A brief message about the editor's infirmity
03 July 2022
NOOSA - As Covid spreads its tentacles to embrace half the Australian population and 50 people die each day, Keith joins the plague-riddled crowd with a series of amazing tweets including this one that has accumulated 13,000 impressions so far: "I dedicate my maiden bout of Covid to the diabolical duo of Queensland premier Palaszczuk & Chief Health Officer Gerrard. Now I get to find out how it blends with my ME/CFS. Ah, what a time to be alive, however temporarily."
This blog will have an even more intermittent quality over coming days. But Keith will fire the odd shot on Twitter (which we also run in the right hand column). Like these three, written before Keith knew he was ill: "This truculent silence by the authorities is like something we have never seen. It's a form of denial; a group neurosis. The stunned silence rendered by a Covid crisis which should turn into shocked action but in this case has spawned a protracted cowardly muteness."
Or this: "The PNG government has given up on Covid. This is not understood by Australians yet, but so has their government given up. Many more people will die or succumb to chronic illness unless this insane denialism changes. Vaccinations were never enough."
And a demand for scalps: "Queensland Chief Health Officer should be fired & Premier Palaszczuk should step down. They have not only failed in their duty to keep the community safe, their policies have enabled the continuing unchecked spread of Covid leading to 1,200 deaths and uncountable lifelong chronic illnesses so far in Queensland alone."
We have had the ridiculous situation here in Victoria where a state government minister has supported the decision not to reintroduce a mask mandate but in the same comment has stated that Covid is "life or death".
Keep fighting Keith! Our thoughts are with you.
Posted by: Ross Wilkinson | 05 July 2022 at 02:45 PM
Main stream news, not hidden, easily seen.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-05/australia-surpasses-10k-covid-cases/101206890
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 05 July 2022 at 11:13 AM
Keith na Kansol Meri Ingrid - Mi na ol lain bilong mi tingting long yu nau long dispela taim.
Mipela i beten olsem bai yu ken kamap orait na sik Kovid ino ken holim pas long yu.
Yu kisim malolo gut yet.
Posted by: Baka Bina | 04 July 2022 at 11:23 PM
if task
is mask
to bask
in health
no cask
nor flask
meets ask
that's dealt.
Swearing masks may not preclude Covid-19
yet tst tsk if denying masks.
Hey Keith, here's wishing and wanting your wellness.
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 04 July 2022 at 07:46 PM
Hope you can win yet another medically testing time for you, Keith.
20% increase in positive Covid tests last week in majority of European nations. Apparently BA-2 one of many Omicron variants is now heading list an Al Jazeera expert said. Luckily with less severe cases and with less hospitalisation.
Two branches of my family have had all jabs yet have been infected twice. Alleged 'disposable' folk like us over 80s are being offered 4th jab in autumn.
Cardiff worst area in Wales for deaths at almost 1,100 very closely followed by Rhondda.
Some people never ceased wearing mask and looks like rest of us will be revising that rule soon. It has been obligatory in all health institutions since the early weeks of this Covid plague.
Amazing stat for Wales is that we have used 1.3 billion pieces of PPE.
Posted by: Arthur Williams | 04 July 2022 at 07:19 PM
Keith,
Wishing you all the best. Get Well.
Posted by: Garrett Roche | 04 July 2022 at 01:28 AM
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 03 July 2022 at 05:13 PM
Hang in there Keith. We're all thinking about you and wishing you well.
Posted by: Philip Fitzpatrick | 03 July 2022 at 01:18 PM
In addition to the almost total lack of advice to the public is the apparent acceptance by the political leaders that it's just another type of flu. Get used to it! We have.
The lack of information about the availability of anti viral medications that are helpful in managing the disease once it is contracted, seems to be part of the general lack of information about how to cope if you have Covid.
Is this just the official view that 'old people' are just a burden on society? Is this an unofficial brand of eugenics?
Both sides of politics seem either unwilling or unable to be honest about what is happening.
Of course making people wear masks and sterilize hands etc. is bad for business and we need to get people spending and not saving so that we can start making money again and collecting taxes. Gosh! It's a good thing we aren't cynical eh Keith?
Posted by: Paul Oates | 03 July 2022 at 12:12 PM
Keith, I certainly wish you well as you battle Covid.
You are right to assert that our governments world wide have collectively decided to preference the restoration of 'normal' life over the fight against Covid.
This decision rests largely upon two factors, being the vaccination status of the population (with about 96% in Australia being double vaccinated) and the calculated risk that a more transmissible and virulent variant will not emerge.
A subsidiary but largely unacknowledged factor is the belief that the economy must now be preferenced over the health of the population. This thinking is further under pinned by an accurate but cynical assumption that most victims will be elderly with comorbidities and so their premature demise is an acceptable social price to pay.
I think that the latter assumption dangerously underestimates the impact of so-called 'Long Covid' upon the young but the truth or otherwise about this will take some time to emerge. Also, it remains entirely possible that a more virulent strain of the virus will emerge and so derail the overall 'pandemic recovery' strategy.
So Keith is right although those in power will either be unable to understand or unwilling to admit this, perhaps even to themselves. The judgement of history is not likely to be kind in any event.
Posted by: Chris Overland | 03 July 2022 at 11:24 AM
Much like the denial of systemic corruption, nepotism, bullying and harassment that the Coaldrake review identifies but fails to disclose any culprits within specific Queensland government departments:
https://www.coaldrakereview.qld.gov.au/assets/custom/docs/coaldrake-review-final-report-28-june-2022.pdf?refresh
This issue was raised several years ago by the former Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-23/like-joh-era-miller-attacks-premier-and-alp-ipswich-pisasale/8833172
The Bundamba MP was subsequently ostracised by most of her colleagues and eventually resigned and it is worth contrasting the response from opposition members compared to many of the obsequious ALP acolytes:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-20/jo-ann-miller-resigns/11984032?nw=0
Posted by: Bernard Corden | 03 July 2022 at 10:55 AM
My Commiserations, Keith. However, you'll have to persevere.
With .
, We know what's Best for the Populace of Queensland as Directed by the Dictatorial Grand Madam Premier Palazsczuk and her hench-man Gerrard.
It's time; to throw the Cat to the Canary. Slantie
Posted by: William Dunlop | 03 July 2022 at 10:53 AM