What the papers said in the week ending July 18th
The end of the week gave us joy as Queen Elizabeth knighted Captain Tom Moore in a ceremony on the lawns of Windsor Castle. Two utterly charming people with many years of experience between them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIMV5NebrI
Much of the rest was dominated by Covid-19 – some new science, much about the wisdom or otherwise of measures to contain it, and an accumulating dossier of secondary and tertiary effects:
- Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months. It might not be, but it might. So we are not reassured but the scientists are covered. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/12/immunity-to-covid-19-could-be-lost-in-months-uk-study-suggests
- We are warned that the virus can probably be spread in tiny airborne ‘aerosol’ droplets which travel long distances. This is a dreadful prospect – How can we defend against something like this? Masks and social distancing would seem to be puny defences. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/health/coronavirus-airborne-aerosols.html
- We read about additional damage from the infection. An Edinburgh study of 1200 patients finding evidence of damage to half of the patients who had ECGs https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jul/13/heart-scans-of-covid-19-patients-show-range-of-abnormalities
- ‘Experts fear 120,000 covid deaths over winter’. Not a reassuring headline – but this is a worst-case scenario produced by epidemiologists using computer modelling. So we may be grateful if we do not lose that many, but a more sober estimate near to what is likely would have been welcome www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/14/action-to-stop-winter-covid-19-second-wave-in-uk-must-start-now
- The current situation is that the rate of deaths has fallen and is falling, but not progressing as well as might be https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/coronavirus-infection-rate-in-england-fell-sharply-month-before-lockdown-lifted9
- A Birmingham University study using Dutch data found air pollution makes Covid impact worse. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/13/compelling-evidence-air-pollution-worsens-coronavirus-study
- A University College London study of 44,000 patients found that one in five vulnerable people reported self-harm or suicidal thoughts during the lockdown www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/12/vulnerable-people-self-harm-suicide-uk-lockdown-coronavirus
Dementia: An Alzheimer’s society survey of 1,800 people with dementia extrapolated its findings to declare: ‘tens of thousands alone in lockdown’. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/14/eight-in-10-people-living-alone-with-dementia-completely-isolated-since-march. This may be correct, but it has the feel of hyperbole. We know that many people are making enormous efforts to engage and support others who may be more vulnerable.
Care Homes and Care Staff: The unseemly poor treatment and undervaluing of care staff continues unabated –
- The government apparently planning to exclude them from the health visa system. This must be unfair to them and many experts fear that it will be disastrous for the care industry https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/priti-patel-health-care-visa-1-6743674
- We read something of the reality of the lives and ambitions of these carers in a moving personal account by one: ‘I want to make a difference. EU care worker’s story’. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/13/eu-care-worker-story-want-make-difference-in-peoples-lives-romania-brexit-immigration
- Guardian Letters has more to say on this: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/13/care-workers-left-unfairly-exposed-to-coronavirus
- Another University of Edinburgh study found Covid-19 outbreaks far more likely in big care homes: a threefold increase of infection for every additional 20 beds https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/14/covid-19-outbreaks-up-to-20-times-more-likely-in-large-care-homes-uk-study
- There is an appeal for more equipment for hospitals which have fallen behind as resources have been soaked up by Covid-19 considerations https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/14/english-nhs-hospitals-in-urgent-need-of-more-scanners-and-staff-to-deal-with-backlog
- Hospitals are not perfect nor blameless in their practices: a training event at one hospital was attended by one individual who developed Covid-19 – this resulted in the closure of the Accident and Emergency unit. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/15/hillingdon-hospital-coronavirus-outbreak-began-staff-event-attended/
- The most senior civil servant responsible for care homes has had to step aside for a while. This able and experienced woman seems to have been overcome by the stress of the situation https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/17/top-civil-servant-overseeing-care-homes-england-steps-aside-rosamond-roughton
There is an apparently ‘good news’ story that the world’s 84 richest people say they want to pay extra taxes toward Covid recovery. Others will more modestly be prepared to make suitable contributions. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/jul/13/super-rich-call-for-higher-taxes-on-wealthy-to-pay-for-covid-19-recovery
Other matters:
- Sir Andrew Dilnot has not given up and advises that social care costs in England should be capped at £45,000 per year https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/14/care-costs-in-england-should-be-capped-says-social-care-adviser
- George Monboit rages that awarding PPE contracts in secret is wrong and is deadly serious. ‘This stinks’: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/15/coronavirus-contracts-government-transparency-pandemic. It is not the specifics which are to be questioned but the principle.
- Paid employment has fallen by 650,000 since the start of the pandemic https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/16/number-of-uk-workers-on-company-payroll-falls-by-650000-amid-covid-19-crisis
- Public sector pension discrimination has been recognised and a court ruling will require that this be corrected – the cost is enormous: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/16/public-sector-pension-discrimination-could-cost-uk-taxpayer-17bn
A rare bird is giving pleasure to enthusiasts in the Peak District: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/17/bearded-vulture-makes-rare-uk-visit-in-peak-district-national-park
Running through the week has been The Guardian’s excellent Black History Time Line – Presented as wall charts and interactive on line: Black History timeline
Some well-known names were included: Septimus Severus, Augustine of Hippo, Mary Seacole, Martin Luther King, Windrush, Othello, Roots, NHS, Notting Hill, Enoch Powell, Paul Robeson, Uncle Tom, Barack Obama, Moira Stuart, John Sentamu, Jesse Owens, Nelson Mandela, Muhammed Ali, Idi Amin, and Desmond Tutu
David Jolley
