More on covid pandemic 2020-2?
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 Studies – briefing 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 Studies – key 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.