The public should now become increasingly alarmed at the secrecy surrounding the government's management of the Covid -19 crisis. There is no need for secrecy pertaining to the scientific advice given to the government by the SAGE committee. The scientists on this committee have a moral obligation to publish their advice. Science is based upon the fact that knowledge should be shared. The scientists on this committee should share their advice with the public and ignore requests from the government to keep secrets. If they are not prepared to do this then they should resign.
Every day the governments and their scientists either refuse to answer simple questions from journalists or they dissimulate using ramble discourse which means almost nothing.
Today the figures have been released for the number of deaths in care homes. The public will be disturbed by the thousands of older people who have been left to die without hospital treatment. Was this deliberate policy or was this incompetence, we have a right to know? Why has the bravery of the coal face workers not been recognised, as they have worked through the crisis without adequate protection and testing. There should be an apology for the deaths of so many doctors, nurses and care workers; not mealy mouthed platitudes and excuses.
Let's have a grown up conversation about this. One of the government's scientists claimed that we should do this. Let's have a grown up conversation about why Germany has been able so far to manage both the number of infections and death rate so much better than the UK. Why is the death rate of confirmed case so much higher in the UK than in the US ?
It is not true that the NHS "has not been overwhelmed" by the crisis; so many patients with other life threatening conditions have failed to be treated. It is difficult to get a GP appointment in person and Dental services have shutdown. GPs are not visiting care homes: why?
We are in a crisis and of course things can go wrong and there are failures, but the public understands this but it expects to be told the the facts.
Containment of the virus failed and it was bound to. The spread of the virus could not be stopped so why try to pretend that containment succeeded? Tell us why it failed and how that failure could have been mitigated if we had the resources to do it.
Why have public service employees across the board not been provided with adequate protection against infection?
We need to know why public health has failed to do enough testing. Is it a shortage of tests or staff or both. Is it because of a lack of effective decision making and organisation by the government and the administration? If we are not told why then we will suspect a cover up.
All the scientific advice should be published so that the public can decide if and where and when the advice has been ignored or played down by the politicians. This is in the interest of the scientists themselves in case they are being set up for a fall.
The government and SAGE committee should open the books now. The public deserve some openness and honesty, especially as they have subjected themselves to house arrest. The public have played their part and it is incumbent on the government and SAGE to publish their deliberations as a mark of respect.
A place where sceptics can exchange their views
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
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