A coronavirus vaccine trial will kick off this week in the UK after malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was found to do more harm than good for coronavirus patients.
Australia’s biggest trading partner China has taken offence at ministers’ calls for an inquiry into their response to the pandemic, labelling the rhetoric “propaganda”, which seems, well, a bit rich.
China accuses Australia of propaganda
China has accused Australia of being part of a propaganda war, after Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton called for more transparency around its response to the pandemic.
“These days, certain Australian politicians are keen to parrot what those Americans have asserted and simply follow them in staging political attacks on China,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canberra said.
“High-level [US] officials have been spreading anti-China ‘information virus’. Their aim is to shift blame and deflect attention by smearing China.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has also expressed her support for an independent inquiry into China’s handling of COVID-19.
The US state of Missouri has launched a lawsuit against China for their handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Missouri Attorney-General Eric Schmitt is seeking funds for “the enormous loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil experienced by all”.
‘Coronavirus drug’ does more harm than good
Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug touted by US President Donald Trump as a potential treatment for coronavirus, does more harm than good, according to a large analysis in the US.
Of 386 patients treated with the drug in veteran hospitals, 28% died as opposed to 11% who didn’t receive the drug. Hydroxychloroquine made no difference in the need for a ventilator, and may damage other organs.
Trump had previously encouraged coronavirus patients to try the drug, asking “what do you have to lose?”
Hydroxychloroquine has also been prescribed in Australia by doctors, against the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
Virgin screwed by the virus
Virgin Australia has collapsed into voluntary administration after the Morrison government rejected multiple bailout proposals.
“The government was not going to bail out five large foreign shareholders with deep pockets who together own 90% of this airline,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.
More than 10 companies have reportedly expressed interest in buying the airline. The buyer will determine how many employees lose their jobs, where Virgin flies and what it will lose of its fleet. Virgin employs 10,000 people locally, and about another 6000 indirectly.
Others have warned a Qantas monopoly risks higher fares for passengers.
Ruby Princess ordered to set sail
The Ruby Princess cruise ship is still docked off Port Kembla in NSW, with the Border Force Commissioner directing the ship to leave Australian waters by tomorrow.
Yesterday, 57 crew members were escorted off the ship with some flying home, while the remaining workers are expected to set sail to the Philippines.
The ship has been linked to at least 21 deaths in Australia, with 40 COVID-19-positive crew members still on board. The crew has been in quarantine for over a month.
Vaccine on trial
A human coronavirus vaccine trial will start this week in the UK, with production of the vaccine likely to start even before the trial is complete.
The vaccine has been developed by scientists at Oxford University and a separate team at Imperial College in London, who will receive £42.5 million (A$83.17 million) to support their clinical trials.
Maybe Missouri should sue Trump rather than China.
Has he really got enough to justify the legal costs ?
Beat me to it!
‘…labelling the rhetoric “propaganda”, which seems, well, a bit rich.’
Really?
“These days, certain Australian politicians are keen to parrot what those Americans have asserted and simply follow them in staging political attacks on China,”
Seems spot-on, if you ask me.
Quite so. Do we want to get to the bottom of this for whatever reason or do we want budget priced political points here and suck up points in Washington ? If we really want answers this is precisely the wrong way to go but I’m sure even the COALies know that. So what’s to be gained with the frequent China bashing points ?
Better to focus on the problems at hand health and finance wise. Does this mean our pollies are running out of useful things to do ? Or at least their perception of. Plenty of post pandemic contingency work to be done I’d have thought. China bashing is such easy lazy work though. At least the Muslims are getting a break. A different world ? Bah humbug.
I can assume that the real diplomacy/dialogue is going on with China ,to help get to some answers ? So Trump is blowharding ,…it’s an election year & he’s a one note blow hard anyways ..What’s the blow hard mileage for Australia ? Apart from Dutton doing a look over there ,from the Ruby Princess fiasco..
If Peter Dutton says anything then the opposite is the case.