Is the pandemic going to plague us for a third year?

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Ukraine – what you’re not told

Is the pandemic going to plague us for a third year?

Considering the covid pandemic dominated so many peoples’ lives for so long things, at least in the UK, have been very quiet in the last few months. Occasionally there will be a report by some ‘expert’ reminding people that covid is still around but there is definitely the general idea that ‘we are over the worse’. Whether or not that is the case time will tell. And if the clock is ticking the sound will get noisier from now on as winter definitely takes grip in the northern hemisphere and all the elements that the virus likes will come into play.

If there is any real mention of covid at the moment it is in relation to how the Chinese government has dealt with the matter. It’s ‘zero-covid’ policy is being used, by the western governments and its slavish media, as a stick to beat the Chinese authorities. As with the war in the Ukraine it’s regime change that the west is more concerned about and western governments rub their hands with glee in the hope that opposition to the strict lock down policy in China will rock the government and its leadership there.

Although considering the policy adopted in China has now been going on for too long and lacks an imaginative approach to the future (to a virus that has not gone away) it’s important to remind people what that policy has achieved. A little more than 5,000 people have died of covid in China – out of a population of 1,500,000. Many more than 100,000 have died in the UK – out of a population of 60 million. And it is estimated that in the region of a million people have died in the USA – out of a population of 300 million. These high levels of fatalities are similar in many countries in the so-called ‘developed world’. If the numbers speak then they are saying that the Chinese policy has been more concerned about the lives of its population that all the countries of the ‘west’.

Ever since I started the ‘Journal of the Plague Years 2020-20??’ the aim was to provide a record of how the challenge of dealing with the pandemic was being met throughout the world. When I started in early 2020 I, like most people, I’m sure, didn’t think it would go on for so long. That assumption was based upon ignorance. But even when we all had the ability to understand this virus more fully it still seems it has been around longer than it really should have been.

The flu pandemic that swept through the world in 1918-19 (mis-named Spanish Flu) was able to do its worst not least because a world war had made any attempts to deal with it that much more difficult (in the industrial countries) and the poverty that existed in so many countries as a consequence of colonialism had made what we now call the ‘Global South’ unable to cope with such a biological tsunami.

Surely, a hundred years later the sophisticated and technologically driven capitalist system would be able to cope with a simple virus much more effectively? But that wasn’t going to happen as it was a capitalist system which was in control. What we do know what happened is that huge amounts of money was put into the pockets of gangsters, thieves and fraudsters – only the exact quantity is unknown. And at the start of the third year of the pandemic most countries still haven’t come up with a workable strategy.

In the UK those aspects of life that were identified as being crucial in the spread of the virus, as well as the incidents of death, are still with us – probably even more so as we approach 2023 as we did at the beginning of 2020.

ALL diseases and pandemics will always effect the poor and the vulnerable the most. The levels of poverty in Britain were, in many ways, hidden prior to March 2020 but as the pandemic swept through the population it became obvious who were most at risk. (Many of the posts published here attempted to point out that situation in one of the richest countries in the world.) In the last two years that situation has only gotten worse for all the reasons that everyone should be aware. On top of that the NHS in Britain is probably less well equipped to deal with another major outbreak if it should occur in the next few months – that is despite the expensive vaccination programme (although not for the vast majority of the people in the ‘Global South’) and the vastly increased knowledge about how the virus functions.

In this present post I publish a number of articles I have come across over the quiet interregnum of the last few months. The aim of these posts was never to be an up-to-date story of the pandemic, more a place to find a record of what was said, what was done and the mistakes and failings that were made by those we have foolishly allowed to rule us.

Time and events might have made some of these links a little antiquated or irrelevant but are included here for the above reason.

The future frequency of these posts will depend upon how well the virus has been able to circumvent the aimless and uncoordinated antics of the world’s governments.

Vaccines

Better covid vaccines are on the way. What do they do? And what technology might we see in future?

