What are we going to do about the COVID-2X and COVID-3X World wide Pandemics?

CliveS:

Thanks Peter,

I can see you prefer full item results to study the virus.  But does identification of the number of carriers help your family or next door neighbours 10 days later.  The article stated 

   "In any event, boosting production of test supplies at a linear rate gives us little hope of matching the demand of unchecked virus spread. The pandemic will not be ended simply by producing more test technology."  

So we need a vaccine now, immediately, or we go for herd immunity, letting nature take its normal course and letting God decide who lives and dies as usual.

I suspect a large number of people, unlike you, actually care if thousands of people die.


The tests in the UK should be delivering results in 24 hours.  They aren't t the moment, which the government needs to sort out.  If we can get it down to a day or two, then people with symptoms - and people who have been exposed to others who have the virus - only need to take a day or two off work.  If they are clear, they can go back to work, school or wherever again.

I share your dismay Peter, in fact you are being too polite to say that the English lack social discipline. We seem to have evolved into a society that believes that you can create 'real' lasting wealth and value out of thin air and that our individual 'human rights' are considerably more important than our public duties and responsibilities. Powerful global corporations have become successful at brain washing us into 'buying in' to the need to be covetous and selfish, caring more about keeping up with our peers and the acquisition of visible 'showy' material possiessions rather than the pursuit of more worthy causes. The words of Desiderata written by Max Ehrman spring to mind.

There must indeed be many ways of dealing with these pandemics. One only has to look at how S.Korea and New Zealand have performed for examples of good practice. It remains to be seen whether Sweden's apparent adoption of its more measured (herd immunity) policy will turn out to be quantitatively better than the Central European path. As you originally asked, how do we intend to deal with similar pandemics in future - especially after all the 'learning' that can now be derived from our present and ongoing difficulties. The larger questions of 'wealth inequality' will always be present and if nothing else, this pandemic has highlighted much that is wrong with our 'western democracy based' societies. Ultimately, it must come down to learning from bitter experience and much better education and motivational training. Just imagine what could be achieved if each Senior Citizen were to adopt an apprentice, to whom many years of wisdom, career guidance and skill could be given ! A University education may be ok for some but surely an apprenticeship offers far more potential for 'the majority' with the opportunity of further formal study always still available should the chosen career path/employer require it.