Trump and racism (again)

Trump is trying to blame China for COVID19.

Are we to ‘blame’ Saudi Arabia for MERS or ‘blame’ Mexico for Swine Flu? How about ‘blaming’ the DRC in West Africa for Ebola?  What about Malaria? We can blame all those of a ‘funny tinge’ for that.  And there is Zika where we need to ‘blame’ Brazil. Trump is pandering to racism to try and deflect the attention from the way he said that COVID19 was not going to be a big thing along with the other examples of true incompetence that have taken place since then, including the many things he got wrong in his presidential address.  If he is to call COVID19 a name based on racism, he should be consistent and do the same with Ebola, which still kills in Africa as well as how Malaria and Zika are still issues for far too many.

Time to nationalise things

In this time of illness and poverty, many companies are facing insolvency.  They cannot afford to pay staff, and even if they do not, then they still face bankruptcy.

Capitalism is not working.

My answer is that we should consider a basic income (with unpaid leave for many workers), rent and mortgage holidays and part nationalise industries that need financial assistance.

The bailout of the 2008 financial crisis that Gordon Browns push helped to save the economy of the world.  We need someone like him in charge again who can look at the implications of this.  If businesses are part nationalised, then they can be sold back to the current shareholders and owners afterwards when the crisis is over, and by supporting workers on unpaid leave with a universal income, then food can still be bought but they will also have jobs to return to once restrictions are lifted in four to six months time.

An example of why I think that this approach is needed is Virgin Airlines.  They have asked staff to take unpaid leave, and also want financial assistance.  We need to support the people of our nation, not just businesses.

Schools out

Another exhausting day at work.  Yesterday we lost two doctors and one nurse practitioner to isolation and today we lost another nurse and a nurse practitioner.  I did not work in my usual Wednesday role as I was sent to work on the shop floor.  Needless to say it was exhausting again.  And the nation probably faces another four months of this.  So bearing in mind that this is a marathon, not a sprint, I am hoping that COVID19 testing for NHS staff is brought in soon so that those in isolation can return if not infected.

Anyway, today my daughter came home from her school trip.  My son has been at home today with a stomach ache.  She was a bit upset as one of her friends was sent into isolation due to suspected COVID19 in her family.  She was even more upset later though.  Some schools have had to send year groups home due to staff shortages due to isolation of teaching staff, my daughters school being one of them.  She had been told that she would have to work from home for Thursday and Friday.  So when she was told that the schools were closing this weekend, she was ecstatic.  Until she was told she would have to keep going because I am a key worker!  While my son was grateful that he gets to go to school, her reaction was more typical of a teenager...

Absent daughters

I forgot to post an update from Sunday.

After dropping off my mother at Heathrow I dropped my brother off then drove over to the family who were staying at my wife’s parents.  Needless to say I was knackered but got to relax and rest.  They had travelled from abroad the week before and had the option to stay longer.  We had told them to stay as things were to get worse here, but they were reassured by optimists that things would not be too bad.  But things got worse in the days before we saw them and when we arrived my father-in-law did not want to hug me!  Considering that we were to stay overnight, I am not sure this would have helped at all.

The following morning I took my wife and her mother to the shops, were we saw the panic, including the empty shelves of bottled water.

After doing our weekly shop, with the things that we were able to buy I was asked to do some lifting. And both kids helped.  Normally, it is just my daughter who helps, but my son, who has been becoming fitter since he has been cycling to school, helped as well.  I am hopeful that both will become fitter, but this depends on what restrictions COVID19 are placed.

On Monday, my daughter left for a school trip.  We were wondering if this was to go ahead, and in fact we were surprised when it was not cancelled.  And it has been quieter with just the one child.  He loves it, though has said he misses his sister.  I have been too busy to notice myself, finishing my day exhausted and only returning home was he was asleep.

We need a basic income now.

Well, things are getting worse.  Looking at the data available, the government have moved to more strict recommendations. This states that if you live with others and you or one of them have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill.

Those who live alone (like my brothers) only have to self isolate for a week.  But for those with children, this essentially means that parents will be at home an awful lot, especially for those with younger ones who naturally pick up lots of infections.

I understand that this is important in slowing the spread of this infection, but this will mean that many will be confined to being at home and that means that they will not be able to earn money to pay bills, or buy food.

And it will mean that many NHS workers will be at home as they are not to be tested as the UK does not seem to have enough testing kits.  And the reason that I suspect the government has not realised this is because they do not have enough mothers involved in making these decisions.

If social distancing is to work, we cannot have a system where people have to work when infected with COVID19 to feed themselves and loved ones.  And that means that we need a sytem of universal/basic income and we need it now.

Panic, peer pressure and COVID19

We live in interesting times.

The picture was taken when I was shopping in Waitrose and there was little bottled water left on the shelves.

Panic has set in and the pressure to do what others do is overwhelming for many.

And this applies to what other nations are doing to respond to COVID19.

A few issues have been raised.  One is the way that we are no longer testing everyone who is suspected of having COVID19.  From what I understand, the number of tests required to continue doing this is to exceed the capacity. It is a shame for many as if those who are infected with COVID19 know they have had it, they also know that they no longer pose a risk to others.  An issue that even more important for those who have a formal or informal role in looking after those who are vulnerable.

The next issue is why we are not carrying out the shutdowns that are occurring in Italy and Spain are not happening here.  The answer to that is that they will, soon.  In the UK we are a week or so behind France and Spain.

There is cynicism about the ability of Boris to manage this.  If it was just down to him, I would share those concerns.  But it is not.  Our Prime Minister is making decisions after listening to those in Public Health who have access to epidemiological data from the UK, Italy, Wuhan, South Korea, France and Spain.

People are going to die due this illness.  The aim is to keep the numbers as low as possible.  It is scary, but we can ask our government to panic, or we can hope they can stay calm, and make the right decisions at the right time.

Heathrow

Today has been a bit knackering.

My son has been catching up on Doctor Who and my daughter was at a sleep over.  And the parents of my wife have returned from being abroad. So we went to meet up with them before I went to take my mother to Heathrow to travel abroad.  The airport was quiet, understandable considering how people are concerned about travelling, including my mother.  And while she is concerned about the flight and travelling, I am mostly reassured that she should be safer abroad.  So long as she takes care when travelling by public transport.