Five reasons why young people should get a covid booster vaccine – keep on vaccinating the rich whilst ignoring the rest of the world.

An annual booster like the flu shot could be the way forward – and the rest of the world has still yet to be fully vaccinated ONCE.

What next-gen covid-19 vaccines might look like.

Inhalable and nasal vaccines could offer more durable protection than regular shots.

We measured vaccine confidence pre-pandemic and in 2022 – it’s declined considerably.

Should people under 50 in the UK be offered a fourth dose?

Vaccine policy worldwide

Pfizer REFUSES to share vaccines with other researchers.

EU hypocrisy hits dizzying new heights as Commission’s scandal-tarnished President pledges to wage global fight on corruption.

The origins of the pandemic

US biotech cartel behind covid origins and cover-up.

Coronavirus origins: the debate flares up, but the evidence remains weak.

Testing

Covid-19 rapid tests can breed confusion – here’s how to make sense of the results and what to do, according to 3 testing experts.

Unintended consequences of covid and/or the vaccines

Covid or covid vaccination can cause dermal fillers to swell up

The economic impact of covid in the UK depended on where you live.

The pandemic worldwide

The covid debacle rolls on.

The scientific response to covid-19: what does the biomedical literature say?

Covid pandemic created immunisation gaps in Africa. Over half a million children are at risk.

The WHO has advised against the use of two antibody therapies against covid – here’s what that means.

How Bill Gates and partners used their clout to control the global covid response — with little oversight.

The Lancet Commission on Lessons for the Future from the covid-19 Pandemic: A Critical Review.

Mask wearing – the experience of

Maskstravaganza: mask fit, mask manufacturing, masks on the movie set.

Effects of the ‘first waves’

Has the pandemic changed our personalities? New research suggests we’re less open, agreeable and conscientious.

Covid has taken a greater toll on mental health among people from ethnic minorities – sadly this is no surprise

The risk of seizures and epilepsy is higher after covid than after the flu.

Young people without access to a computer had poorer mental health during the pandemic.

High blood pressure linked to 22% greater risk of severe covid.

Six common covid myths busted by a virologist and a public health expert.

The Pandemic in the UK in 2020-21

How Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in England were stretched to cope with the pandemic.

Austerity led to twice as many excess UK deaths as previously thought – here’s what that means for future cuts.

Covid inquiry: the UK government’s pandemic response was often not ‘guided by the science’ – yet now scientists are under fire.

Parental beliefs, perceived health risks, and time investment in children: evidence from covid-19. Working paper from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The Pandemic in the UK in 2022 – 23

Covid cases are rising in England – here’s how things might play out as we move towards winter.

Covid and the cost of living crisis are set to collide this winter – the fallout will be greatest for the most vulnerable.

Covid, flu, RSV – how this triple threat of respiratory viruses could collide this winter.

Variants

Another new covid variant is spreading – here’s what we know about omicron BA.4.6.

XBB and BQ.1: what we know about these two omicron ‘cousins’.

Alert level

UK’s covid alert level downgraded – the move makes sense for now but things can always change.

‘Long’ covid

New cases of severe long covid appear to be dropping – and vaccination is probably key.

Long covid stigma may encourage people to hide the condition.

Overweight women may be at highest risk of long covid.

NHS Waiting lists

Forget the pandemic, ‘NHS decline is to blame’ for record waiting lists.

The Buffoon (now fortunately gone) and the pandemic

Boris Johnson’s pandemic legacy – where he went wrong managing covid (and some things he got right). [But not many ‘right’ – included due to the bizarre attitude in Britain to ‘impartiality’.]

Excess deaths

Summer 2022 saw thousands of excess deaths in England and Wales – here’s why that might be.

We were told to ‘stay home’ to stop covid. Then our homes became disease hotspots.

The next pandemic

5 virus families that could cause the next pandemic, according to the experts.

