What the papers have been saying in the week ending May 9th
Another week dominated by covid-19. Each week brings new insights into the human condition and our responses to the global threat and the ways that politicians and scientific experts are behaving in this extreme circumstance:
We have learned that ordinary people are finding ways to live with the reduction of freedom and dependence on outside catering and entertainment as well as work:
- More people are buying dogs – Giving rise to a caution that dogs are not just for lockdown (or Christmas) https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/may/04/dogs-are-for-life-not-just-coronavirus-lockdown-says-charity
- More people are turning to creative hobbies: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/may/04/a-good-yarn-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-spawns-arts-and-craft-renaissance
- More people are buying seeds and plants, hot tubs, alcohol, turning to home cooking and following recipes for chutney (even in their 90s – this cannot be another Marmalade Marathon)
AND for entertainment and information
- Radio 3 receives special praise https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/03/the-guardian-view-on-bbc-radio-3-a-balm-to-the-soul
- https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/may/05/bbc-radio-3-is-an-oasis-of-calm-in-troubling-times
- Radio 4 is also recommended.
On the other hand the scheme to recruit volunteers to help the NHS has proved to be an empty promise: 750,000 have volunteered but very few have been given anything to do https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/03/nhs-coronavirus-crisis-volunteers-frustrated-at-lack-of-tasks
But fears and bitterness run through many observations and comments:
- Sir Michael Palin and Lady Altman make a plea for fair treatment and respect for older people when the lockdown is eased; they and others suspect we will not be treated fairly: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/03/elderly-must-not-be-left-out-of-lockdown-easing-says-michael-palin
- Because of the high death rates in care homes, and publicity describing lack of necessary equipment, some families feel their loved ones will be safer elsewhere: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/04/coronavirus-fears-leading-families-to-remove-relatives-from-uk-care-homes
- Reflecting on the deaths in care homes Richard Coker finds the word ‘grim’ to point to the phenomenon of ‘harvesting’ (reaping) when danger comes to a population and takes the weakest and most vulnerable. He is not comfortable with what some people see as a ‘hands-off’ policy and the early exclusion of care home deaths from daily reporting. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/08/care-home-residents-harvested-left-to-die-uk-government-herd-immunity
- Deaths in care homes are running at three times the usual rate for this time of year. Deaths at home are one and a half times the usual rate. 80% of these extra deaths are not registered as due to covid-19. The concern is that measures to anticipate the needs of patients with covid-19 have so distorted the way that services are operating, that preventable deaths from other causes are occurring.
- David Spiegelhalter’s article from last week on comparing death rates across nations is contested by other experts who feel he should not dismiss the possibility that we can have some confidence in the figures and use them to learn and to model best practice: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/04/uk-behind-the-curve-in-curbing-covid-19-deaths
- Spiegelhalter himself writes to ask politicians not to misuse his article to justify lack of thoughtful actions: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/06/author-of-guardian-article-on-death-tolls-asks-government-to-stop-using-it
Every word has to be weighed carefully for this is a world where experts, politicians and ordinary people may be using different vocabularies – and everyone is stressed and sensitive.
Aside from this world of fears and blame:
- It is wonderful to read of the successes of faith communities – all faiths – in providing food for the needy: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/07/no-time-to-shop-uk-faith-groups-in-push-to-feed-nhs-coronavirus
- There are fears for younger people as jobs are disappearing because of the economic decline from enforced cessation of work: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/01/young-people-jobless-future-labour-employment-schemes
- There is hope that lessons will be learned that poverty kills – the hope being that society will restructure again to provide greater equality and safety against such crises https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/05/poverty-kills-people-coronavirus-life-expectancy-britain
Which brings us to the end of the week and VE Day
- we were blessed with wisdom elegantly expressed by Joan Bakewell wanting the model of success after VE Day to be replicated after covid-19: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/08/ve-day-coronavirus-1945
- and more wise words including those from Queen Elizabeth II https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/08/commemorating-ve-day-during-coronavirus-lockdown-somehow-the-quiet-made-it-louder
BUT
Banksy should have the final world – with his tribute to a superhero – an ordinary nurse New Banksy piece celebrates superhero health workers
David J0lley
