Coronavirus is only the latest in a string of crises to have impacted upon mankind over thousands of years, from pandemics to world wars. In times of adversity the first victim is always the truth.
Wuhan in China was the source of coronavirus. The first instinct of the Communist officials in Wuhan was to cover it up and inform Xingping and the politburo. When the politburo realised it was too big to cover up, they covered up what they could and then informed the World Health Organization (Who). As Wuhan emerged from 12 weeks of lockdown China declared 81,000 cases of covid and 3,200 fatalities. The world had no choice but to take the original figures at face value. However, as Coronavirus ravaged Italy and Spain, it became apparent that the Chinese figures simply couldn’t be true.
Covid thrives in unprotected dense populations. Wuhan is the state capital of Hubei province. Hubei occupies an area of 160,000 sq km with a population of approximately 60 million people which gives population density of 300 people per sq km.
Italy occupies an area of 300,000 sq km with a similar population of approximately 60 million, giving a population density of 200 people per sq km.
Hubei is 33 per cent more densely populated than Italy.
Covid had another major advantage with the element of surprise. Hubei province had no defence from this initial surge, and this surge would have taken 5,000 lives in the first month according to the Italian experience. If we factor in the power of the Communist state in China in suppression of covid, this reduced what could have been catastrophic death rates.
Last week China reviewed its fatalities up to 4,500.
When Who were granted access to China to assist with the management of the outbreak, they advised, test, test, test and contact trace. South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan took the advice.
Out of a combined population of 80 million occupying 150,000 sq km, (more densely populated than Italy or Hubei, 450 people per sq km), to date, they have 18,000 cases and 250 fatalities. These countries have expertise in dealing with outbreaks of tropical disease and appreciate the value of truth, cooperation and trust in these circumstances.
Germany was the first developed nation to adopt these tactics. It has paid off for them, but if Europe was truly united, Spain and Italy would have received more help. Germany will review its complete figures later. Their registered deaths are too low.
France began including deaths in the community and care homes a week ago.
UK is floundering. They toyed with the last resort tactic of herd immunity too early.
So far UK has registered 16,000 deaths, but the true figure is 23,000 to 25,000 when deaths in care homes and the community are included. No figures on people who have recovered.
What little truth there was in Russia followed Gorbachev out of the Kremlin in 1991. In the US, dangerous Don Trump is fighting with himself. He’s supporting a rebellion against his government lockdown. The smaller countries, Denmark, Portugal, Finland, Norway and Ireland are coping well and are being as honest as they can be to their citizens.
Logic, science and faith will see us through this but we need truth to apply the proper science and logic.
JOE CUNNINGHAM
Newry, Co Down
Disunited united Ireland is height of Dublin ambition
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s draft ‘framework for government’ document speaks of setting towards a ‘shared future’ on a ‘united island’ premised on the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, to be arrived at through agreement with unionism.
It posits the political structures of the agreement – the northern assembly, the north-south bodies and the wider east-west council and conference – not as means to speed Irish unity but as the outline themselves of its would-be form.
As such, all of these bodies are to be retained come a united Ireland and are to form its constitutional framework. Indeed interim to our arrival at such a point, at this pseudo would-be united Ireland, they propose an expansion of current east-west structures – not just for the here and now and the meantime but for the future, into perpetuity.
In this sense, they hope to give even greater weight to the British state in the affairs of Ireland, rather than effecting a lessening of same, and not just in the interim. This is intended not as interim but as the ultimate destiny of the Irish nation. By these means, we are to be permanently fixed to Britain.
It is an unacceptable derogation of our sovereignty and must, as such, be abandoned. Setting aside that the British state has no title to Ireland and should anyway leave, when the unionist veto goes – as it’s set to – then the British state must go too.
SEAN BRESNAHAN
Omagh, Co Tyrone
Governments must invest in nursing
The British prime minister’s tribute on Easter Sunday was moving and reflected the contributions made by everyone in the NHS.
He described how nurses combine continuous personal care with deep professional knowledge and skills.
It was a wonderful demonstration of the importance of nurses during this Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.
Yet there is a worldwide shortage of at least 5.8 million nurses and too many feel undervalued and unsupported.
Governments worldwide must now invest in nursing and change this for the future.
LORD NIGEL CRISP
BARONESS MARY WATKINS
Chairs of Nursing Now,
House of Lords, London
Rare level of imagination and insight
Many years ago I wrote a letter to The Irish News extolling the gifts of cartoonist Ian Knox as the finest in these islands. Nothing has changed.
His sense of irony, of getting to the depth of an occasion and the accuracy of his likenesses remains unsurpassed.
Ian’s art continues to put a light on the sense of the times that calls for a rare level of imagination and insight and he sustains this year after year. More than anyone else perhaps, the legacy of his art articulates the traumatic history of this part of the world across the years.
PETER MAKEM
Newry, Co Down
Uplifting story
With newspapers having so many sad stories in these very difficult times, it was very uplifting to read the story in The Irish News (April 10) with regards to Margaret Mallon, the 83-year-old, grooming her dogs. I trust I will be able to do as good a job on my own hair as she did on her dogs. Congratulations Margaret, well done.
CHARLOTTE MORRISON
Belfast BT6
