#covid19 #auspol @billbowtell @CrabbBrendan @profmiketoole @GregDore2 a thread asking some questions about…
#covid19 #auspol @billbowtell @CrabbBrendan @profmiketoole @GregDore2 a thread asking some questions about global public health programs. 1/n
Normally for an epidemic outbreak, for example Ebola, the country of origin is rapidly 'ring-fenced' to prevent spread outside the area of origin. And control measures are then used within that quarantined area. 2/n
With this pandemic, China did undertake a similar ring-fencing, once the outbreak was identified. (Leaving to one side whether that was done quickly enough.) However once the virus reached developed countries, this process broke down? 3/n
There was no willingness to quarantine virus within national boundaries, with flights continuing for months, often for economic reasons, spreading the virus rapidly around the world. These flights are still continuing. 4/n
Despite the public perception that the pandemic has destroyed international air travel, flight numbers throughout the pandemic are actually at the same level as the world saw in 2004, during 'normal' times. 5/n
In a sense, the pandemic has been 'over' for months in every country that had either no spread, or controlled the virus early, like Australia or NZ. In an Ebola outbreak, we focus on where the virus is, not where it isn't. 6/n
Now countries like Australia are urged to vaccinate quickly, even though there's been no significant Covid here for the entire pandemic. The assumption in play here is that the world will continue to spread the virus, so we need to be prepared. 7/n
From a pragmatic point of view, that's fair enough. But it still represents a disgraceful refusal by the developed world to follow even basic epidemic/pandemic procedures? Surely history and logic here says the fastest way to end the pandemic is...8/n
...to quarantine areas where spread is occurring, and focus public health action, including vaccination, in those areas, while those parts of the world like Oz without Covid can be said to have effectively beaten the pandemic and continue with normal life. 9/n
Of course we should vaccinate here too, but the urgency to do so right now seems driven by the collapse of global health processes, rather than the virus. The refusal to keep the virus controlled, where it currently is. 10/end