David:
How long is a piece of string? No one in government knows!

Over seventy? Lots of folk in that demographic and not nearly as privileged as yourself!

Should I succumb to covid-19, I'll do what I can for myself, given our hospital has one ICU bed. And may not have even one ventilator?

Folks needing ventilation usually are choppered out and according to one of the (Irish) doctors manning care flights, old folk placed on ventilators in such circumstances, do not return?

The local alternative is palliative care!? And even fewer folk survive that? Well, we are old, had a fair innings and are now just a costly burden on a massively impacted budget bottom line!

How long will it take to recover?

Depends on whether or not we are governed by bipartisan pragmatism and with nothing off the table or hidebound ideologues and their idiotic coal-fired agenda.

Bipartisan pragmatism will see us adopting Great Depression recovery strategies and the cooperative capitalism model that not only got us out of the deep dodo, but ushered in a period of unprecedented post-war prosperity and a far more unified, egalitarian society.

We wait for the boffins to get an antiviral that's fit for purpose, and get that into maximised 24/7 production and all the health workers, teachers, emergency workers and the vulnerable covered, while we get a well-tolerated vaccine in play/available.

Even then with everyone once again gainfully employed and we far more self-sufficient and self-reliant than now?

We will need a full decade or maybe two to get a full recovery!

Getting shot of all the robber barons and the paper shuffling, profit demanding middlemen would be of immeasurable assistance!
Take care and stay safe.
Alan B.

You and the others who must always whinge, even if articulately and after the effort of putting pen to paper at OLO..

We get it, you know it all, dislike government and won't hold the Cha-neese accountable.

Always appreciate alternate views. Can't accept a word of yours and the gang of trolls who infect the 'inter-web'

This bloke missed his calling. He should be writing drama for the ABC to waste millions on producing & putting to air. This piece is anti government & melodramatic enough to suit their rubbish very well.

Okay, I'm confused.

This bloke is saying he is more likely to die from guilt than the virus?

What rot.

Half of the patients who entered ICU in northern Italy didn't survive. The cut off age for a respirator when they became scarce was 70. In Spain it got as low as 65. There was a hell of a lot of anguish among the medical staff having to make those decisions.

Speaking to a doctor at a large hospital in a town near me there are protocols for various levels of stress on the health system. The most serious has the cutoff age at 60. So if things get really bad respirators will be removed from patients over that age based on a survivability criteria and given to a younger person. The patient will then be sedated to ease their end of life.

This is what we risk happening in our country. We have the great luxury here of being able to self isolate and hibernate businesses yet people are not grateful.

Grow up mate.

Good onya Dave. Hang in there mate.

I'm part of a poetry group, here in the provinces. So here is a cheering poem I sent to fellow "poets" yesterday. Its by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lehrer who had an extraordinary "poet" career from being a mathematical genius, who worked at the Los Alamos nuclear weapon center and the NSA, before becoming a comic, singer-songwriter.

Tom's stll kicking at 91. Here's his poem:

"I Got It From Agnes" (various versions since 1953).
Here’s the Video of Tom singing it http://youtu.be/6WHSVOVLmNY

"I love my friends and they love me
We're just as close as we can be

And just because we really care
Whatever we get, we share!
I got it from Agnes
She got it from Jim
We all agree it must have been
Louise who gave it to him

Now she got it from Harry
Who got it from Marie
And ev'rybody knows that Marie
Got it from me

Giles got it from Daphne
She got it from Joan
Who picked it up in County Cork
A-kissin' the Blarney stone

Pierre gave it to Shiela
Who must have brought it there
He got it from Francois and Jacques
Aha, lucky Pierre!

Max got it from Edith
Who gets it ev'ry spring
She got it from her daddy
Who just gives her ev'rything

She then gave it to Daniel
Whose spaniel has it now
Our dentist even got it
And we're still wondering how

But I got it from Agnes
Or maybe it was Sue
Or Millie or Billie or Gillie or Willie
It doesn't matter who

It might have been at the pub
Or at the club, or in the loo
And if you will be my friend, then I might
(Mind you, I said "might")
Give it to you!"

Cheers Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

Dear plantagenet,

Thanks for that.

Sound like there was a whole bunch of 'clapping' going on.

Thank you ,plantagenet,

Here is me thinking that Tom Lehrer and shuffled off ...

He may embrace , totally , a difference side of Politics to me , but he is a genius. I have his records /CD's and saw him live once . May he keep up poisoning pigeons for some more years ...

'Where this is all going to end – no one in Government knows.
When this is all going to end – no one In Government knows.'

Of course we know. The planet is going to heat up due to those wicked electricity providers and we are going to die. Economist, weather forecasters, academia, Governments have all failed miserably with past predictions. Even now the gw alarmist are sprouting their absolute nonsense while people die of a real issue.

Anyone interested in an ounce of truth will blow off the dust and read their bibles. You know the Scriptures that idiotic pseudo scientist have demonised for centuries. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (ie the God of Israel) made the beginning and is certainly in charge of the end. One day ignorance and arrogance will be a thing of the past.

runner: Good one mate, you just hang on to that bible and you'll sail on through the epidemic without it touching you or any other bible bashing holy roller?

Hasbeen: Great mate, all we need is to find out who was responsible and we can all go home or back to work! Right? Gotta hand it to you mate, there are few minds as sharp as yours!
Alan B.

Texas Lt. Gov. Says Let Seniors Die For Economy
http://youtu.be/it5jdr-YKbc

Mr Singer thinks the government should have had more hospitals, & ICU beds, ventilators, spare cash etc sitting waiting fort this eventuality.

I wonder if we checked if we would find Mr Singer had his pantry, medicine chest, & bank account all full waiting for such an eventually.

