Seven days in medicine: 23-29 September 2020
BMJ 2020; 371 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3770 (Published 01 October 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;371:m3770
Covid-19
Fines for not self-isolating begin in England
New legal measures in England mean that from 28 September people throughout England will be fined £1000 (€1094; $1282) for not self-isolating if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace, and repeat offenders could be fined £10 000. People on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have thereby lost income will also be eligible for a new £500 Test and Trace support payment.
Group advises on statistical evidence of tests
The Royal Statistical Society launched a new working group to advise on developing statistical evidence for in vitro diagnostic (IVD) testing for infectious diseases after concerns about a number of tests, including the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test widely used in the UK to detect covid-19. Deborah Ashby, society president and co-chair of the advisory group, said, “As statisticians, we want to help decision makers by setting out clear statistical criteria that should be used to assure the effectiveness of diagnostic tests.”
Under 10% of US population have antibodies
Researchers estimated that the standardised seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the US population was around 9.3% after they tested 28 000 patients undergoing dialysis from around the country.1 Infection rates ranged from less than 5% in the western US to more than 25% in the north east, they reported in the Lancet, and rates were two to four times as high in black …
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