Pandemic

[old betsy]

Interesting people talking about social distancing.
What about the other pandemics in Australia at the moment, but not a mention.

20 people a day die from Meth in Victoria alone.
3000 people die each year from the flu in Australia.
and only 98 people from corona virus.

Interesting.

[wightman]

Betsy; there is an ill wind blowing at the moment. Nothing good has come out of the developments of the last couple of months.

We have trashed our economy, half a million people have lost their jobs, we are annoying our biggest trading partner and we have isolated our elderly loved ones from normal human interaction, denying them the sort of day-to day activities that they most probably would especially want to savour, in their final years. We're doing really well here, aren't we?

In 1980 I was living in southern Africa and our country became a Marxist- Leninist country overnight. We used to joke at the TV hyperbole and the sycophantic behaviour of the government underlings towards the sworn-in elite and we all called each other comrade. It was all rhetoric. Over the years, all over the world, we have ridiculed North Korea with their TV propaganda, lionising their "leader for life" even working hard for the people on the day that he died. Yet we have bettered all these pathetic attempts with a terribly choreographed, poorly filmed clip of medical staff "on the front" tending to wards of sick people. Remember there is no cure for a virus; it runs its course and you either survive or die. Only secondary infections/complications can be treated. Arguably the best treatment for both afflictions are ones own immune system. Look at how well third world county's citizens have fared in the numbers game, with their simple traditional foods and primitive medical systems.

i have spoken to two nurses who have said that many nursing staff have been stood down, and by far the greatest danger at the coal face, is dealing with drugged up patients who lash out and physically harm health workers.

If we could get away with the number of casualties we have seen, there is certainly a case to call it all worthwhile, using the "saving lives" ticket, unfortunately this virus has not run its course and there are almost certainly more fatalities to come. There is no chance that 1.5m is far enough to check the spread of a contagious disease such as this. Do we really want to try and halt the advance? We are spending billions of dollars for 100 dollars an hour labbies, in white coats, to come up with a vaccine (which may or may not work) for a virus which will probably have performed a complete, world wide lap, before the first syringe can be filled. Why aren't new hospitals being built and why aren't our nurses paid decent salaries with that money?

Flu season is around the corner.

Just saying..................