Hear hear to David Heilpern’s recent 10 point grumble, particularly points 7, 8 and 9. If the primary objective of COVID policy is to reduce the number of severe cases overwhelming hospital resources, surely we would employ every strategy available to us?
Perversely, public health measures implemented during the lockdowns have not enhanced public health. Anyone remember ‘Life. Be in it’ and Norm? We were encouraged to ‘get on yer bike, go and exercise in the fresh air and sunshine, eat a more wholesome diet’. The theory was that fewer unhealthy people equalled fewer severely ill patients.
Compensating people damaged in pursuit of the ‘Greater Good?’ – okay. But what about the moral hazards for the manufacturers of the shots, those who reap profits but bear no responsibility for serious side effects? Some Nordic countries have required that suppliers must set aside some of their profits to cover the costs of compensation.
Regarding the ‘infodemic’, I can only suggest that David acquire a copy of Dr Judy Wilyman’s (Phd,Msc,Bsc,Dip Ed) controversial [anti-vax] analysis of the drift in Australia’s public health policy. In an epidemic of vulnerability, Dr Wilyman’s analysis shows why we will never hear much about building community immunity and wellbeing. Will another Norm ever exhort us to turn off the telly’, can the beer and junk food? Fat chance!
Robin, in NSW there has been no ban on leaving home to exercise. In fact in areas in lockdown (a rare event locally) where exercise is one à a few permissible activities, there have been many tales of exhausted over-walked dogs and footpaths packed with joggers and cyclists. Were you aware of how demand surge has made bike supplies scarce during the pandemic?
Of course we should be aware and reminded of the importance of a healthy lifestyle – diet, exercise, psychological well-being – for the prevention of disease and a healthy immune system. None of this however detracts from the vulnerability we will have to exposure to a new virus, foreign to our natural immunity and often devastating to the immune compromised – the aged and those with certain conditions (estimated to include about half of us.
The healthy lifestyle is a motherhood statement. No one refutes it but it doesn’t quite tell the whole story when the unvaccinated continue to make up the bulk of hospitalisations and deaths.
Thanks Liz for counteracting the continuing paranoid, self serving antivax propaganda.
Thank you too Rod.