Some people are really smart after the event.

Hi SteeleRedux and Aspley

On a cheerful note here's Tom Lehrer being kind to pigeons by feeding them in the park http://youtu.be/yhuMLpdnOjY

Pete

A report I'll share:

The intelligence agencies of Israel are playing an increasingly important role in Israel's effort to combat the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic in its territory. The Israeli government has gone out of its way to advertise http://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/02/825898681/israels-defense-and-spy-agencies-step-up-anti-coronavirus-efforts their participation in the national effort to limit the spread of the virus.

Earlier this week, an Israeli television station aired an interview http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-19/israel-s-mossad-spy-agency-nabs-100-000-coronavirus-test-kits with an individual whose face was hidden, and was only identified as the director of technology for the Israeli external intelligence agency Mossad. He said that the secretive spy agency had managed to secure 100,000 coronavirus testing kits, 25,000 N-95 masks and 100 ventilators. The material had been acquired “from unnamed countries” by Mossad officers, he said. The officers had to “race to [foreign] factories” and secure these critical supplies after they had been “ordered by other countries”, he added. The agents then had to coordinate secret airlifts so that the medical material could be transported to Israel in time.

It has also been disclosed by the Office of the Prime Minister that the Israel Institute for Biological Research, which works closely with the Mossad and other Israeli intelligence agencies, has been making “significant progress” in developing a vaccine against COVID-19. One of the institute’s mission is to develop and produce defenses against biological and chemical threats. However, it has been alleged that it also produces chemical and biological weapons, as well as poisons and antidotes for use by the Mossad.

Meanwhile, several units of the Israel Defense Forces are helping to retrofit CPAP and BiPAP machines, which are designed to help treat sleep apnea, so that they can be used as ventilators. They include Unit 81 http://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/03/20/coronavirus-fightback-even-israels-top-secret-unit-81-has-just-broken-cover-for-covid-19/#4bac758d5f24, which is the technology unit of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN)...

As of Friday morning, nearly 7,000 Israelis had tested positive for COVID-19. It was reported that 36 Israelis had died and 338 were believed to have recovered from the disease.

Dear Plantagent,

It is painful to see how Israeli society breaks down under the stress of the virus. Even with the toughest draconian restrictions, Israel does not show the signs of flattening the curve as we have it in Australia with fewer restrictions.

The pre-1967 Israeli society would have easily and quickly overcome the virus, because the solidarity and willingness to sacrifice were there - but not any more: the 1967 occupation have fragmented Israeli society so now it is each to their own.

With police blocks everywhere and restriction of movement, ordinary Israelis are able to feel for the first time, in person, how it is to be a Palestinian. It should not have come to this, but perhaps as a result more Israelis will become more sensitive and unwilling to continue the occupation.

Repeated use of "Occupation"?

Doesn't the Jewish desire to hang onto the land of Israel stem from 1,500 years of discrimination?

See "Medieval Laws - Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, and various laws were introduced that discriminated against the Jews. These laws limited Jews’ freedom. They stretched into almost every area of Jewish life, from work to clothing.

Jews were not allowed to own land, and therefore could not become farmers."

see http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/anti-semitism/medieval-antisemitism/

Dear Plantagenet,

«Doesn't the Jewish desire to hang onto the land of Israel stem from 1,500 years of discrimination?»

In part, yes, in part also in order to be able to observe certain biblical commandments that are only possible in the land of Israel, in part also due to the heavily-disputed belief that this will advance the coming of the Messiah.

«Jews were not allowed to own land, and therefore could not become farmers.»

In Europe, yet Jews were allowed to own land in most of Israel all along without a break, even after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans. Owning of land by Jews has then been accelerating since 1882 and Jewish farming grew ever since.

All this is good and necessary, but there is no need to own the whole of the land for that - the pre-1967 portion of the land is sufficient to support all living and farming.

Even so, I support the ability of Jews to live and farm even beyond the 1967 borders, provided that they do not do it under the jurisdiction of the state of Israel. Let them either accept living under Palestinian rule, or try if they can to create there a second Jewish state, it is up to them so long as the state of Israel withdraws back to its rightful borders.

Here's a very relevant article from Israel Defense, April 9, 2020, http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/42537

"Australia Says it is Striking Back Against Foreign Cyber Adversaries

The country is reported to have just begun an offensive cyber campaign targeting hackers who are attempting to take advantage of the CORONAVIRUS outbreak.

Defense Minister Reynolds says that the criminals are not beyond reach of the authorities.

Australia's Department of Defense announced April 7 that the country is engaged in an cyber operation against criminals attempting to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release, Defense Minister Linda Reynolds was quoted as saying the country's cyber intelligence agency is using its offensive capabilities to disrupt foreign criminals who have carried out a range of malicious activities against citizens and businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

"Cyber criminals that are using the cover of cyberspace and international borders to target Australians are not beyond our reach," the minister said. "We are hitting back through the Australian Signals Directorate, who have already successfully disrupted activities from foreign criminals by disabling their infrastructure and blocking their access to stolen information."

"Some of these cybercriminals have even posed as health officials in an attempt to exploit vulnerable Australians, by infecting their computers with malware and stealing their private information," she added.

The directorate's Australian Cyber Security Centre is working with the country's telecommunications providers to block access to malicious websites, and is working with Microsoft and Google to have those sites flagged as malicious, according to the defense department.

Rachel Noble, director-general of the directorate, said "Close cooperation with telecommunications and IT companies is vital in providing increased protective barriers for Australians from these heartless cyber criminals."

"Our offensive cyber campaign has only just begun and we will continue to strike back at these cyber criminals operating offshore as they attempt to steal money and data from Australians," Noble said."