More on covid pandemic 2020-2?
Ukraine – what you’re not told
‘Groundhog Day’ in the pandemic world
What has characterised the actions of virtually all governments throughout the world since the pandemic broke, really at the beginning of 2020, is the realisation that they don’t know what they are doing and hence we get the feeling that the same tactics are being repeated – even though they might have proven to be ineffective in the past. We are going through the same sort of Hell Bill Murray went though in the 1993 film ‘Groundhog Day’. The only, and significant, difference is that the character in the film learnt from the same situations, the world’s governments aren’t.
A new, not unexpected variant (this time omicron) appears and the reaction of the idiots we have chosen to rule over us act in the same way; xenophobic; racist, tribal, euro-centric (and that includes countries like Australia – who, after all, are in the Eurovision Song Contest) and attempt to keep out what is impossible (even in the 14th century but even less so now) the inevitable.
Once omicron was ‘discovered’ in South Africa many scientists were saying that the variant had almost certainly spread throughout the world. But those same governments that say they are ‘following the science’ follow, instead, the populist approach, playing to the gallery of their own populations and electorate, inevitable to the lowest common denominator.
They are the modern day equivalents of Canute – believing that just by saying something it will happen. But as the tide will come in twice a day whatever we may wish so variants of covid will cross borders invisibly. Once we know it exists it has already been around for a while.
But still, now a couple of weeks since it was announced, there has been no significant change in the attitude of the richest societies to the spread of the virus. Knowledge gained over the centuries has told us that such variants will develop if infection rates are allowed to grow in even the most outlying regions.
Because of failings at the very beginning of the pandemic (no joined up thinking, no international co-ordination, no strategy) the only way to control that spread now is through a world wide vaccination programme.
But what has happened (and this is no surprise whatsoever) since the announcement of a new variant is that the societies in the richest parts of the world have become more xenophobic, more racist, more tribal, more euro-centric.
Countries have been ordering more and more vaccines for ‘their’ populations, stock-piling more doses for the future and even taking the first batches of the newer vaccines that are coming into production.
Still no major move has been made to force (in a war situation you don’t ‘ask’) the major pharmaceutical companies to do what is necessary in the circumstances and that is to waiver their control of patents and allow other countries and other companies to produce vaccines for their own populations. This is not necessarily THE answer but it is certainly part of the solution.
It’s been quite the opposite. The British Government has been acting as if it is ‘business as usual’ and have been making agreements with companies which seek to tighten their control of so-called ‘intellectual property’ rather than reduce it.
This is not only stupid, short-sighted and immoral – it is criminal and in the present circumstances those who perpetuate such a situation should be brought to book at the earliest opportunity.
The vaccination programme in Britain ….
Will the UK vaccinate children under 12?
Trigger of rare blood clots with AstraZeneca jab found by scientists.
An ‘independent’ investigation discovers that the most expensive vaccines are the ‘most effective’. What a surprise! Pfizer and Moderna jabs give best overall boost, UK trial finds.
Omicron: Britain plans to vaccinate 25 million in two months – but can it be done?
…. and the rest of the world (perhaps)
Nothing to report here. The richer countries are still hoarding vaccines (even more so now than in the early days of the appearance of vaccines). And those capitalist governments are still refusing to budge on ‘patent waivers’.
Patent waiver
Rich countries must stop blocking the covid vaccine patent waiver.
The future of vaccines
What will tomorrow’s covid-19 vaccines be like? This is probably a meaningless question to the vast majority of the world. They won’t be getting any of the older, less efficient vaccines so there’s no chance of getting the ‘super vaccines’.
The world works for the profits of ‘Big Pharma’!
The BBC, the so-called ‘impartial’ news service posted this article – which was only on the home page of the site for a couple of hours (which says a lot more than the article). So following the science now means we listen to the prognostications of a the boss of a company which has made billions out of the pandemic – after receiving billions from governments to develop the vaccine in the first place. How long are we going to allow these parasites to even speak let alone establish policy? Pfizer boss: Annual covid jabs for years to come.
In this same article it is reported that the UK has ‘secured’ another 114 million doses of vaccines from these uber-profit making companies – at the same time as the spread of the Omicron ‘variant’ is being put down to the lack of vaccination of the vast majority of the world.
Planet pharma: what the industry got out of covid. This links to a podcast.
Mandatory vaccination
Greece to make covid vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?
Germany to ban unvaccinated people from shops and bars.
Why the UK shouldn’t introduce mandatory covid vaccination.
The ‘mask wearing’ debate
Reintroducing masks in England may be met with resistance – here’s how the government can overcome it.
The Omicron ‘variant’
It looks like Omicron causes milder illness – is this how covid becomes endemic?
Omg, Omicron! Why it’s too soon to panic about covid vaccines and the new variant.
What the Government ants to hear. Omicron: better to be safe (and quick) than sorry.
Will omicron – the new coronavirus variant of concern – be more contagious than delta? A virus evolution expert explains what researchers know and what they don’t .
Poverty in Britain
Families furthest below Minimum Income Standard (MIS) excluded from social security gains.
‘Cold, Hungry and Stressed’ – Child poverty laid bare this winter.
‘Merely tinkering’: expert analysis of the UK government’s new plan to reform social care in England.
Third of Scots find energy bill unaffordable.
Safety in the workplace
How air filters can make covid wards safer for patients and staff.
Hypocrisy runs rife in neo-liberal Britain
I don’t know why people are surprised that there has been ‘one rule for them and one rule for the rest of us’ during the pandemic. That’s been the ‘rule’ of British society for centuries – why should those who think they have the right to rule do anything different just because there’s a virus doing the rounds? I also think that people could have thought of a different term to record their reaction than being ‘sickened’. Seems not the best term to use in the middle of a pandemic. Covid bereaved families ‘sickened’ over No 10 [Downing Street – the British Prime Ministers’ official ‘residence’] Christmas party.
After the pandemic
When will life return to normal after the pandemic?
Covid not over and next pandemic could be more lethal.
Vaccine ‘passports’
Many vaccine passports have security flaws – here’s how to make them safer.
Making money from a crisis
Advertising in the pandemic: how companies used covid as a marketing tool.
UK government criticised after £5 billion in Bounce Back Loans paid to fraudsters.
More on covid pandemic 2020-2?
Ukraine – what you’re not told
