COVID 19 - HOW FAR ARE WE SUBJECT TO DECEPTION?

We are living through extraordinary times. The world is subject to a new virus that is not yet fully understood in scientific terms - and we are at the mercy of a government that I believe to be incompetent and deceiving.  We are being told by Johnson and his Tory administration that they are acting on the best scientific and medical advice - everything that is being done is for the best and done on the advice of the experts. If we all pull together, we will win through.  Do I smell the aroma of a bit of bullshit?    I am open to that possibility. Let's explore further. I find - as I've said before - Skwarkbox an invaluable source of unadulterated news. Here's yesterday's fresh way of looking at the truth of medical expertise as dispensed by the Chief Medical Officer as he shares the platform with the Prime-Minister:  Video: expert microbiologist tells BBC audience – "handwashing doesn't come into" preventing COVID-19 spread by SKWAWKBOX (SW)

Microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington

On Friday's Any Questions on Radio 4, eminent microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington - former president of the Society for General Microbiology - told listeners that the government's advice on handwashing is going to be ineffective in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus:

The professor said that he looked forward to a plunge in the number of food-poisoning cases as a result of more frequent hand-washing, but as COVID-19 is spread by people breathing in droplets breathed out by an infected person, that:

basically handwashing doesn't come into it.

Pennington's comments further underscore the growing conviction that the Boris Johnson and
Health Secretary Matt Hancock are not only out of their depth, but misleading the public.

Supermarket chains have already said that Hancock's claims that the government is coordinating with them to secure supply chains is 'made up', while travellers returning from the Italian coronavirus hotspot have shown that they are being allowed free movement around the country without even basic checks upon their return to the UK.

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Skwarkbox has its own missionary intent to rubbish this neoliberal Tory misgovernment - I share their anger - but it's important to keep looking for the overall truth. There is a balanced - if provisional - truth out there. When I read the comments that were posted under the post, I became convinced that Professor Pennington has presented a scientific understanding that  needs to be communicated to all of us immediately. Droplets containing the virus pass from the infected person through the air or through being picked up by touch on contaminated surfaces. This apology of a government has failed to emphasise the critical factor of proximity to the infected person. However, the Professor seems to be downplaying the role of handwashing - it is an important part of the armoury of self-protection.   

Skwarkbox carried a clip this morning of the PM talking about a 'theory' that was being discussed (by whom? - the 'experts'?) that we should just let the virus have a free run and claim its victims and then we can move on. What we needed was a more balanced approach. Did he really say that? Yes, he did. We share the fate of the USA; we both have mad leadership. 

Below, Paul - a contributor to the Comments feed - captures that underlying madness, although the PM's position is I think more nuanced than Paul suggests; and then David nails the underlying horror of the consequences of ten years of Austerity and Privatisation policies for the NHS, rendering it unfit to deal with the present crisis; and finally Zube delivers some science for our consideration:     

'Paul 09/03/2020 at 4:43 pm · ·

I think Johnson is going for his preferred option – do as little as possible and let the epidemic ride itself into a peak and then ‘disappear’ all the more quickly. Nasty but short. More deaths – but Hey! We all go in the End. Infinitely cheaper than testing and treating – and that only leads to some of the old buggers recovering, surely not good for government? That’s his personal theory he says. Uncanny the way it’s becoming government policy.

David McNiven 09/03/2020 at 5:45 pm · ·

Blojob making a big thing about “taking the right measures at the right time” and “different countries needing different measures.”
The real difference is that our health service has been crippled by negative investment and understaffing.
The Tories are probably hoping this crisis will help them justify selling it to US health insurers sooner and absolve themselves of responsibility.

Epidemics start small. The smaller the problem the easier the cure. Tories are hoping the job will be easier in Summer because the Winter NHS bulge will be over – but the problem could be a hundred times the size by then and Summer has been at 100% of capacity for years – in Winter the NHS is at more like 150% of capacity.

Zube 09/03/2020 at 11:22 pm · · Reply →

My understanding is that there are now 2 mutations of the covid 19 virus called S and L. 

The L mutation is highly infectious, is less than 0.3 microns or something like that in size- hence it penetrates the eyes and masks are useless as a barrier unless they are military grade.

The L mutation is spread via aerosol level vapour which can waft up to 20 m from its source, especially if aided by air conditioning, which means you can catch it even if in a different room a short distance from the source, say in an office.

Washing hands can still help if you touch surfaces recently infected by droplets/ vapour from breath of an infected person.

UK has allowed a bunch of tourists from Northern Italy over the last 3 weeks to enter the UK with no screening, unlike the measures taken by Russia who have medical checkpoints for all passengers coming from high risk areas. So the assertion of the UK having a containment phase is false, they are waiting for the duration phase.'

All this above is my contribution to our preparations. Spreading the right advice in the war against the coronavirus. Do share if you think it will help.

One final thought: 

Why is the Cheltenham Festival for racehorse enthusiasts going ahead this week? Around a quarterof a million people gathered together .... madness!