An obvious fix for the pandemic.

[dontmissthese]

Mostly restrict oldies to home quarantine after first establishing an efficient

home delivery system for essentials. 

Let all the young ones just go for it and get the economy rolling again.

Some will die but the flu also kills at about the same rate and it's usually

people with a pre-existing condition which makes them vulnerable so what

COVID-19 doesn't get the flu will.

For the most part it will be a mild case of the flu and we having been living

this way since the Spanish Flu pandemic.

The most vulnerable group ( oldies ) will be protected until a vaccine is developed.

We would have to FaceTime our relatives. A small price to pay for the good of mostly all.

Any oldies caught outdoors without an 'effective' face mask will be stripped of excursion rights.

The alternative is sending our country broke.

If put to a vote then most oldies ( including me ) would vote yes.

[myoclon1cjerk]

"I don't think its a coincidence that the Government is not providing any assistance to foreign workers at the moment..."

Yep.We're all in this together. 😄

[dontmissthese]

Yes, such a beautiful moment among the horror of war.

If so much money was not being made we might have a tiny theatre of war

with two sides comprising politicians who 'anguish' over the loss of our young.

I bet they would raise white flags similtaneuosly and find a peaceful solution.

[dontmissthese]

The UK.

"It's war on the virus" is the declaration of the Sunday Mirror, which claims that 8,000 private hospital beds will be rented by the NHS, troops will be mobilised and over-70s will be told to self-isolate for up to four months.

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-the-papers-51893135

My nephew is currently stranded in Belgrade where there is an 8pm to 3am military curfew in effect ( at last word it was going to be extended ). The oldies are allowed out between 3am-5am for food shopping. Not sure if they are locked up outside these hours though.

[ecar3483]

To quote from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front....

The character Kropp observes - The leaders of each Country should fight each other in an arena to settle the war; the "wrong" people currently do the fighting...

Admittedly, I didn't pay that much attention in High School, but that particular quote stuck with me...

But I digress, this thread is about the Old, and protecting them.

But how far should we go?

Is there a "grand child" equivalent of the "helicopter parent"...?

I wish I knew the answers...

🙂

[davewil1964]

---

@dontmissthese wrote:

Yes, such a beautiful moment among the horror of war.

If so much money was not being made we might have a tiny theatre of war

with two sides comprising politicians who 'anguish' over the loss of our young.

I bet they would raise white flags similtaneuosly and find a peaceful solution.

---

So classic.

That's the way in the past a lot of disputes were settled.

David and Goliath, eg

But it was always champions who fought, not politicians/princes/barons/kings.

Might is right. The premise that if I beat you, I am right. Not only illogical, but pathological. The whole idea that beating somebody to a pulp (at least) somehow proves that the beater is right in whatever was the moot point. What it proved was that the beater was a better fighter than the beaten. Nothing else.

Although I'd back ScoMo against Trump, but not against Joko. Anybody against Boris, as he's an invalid. Does the point begin to evince itself?

[rogespeed]

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@icyfroth wrote:

---

@rogespeed wrote:

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@chameleon54 wrote:

As '' out there " as the OP's post is, it is highly likely to be the outcome regardless. It wont be stated by politicians or made obvious, it will just happen.

Most older people I know ( 70 + ) are already voluntarily isolating. I suspect most will keep isolating voluntarily until the virus no longer poses a threat. Governments around the world will start to remove restrictions in the months ahead as the train crash of economic oblivion that is heading our way becomes obvious to the public.

So what you will see is younger people out and about with some getting the virus and building herd immunity while the senior citizens self isolate at home.

We still don't have vaccines for SARS and MERS, two similar and most recent virus to COVID 19 and we cant all simply stay locked in our houses for years waiting in the hope that a vaccine will be developed for COVID 19.

The collateral loss of life from depression, loneliness, suicide, lack of regular medical care for other conditions ( as people are too afraid to attend medical clinics ) , domestic violence, rise in obesity and general mental health decline will be worse than the virus itself if this goes on for many months. Not to mention the collapse of our economic systems which will exacerbate the decline in mental health and suicide as well as causing threats to food stability. 

The threat to food stability is already happening as weedicide and fertiliser production and distribution have already been effected by international production and transport disruptions, as has transport and down stream processing of food products. Australian Wheat prices have currently spiked to near record levels as a result of looming world shortages being factored into international markets.

---

Some sectors of the Australian economy is actually booming ie mining , as for the rest is a matter of adapting to the new realities and getting on with trading ie making availability of goods and services easier for consumers-in-local-isolation to access , rather than sitting on hands for govt subsistence support and waiting for pandemic to subside assuming that everything should be the same

Seize the moment and prosper !  

---

Mining is ok for a quick fix, but in the long run will be no longer sustainable. After that, we might be left with a landscape that is poisoned and bereft of growth.

Which means we'll be dependant on exports from overseas. Like China.

It won't make up for agricultural growth, export, and local manufacturing, business.

---

Mining profits are up because of the weaker Australian dollars which means more tax revenue 

But I agree in essence exports should be considered a desirable bonus but not totally relied upon for our well being. Domestic commerce being the substance of the economy - this crisis might enable a fundermental restructure which may enable a more robust and dynamic domestic economy - and lift our export trading 

[tasfleur]

The Sunday Mirror is not exactly the most respected paper in terms of what they consider facts and genuine news.

There is no Government anywhere that has "locked up" senior citizens, including the UK.

I'm not into conspiracy theory and detest conspiracy theorists ... 

[tasfleur]

"Yes, such a beautiful moment among the horror of war.

If so much money was not being made we might have a tiny theatre of war

with two sides comprising politicians who 'anguish' over the loss of our young.

I bet they would raise white flags similtaneuosly and find a peaceful solution"

So beautifully put, thank you for that.

[springyzone]

---

@tasfleur wrote:

The Sunday Mirror is not exactly the most respected paper in terms of what they consider facts and genuine news.

There is no Government anywhere that has "locked up" senior citizens, including the UK.

I'm not into conspiracy theory and detest conspiracy theorists ... 

---

I would hate to see the really elderly 'locked up' or forbidden anything allowed to the general population.

I was reading something on the internet that made me think. It said that one of the hallmarks of older age sometimes can be the lack of control over your own life, having decision making taken from you.

There's a fine line and it is not always easy to know where to draw it.

For instance, at the moment, some nursing homes have a 'no visitors' policy.

Now, i understand where this is coming from. The staff don't want the virus brought into the home as it could decimate the elderly population in there.

Realisitically though, the elderly there are already mixing with a limited number of people from outside-staff, cleaners, cooks or whatever. If not meeting them in person, then touching the things they have touched.

And... if we are honest, many of the elderly in nursing homes could be in their final year or so of life, virus or no virus.

Being denied visits can and is causing distress to some. I have a sister in law in whose husband rings daily begging for her to visit and not fully understanding why she has suddenly changed. Even though it is explained, he gets upset.

I am not against some precautions and temporary bans but I think it can't go on too long with the elderly as any gains will be outweighed by what they have lost.

Maybe some older people would rather more quality over quantity in their final years.

[tasfleur]

I couldn't agree with you more Springy.  Nursing homes in lockdown is there to legitimately protect the residents.

The difference between a nursing home lockdown and certain ideas of locking up all seniors no matter who or where is such a horrific suggestion in my opinion .. it just bleeds with the lack of a moral compass that it was even thought about in this, the 21st century.