Written by Sir John Redwood
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[This article was first published in Sir John Redwood’s Diary here. We republish it with his kind permission.]
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Many want there to be an easy answer to quelling the virus. The medics and scientists search for a vaccine but have to warn it could take a long time or even prove a fruitless quest. Some seek better treatments to lessen the death rate from severe cases of the disease. These are the only two solutions to defeating the pandemic.
Others hold to the view that there is some special way that will eliminate the virus as it circulates in any particular country. Many countries are suffering intense debates about whether their governments have done well or badly in controlling the virus whilst limiting the damage virus control methods do to economies and jobs. The bitter truth is looking around the world most governments have adopted central World Health Organisation tenets that increasing amounts of social and economic activity have to be closed down to squeeze down the prevalence of the virus. Only then can gradual relaxations test out how far they can go in restoring a bit more normal life before virus disaster strikes again. Practically all governments that have adopted versions of this approach have ended up with a second wave and the need to renew the abrasive medicine of full or partial lock down.
In the early days of the crisis the cry went out that a massive expansion of ventilators would see us through. This was tried, only to discover the death rate remained high.
A more sustained case has been made out that Test, track and trace will do the job. The theory is if you test enough people, especially those who might be carrying it or have symptoms, and then isolate enough of such people and their contacts quickly enough, you will cut the circulation of the virus. We now see quite a few countries with large test and trace systems have second waves to deal with.
There are five central weaknesses to test and trace. The first is the delay in getting a test whilst people are asymptomatic or unaware that they have the disease. The second is the number of false results from tests which disrupts the data. The third is the refusal of some people to self isolate for a fortnight to make sure the virus has passed them, as people have demands on their lives which makes 14 days locked in at home difficult. The fourth is the unwillingness of many to self isolate just because they are told they have been in contact with someone with the disease. The fifth is the impossibility of knowing many of the people encountered by a busy person who has travelled or been to populous places.
The organisation of accountable government at national level for good reasons also means that if any country does have success in curtailing the virus it then needs to shut itself off from foreign visitors whilst the virus rages. This can also be difficult given the strong patterns of global business ,travel and trade. Given the lack of success so far by the World Health Organisation in producing ways to remove or tackle the virus there is no evidence world government would have cracked it to justify the lack of democratic accountability that would bring. The WHO of course does not have to balance curbing the virus with economic consequences in the way governments need to do.
What kind of disease is it, that you need a test to tell you if you’ve got it, otherwise you wouldn’t know?
There are 23 causes of death more likely to kill you than Coronavirus, what fool then destroys the economy to “prevent it”.
The performance of this Government and our whole parliamentary system has been so woeful as to induce despair. Look at the PM, the advisors, the cabinet, the opposition, the “scientists”, the Civil Service, the health quangos, and the media. All of them utterly incompetent at best, or actually causing more damage than the virus ever will. Where is the evidence, the rational argument, and the probing and illuminating questions? Many voted for Johnson to get Brexit done, but that will not be his legacy. His name will be synonymous with incompetent blundering and authoritarian stupidity that exceeds almost anyone else in British history.
We are the world’s 9th largest manufacturing economy. We have one of the largest and mostly profitable financial services sectors in the world. We are the wealthiest country in Europe….hard to believe but our net assets substantially exceed that of Germany.
We are not doing that bad really…why do you think the EU wants us to remain captivated?
We absorb their unemployed, buy their cars, eat their excess food production, spend 10’s billions in their holiday resorts, provide their capital markets, protect their borders and allow them to take our fish. What do we get in return….sweet fanny adams! That’s what I call an abusive relationship.
We are also being abused over a viral infection that was all over more than three months ago and are still uncertain that this Tory government will finally free us from the EU shackles.
Perhaps if we were seriously concerned about this phantom virus we should ask the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for some answers because they know more about everything than any European government.
It’s interesting to note that the August figures for the overall daily death toll in the UK is 1100 whereas the five- year average is 1600. Also the overall death toll for 2020 is only 86% of the five-year average so what is all the fuss about.
Project fear is alive and well and living in the UK.
Only wear your nose nappy if you wish to display your subservience to a new world order of be like me and support the resistance.
I think most if not all on here are supporting the resistance Geoffrey Bastin.
I’m surprised we are still 9th worldwide in manufacturing, after all the years and years of being plundered by E.U., politicians, civil service, quangos, etc, bureaucracy.
There is a lot needs doing when/if we get free of E.U. At present we need to put a stop to the Covid Dictatorship. Yes join the resistance. It was not a frightening pandemic. It was a Scamdemic from the start.
Wish John Redwood would stop pussyfooting about and get to the nub of issue as succinctly as Geoffrey Bastin.
Jake. To be fair, even JR has to be careful of his local constituency party and the whips etc. I believe he is one of the few MPs who are not entirely dependent on their MP’s salary so he is able to be a bit outspoken. He does also respond to comments, (or his staff do) even when they are not from his own constituents.
Let’s be thankful we still have some in HoC with integrity.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation surely does know a lot more. Why? They are one of the perpetrators.
From across the pond:
Many More Immune to COVID