Not that I think they are completely innocent either - to my mind is clear China has something to hide about the early stages based on deliberate acts to prevent investigation, including by the WHO themselves. Based on historical precedent, I don't really buy a grand conspiracy theory that this was some kind of premeditated plot. But when you consider the secretive nature of Communist governments in the past, and take cases such as Chernobyl or the nuclear disaster at Kyshtym the most likely explanation would be arse covering for a mistake, either in terms of missing or underplaying a natural zoonotic infection, or some kind of laboratory accident. I mean, there is no evidence for this, so I cannot make any specific claim or even know if it is true, it is all circumstantial. Probably we will never had real data. But in the end, the truth of the matter will probably be completely irrelevant if the Chinese spin the narrative in their favour anyway, which Western countries have made all too easy with their comical incompetence.
^This is what I think happened. I think the virus was manufactured in that Wuhan lab and escaped because they had lax safety standards, assuming that if they told employees to do x, that employees would do x every time without fail, and x was some kind of safety protocol that would have been automated and/or checked in a western country.
As for the free handouts happening on this side of the pond, I am all for them but I do wonder how they will be paid for. We need some kind of wealth transfer from the rich to the middle and working classes because capitalism is not very efficient in this regard and I do not want to wind up with my head in a guillotine. So as long as they pay for this by taxing the rich I'm all for it.
This obsession with hoarding the intellectual property behind the vaccines will end up costing many lives. Letting the virus continue to spread in poorer countries is the perfect recipe for mutations that resist the vaccine.
Also shitty to see that Oxford reneged on their initial promise to provide the rights for the vaccine to any producer who wanted them (after the Gates foundation convinced them otherwise, leading to them partnering with AstraZeneca). Fuck that shit.
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:28 am
by djm
The inept clusterfuck that is the EU continues apace on it's path to fascism. It is now posturing over blocking vaccine exports (to only one country), and taking over factories (British owned factories) and ignoring IP rights. I look forwards to the UK being the main beneficiary of the mass exodus of pharma companies over the coming years.
Meanwhile Pfizer have pointed out that they are completely dependent on English made raw materials from Croda (the company that now owns my old business) and would be unable to make their vaccines within a fortnight should the UK reciprocate. I doubt we would get into a game of moral limbo with the EU though.
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 6:57 pm
by last_caress
After trying like mad for a few days got a vaccine appt. for this Saturday.
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:37 pm
by djm
Finally, some sense being talked about the EU vaccine nonsense...
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin discussing “counterproductive” sabre rattling:
“If you take the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, 280 materials go into making the Pfizer vaccine. There are 86 suppliers supply those materials from 19 countries around the world. You start putting up barriers, other countries may follow suit in terms of those vital raw materials that are required to make the vaccine.”
“These are not EU vaccines. These are vaccines paid for by other countries that are manufactured in Europe.”
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:40 am
by Madrigal
The govt decided to simply not give anyone a permit to go out on weekends. Shut down supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. It's just like an all day curfew. Now apparently the business sector almost killed them because they backtracked and said they're only doing this for a single weekend. Very mature.
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:16 pm
by Madrigal
Argentina has banned flights from Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
They're trying to avoid the Manaos strain. I wish I knew what they meant by "more contagious" though.
We're starting our strict lockdown weekend now. The grocer said everyone's buying bread, and that Chileans eat a lot of bread. I wanted to ask why they would do that but I guess that would be a weird question.
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 10:47 pm
by last_caress
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2021 12:17 am
by starla
I am interested to see how all the countries tally up in terms of COVID deaths when all is said and done. It seems like Sweden isn't doing that poorly relative to other European countries that did lock down.
Re: Covid news and views
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2021 12:34 am
by last_caress
Got my first does of Pfizer today. Go for the second one in 3 weeks. This was done at a football stadium and I was surprised that everyone working there seemed to be military and wearing fatigues, right down to the girl that gave me the injection.
Very mature.