Thread by @daniel_harvey

The following is an explanation as to why the #coronavirus #covid-19 epidemic is not just a health emergency. It is an opinion that would (if I had any followers) likely cause a divide but it's a serious cause for concern. (Thread)

The current coronavirus pandemic is being politicised not only badly, but to the extent it is damaging the entire lives of the next generation.
Young children have lost not only their learning but their social interaction which could potentially damage them irreparably growing up

Those students due to sit their GCSEs and A-Levels have been told they now won't be and to grade them the government will "come up with something".

So their entire future careers, academic prospects, job prospects and entry into apprenticeship schemes is in doubt. More worryingly it is in the hands of this government, not their own.

If, like myself, they have spent their youth messing round and were looking to pull it all back at the final round; that opportunity has been stripped.

Why? To protect the spread of a virus which is detrimental to those over 75. Those who have been able to have a life, have a career, have options, be a part of the European Union, all these things have been stripped away from the new generation to protect the oldest.

Surely, sense would have it, that those vulnerable and in the bracket of 75+ self isolate, stay away from loved ones and allow the new generation to actually have lives?

The current evidence released by the CDC shows that if you're under 45 odds are you will be fine if you have no underlying health conditions.
Out of 123 cases of patients aged 0-19 only 1.6-2.5% were admitted to hospital; 0% ICU and 0% fatalities.

Out of 705 cases of patients aged 20-44; 14-20% were hospitalised, 2-4% ended up in ICU, 0.1-0.2% fatality.
Source: cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/6…

Going deeper into the numbers 45-54 age bracket had 21-28% hospitalisation rate, 5.4-10% ICU rate and 0.5-0.8% fatality.
The 55-64 numbers are similar with a slightly higher fatality % of 1.4-2.6%

65-74 age bracket is when the numbers shoot up with 28-43% being hospitalised, 8-18% being admitted to ICU and fatalities of 2.7-4.9%
So the fatalities are coming from over 75s which has been publicly relayed.

It may be conspiracy theorist to say but it appears the main reason for this "self isolation" and places being put in "lockdown" is to make sure the state of healthcare systems is not highlighted for the state it is in.

I mean absolutely no disrespect to our fabulous #NHS, it is an amazing entity and the staff are fabulous and do everything they can to keep people (including me and I thank them for it!) alive.

But 10 years of Tory cuts have the NHS at the point where it is breaking and we are not going to get it back.

Private medical firms and private insurance are circling like hawks (how many people have "pandemic insurance"?), the UK is looking to sign a trade agreement with the USA and we are still to believe the NHS is not for sale.

If we did what was fair & allowed all bar the most vulnerable to this disease to continue about their daily lives until a cure was created, based on the numbers of ~20% of each age bracket being hospitalised, the comeback on this government would be remembered for generations.

The NHS would not cope with the numbers being hospitalised. There would not be enough beds, nurses, doctors or consultants. Many, many more people would die as they would not be able to get the hospital treatment they need.

The Tory party would be exposed for what it is; serving the rich, stripping the public services for the common people and the party that destroyed the NHS.

Someone, somewhere, has anticipated this worst case outcome and instead of allowing the majority of people to live out their lives; ALL must go into self-isolation and lock down.

Yes this is a virus, yes it is unanticipated, but the NHS was designed initially to be able to help people in their time of need. It has been systematically stripped and starved of the cash and staff it needs.

The #EU model of working together, scientists collaborating for the greater good is being smashed apart preventing quick cures, for a few to profiteer and for those who voted about it to "feel British" whatever that means.

Worryingly also governments are now passing new laws reminiscent to those in wartime with no "sunset clause"; instead they have a two-year time frame. Why is this needed if it will only last 12 weeks? #NewWorldOrder

TLDR; this is a political situation as well as a health one. The two are interlinked. The new generation is being sacrificed to protect the Tory party and hide the extent of #ToryCuts
The NHS has been systematically stripped to its bare bones. We HAVE to #SaveOurNHS

@threadreaderapp unroll please