More on covid pandemic 2020-2?
Ukraine – what you’re not told
Football kicks covid into touch – if only for 48 hours
A sign that the covid pandemic is becoming a thing of the past in Britain is the way that it was kicked off the headlines by an even more important aspect of modern day society – football.
As with the gladiatorial exhibitions in the circuses of the Roman Empire a couple of thousand years ago all oppressors have been looking for something to distract the mass of people from the ineptitude, corruption and incompetence of the ruling class. Twenty first century capitalism has found that in football – the only difference is that now they make supporters (whether at the grounds or at home on their TV screens) pay for their distraction – ‘bread and circuses’ but without the bread.
In an effort to direct attention away from the growing number of corruption stories that surround the awarding of contracts during the first few months of the pandemic the Buffoon rushed into battle – prepared to do everything within his ability to defend the ‘beautiful game’ (although he is known to have an antipathy – to say the least – about the sport and has no problem with the idea of the owners doing whatever they can to fill their bursting coffers) as he could take on the mantel of a ‘Superman’ flying in to the rescue.
Unfortunately for the Buffoon the money-grubbing pricks who own all these European football clubs ‘caved in’ when they saw the general opposition from all sides. (This will only be a temporary respite on their behalf. They know what they want and there’s too much at stake for the idea to be dropped completely. It will resurface in the not too distant future but with a slightly different aspect.)
When the news finally broke about the plan for a new European ‘Super League’ the Buffoon must have thought that all his Christmasses had come at once. He could stand in the new (hugely expensive) press suit and announce day after day what he was doing to save the game that belonged to the common man and woman. How deflated he must have been on Tuesday evening?
But he might not really have to worry.
The people of Britain seem to have forgotten all the mistakes that he and his Government have made in the last 14 or so months when it comes to the pandemic. The delays, the inaction, the unpreparedness, the confusion, the U-turns, the lies, the conflicts with science, the exposure of the vast extent of poverty in all parts of the country, the introduction of restrictive legislation, the tens of thousands of deaths, the huge debt just being added to as if money was going out of fashion, the total lack of any strategy even now. Added to that we now have a daily leaking of stories of ‘sleaze’, cronyism and corruption. But none of that has exercised as large a portion of the British population in the same way as what was being publicised as an attack upon British heritage.
Things are gong well for the Buffoon at the moment. The vaccination programme continues to clock up the numbers and any ‘relaxation’ of the last few weeks doesn’t seem to have had a major impact on hospitalisations and deaths. Added to that the death of an almost centenarian has given a boost to the monarchists and forelock tugging sycophants, the bedrock of reaction amongst the British working class.
The pandemic has exposed many of the worst aspects of British society after decades of being brushed under the carpet. The Buffoon will be hoping that many more such distractions such as the European ‘Super League’ arise in the future as the country begins to realise what a shitstorm it has gone through.
Vaccination programme in Britain …
What need of ‘anti-vaxxers’ when scientists shoot themselves in the foot. Vaccine confidence fears as under-30s in UK offered AstraZeneca alternative.
Most Britons still trust AstraZeneca vaccine – poll shows. But the fall out is this extremely badly managed situation will, no doubt, have consequences that will continue for years. Thereby putting more money into the coffers of the other international pharmaceutical companies.
AstraZeneca vaccine: what now for roll out in the UK and Europe?
… and in the rest of the world
This is an obvious consequence of the ‘debate’ that has been talking place over the last few weeks. How does Britain expect people in other countries to use the Oxford researched vaccine if people in Britain aren’t being given it? This just builds on the mistrust that people in poorer countries have with the history of colonialism and imperialism. ‘If it’s not good for them then why is it good for us?’ AstraZeneca jab ‘course correction’ could dent confidence outside UK.
Just so the Brits (and especially the Buffoon) can feel ‘superior’ – Australia’s bungled covid vaccine roll out suffers another setback.
Researchers are hatching a low-cost coronavirus vaccine.
Petty nationalism gets in the way of any vaccine – mine’s better than yours. It’s not what this article says that’s interesting – but the tone. Here adding anti-Chinese sentiments to the nationalistic tub thumping. Chinese official says local vaccines ‘don’t have high protection rates’.
South African case study sheds light on how vaccine manufacturing can be developed.
The global approach to vaccine equity is failing.
