New Zealand demonstrates the efficacy of Stop The Spread protocols.
The UK must do likewise, now.
Any delay is totally unacceptable criminal behaviour.
#StopTheSpread
Jacinda and The Little Bugs
New Zealand announces today that transmission of SARSCOV2 virus from human to human within New Zealand has been stopped, and that they are on the road to eliminating the virus from the population.
There are still active cases. so the virus is still active in those people - there are no new cases of infection. They are well aware that more cases might emerge. They are being cautious and maintaining vigilance.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/new-zealand-prepares-to-lift-strict-lockdown-after-eliminating-coronavirus
New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said the country has stopped the “widespread, undetected community transmission” of Covid-19, as tough lockdown restrictions are scheduled to ease on Monday night.
Ardern said New Zealand had “avoided the worst” in the pandemic, but must continue to fight the virus.
“There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle. But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way,” she said.
At 11.59pm on Monday, New Zealand will lift its level-4 lockdown which has been in place for more than four weeks. During that time, almost all businesses have been closed, along with schools while the population has been asked to remain in their homes for all but supermarket visits and short walks.
Ardern said there was no way of knowing what may have happened without the level-4 lockdown.
But she warned that in level-3 there were new risks – namely people coming into more contact with others."
This proves that STOPPING THE SPREAD is the only viable, grounded protocol for dealing with infectious diseases where no known vaccine or medical intervention exists.
If we examine the case of Vietnam, a populous state with a GDP per capita of US$2600 , we can see that the issue is not limited by relative wealth, size or population.
New Zealand, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and China reveal that stopping the spread protocols cut across all dynamics of political and economic approaches.
I have written about this previously.
https://dwylcorneilius.blogspot.com/2020/04/eradication-argument-for-eradication.html
Looking into the future, New Zealand will need to maintain a vigilant infectious disease control monitoring and responding capability as a standard part of their Health System.
New Zealand will need to maintain 2 week Quarantine of all incoming passengers, which the non-New Zealand travelers must fund. Returning New Zealanders will be funded by the State. Immigrants must fund their own quarantine,
All quarantines must be tightly and transparently monitored.
These are the minimums to keep New Zealand safe.
In time these principles will apply to all States.
It is NEVER TOO LATE to implement a stop the spread protocol.
It is not a question of population size, or wealth.
Vietnam demonstrates that this is the case.
The Protocol for Stopping the Spread.
It is a question of providing accurate, precise information to all citizens, and to provide support in taking the correct action, as a collective working together to protect each other.
It is a matter of taking every case that presents, and tracing every contact of that person dating back the known incubation period, and checking with those people for past symptoms, current presenting symptoms and no symptoms.
It is a matter of assiduously continuing that process, case by case, group by group, village by village, neighbourhood by neighbourhood until all cases are tracked. Until the health system knows where every case of infection has been, and is emerging - do this until no new cases emerge.
Those presenting with symptoms must be given treatment in what we can call fever hospitals.
This is designed to isolate them from general population, so that they no longer act as spreaders of the infection. It is as designed to provide treatment that reduces escalation of their symptoms into severe or critical, to reduce the total number who end up needing intensive care.
This also protects pre-existing hospital systems, which can be maintained for general day to day practice apart from elective treatment, which can always wait.
There may be need to expand ICU capability and to construct extra isolate units away from main hospital services.
Those with no symptoms must be quarantined for the duration of incubation to first presenting symptoms.
As soon as they present symptoms, the are moved to treatment.
Then the matter of testing is about checking across the population of any given area to seek where the infection has been, where it is, and where it has not yet arrived...
These are all fundamentally simple protocols.
Their operation is complex, requiring resources and logistical support and human labour that is well orchestrated, from Government , Health Systems and Media, through to the individual citizen, working together:this does not have to be complicated.
What complicates matters are decisions based on ideological, political or economic agenda over-ruling Health and Welfare considerations.
That cannot be allowed to happen, anywhere, anytime..
In the UK that means we must examine and hold to account all such political and ideological decision making that has caused harm to citizens welfare, and leave no stone un-turned, no policy unchecked, no error un-corrected.
As a little gift, here is a song I pushed through, rough mixed from a single live take on a loopstation at home, under lock down...
both are free to download.
Jacinda and The Little Bugs
Let us stop the spread of infection, together, as one human family.
Start today. Start now!
Kindest regards
Corneilius
"Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe"
Thank you for reading this blog. All we need to do is be really honest, responsive to the evidence we find,and ready to reassess when new evidence emerges. The rest is easy.
