths involving Covid-19 registered in England decreased to 690 in the week ending May 6 2022. I read this as showing plenty of light at the end of the tunnel; in fact we may have left the tunnel behind.

And perhaps the Covid death numbers are overstated? I have a neighbour who is trustee of two local care homes which in 2020 reported 18 deaths attributed to Covid-19. But he knows that every single one of those sad deaths were of people with severe existing pre-conditions: heart failure, inoperable cancers, lung diseases and more.

I am sure that Mr Lang will continue to be cautious, but I hope he will at least start getting some fresh air in the coming weeks and months.

I have several friends who are similarly frightened by the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to the coverage of the situation by our mainstream media.

The reporting has been scaremongering at worst and unbalanced at best, with hysterical headlines and little analysis of facts.

But now we have to try to get back to some sort of normality. Otherwise the billions of pounds spent on developing the numerous vaccines will have been a complete waste of money, and our society will be enfeebled even further than the oil and energy crisis and all the other issues impacting our country are doing, as Vladimir Putin continues his stupid war.

DAVID REED
Eton Avenue, NW3