In Both Sides Now, author and ethicist Leslie Cannold presents two sides of an argument and then it’s over to you: what do you think is true, and what do you think Cannold really believes?
Today: how can it be wise to open our international borders when COVID-19 keeps developing deadly and virulent strains? But then, how can it be fair to keep Australian citizens out of their mostly COVID-safe country by keeping the borders closed?
Yes: we cannot let this virus infiltrate Australia as it has other countries. No: we’ve got to learn to live with it.
Yes
Australia’s COVID management strategy is in trouble. Not just in Victoria, where the slow release of the iron vice of its fourth lockdown makes the peril obvious, but across the whole country.
The problem is the variant of the COVID-19 virus — previously known as the Indian variant — two sub-strains of which have made their power felt in the Victorian outbreak. The Kappa strain, which a Victorian man picked up in hotel quarantine in South Australia before returning home to unknowingly spread it, and the Delta strain, which leaked from Victorian quarantine to a family in West Melbourne in a way we still don’t understand.
To say these sub-strains are highly contagious is an understatement. Expert opinion varies but many say the Kappa strain is 40% more infectious than the UK’s homegrown strain, now known as Alpha.
But this is nothing compared with the Delta strain, which is — wait for it — 80% more transmissible than Alpha. And the Alpha variant is 3.5 times more infectious than the original Wuhan virus, which was transmissible and deadly enough to force Victoria into three months of hard lockdown last year.
Victoria and the UK are not the only ones who’ve been poleaxed by this new and highly concerning variant. Countries which had as good a record as ours of controlling COVID — Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea — are battling outbreaks that have so far eluded control.
We can’t risk becoming them and Victoria, at least, can’t wear another long winter lockdown. For the sake of our businesses and all our mental health — particularly that of our young people — we must find a more economically sustainable and humane way to avoid the mortality and morbidity of COVID.
For now, the choice is simple, though harsh. We have to stop Australians returning from countries where the Delta variant is dominant and out of control. For now, that means the UK and India but perhaps soon also the United States.
It won’t be forever. Eventually, when we’re all vaccinated with something more effective against the Delta variant (the AstraZeneca given to our older people is only 60% effective, and Pfizer just 80% ), or these places get their outbreaks under control, or a dedicated quarantine facility in Victoria is finally built, then — in a far more sensible way than slamming our borders shut — the risks of the virus and lockdown can be averted when everyone comes home.
But until then we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect it to turn out differently. Delta is too dangerous and our ability to control it right now too weak and variable. It can only get in through the borders — so that’s where we have to stop it, or else spend more time in lockdown paying for our latest mistake.
No
Australian citizens have a right to return. What else does citizenship mean?
Yes, repatriation in the middle of a pandemic means risk. But while the Delta variants are the current bogeymen, next week another variant will have replaced it in some country as the most transmissible or deadly. Then another. Are we going to ban everyone from returning from these countries, too? How just is it to have a COVID-free country but not allow Australians desperate to escape places where they’re likely to die if they catch it?
Sure, right now the costs of importing COVID are unacceptably high, but that’s not the fault of quarantine, which whether based in hotels or not will always have a risk.
Instead of chucking a mental every time someone gets infected and locking down, Australians must learn to live with the virus, especially as we have a way to do this that doesn’t cause illness or death: vaccination.
The main point of having vaccinations is to turn COVID into the common cold. Which means that by getting vaccinated, we are exercising our power to make mortality and morbidity, and therefore lockdowns, a thing of the past.
Get vaccinated. Vaccinated people are less likely to catch COVID, spread it, and — most importantly — get so sick they need to go to the hospital.
We need better vaccination efforts at our borders, too. All border workers and their families should be fully vaccinated with Pfizer because it’s more effective and they are at highest risk of letting it get in. Everyone returning from overseas should start the vaccination process — preferably with Pfizer because it takes only three weeks to have two shots — in quarantine.
Until then we’ll just have to wear the risk of the occasional leak and lockdown, but once we’ve all had both shots we’ll be as protected as we can be from mass deaths and hospital overruns. Which means, if we’re sensible we’ll stop panicking about every case in the community — in the same way we don’t social distance, mask or lockdown against the threat of the common cold.
There are four viruses that cause colds around the world, and we live with them. We must learn to live with the coronavirus too.
Which side do you think Cannold sits on? And what do you believe? Send your thoughts to letters@crikey.com.au with Both Sides Now in the subject line.
Australian citizens could return if we had a federal government prioritising that. But it hasn’t. Instead we have a leak from hotel quarantine every 11 days on average & a federal government who has resisted calls to build safe quarantine facilities & insists on using repurposed hotels which are clearly not adequate for the job.
But if you are a Hollywood B grade actor or a minor celebrity of some sort, or an owner of a franchise selling packaged salvation, then you can come & go as you please. With sQott’s blessings.
Sorry something went wrong with link https://tinyurl.com/dp629dae –This should work.
Comparing living with the four viruses that cause the common cold & living with covid- couldn’t be any thing more different than living with the 4 common cold viruses. Have you learnt nothing in the last year? Vaccination will NOT turn covid 19 into the common cold. Groan. Ethisist? Good lord- someone with no medical qualifications what so ever now tells us that vaccination will turn covid 19 into the common cold. This is worse than the rubbish QANON post.
