The Arrival of Omicron

With the arrival of another C19 mutation, Omicron, it looks like an increasing case of deja vu. Flight arrivals from the first hotspot nations are banned. There is a dearth of knowledge amongst experts, bureaucrats and politicians on how a new mutation will play out. Infections are confirmed amongst individuals who arrived from hotspot nations, but they arrived before any arrival bans. Such individuals had total freedom of movement when they visited what are now called exposure spots in the local community, before feeling unwell and testing positive. Will there be breaches at the control points of disembarkation and quarantine accommodation? Citizens and PRs of destination countries, coming from hotspot nations, are isolated for 14 days after arrival, but we are no longer told where exactly they are quarantined. The word "hotels" is no longer mentioned. The playbook in response by authorities looks amazingly familiar. After two years, there are seemingly no new ideas, except perhaps to take comfort in a high population percentage who have offered to be jabbed seemingly three times within 12 months. The first reaction upon hearing the arrival of Omicron is to promote booster shots. The difference this time, is significantly, that most nations tell their denizens that they have to live with the Coronavirus, so that the economy can bounce back. Even when air travel is opened up more than ever, the range of process just to get on a commercial aircraft to a foreign destination and return to the home country - testing, insurance and more - can be a most inconvenient one. The biggest challenge to us as individuals is the potential growth in uncertainty, just when our mindsets and expectations have moved to more certainty. Not again! is my first thought. Once the proverbial cockroach breaches our international border sentries, authorities have to decide whether the old regime of mass testing, varying levels of lockdowns, scanning QR codes, face masking, ensuring social distancing, hospitalisations and the lot - are back in force, or do they have to come up with more innovative approaches? Unsavoury authorities can still continue to hide behind the excuse of Omicron to implement more of their dark agendas - hopefully not. Are we facing a scenario of accepting more infections, downplaying specific risks, allowing more personal freedoms and deemphasising the collateral damage to society and individuals? The arrival of Omicron and the intent of many governments to want us to learn to live with Delta and any future mutations, now dovetails to a critical stage. Not enough is known about Omicron today, so will it fizzle out to nothing or will it step up the complexity for us and our rulers? #yongkevthoughts

October 2021 - Singapore Embraces Covid

 

In transition between different and significant approaches in managing Covid, Singapore is at the cross roads. The journey so far for Europe is swinging from lockdowns to freedom and now back to lockdowns. No economy can endure lockdowns on and off, especially for one like Singapore, but the question is "at what price?". Here are key quotes from a televised address by the Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien-loong, to his nation on 3 October 2021. "Singapore cannot stay locked down indefinitely." "We are shifting to home recovery" "No more complicated flow charts." "Knowing what to do makes Covid not a scary disease." "Sooner or later, everyone of us will meet the virus." "Keeping connected to supply chains will help ensure Singapore's hub status." "We must ensure for Singapore's health systen and health workers, which is our last line of defence." "We must be our nation's first line of defence, to help protect our health system." "We may yet have to tap on the brakes, in order not to free up too fast." "How will we know when we have arrived at the New Normal?"

