Day Twelve:

Day Twelve:

And now - the good news.

Yes, in amongst all the bad stuff, there are a few sparkles of joy and hope.
 

• The Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM) revised their estimate of Covid-related deaths to 0.1–0.26%. 

They also say that due to an acute lack of testing equipment, it is likely many death currently attributed to C-19, in a ‘better safe than sorry’ statistic, are not related to the virus at all but from pre-existing health issues.  They state that even if the patient has tested positive, it is still not certain the virus itself was the fatal factor.

•  Across the world, researchers have raced to find a vaccine and the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research,  say they have already identified two already registered mediations which have completely wiped out the virus in test situations.

•  World-wide, people have flocked to give help and support. 

  People have given time, expertise, experience and money. Biologists, statisticians, engineers, civil servants, medics, supermarket staff, logistics managers, manufacturers and the ordinary, good-neighbour have given tirelessly.
The level of unselfishness and altruism has been unsurpassed.

There are still many, many good people out there. 

•  Proving that necessity is still the mother and father of Invention, new ways of working, new research and new pathways for all walks of life will make it much easier to cope with future disasters, as well as normal life.  
• Ordering goods online has increased which in itself will be more convenient for the consumer,  lead to more jobs delivering,  revive the failing postal services and lead to less travel and pollution.

 

•  Young engineers have cobbled together cheap and  effective ventilators from all manner of equipment, including scuba gear.  These designs have been made available free to medical facilities across the globe.

•    Sewing machine in every corner of the world have whirred night and day, turning out millions of masks for at-risk workers and others.  Most of the masks, as well as the time and materials,  have been given free.

In my own area, Haven Falls Community Trust's workers made and distributed, free of charge, 2,300 masks.

Newspapers who have known for decades that humans are more attracted to bad news than good, have nevertheless, featured a Good News Page.

This includes news of the many cities where pollution has dropped due to the stay-at-home policies  keeping vehicles off the streets and canals. 

In Venice the water is clear for the first time in decades.

•  Pollution, which in itself leads to thousands of death each year,  has meant fewer health problems

•  China has now lifted restrictions on movement after ten weeks. Fourteen temporary hospitals in Wuhan have been closed as people recovered and returned home.  Let’s hope this pattern can be repeated  in other countries to.

•  Uber Eats in the USA decided to waive all delivery charges as a way of supporting local restaurants and cafés. 

 Please don’t flock to New Zealand’s UberEats as we are  on complete lockdown in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.  The service as well as all restaurants and cafes are  closed.

• Several celebrities, Elton John included, have given concerts and readings from their homes in place of the live entertainments their fans would normally enjoy.

Many people have compared the Covid Crisis to war-time.

 We are under seige and the enemy is at the gates but the best of humanity comes out in adversity and what is happening around the world is a wonderful defiance and determination not to be beaten.