“Vaccination will NOT turn covid 19 into the common cold.” – – I don’t ever remember seeing or hearing anyone say that -it’s not relevant anyway. However people who have been vaccinated have still been infected with Covid -19.
Between January 1 and October 27 of this year, (2020) 1,846 people died of either influenza or pneumonia, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed. This marked a 36 per cent plunge from the 2,885 deaths of the same underlying cause when weekly disease fatalities were added up. The plunge in flu deaths was even more dramatic than the 18 per cent plummet in respiratory illnesses, a broader category which includes influenza, pneumonia, emphysema and chronic bronchitis but not COVID-19.
Overall, there were 126,974 certified deaths in Australia between January 1 and November 24 last year,(2020) compared to a baseline average of 127,872 over the past five years. That figure includes the 909 Australians who died of COVID-19. https://tinyurl.com/y7jmwh9s .Covid: The Big Picture – June 2021
Our death rate has remained relatively stable BECAUSE we took action to stop covid 19 getting out into the community.
Look at India’s death rate if you want to see what happens when covid 19 gets out into the community unchecked.
err -Penny you do realise taht there are way over 1 Billion Indians? -their death rate is very low. it actually works out with 4 Zeros in front of a number ! .0000- . The MSM loves to scare. 13 April 2021 –BREAKING | CDC ADMITS AT LEAST 94% OF DEATHS FROM COVID19 WERE WRONG https://tinyurl.com./dp629dae
“There are four viruses that cause colds around the world, and we live with them. We must learn to live with the coronavirus too.”
The line above is almost the only thing I can agree with. I’ve found out to my surprise that it doesn’t take much encouragement to change the average Ozzie into a follower of MSM & Govt BS ! For Dog’s sake this is NOT a really deadly disease ! It is a member of the Flu virus – a little more severe for those over 75 especially those with other Comorbidities BUT not really a problem for others – unless they also have Comorbidity problems. Those with those problems should take care to protect themselves — otherwise let it rip & get the best immunity possible –
Your own natural immunity which most of us have.
Those frightened beyond belief should stop to consider that the flue virus mutates yearly & every year a new concoction is made. The ingrediants are quite bizarre – look it up. Just for the record -at age 76 my wife & self have been having the flu vaccine yaerly for the past 10-15 yrs — but no longer will & my wife has a heart problem. Everyone should also stop to consider how this response by Govt was orchestrated around the World –together WITH a total shut down of dissenting Medical voices. This alone is unprecedented – supression of information is facist !
Dr. Byram Bridle Professor of Viral Immunology University of Guelph ( Canada) is the latest to issue a warning re these Vaccines –https://tinyurl.com/39y6p3ms – believe it or not up to you but as a viroligist he’s qualified to speak out as many others have. It’s dangerous for a Medical professional to raise fears about the efficacy of the vaccine because the vested interests are powerful & want to control the narrative.
One of the best explanations I’ve seen is at https://tinyurl.com/a8f9r5 . Called -If They Get Jabbed After Watching This They Are Beyond Saving -It’s in cartoon style -well presented and worth watching to know and understand your rights. Watch all above with an open mind & your own BS meter.
Pfizer has been developing their vaccine since the SARS and MERS outbreaks about six years ago, not something they dreamt up in a couple of weeks. You might choose to believe conspiracies but I’m for having the vaccine and have at least some protection against the worst. Yes they probably have not done the usual clinical trial for development but there was somewhat of an emergency, or don’t you believe anyone really died from this thing??
Thousands have died yearly from ordinary flu or pneumonia in ALL countries. Average age of death in Australia has been over 80 – mainly in nursing homes or over 60 with Comorbidities. ALL Govts have made searching for deaths from all reasons difficult – hiding the data as many people are questioning why the lockdown. However if you have the patience you can get some verifiable answers. Latest was for 2020
Between January 1 and October 27 of this year, (2020) 1,846 people died of either influenza or pneumonia, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed. This marked a 36 per cent plunge from the 2,885 deaths of the same underlying cause when weekly disease fatalities were added up. The plunge in flu deaths was even more dramatic than the 18 per cent plummet in respiratory illnesses, a broader category which includes influenza, pneumonia, emphysema and chronic bronchitis but not COVID-19.
Overall, there were 126,974 certified deaths in Australia between January 1 and November 24 last year,(2020) compared to a baseline average of 127,872 over the past five years. That figure includes the 909 Australians who died of COVID-19. https://tinyurl.com/y7jmwh9s .Covid: The Big Picture – June 2021
The big picture. Hospitals overwhelmed with the dead & dying, in the USA, in India, Brazil, the UK …..you are so deceitful in how you use information. Unless of course you think that the images on our tv screens are all part of a global conspiracy to hood wink us all. Doctors pleading for people to take care, exhausted health care workers & nurses – you seem to think they are all part of some conspiracy too. For goodness sake, this is NOT the common cold. You are confused because both covid 19 & the common cold are both corona viruses. But that is where the similarities end. The common cold will not kill you. Covid 19 possibly will & can also leave you with long term health issues.
I have had my first vaccine because I believe that preventing the spread of covid 19 will save many lives.