Coronavirus
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In an open letter, a group of 229 scientists from UK universities say the government’s current approach will put the NHS under additional stress and “risk many more lives than necessary”. The group said the current measures are “insufficient” and “additional and more restrictive measures should be taken immediately”, as is happening in other countries.
The signatories also criticised comments made by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, about managing the spread of the infection to make the population immune.
The letter continues: “Going for ‘herd immunity’ at this point does not seem a viable option, as this will put the NHS at an even stronger level of stress, risking many more lives than necessary.
“By putting in place social distancing measures now, the growth can be slowed down dramatically, and thousands of lives can be spared.The scientists also questioned the government’s view that people will become fed up with restrictions if they were imposed too soon.
The government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) advised that measures to protect vulnerable people – including household isolation – “will need to be instituted soon”.
No faith in the divine
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51887510
Roman Catholic churches in England are “preparing for a time” when the celebration of Mass may have to “come to an end”
The Muslim Council of Britain urged mosques to have contingency plans in place for Ramadan – which begins in the second half of April – as it may have to suspend mass gatherings.
The United Synagogue asked its members to refrain from shaking hands and kissing religious artefacts, such as communal siddurim, which is a Jewish prayer book.
Even the Rebellion has been called off:
https://www.cityam.com/extinction-rebellion-cancels-london-protest-over-coronavirus/amp/
Meanwhile others are beginning to worry about the strategy the government here has adopted:
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/boris-johnson-turned-britain-petri-130300274.html
Don’t know how reliable this publication is but the government seems to be backtracking anyway. Giving the impression that they are carrying out some experiment on “the herd” as they call us is bad for publicity.
It looks as if other scientists are beginning to criticise the “mad professor” who is advising the government and his experiment in “herd immunity” with us as the herd of guinea pigs:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-scientists-share-fears-uk-21695523
Just heard on the news that the aviation sector are calling on the government to stop “bean counting”:
“In a stark message, industry body Airlines UK said the government’s “prevarication” and “bean counting” had to stop.”
That’s a bit rich. Just because they are not getting enough beans they are begging the government to hand them out a few. As if their whole business wasn’t based on bean counting, including making staff redundant and opposing strikes to keep as many beans for themselves as they can.
Still, ignoring bean counting and mobilising resources directly was how the changeover to a moneyless society started in Pieter Lawrence’s The Last Conflict ….
Once more business will be expecting to receive a huge bail-out from governments for their drop in profits.
And although some tinkering is being done to alleviate the impact on coronavirus upon workers, it is minimum and often reluctant and certainly won’t compensate for the loss of earnings and loss of employment many are already suffering.
It seems that the government is now disavowing their chief scientific officer and his mad “herd immunity” scheme. From today’s Times:
“Mr Hancock has insisted that the government is not pursuing a policy of allowing the virus to spread in order to achieve ‘herd immunity,’ apparently contradicting a statement last week by Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific officer.”
That’s a relief.
Whatever we may think about it, this pandemic is going to bring about profound changes in the whole cultural landscape of capitalism. Here in Spain we are already two days into lockdown. Its like another world. My local city of Granada is like a ghost town now. Deserted streets bar the odd “man and his dog”. On the news I saw clips of the Guardia Civil in Madrid cautioning couples (via loudspeakers mounted in their cars) to stop holding hands and maintain the designated minimum distance of 1 metre between them. “Social distancing” indeed!
incredibly, there is going to be months and months of this in store, never mind the so called “state of alarm” , as it is called, which is technically supposed to last for only 15 days. The coronavirus is going to get worse and worse for the foreseeable future and we’ve all been wrongfooted by it. Comparisons with flu epidemics and its regular culling of old folk just dont hold up. What is happening in Italy and Spain is very soon going to happen in the UK despite Bojo and his “Government Scientific Officer”.
Its so surreal and it still hasn’t quite set in. I personally find it quite difficult to wrap my mind around what is happening. Last night, once again, all the flats around here, at the appointed time, opened their windows to the night sky and their occupants started clapping and shouting their appreciation for the work done by all the medical staff throughout Granada for a few minutes. I dont mind admitting it brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eyes. The contradiction was so acute and so moving: families confined to the stark isolation of their own four walls yet expressing their union and sense of identity with anonymous others.
We are social animals and the coronavirus pandemic is bringing this home to us as never before. I am coming round to thinking that this virus, for all the tragedy it has visited upon the many thousands of families who have lost, or will lose, loved ones, will help to trigger a profound change in the way people perceive the world around them that will make them far more receptive to the case for socialism. As socialists we need to be prepared for this. We need to do what we can to turn what is an unmitigated human disaster into a firmer hope for better future.
At present many peoples from the so-called first world are experimenting what others peoples have suffered and have experimented in the so-called third world, now they can not talk about shithole countries, because the whole capitalist world is a shithole. Many peoples ignorantly they approved embargos, blockades, wars, and bombardments, and now they can see what are the consequences of those actions. It might be like the science fictions movie whereas the whole north was frozen and everybody had to run away to Mexico and South America because it was warmer, and they had foods, it might reverse the actual course of capitalism which have injected nationalism, and xenophobic in the minds of many peoples, there are rumours that Italy is requesting the help of Cubans and Chinese doctors, due to the fact that Cuba is graduating thousands of medical doctors every year. China is also buying antivirals medications from Cuba
https://www.workers.org/2020/03/46641/. Cuba antiviral medications
This story sort of reminded me of the Lucas Plan from the 1970s. Defence work could be re-tooled for socially necessary production
While the rest of the world panic buys tissues and face-masks, Americans rush to the gun-stores
“There was almost no interest in hunting rifles… there was big demand for AR-15 semi-automatic assault-style rifles.”
Alan wrote: “This story sort of reminded me of the Lucas Plan from the 1970s. Defence work could be re-tooled for socially necessary production.”
I am sure it would be technologically possible to retool production lines to make respirators and I am sure the workers involved would be enthusiastic to respond. But this sounds like another of Johnson’s stunts. In this case to give the impression that, after previous talk about sacrificing them for the benefit of the herd, it’s now all about saving the most vulnerable victims of the virus. I doubt if it will happen.
If it did, it would give some credence to the Pieter Lawrence scenario of the state, in a dire emergency, resorting to production for use, presumably paid for with newly created payment vouchers. In fact they may have to do this to compensate the pubs, restaurants and places of entertainment whose business will be ruined by the government’s policy.
Of course the outcome won’t be socialism or a moneyless economy but, combined with Robbo’s point about the revival of community spirit, might make putting of the case for socialism easier — even the counter-example of the American response might help people realise where the capitalist ideology of individualism leads.
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