What the papers have been saying in the week ending June 6th
Care Homes
- A week of sustained high passion, but with the beginnings of consensus and with it a quieter resolve to take action. Polly Toynbee cites ‘the care home tragedy’ as a ‘stain on this government’: 22,000 excess deaths in care homes, NHS given priority, hospitals emptied into care homes – careless of the consequences. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/01/care-home-dead-government-systematic-ageism-uk-covid-19 Her suggestion is that we move back towards integrated and nationalised care across the health-social care interface. More beds and all services free of means-testing.
- News-night’s in depth study based on experience in an MHA setting, provided powerful – hopefully influential – support Newsnight – 03/06/2020
- Hospitals and care homes are seen to be dangerous places – storehouses of infection ‘spilling out’ to the community. (Clearly they have become such by means of infections coming to them from the community) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/02/covid-19-spilling-out-of-hospitals-and-care-homes-says-uk-expert
- There are informed and impassioned letters commenting on the genesis of the weakness of the care home sector. Conclusions very much in line with Polly Toynbee. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/03/care-home-crisis-is-the-result-of-years-of-neglect
- Amongst the good news is a scheme whereby scout troops are becoming linked to care homes to offer a counter to isolation. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/05/scout-troops-pair-up-with-care-homes-across-uk
Inequalities and Covid-19
A comprehensively impressive report from Public Health England makes humbling reading as it identifies those sections of the population suffering more cases and more deaths.
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/02/calls-mount-for-public-inquiry-into-uk-bame-covid-19-death-rate
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes
Headlines have focused on BAME populations but the chapters on age, gender, geography, occupation and deprivation are startling. Over 75 and your chances of a Covid death are 10,000 more likely than for someone under 15. If you work as a taxi driver, nursing assistant or on public transport, your chances of death more than double the average
The international furore arising from the killing of a black man by a white American policeman is matched by concern that in this country black people have been much more often arrested for breach of lockdown rules than others: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52905787
Easing restrictions
There is very little confidence in decisions being made to allow or recommend that the careful restrictions on communication can be safely relaxed:
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/31/experts-decry-easing-of-coronavirus-lockdown-for-englands-shielders
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8387787/Covid-19-infection-rate-HIGH-strict-two-metre-social-distancing-rules-lifted.html
- While the large number of deaths is mesmerising, it is so important to hear what each death means to individuals and families https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/02/more-than-a-number-stories-behind-five-of-the-50000-uk-lives-lost-to-coronavirus
- Sweden’s eccentric policy of not advising changes in life style has led to it having a very high casualty rate. This is admitted and the fault openly regretted. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/03/architect-of-sweden-coronavirus-strategy-admits-too-many-died-anders-tegnell
Not all excess deaths during this period have been attributed to Covid-19. Focus on dementia finds there to have been 10,000 more deaths than expected – and these are not Covid-19 related. It is wondered whether psychological responses to the deprivations of lockdown play a part – but there is also suspicion that health care services have been distracted from the needs of people with Covid-19. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/covid-19-causing-10000-dementia-deaths-beyond-infections-research-says
Professor Sunetra Gupta, a Professor of Epidemiology at Oxford, is a voice in the wilderness: asking for all the restrictions to be dissuaded to allow young people, who are not now at risk, get on with their lives. She supposes and theorises that natural immunity will protect most people (we heard about ‘herd immunity’ some weeks ago; for this to work, more than half the population would need to have been exposed and survived – current estimates are of the order of 10%!). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/the-costs-are-too-high-the-scientist-who-wants-lockdown-lifted-faster-sunetra-gupta
The vaunted but delayed Test and Trace system is not receiving a uniformly positive press: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/test-and-trace-system-is-not-fit-for-purpose
Yet, other countries believe they will soon be clear of the virus: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/cant-quite-believe-it-new-zealand-tiptoes-towards-elimination-of-coronavirus
Consequences
- Quality control of publications in learned journals seems to have been compromised in the rush to publish about treatments https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/03/covid-19-surgisphere-who-world-health-organization-hydroxychloroquine
- More people are turning to food banks: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/03/record-numbers-used-uk-food-banks-in-first-month-of-lockdown
- And a million more people are feared to be at risk of hardship http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/29665
- People with money have been paying off debts rather than new spending https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/may/31/uks-richest-20-reduce-spending-by-23bn-during–coronavirus-lockdown
- Drinkers are drinking more https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/02/half-of-british-drinkers-starting-earlier-in-the-day-during-covid-19-crisis
- Cancer patients are waiting longer for tests and treatment https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/01/millions-in-uk-miss-cancer-screenings-tests-and-treatments-due-to-covid-19
- Probate is taking even longer than ever https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-8205333/Can-probate-coronavirus-lockdown.html
BUT
- cleaner air is good news, especially for those with lung disease https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/04/cleaner-air-during-uk-lockdown-relieves-asthma-for-millions-lung-conditions-coronavirus
AND
- a new sense of neighbourhood has been engendered and hopefully will be sustained https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/neighbourliness-to-the-fore-its-been-the-highlight-of-our-lockdown, even though our Thursday clapping has been undermined https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/03/a-fitting-end-to-the-clap-for-carers-ritual
- Captain Tom has inspired a younger man with multiple disabilities to emulate his heroics – and is recognised as a hero and champion fund0raise himself https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/31/ginormous-challenge-boy-with-cerebral-palsy-completes-marathon
What can we do?
WHO is advising everyone over 60 to wear a medical-grade face mask in public places where we cannot maintain a distance of more than two metres https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/who-changes-advice-medical-grade-masks-over-60s
Vitamin K is being suggested as a protective factor, so sales of certain foods may rise https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jun/05/vitamin-k-could-help-fight-coronavirus-study-suggests
Other news
Prostate cancer is more common – and the cause of death of people close to us Prostate cancer ‘now most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK’ Treatments are available
David Jolley