Poverty in Britain

Thousands of children treated for malnutrition in Scotland.

Universal free school meals would make a huge difference to the cost-of-living crisis.

Health inequalities.

More on covid pandemic 2020-2?

View of the world

Ukraine – what you’re not told

How anti-Russian sanctions will feed the pandemic

More on covid pandemic 2020-2?

View of the world

Ukraine – what you’re not told

How anti-Russian sanctions will feed the pandemic

Once the deaths from covid-19 started to drop (at least) in the UK deaths started to rise following the Special Military Operation carried out by Russia in the Ukraine. The story of the last six months and a bit can be followed on the Ukraine – what you’re not being told page, suffice it to say that the Buffoon was probably glad to have another event taking place worldwide which would take the spotlight off his government’s handling of the pandemic.

But war on the other side of Europe didn’t mean that the pandemic had come to an end. Even though all the indicators in Britain (and the other ‘rich’ countries of the world) were that the pandemic wasn’t as virulent as it had been the disease was still doing it’s worse in those parts of the world where the people suffer from the policies followed in the ‘global north’ on a daily basis.

Not surprisingly the vaccines promised to poorer countries (in their millions) never materialised and once the spotlight of international attention went elsewhere the rich countries started to pull back on their promises and started to vaccinate their own populations, including very young children and also started pumping more of the stuff into the arms of the vulnerable. The recognised fact that by not dealing with a pandemic on a world wide scale the risk of more virulent variants arising – even though a recognised and accepted fact by many – and coming to bite the rich in the arse was forgotten/ignored and those politicians (and countries) just crossed their fingers and hoped it wouldn’t happen. Not having a proper strategy, even after more than two and a half years into the pandemic, that was all they could do.

Instead of spending money on vaccinating the whole of the world’s population (many parts of the which only the likes of 10% of the population have even had just one shot of any of the vaccines) the ‘civilised and sophisticated’ ‘west’ decided to pour billions into the pockets of weapons manufacturers and in so doing were able to perpetuate the war in eastern Europe. More than six months into the conflict none of the western leaders has yet to utter any words about finding a peaceful way out of the conflict and are more concerned on punishing (with the hope of destroying) Russia – both its president and its people.

That aim has not gone too well and, in fact, many of their actions have rebounded in a spectacular manner. Sanctions which were supposed to bring Russia to its knees are having a more deleterious effect on those imposing them, especially when it comes to energy and food.

And this will have a potentially dramatic effect if the pandemic comes back with a vengeance in the next few months.

It didn’t take too long for the statistics to show that the covid-19 virus was having a disproportionate effect on the poorest in the community. (This should never be a surprise. ALL diseases find a welcome host amongst the poor, be it in Britain or any other country in the world. When the rich get affected it’s the exception that proves the rule.)

What is already being predicted is that a sizeable proportion of the population will have a stark choice of either eating or heating. Lacking either of those necessities will have an adverse effect on peoples’ health. They will also be more than likely to share a smaller space – so close contact will become the norm, with there being few opportunities to ‘socially distance’. And no one will be keeping windows open to allow a free circulation of air. Added to that there will be no money available to help people survive the economic crisis as there was in 2020 and 2021 – all the ‘available’ money is going to buy killing machines for eastern Europe.

The same incompetents who were unable to come up with a strategy to deal with the pandemic are the same ones who are following an anti-Russian agenda for political reasons and have no concern of the consequences upon their own populations.

Ending the war should be a priority for many reasons, the threat of a runaway pandemic in the winter being only one of them. Wrapping themselves in the flag of Ukraine will not really keep people warm and healthy.

Where did the pandemic start?

The covid lab leak theory is dead. Here’s how we know the virus came from a Wuhan market.

Covid deaths

Number of UK covid deaths passes 200,000, ONS data shows. Figures show deaths per capita are above European average, at 2,689 per million people.

