It is sad that in the time of a global pandemic, news sites, that people rely on for accurate reporting are using headlines of fear to get clicks. The Somerset Live Facebook page put out an article with the misleading headline:

Somerset COVID-19 hospital deaths rise to highest level in two weeks

Facebook Post dated 13th May 2020

They claimed that Somerset trusts had seen the most hospital deaths in a 24 hours period for two weeks, when actually that just was not true. The data produced by the NHS is usually accurate up until 5pm the day before it is released. The 12th May currently shows only one death across all Somerset trusts, and as you can see from the table below there has been more than one death in a 24 hour period on 6 separate days in the last two weeks.

NHS COVID-19 Related daily deaths across Somerset Trusts

A local resident challenged the post by producing the actual data, only to be later banned from commenting on the page and having their accurate data post removed.

Why are they hiding the truth? Why do they not want accurate information shared? Surely, people want to know the positive, and factual information. The spreading of fear leads to stress, anxiety and ultimately dangerous consequences to people’s mental well-being.

Post that has now been removed from the Somerset Live Facebook page
Post that has now been removed from the Somerset Live Facebook page
Comment ability has now been removed from the user on the Facebook page

It is important we continue to challenge inaccurate reporting that spreads fear, people want to rely on the news outlets to produce accurate data.

Every death is sad, and to use those deaths to strike fear in people is despicable. Below highlights the accurate data for current recorded Hospital deaths across Somerset Trusts:

Past Two Weeks (29th April – 12th May): 12 (59% decrease on previous two weeks)
15th April – 28th April: 29
1st April – 14th April: 55


Data is updated on a daily basis on the NHS website ( https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-daily-deaths/ )