Hello everybody. Today I was planning to talk only about the UK strategy and how that upsets me, but I am going to start with something else.
A friend of mine just got her Covid-19 test results. She is positive. No other symptom except for a mild fever. Problem is her dad and her elderly aunt also have it. There is no mother. There is one sister, a doctor, very busy helping others in hospital. Aunt, who clearly is a survivor, has no symptom at all. Father in hospital with respirator. I am reassured by the fact that she is a very capable person and will make it physically. Even if she stays like this she will have another two weeks in isolation. Isolation and worry for her relatives will be hard on her. Her friends, me included, will be very supportive but from a distance. As I mentioned yesterday the circle is closing tighter.
Someone wrote today that it is possible to do multiple video calls on whatsapp. While you are in a video call with someone you just need to touch the screen and add someone else. Up to four people. That will be fun at aperitivo time. Can’t wait to get out of this SOLITUDE. I am sure my American friends will not have time zone problems.
Let’s go down to differences between UK strategy and the WHO/ rest of the world. This topic interest me particularly because A) I am a naturalised Brit and lived 25 years of my very short 😉 life in the UK and I have seen a better UK than the one that can be observed at the moment and so wish the morons would disappear, B) my children live there and the policy decisions of BloJo have a heavy influence on their well being. I think we can all agree these are sufficient reasons for me to venture into this territory.
Boris told the country that many more families would lose their loved ones before their time. Certainly he was being realistic. But definitely it looks like he is making sure this statement will hold true in the future by adopting a strategy that is in direct contrast with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and with that adopted in all other countries which were hit so far. So, here in Italy we have complete lockdown, all shops are shut except for food shops, chemists, newsagents and petrol stations. (Yes i know also tobacconists, but that is another story, how can you let people smoke during a virus pandemic which impairs the respiratory capacity!). All work that can be carried out from remote is being carried out from remote. All workplaces where an infected person worked have been shut for quarantine. (Imagine with more than 21000 infected how many factories/offices are still open). No travel allowed except for very serious reasons (apparently death of a relative is not within the reasons deemed serious). Yes it is true we got to this point possibly too late, as we had one whole month warning from China, which no one took seriously, and why? because China is far? Because the Chinese got it from a bat, and yes they do have live animals for sale in food markets, but so what? once the rabbit is out of the hat (do excuse the pun), you need to think remedies, not line of causation. That will be good for an academic paper, surely not to save people.
Ok, so we have these very tough restrictions and army on the streets for enforcement (lovely) and one more anti costitutional measure being contemplated. They are planning to use big data and make it public so that we will all be able to check movements of infected people and see whether we crossed paths in the past weeks with any of the currently infected. Boy, do I see a divorce wave coming!
Other countries are doing the same, they start with shutting down schools, universities, work remotely (hey in Italy it’s called smart working, did you know that?), travel bans, etc. Soon others will be in lockdown too.
But Boris decided no! we know better, we have the best epidemiology modellers in the world (did you know that? no, neither did I) and we know that we must get lost of people infected to create herd immunity. Now, I am not an epidemiologist, so do not take my word, and also I have made clear that I do have a personal interest in this topic, but please do take some time to read this thread. What it says is that authorities should concentrate on i) reducing peak demand for healthcare services, ii) reducing deaths. Herd immunity is a by product, a side effect. No one in his right mind would wish for 80% of his population to be infected so he can get herd immunity. Do you know mortality rate as of today in Italy is nearing 7%????
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1238821515526897664.html
I assume that Boris is moved by two main motives. First to unite Britons along that thick stoicism that has roots in the WWII heavy bombing of London and subsequent Londoners response, and that got re-awakened at every trerrorist attack in recent years. Second, to prove that outside the EU we can be different and better and we’ll prove it. Ha! A huge gamble and as with Brexit he won’t pay out of his pocket if things go wrong. The nation will.
But this is a virus, not a war, nor terrorism. This response is totally inappropriate, the price to pay if things go wrong is humongous, and this time is not money or jobs, it is lives. People what are you waiting for? This person is not fit to be in charge of your lives.
If I were the big boss of the entire world, I would put the whole world in simultaneous lockdown, thats the only way to beat the virus.
And on this note of wisdom and common sense, I am saying goodnight to you all. Tonight I am preparing Peruvian chicken soup. Lots of love to everybody.
