Reply To: How much longer?

[Gurnelista]

Well, MelK, the elderly can and do isolate if worried. I have neighbours who hardly go out because of this. But some have to go out and mix publicly, because for example, they don’t have the support of others, or they don’t have cars and depend on public transport for shopping, doctors’ appointments etc etc.

As for “looking at the stats” you need to do more than just look at them, you have to dig down and analyse them, and it’s not a pretty picture for anyone. Try actually talking to those in the NHS too, see what they say about working in the front line, the underfunding, and the lack of PPE, the queues for treatment for other illnesses and the personal risk to themselves, not just from Covid, but overwork and mental stress. See for example the setting up of ‘recovery rooms’, not for post-operative patients, but for staff on the verge of cracking up.

And you say they should just ‘give up’!! Where’s the British bulldog spirit that won us two world wars (and one world cup)??

As for the average death being 77, you imply they elderly don’t matter because they hadn’t long left. Well, just wait until you’re 77, Mel! Or until it affects one of your elderly relatives! Sacrifice the elderly to protect Pret a Manger? I don’t think it’s a runner. You have to put health before wealth.

In any case, 77 is an average, and that’s only for deaths. Covid affects people of all ages, and as stated above, hospital care is resource hungry – it’s labour intensive, it blocks beds and treatment for those with other conditions, and it costs a lot of money.

Yes, lockdown measures have a price too. A lot of people will suffer from effectively being put under house arrest, as well as losing their jobs. This government could do more about that, as they have in Germany. With a minimum of 60% of pay, and furlough for 24 months, it’s protecting jobs and skills. It’s a government you can trust, unlike here.

Same in Sweden, where trust in government means people follow rules and regs. and take sensible precautions. They also have many people living in single occupancy households, unlike here. But there are a lot of myths about what’s going on there. See below, about why it’s not a good comparison, as well as BRI’s post above.

https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3765

These countries do better than us because they trust those in charge to behave competently and look after their people. In return they behave themselves and follow the guidelines. Here, it seems people increasingly don’t believe what they’re told, because the government has cried ‘wolf’ far too often.