Australia was praised by the WHO and other medically oriented pundits for its approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister shut down most international air routes and has limited inbound passenger numbers to just 500 a day.
The Victorian government has panicked itself into imposing “stage four lockdowns.”
Other states have banned travel to Victoria and closed state borders.
All for what?
To stamp out coronavirus forever?
It sounds like a good idea, but we know that at best it’s a lie, and at worst it’s simply using this virus to increase the control and power of the state.
Or, maybe, politicians are simply clueless.
The people running Australia haven’t even come close to suggesting what the end game is.
There’s been talk of a “travel bubble” between Australia and New Zealand and other countries where the virus has been “eradicated” but we all know in our hearts that this is a fantasy. Or, more bluntly, bullshit.
Coronavirus is one of the most transmittable, contagious diseases the world has ever seen, right up there with the flu and H1N1.
You can’t eradicate it. It stays around until it finds no more hosts. In a world where 360,000 people are born every day, the virus will never run out of hosts.
Remember the H1N1 pandemic of 2009? Probably not, because it only killed young people. The people making policy were safe, so didn’t really care too much.
The pandemic was declared over in 2010, but the virus is still around, returning each year as just another seasonal flue.
COVID-19 will be around for years to come as well.
So what are we going to do Scott? Pretend we can eradicate it long enough to pass onto the next government? It wouldn’t surprise me. That’s the sort of thing that politicians do and seems to be precisely what you plan to do.
According to your plan on health.gov.au,
Australia will approach this novel coronavirus outbreak by undertaking activities to:
• monitor and investigate outbreaks as they occur;
• identify and characterise the nature of the virus and the clinical severity of the disease;
• research respiratory disease-specific management strategies;
• respond promptly and effectively to minimise the novel coronavirus outbreak impact;
• undertake strategies to minimise the risk of further disease transmission; and
• contribute to the rapid and confident recovery of individuals, communities and services.
Let’s consider these points.
- Monitor and investigate outbreaks as they occur.
Sure, anyone can do that. It isn’t very helpful, but ok, nice to have.
- Identify and characterise the nature of the virus and the clinical severity of the disease
Good idea. Where are the results then?
Let me help you: The virus is a respiratory disease transmitted indoors from one host to another by inhaling the virus-laden droplets exhaled by the original host and causes pneumonia in some subjects, which can lead to death where the patient has other underlying conditions. I’m sure you have papers that cost tens of thousands of tax payer dollars to say basically the same thing and took longer than 30 seconds to write.
And the severity? Well, the case mortality rate is between 0.1 and 0.25% based on recent history in Europe. That’s between 1x and 2.5x the mortality rate of the flu. In other words, not much.
To put that into perspective, up to 0.09% of Australians could die from coronavirus. Yes, all deaths are tragic. But compare this with the 2% of Australians that die of suicide. 3,128 of 160,000 deaths in 2017. This lockdown isn’t preventing the coronavrius, but it is almost certain to lead to a higher suicide rate.
Has nobody told you this, Scott? Has nobody in the entire government been willing to put the truth in writing? That this “pandemic” isn’t severe and doesn’t justify any meaningful response other than ring fencing aged care facilities.
Either your government is corrupt, incompetent, hiding the truth, or simply lying. Which one is it?
- Research respiratory disease-specific management strategies.
Why? There are literally hundreds of research reports on dealing with H1N1 and other respiratory diseases. Do you honestly think that any research conducted in a space of a few weeks is going to a) add meaningfully to the body of knowledge; b) be useful; and c) be completed in a timely enough manner to be implemented?
No, me either. Stop bullshitting.
- respond promptly and effectively to minimise the novel coronavirus outbreak impact
Good idea. But your government has done the OPPOSITE. Everything your government and state governments have done have aimed to MAXIMIZE the impact.
Take Victoria’s lockdown for example. Several hundred people contracted the coronavirus (as will millions) and the state closed businesses, put people out of work, and is even leading to food shortages. How is this supposed to “minimise the novel coronavirus outbreak impact”? It isn’t. It’s aimed to MAXIMIZE the impact and scare the population into begging the government for help.
If you want to minimize the impact of the coronavirus, you simply encourage people to get on with their lives, make more respirators available, and reassure the population that, “Yes, more people will die this year, but it isn’t severe, and it won’t be a huge number.”
- undertake strategies to minimise the risk of further disease transmission
What, like locking people indoors? Most transmission occurs indoors. In a study in China, they found that 80% of transmission was in the home, and only ONE case was found to happen out of doors.
Locking people up is STUPID. It will lead to higher suicide rates, higher transmission rates, higher unemployment rates, and probably no positive outcomes other than better profits for food delivery companies.
- contribute to the rapid and confident recovery of individuals, communities and services
By scaring them to death with claims that the coronavirus is dangerous? That’s absurd. Individuals, communities, and services will recovery by NOT CLOSING THEM DOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE.
And that’s the end of the plan.
Where’s the rest of it? You know, the part about ending this ridiculous “plan” and accepting that eventually most Australians will be exposed to the coronavirus.
Where’s that bit?
How about the part about normalizing international travel, letting people go back to work, and removing all restrictions? i.e. Letting Australians get their lives back.
I know, as a Prime Minister, you probably love power, love exercising this power, and love gaining more power. Sure. That’s normal.
And lying to gain this power? Sure, we expect that of politicians.
BUT WHERE’S THE REST OF THIS PLAN?
What is the end game?
You don’t have one do you? You’re simply governing from minute to minute with no horizon beyond the next election.
That’s irresponsible, reckless, and very poor governance.
