When did the world’s media and politicians become collective versions of Lance Corporal Jones in the British comedy series Dad’s Army, screaming ‘Don’t panic! Don’t panic!’? Colour me contrarian, but since the 2003 Iraq war, my working motto has been: when you come across excitable exclamation marks, substitute sceptical question marks and you’ll be right. (more…)
Category: Health
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MICHAEL GRACEY. Protecting remote Indigenous people from the COVID-19 pandemic
The current pandemic caused by the virus COVID – 19 is affecting many countries; it is highly infectious and potentially fatal, especially for vulnerable people. Indigenous Australians are especially at risk to this infection and will need special arrangements to minimise the devastation that this virus could bring to them. How can this be best achieved? (more…)
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SATURDAY’s GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND
What people in other forums are saying about public policy (more…)
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MICHAEL KEATING.- Good health policy is good for the economy
The Government seems to think that it must balance the needs of the economy against the actions needed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In fact this is not true, and Australia’s future economic capacity will fall if the virus is not defeated as quickly as possible. (more…)
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DUNCAN GRAHAM The land of no social distance
While the Western world thinks staying apart is wise to avoid Covid-19 infections, Indonesians still remain together.
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ALAN TYNDALL. Stem Cell Therapy; Hype or Hope?
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “stem cell therapy”? Miracle cures for wheel chair bound paraplegics? Building new organs to replace burned out old ones? Eternal beauty and youth? Immortality? (more…)
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KERRY BREEN and KERRY GOULSTON.- Update: An apolitical response at last to the Covid 19 crisis.
Last week we explored why government responses to the Covid 19 crisis seemed to be tardy and we argued for an expert apolitical group to lead the response. (more…)
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JOHN TONS. Nature Bats Last
Australia’s summer of discontent has morphed into an autumn of fear as we bunker down to protect ourselves from coronavirus. Nature is reminding us that she is not to be trifled with, that she cannot be ignored. (more…)
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Trump declares he is convinced we now have a drug to terminate the epidemic
As I write Boris Johnson has just locked down the UK and ordered police officers to enforce the lockdown. Almost simultaneously Donald Trump has declared that there is a “great weariness” among Americans for this social distancing business and he wants it to end in two weeks. (more…)
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ALLAN PATIENCE. The coronavirus pandemic and the crisis of Australian federalism.
Despite the Prime Minister’s daily press conferences in which he fatuously tries (as is his wont) to reassure “all Australians” that they are “on the bridge to the other side” of the coronavirus pandemic, confusion and fear continue to stalk the land. (more…)
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JACK WATERFORD.- China’s formidable achievement
China deserves credit, not abuse for epidemic management (more…)
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MICHAEL KEATING.- The latest economic response to the coronavirus
These are very uncertain times, but the Government seems to be playing catch-up, both with our health and the economy. In addition, there are continuing questions about the structure of the Government’s economic response and the effectiveness of some of the measures. (more…)
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JACK WATERFORD.-COVID-19 mapping must go beyond the sick to the well
Only mass screenings will tell us about the dynamics of the disease (more…)
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MUNGO MACCALLUM.-Confusing and often self-contradictory messages on Covid-19
As so often with Morrison, there is no overall strategy – simply a series of reactive measures which, he hopes, will do the job unless a next one is needed. and then another one, and another one … (more…)
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JOHN TULLOH. Uncle Sam makes it an unhappy Persian new year in Iran.
One can only surmise at the quiet satisfaction among members of the Trump administration at the current distress of Iran regarding the coronavirus sweeping the country. (more…)
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GREG BAILEY. Predictability, Society and the COVID 19 Virus
The economic stimulus must adopt a whole of society approach, focusing on those of lower income, of a kind that it has consistently refused to do. If it does this and, above all, can be seen to be doing it, then Australia may emerge out of this crisis as a better country than it was it went in. (more…)
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IAN WEBSTER. Too many experts at a time of crisis.
This is a time when advice needs to be considered, balanced, respectful and well-founded.
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MARCUS REUBENSTEIN: This is NOT an economic crisis!
The global reaction to the consequences of COVID-19 is absolutely warranted BUT its low mortality rate has lulled some in Australia into ignoring the fight against a highly contagious virus. (more…)
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JAMES GRUBER. Managing our fears. Some practical advice.
Fear. It’s everywhere and palpable. Fear for the health of ourselves and our families. (more…)
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KERRY BREEN and KERRY GOULSTON.-An improved response to COVID-19 will not be achieved with the current approach.
One of the puzzling and troubling aspects of the Australian response to the Covid 19 public health crisis is that the actions taken or advised by government have often lagged behind what many in the community, including people with expert knowledge, are agitating for. (more…)
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RICHARD HORTON.- Scientists have been sounding the alarm for months. Why did Britain fail to act?(The Guardian 19.3.2020)
On 24 January, Chinese doctors and scientists reported the first description of a new disease caused by a novel coronavirus. (more…)
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JOHN DWYER. There is still a lot more that needs to be done to minimise harm in Australia from COVID-19.
Australian governments are taking a “measured approach” to minimising the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic adding new tactics/restrictions as the numbers grow. Far better to use all available measures now to minimise that growth. (more…)
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JOHN CARMODY.- A ‘civil society’ or a ‘competitive society’?
I suspect that the Australian people have never really abandoned their ethical view that people’s lives supersede profits. (more…)
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MILES LITTLE. Coronavirus – more than an ethical problem
There are support groups springing up at community level in various places, offering contactless food delivery for self-isolating people and for the elderly left without carers, and regular telephone calls for the isolated. (more…)
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JOHN CARLIN.- Time of Opportunity
The Corona virus could be a time of opportunity for the human race. (more…)
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JINHEE KIM. COVID-19: Lessons from South Korea’s quick response
In mid-February the number of cases of COVID-19 in South Korea suddenly increased and there are now over 5,000 confirmed cases. As a result South Korea has instituted containment strategies, designated clinics for mass screening and established over 200 public relief hospitals. How does Australia’s response compare?
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COLUM LYNCH and ROBBIE GRAMER.-U.S. and China Turn Coronavirus Into a Geopolitical Football (Foreigh Policy(USA) 11.3.2020)
Beijing is using the outbreak to boost its reputation for global cooperation while Washington plays the blame-Beijing game. (more…)
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LESLEY RUSSELL Coronavirus Highlights American Inequalities and Trump’s Inadequacies
In the United States there are serious problems with the adequacy and appropriateness of the health measures to control coronavirus and its impact. (more…)
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JOHN DWYER. Understanding the public health imperatives required to minimise infection with the Corona virus. (Part Two).
Providing communities with accurate, timely and logical information about the control measures required to minimise harms associated with infectious diseases is essential to avoid both complacency and panic. (more…)