Episode 173: Coronavirus uncut. The Statistics and the reality so far.

Published: March 26, 2020, 5:46 p.m.

b'There are many conspiracy theories but even more panic and media hype. The reality is that coronavirus world wide still has not killed as many as normal flu in one year in the UK alone. Given effective modern medical treatment (in this case ventilators) mortality should be about the same as normal flu. Conversely death and suffering from economic collapse and social lock down will be much more. As an example following the 2008 credit crunch 5000000 people died from cancer caused by stress. Stress itself will reduce the immune system and cause depression, anxiety, suicide, heart attacks, diabetes , strokes, domestic violence etc. Social isolation is used as the most draconian torture and punishment and in some countries it is outlawed. Loneliness is an epidemic in the Western World destroying mental and physical health. From a psychological perspective the general population will not respond to optional measures because people do not like to think or change habits but once choice is removed with clear instructions, not only do they follow but they are happier doing so. The irony is that years of austerity and pairing back of the heath service is now necessitating an order of magnitude greater spending in cost and illness, suffering and death.'