Viral epidemics are not new.

How did we let the COVID-19 virus get out of hand?

Germ warfare was part of strategic thinking for millennia, probably back to 1500-1200 BC (Hittites). The tactical use of spreading disease is an old military theory. Viral epidemics are not new.

George W. Bush said in 2005, “If we wait for a pandemic to appear, it will be too late to prepare.”

My friend Dr Paul Forbes participated in an exercise to address the spread of disease in animals. They looked at tractability, and you guessed it: It smelled of excrement. Some of you might remember the Brucellosis campaign with beef, which was a national response. The authorities managed to act cooperatively, but can’t they now prepare for a national event?

Thinking about disease spread is not new. Being young pups, you wouldn’t remember the Spanish Flu campaign. All the draconian control measures from then are still in place. But the memory of saying “get ready” is long gone. A lot of people speak and write about it, BUT NOTHING HAPPENS.

Warnings of threats of viral epidemics are not new. They have been there as long as we can remember. So Bill Gates spoke on the matter, and still, we aren’t better prepared?

Looking for answers to viral epidemics.

The most straightforward answer is that we ALWAYS want to do what we do ‘on the cheap’. We always imagine the damage will not occur on our watch, so we do not prepare and push it forward for the grandkids to deal with and manage.

A Swiss Colonel recently said medical battalions are ready to act during a crisis. The force consists of 8,000 regulars and reservists who can motor into town, set up a hospital and aid stations, and operate immediately. They are trained and exercised in responding.

How prepared are we? An ambulance commissioner told my friend how few facilities we have. Our local Bathurst (Population 43,000) Hospital has three breathing devices required for critical care. Bathurst and Orange hospitals were declared COVID-19 hospitals. Chances of coping are ‘Buckley’s and none’. As Norman Swan reported, those over 60 would be triaged out, and younger people treated.

The critical phase of all emergencies is the time between them.

That is when investments and training occur, so that responses can occur. Did that happen here? But the NSW government is balancing the budget and getting rid of public servants; those pesky emergency workers aren’t essential—or are they?

We have lived with governments that do not see beyond tokenism in preparing for emergencies and will now pay the price. But it is not the government’s fault alone; we elected them.  The population at large believe the correct rate of tax is 0%. So, what is hope preparation? We want to pay 0% tax and can do squat when things ‘go south’. So, who says we are better off because we avoid tax?

In case you missed it the video of Bill Gates in 2015 predicting the coronavirus. It is pretty extraordinary.  He must be saying now, ”I told you so”.  

Without limiting social contact, we don’t have a chance at slowing the spread of a virus, which could mean an overloaded healthcare system and a lot of unnecessary deaths.

Quotable Quotes.

“Should we bring back National Service, which would include setting up hospital battalions to respond, as well as have trained people in the community? Don’t look to politicians to blame or fix UNTIL we all accept individual roles to enable what is needed to happen”. Dr Paul Forbes

“A crisis is the sum of intuition and blind spots, a blend of facts noted and facts ignored”.  Michael Crichton