Vaccines

How the new ‘bivalent’ booster will target omicron

Covid vaccines are linked to heavier periods for many

Vaccine policy worldwide

Yet more medically bogus covid vaccine profiteering: requiring ‘primary’ covid shots to get Omicron ‘booster.

Variants

New covid variants could emerge from animals or from people with chronic infections – but it’s not cause for panic.

The tide of the covid pandemic is going out – but that doesn’t mean big waves still can’t catch us.

Past covid ‘strategies’

Did Sweden’s controversial covid strategy pay off? In many ways it did – but it let the elderly down

Possible infection

Masks and free tests may not curb omicron spread – here’s what we should focus on instead

Measuring infection rates

Wastewater surveillance has become a critical covid tracking tool but funding is inconsistent. [This is in the US but the issue will, almost certainly, be the same in the UK.]

The pandemic in the world

Enduring colonialism has made it harder to end the covid-19 pandemic.

Mask wearing

Face masks affect how children understand speech differently from adults

Global vaccine passport regime

OECD members just met in Ibiza to discuss creating a global vaccine passport regime. On the same day as the OECD meeting, the governments of 21 African countries quietly embraced a vaccine passport system, which will apparently link up with other global systems.

The state of the NHS

NHS vacancies in England at ‘staggering’ new high as almost 10% of posts empty. Quarterly figures show 132,139 roles were vacant at end of June, including more than 46,000 nurse posts .

Long Covid

Long covid: why it’s so hard to tell how many people get it.

Long covid and the labour market, published by the Institute for Fiscal Studiesbriefing note and/or full report.

Hair loss and lower libido among long covid symptoms.

Risk of diabetes and heart disease is higher after infection – but maybe only temporarily.

With no treatment options, it’s little wonder people are seeking unproven therapies like ‘blood washing’.

Covid ‘heroes’

UK’s covid heroes among hardest hit by cost of living crisis

Covid and mental health

We studied how covid affects mental health and brain disorders up to two years after infection – here’s what we found

Poverty in Britain

Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2022, a study carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studieskey findings and/or full report.

Education Inequalities – a chapter from the Deaton Review, published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, executive summary and/or full chapter.

Going without – deepening poverty in the UK, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, full briefing.

Financial Impact Tracker, July 2022, published by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust together with the University of Bristol found that nearly 60% increase in UK households are in serious financial difficulties, summary and/or full report.

Arrears Fears, a report published by the Resolution Foundation, in partnership with the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, found that the UK’s wealth gaps has grown to over £1.2 million, summary and/or full report.

The CentrePoint Report – Young, homeless and hungry; the impact of food insecurity on vulnerable young people, published in July 2022, found that almost half of 16-25 year olds are going to bed hungry – summary and comments and/or full report.

A report by the CentrePoint homeless charity (Food or heat; the impossible decision for homeless young people following the £20 Universal Credit cut) found that the government’s cut in the £20 additional amount to Universal Credit during the height of the pandemic disproportionately affected the under 25s.

Energy crisis: UK households worst hit in western Europe, finds IMF.

More on covid pandemic 2020-2?

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Ukraine – what you’re not told

More deaths in a war trumps defeating a pandemic

More on covid pandemic 2020-2?

View of the world

Ukraine – what you’re not told

More deaths in a war trumps defeating a pandemic

In Britain the figures for covid infections keep on rising and falling. There’s little talk of hospitals being overwhelmed and no mention at all of deaths. Just over two years ago you were a minor celebrity if you caught covid now no one notices.

Although not strictly a disease of the winter the expectation (at least it is hoped there are some with the responsibility to deal with infections to have such expectations) the figures will again climb due to the sort of social mixing that takes place indoors when it gets cold. Whether it will be as catastrophic as in previous years remains to be seen. If it is not that will be more down to luck than any planning by the Government. Two and a half years since the disease was identified there is still no strategy (and if there is they are keeping it very quiet).

