Britain overtakes China

Britain has now overtaken China in respect of the number of deaths from coronavirus and yet unlike China and South Korea we had three months to prepare.

China and South Korea went into immediate “lock down” with widespread public testing, tracing and isolating contacts and the wide use of Personal Protection Equipment and, in particular, masks. In consequence China has all but stopped the spread of the virus with 3,322 deaths or just 2 per million population. The death rate in South Korea has also slowed with just 174 deaths or 3 per million population. In Britain deaths are still rising with 3,605 so far or 53 per million population.

Despite the World Health Organisations warnings testing is still way behind as is the provision of PPE.

On the 22nd March the Sunday Times published an article entitled “Ten days that shook Britain – and changed the nation for ever” which revealed that Dominic Cummings, the prime ministers senior aide, had become convinced that Britain would be better able to resist a lethal second wave of the disease next winter if Whitty’s prediction that 60% to 80% of the population became infected was right and the UK developed “herd immunity”. At a private engagement at the end of February, Cummings outlined the Government strategy. Those present say it was “herd immunity, protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad”.

However at the Sage meeting on March 12, a moment now dubbed the “Domoscene Conversion”, Cummings changed his mind in the “penny drop moment” when he realised he had helped set a course for catastrophe with between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths predicted. From then on Britain was playing catch up.

Listening to Matt Hancock on last night’s Question Time one could be forgiven for thinking the Government had still not ditched the concept of “herd immunity” altogether as he referred to “passports” and “certificates” to enable people to get back to work. He himself was back in circulation just short of seven days after testing positive when the World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of 14 days.

Yvette Cooper tried her best to draw Matt Hancock as to the Government’s future strategy and the concept of “herd immunity”, without going over old ground, and also expressed concern that carers were going from house to house without PPE (masks, goggles, gloves, gowns etc) and could be spreading the virus amongst the most vulnerable people in society who were dependent upon their care.

The Government appears to have paid too little attention during this pandemic to the wider population, to home food deliveries or the protection of people working in the Super Markets, food chain, gas, electricity, water and refuse collection on whom we all depend. And has so far failed to even adequately protect those in the NHS!

Dominic Cummings has long expressed concern at the economic consequences of an aging population and the high cost of pensions across Europe without realising that to increase them in Britain in line with Europe would reduce expenditure on the NHS and improve the quality of life.

Dominic Cummings has to find savings somewhere in order to cope with the economic reality of BREXIT in January and is clearly an opportunist. However any civilisation can be judged by how it looks after the older and disadvantaged members of society. Older people have paid National Insurance throughout their lives and continue to contribute to society as a whole in a variety of ways.

Advising people not to go to pubs and restaurants as the Government did initially, rather than closing them, could be seen as a way of protecting the high finance of the insurance companies at the expense of small businesses. They could not claim on their insurance if business fell off but could if they were closed through no fault of their own.

Of course we need to help the NHS to cope, that goes without saying, but the Government must stop this ambiguity and mixed messages, rigorously impose social distancing and the use of PPE and stop talking about “slowing the spread” and start talking about STOPPING the spread. And continue to invest in developing a vaccine,