We Need Less Uncertainty and More Proactive Action

What each of us, and our society, business and mental health needs most of all, is more certainty - all across the world. The way public health and epidemic control, in the past 2 years or so, has been handled can be abrupt, heavy handed and with lack of adequate communication with all stakeholders. Authorities swing their power to impose measures, likely using fear as an unnecessary tool or having unrevealed agendas behind the methods or plans utilised. Delta is not to be underestimated, but at the same time, it must not be manipulated for other purposes. Politicians and "the science" may have to work in a kind of knowledge vacuum, but that does not mean always taking a stare down approach. The public deserves more sincerity from our elected officials, who cannot just issue cherry picked information, but should be more open on what challenges there are in unknowns. Beware, in whatever pathway is offered, it is prudent to have a back up plan. The jarring way in which the powers that be, seem to react, instead of better planning ahead for more than one option, can be concerning. Delta, the varying performance of vaccinations, the lack of capability for the worst scenario....they can throw huge spanners in the works. Our authorities also need to take more heed of how Delta - and new mutated strains - can still create havoc, despite a city having high rates of vaccination roll out. There seems to be less open discussion about vaccinations than Covid itself. We need not repeat mistakes of others - cities and nations can learn from each other. There is often a lack of resources, staffing and infrastructure available, when not planning ahead for a variety of scenarios and outcomes. With an epidemic, what learned institutions, sitting politicians and quoted modeling say may not eventuate. Another risk is that political priorities, in any country or society put under the cloud of Delta, can still be more important than the application of common sense. The other huge concern is that in whatever pathway we are offered, government tends to pronounce broad strokes, without paying enough attention to implementation details - and keep allowing exemptions to what they want us to comply with. And the other often unsaid danger is to hype up the expectations of voters, without realistic outcomes. How many times have we been promised more travel bubbles, urged to pay for airline tickets months in advance and told to book for holidays?

Questions Remaining re Covid management by Authorities

After around 2 years of Covid, there can be nothing like prevention at first level by face masking, minimising hanging out at places with poor ventilation and exercising more of our personal intelligence and mindfulness.

Vaccinations are at best defensive measures after viral invasions get out of control. They are said to sustain a high level of antibodies in our physical make up to fight Covid.

The world's populations have already worn face masks during the Spanish flu, SARs, plagues etc. Covid vaccinations can still be immature in their development - the rate at which authorities push such vaccinations, even if kosher, can be alarming. Successful vaccinations we take in the past are usually annually taken, not so often within a year.

Emphasis on producing anti viral medicine for Covid seems to be at a lesser pace.

There is also a lack of focus on the usefulness of our memory T cells in our own bodies to naturally fight Covid.

Every excuse can be given by authorities across the world on the varying performance of current Covid vaccinations. These are my observations, but I do not know what stand to take anymore.

China still takes more of an elimination stand against Covid, while at the same time achieving high vaccination rates. Western societies have hyped up the protective powers of vaccinations as the reason for opening up the economy and loosening movement restrictions - and yet cases are significantly spiking again across Europe. India has not achieved the high rates of vaccinations touted as manna by many governments - and yet has not suffered as many infections per capita of population.

Several societies have been told that Covid, in whatever form, Delta strain or other mutants, must now be embraced as endemic - we are encouraged to live with it. Then why are bureaucrats still counting and reporting new daily cases of Covid?

If the common flu is accepted as endemic, we do not get such scrutiny of infection numbers for this viral spread.

Yet intense testing regimes for endemic Covid are carried out on international air travellers - and close contacts of confirmed infectees at exposure sites are required to isolate.

When various types of Covid vaccinations do not deliver what is promised as outcomes, the onus of responsibility is often pushed to the populace - we did not have our booster shots, we have various underlying health conditions, we are vaccine hesitant, new infections are affecting the unvaccinated, etc.

Very rare are the Big Pharmas questioned in mainstream media and by governments about the performance of vaccinations and the viability of their official testing data.

Can You Recognise Such a Person?

 

Which person of prominence, in your observation or knowledge, can you attribute the following behaviour? 1. Never misses a photo opportunity to promote a certain political purpose or impression. 2. Cites higher powers for being chosen to lead to a bigger destiny. 3. Manipulates other sources of power or spins events to fast track a selfish agenda. 4. Has clear ideas on the kind of new social order he wants entrenched. 5. Utilises position to exploit nationalist sentiments in playing politics. 6. Downplays the past record to hide any deficiencies and divert attention for purposes of the present or future. 7. Changes previously strong alliances when convenient or when no longer required for purpose. 8. Utilises extreme marketing approaches to confuse between the nation, the nation's way and what is really his personal way. 9. Resorts to ruthlessness, aggression and trickery on rhe quiet to get to the top of the ladder. 10. Controls the media in reporting to, influencing and fooling the populace - and personally good in stirring up the public. Every one reading this will by now have one or two personalities in mind, but the listed features above were all truly characteristic of Hitler.