Not surprisingly the Buffoon is more concerned about his own miserable political future than managing the worst pandemic the world has had to face in a hundred years. (That’s, of course, if you ignore the disease of capitalism that has been killing people in their millions every year of its existence.)

As if the deaths from the pandemic were not bad enough he is more concerned with perpetuating the war in the Ukraine and increasing spending on ‘defence’, both of which necessarily lead to more and more death and destruction of populations and economies.

The situation when it comes to vaccines is not really any better now (worldwide) than it was 18 months ago.

The richer countries are now up to four vaccines for the most ‘vulnerable’ and will soon be vaccinating embryos in the womb yet in the vast majority of the ‘Global South’ hundreds of millions haven’t even seen a vaccine let alone gotten ‘full’ protection.

And that situation is fully down to the policies followed by the capitalists in the ‘west’.

They take a cavalier approach to the valuable vaccines and there are constant stories of a million doses here, a million does there having to be destroyed as they have gone out of date. (Whether such a short shelf life is actually necessary I have my doubts. Not being a scientist I don’t know the actual science behind such periods but it does seem like another way to pump more billions into the pockets of ‘Big Pharma’.)

Promises made with great acclaim at international meetings about these rich countries ‘donating’ vaccines to the poorer parts of the world’s population come to nought and once the limelight has been switched down those promises are rarely fulfilled.

But worst of all is the opposition of all the leaders of the capitalist countries to the (just temporary and only in this particular situation) relaxing of the patent laws that would allow for more countries to be able to produce, and thus satisfy, their own vaccine needs.

If reason is needed to demonstrate that the World Trade Organisation – to which all these patent laws relate – was a cartel of the rich to make them richer and to keep the poor in even deeper levels of destitution then what is being played out at this time should dispel all doubts.

Vaccine programme worldwide

What happened to the AstraZeneca vaccine? Now rare in rich countries, it’s still saving lives around the world.

Covid nasal sprays could offer advantages over traditional vaccines – a virologist explains how they work.

Future covid-19 booster shots will likely need fresh formulations as new coronavirus variants of concern continue to emerge.

Covid vaccines for children under five: what parents need to know.

Covid vaccines for children: uptake in the UK is slow – here’s why parents might be hesitant.

Over 82 Million U.S. covid vaccine doses have been discarded as pandemic funding stalls. (Article published 6 June 2022.)

This has been happening everywhere in the ‘west’. And has been going on since the vaccine was first stated to be distributed.

More than a million corona shots in the trash: The surpluses are large everywhere. [This from the Netherlands.]

Growing revolt among medical practitioners against vaccinating toddlers for covid. [From the US.]

Repeat covid

Covid reinfections could be more severe for some – but overall evidence doesn’t give us cause for concern.

The effects of covid

Girls’ mental health has been affected more than boys’ during the pandemic.

Covid variants

Fast and furious Omicron new variants defy explanation – and don’t bode well for the future either.

Covid trials

The inside story of Recovery: how the world’s largest COVID-19 trial transformed treatment – and what it could do for other diseases.

Long covid

Long covid: vaccination could reduce symptoms.

Care for 2 million Britons with long Covid ‘woefully inadequate’.

Long covid: female sex, older age and existing health problems increase risk.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and waste

£4 billion of unusable PPE bought in first year of pandemic will be burnt ‘to generate power’.

Those who benefited from the pandemic

‘Profiting from Pain’: Covid created a billionaire every 30 hours.

Poverty in Britain

From pandemic to cost of living crisis: low-income families in challenging times – Joseph Rowntree Trust – findings, full report. Uploaded to media

To ‘level up’, the UK needs a real jubilee: a mass write-off of debts.

How are people adapting post (first wave?) covid pandemic

Long social distancing: how young adults’ habits have changed since covid.

More on covid pandemic 2020-2?

View of the world

Ukraine – what you’re not told