Safety concerns and reactions in the west dent confidence worldwide.
Sputnik V: How Russia’s Covid vaccine is dividing Europe.
Most people support sharing vaccines with other countries.
Russian covid vaccine: why more and more countries are turning to Sputnik V.
The ‘Blood Clot Saga’
I’m starting to lose it when it comes to the matter of the AstraZeneca vaccine. European politicians and bureaucrats bad mouth the vaccine then fight to keep any supplies in Europe. And then, no doubt, will wonder why some of their population will refuse to take it. Almost all Dutch-made AstraZeneca doses will stay in EU, says Brussels.
The snowball starts rolling. European Union agency examines reports of blood clots with Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine.
Blood clot reports could have ‘implications’ for use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in UK. Waiting for a report to come out now which will indicate that such ‘rare’ blood clots are more common than we were first given to believe.
Is it the adenovirus vaccine technology, used by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, causing blood clots? There’s no evidence yet.
Brain clots ‘more likely’ with covid infection than vaccine.
The virus in the summer
Will summer slow the spread of covid-19?
The pandemic in the rest of the world
Covid pandemic still growing exponentially, World Health Organization says ‘confusion and complacency’ prolonging global situation.
How Taiwan beat covid-19.
Test, Track and Trace
NHS to digitise coronavirus testing with new Scandit deal.
Pubs are reopening but research shows contact tracing still isn’t working – here’s how to fix it.
Apple and Google block NHS Covid app update over privacy breaches.
Covid test firm cuts price amid criticism over cost.
Rapid covid testing in England may be scaled back over false positives.
Mass testing shouldn’t be part of the UK’s plan to return to normality.
Pesky variants
How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains his concerns.
More of those who make money out of a pandemic
Research shows travellers have to pay twice as much for PCR tests in the UK as they do in much of Europe.
It’s not just racism that’s been institutionalised in Britain – so has corruption. Matt Hancock and sister own shares in NHS contract firm.
Covid contracts: PPE fixer who was Tory donor named in admin error.
Poverty in Britain
On 21st April 2021 the Resolution Foundation released a report, After shocks – financial resilience before and during the covid-19 crisis, which looked at the comparative situation of low-income households in the UK, France and Germany. Although those people are suffering in all three countries this paragraph is here as, it won’t surprise many people, that in general the poor are even more worse off in Britain than the other two comparable countries in Europe.
On 21st April there was a one hour webinar discussing the outcomes of this report. That is available here.
Following ‘date not dates’?
Virus hotspots could lead to third Covid wave in UK.
‘Collateral damage’
Return to crowded Accident and Emergency Departments and long ambulance delays will put patients at risk, warn experts. ‘There seems to be a normalising of what is abnormal,’ says vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
Heathrow says airport queues are becoming ‘untenable’.
Ministers accused of ‘disrespectful’ attitude towards students after confirmation most will not return to English universities until 17 May. Claim tattoo parlours have been given more certainty than students.
4.7 million waiting for operations in England.
Workers in insecure jobs twice as likely to die of covid.
Press freedom: how governments are using COVID as an excuse to crack down on the public’s right to know.
Care Homes
Care homes: why investment firms can be bad owners.
Behaving ‘responsibly’ in 2021 Britain
England lock down eases: Buffoon warns people to ‘behave responsibly’.
Greensill: Lessons to be learnt over lobbying – Cameron
Isn’t there a contradiction here? Am I seeing something that’s not there or is it people refusing to accept that in present day British society there is definitely one rule for the rich and another for the rest of us. The worst thing about his is that the British population seems (at least the majority of them) to think that this is the norm.
‘Immunity passports’
Covid-status certificates could lead to deliberate infections, scientists warn.
Vaccine passports could create ‘two-tier society’.
Covid-status certificate scheme could be unlawful discrimination.
Resistance to the virus
Men create more antibodies after asymptomatic infections and keep them for longer.
The eventual recovery?
Post-covid recovery plans must centre around care work – here’s why.
Capitalism’s covid recovery will deepen social inequality.
Pandemic recovery will take more than soaring growth – to fuel a more equitable economy, countries need to measure the well-being of people, too.
Learning to live with covid – the tough choices ahead.
The Covid public inquiry
Five questions that need answering in a Covid public inquiry.
More on covid pandemic 2020-2?
Ukraine – what you’re not told
