Covid and the Lockdown Effect

This lecture by Simon Wood discusses the semi-parametric inference about the incidence and R in England during the Covid lockdown. It covers the impact of lockdown measures on infections, deaths, and the challenges in mortality data modeling. The presentation delves into the comparison of Covid to historical pandemics, the estimation of R values, and the implications of lockdown timing on infection rates. The speaker also explores the statistical methods used to analyze mortality data and the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions. The lecture concludes with a critical evaluation of different models and their predictions regarding the Covid pandemic.