One year later, can we put this question to rest now?
Countries (Australia, New Zealand & South Korea) that carried out the elimination strategy (zero COVID) did better economically than those who chose the mitigation or “living with the virus” strategy.
If you stripped away Santa Claus and the flying reindeers, the original Christmas story is much closer to us today than you could imagine if you scratched under the surface a little. (You don’t have to even believe it but just let the story, like any story, wash over you.) 1/
It was a time of geo-political unrest. The “king” was quite an icon. Historians have written about some horrible narcissistic character that was indicative of a poor leader somehow unfit to lead that region. I may be wrong. 2/
A big population census was being undertaken and people had to travel to their home towns. There was significant migratory human movement. In that context, a young peasant couple from a Jewish community had to travel to their country town. 3/
Many people are already infected and carrying the virus now, but they are not displaying any symptoms. Some will show very mild symptoms only.
You may be lucky. But you may pass on the virus to someone who might die.
Let’s protect each other.
The reason why this virus is difficult to control is that by the time you display symptoms, you would have passed on the virus to many people.
So please restrict people contact the next few weeks. You’re protecting yourself and others that way.
Contact tracing is one part of the big game. Do everything else too:
Masks. Hand wash. Social distancing. Stay home. Limit movements. Limit people contact to essentials. PPE for HCW. Ventilate ventilate ventilate. (Consider it an airborne disease even if some still deny it).
Back in July, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia had over 700 positive cases a day.
In the last 16 consecutive days we have had zero cases. The job is not done but we’re looking at a COVID normal summer and Christmas.
How did this state of 6.5million people do it? 1/
The choice wasn’t economy vs health. Health is the economy. The economy is health. Without health, there is no economy.
Our experience (along with New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cuba, Korea, Japan etc) shows that it can be done. 2/
Our interventions were in multiple levels. Not one single intervention that was definitive. Public health is a package.
Draconian is an emotive and misused term. A choice to act for the goodwill of the community is not draconian. It is life-saving and future-proofing. 3/
Justice is something to do, to be done. Justice is not a thought, an ideology, a perspective or an opinion. Justice is an act. Justice is beyond the keyboard. It requires actions to keep leaders accountable and help the oppressed.
Kindness, interestingly, is beyond doing. Some would “do” kindness for an underlying reason. Loving kindness means you’re a champion of kindness in everything you do. Loving kindness is embodying kindness in everything, both character and actions. Kindness is positive strength.