Capitalism’s Covid-19 test
By Kay Keane
December 2019 in the Wuhan Hubei province in China the first cases of a new virus started to appear. This was later identified as a coronavirus, Covid-19, which in just a few months would spread like wildfire across the globe. The outbreak spread to over one hundred countries before the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a pandemic on 12 March 2020.
As of March 24th more than 380,000 cases have been reported in 176 countries (WHO). The rise in cases show how quickly this virus is spreading. Major outbreaks have occurred in China-Europe-Iran-South Korea and the United States. More than 16,000 have died so far. On March 13th the WHO announced that Europe had become the epicenter of the pandemic.
Outbreak hits Iran & Italy hardest
The situation has hit full crisis-mode, with cases exploding in Italy and Iran. Wednesday, 18 March, Iran announced a further 147 had died bringing the death toll to 1,135 people. So far more than 23,000 people have been infected. President Hassan Rouhani defended his government's response to the crisis after the widespread criticism of his officials' slow response. According to Johns Hopkins University every 10 minutes someone in Iran dies from the virus. Every hour at least 50 are infected. Dr Afruz Eslami medical advisor said "if people do not follow guidance it could collapse Iran's already strained medical system. If the medical facilities are not sufficient, there will be 4 million cases and 3.5 million will die.” The fact this was reported on Iran's highly-controlled state TV represented a major change for a country where officials denied the severity of the crisis.
Looking at photos showing exhausted Italian nurses and doctors resting wherever they can points to the crisis within the Italian health system. The highest concentration of cases is in the north of the country, where the dead are stacked up, awaiting burial. The living are stacked up too with infected patients being treated in field hospitals and lining corridors in the hospitals.
Doctors and nurses are being infected due to the lack of adequate protection. Dr Allessandro Grimaldi, Director of infectious diseases, said "In Lombardy the health care system has collapsed, there is not enough equipment, they chose the medical rule of trying to save the young, he went on to say "the only way to win the battle to keep the health care system from total collapse is to increase resources." Maybe the government should have thought of this before and prepared better, he said.
Strict and swift response
The response to this virus showed how some governments reacted more swiftly to put protocols in place to reduce infection. While many at the time described the measures taken by China as draconian, it seems they have prevented the further spread of the virus. it was declared on 19 March that no new cases had been reported there. Nonetheless, the fact that the Chinese doctor who first raised alarm bells about the new virus, Dr. Li, was apprehended for “spreading rumours” and told to stop talking about the virus, starkly illustrates the problems of the authoritarian Chinese regime.
Taiwan-Singapore-Hong Kong, all countries who within the first weeks of January introduced measures to contain and stop the spread of infection. Three places that are prime destinations with Chinese travelers for the Lunar new year celebrations introduced strict measures. These included, travel restrictions, quarantine, social distancing and personal hygiene. Travelers with suspected symptoms were isolated, hostels converted to host them. Singapore has been compensating workers and employers for every day lost. Distribution of face masks were overseen by officials in Taiwan. Notices on all medical centers said "Wear a surgical mask when coughing or sneezing. Wash hands thoroughly with soap, avoid crowded areas.”
Denial and lies
Video clips of Trump denying there was anything to worry about as the virus spread across America are making the rounds. His comments that this was all under control and hey, loads of people die from the seasonal flu, but we don’t shut the economy down, do we? have not aged well. But even he cannot now deny the reality of thousands of cases (over 46,000 so far) and a mounting death toll (582 deaths). It’s clear the denial and lies spread by Trump have cost lives and will make the response to the epidemic hard to manage.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Boris Johnson’s team literally tried to convince the British public that herd immunity would get them through it. Over 70s and anyone with symptoms were told to stay at home, but everyone else should carry on as normal. They are now quickly backtracking, like Trump, in the face of increased cases (over 6,500 cases) and deaths, strain on the NHS as staff are not equipped with personal protection gear, and a massive backlash from the public and medical experts. The refusal to take swift action will no doubt cost lives as Britain plays catch-up with the rest of the world and starts practicing wide-spread “social distancing.” Completing his full 180, Johnson has now imposed a lockdown.
Fine Gael: Hesitant and inadequate
Though they moved to shut things down quicker than Boris, Ireland did not act swiftly enough. They hesitated when making certain decisions leaving more people to become infected and some to die (for example, allowing all those returning from Cheltenham to go on as usual instead of requiring they self-isolate for 2 weeks).
Shutting the pubs down, asking businesses to do what is right for public health. Did they forget that profit for businesses comes first? We all saw the photos of pubs packed to the gills last weekend. And what about the impact on workers? Many have closed resulting in job losses. Creche workers-bar staff-leisure centre staff, in fact a wide range of workers have been left with no jobs or no compensation. Many are now trying to access the emergency Social Welfare payments. Filling out forms to get some state support is adding to the stress many feel already.
What about the vulnerable?
Here the government calls for social isolation, rightly so. Have they considered how families in hubs will isolate themselves, with communal kitchens and no laundry facilities? Rough sleepers are vulnerable at the best of times yet no measures are yet in place to address either of these issues.
On St. Paddy’s Day Leo Varadkar addressed the country. Nothing in the speech addressed the real concerns many have. How were people going to manage financially, yes social welfare would be available but when? Provisions for homeless and rough sleepers? None. Quoting Churchill as if he was calling us to storm the coronavirus was, to be honest, hard to take.
Public health before private profit
Compare his address to what we in RISE have called for from the start - Public health before private profit. We led the way calling for an end to price gouging on hand sanitisers and face masks. Full sick pay for all who are unable to work for any reason related to the virus. Personal protective equipment for all workers in essential services. All evictions stopped, and immediately suspend mortgage and rent payments. No utilities should be cut off.
Workers and their families, those most vulnerable should not be left carrying the can again. It happened after the crash. Austerity destroyed communities. When this is over we cannot go back to the system of capitalist profiteering where public services are pushed towards privatisation. Lives will be lost here because of decisions made by Leo Varadkar and his government. Lack of investment, the embargo on front line staff, lack of beds, the trolley crisis were all major issues before coronavirus.
No more business as usual
This crisis has made crystal clear that all the things we have been calling for, for years, to assist people suffering and struggling to get by, all the stuff they said couldn’t be done, can be done. Rent and mortgage relief, done. Before the crisis, remember the nurses strike for pay and retention, the lack of beds, the waiting lists? Then they said the money wasn't there. Now, Simon Harris declares there is no limit to the funding available.
We also now know who the key people, the “essential workers” and “essential workplaces” in society, really are. It’s not the CEOs, the financial managers, the Larry Goodmans of the world. It’s the workers. It’s the bin men who collect our garbage and recycling, the cleaners who sanitise workplaces, the shop workers ensuring our shops are stocked and ready for us, the healthcare workers, the teachers, the childcare workers, all those who serve communities and ensure we all have what we need. After this is all over, let’s not forget that. Because we know a bill is coming. Leo warned us. But my warning to him is this. This time, we’re not footing the bill. The money is at the top, Apple owes us 13 billion. We’re not going back to “business as usual”.