Belfast doctor: We must find how to live with Covid, like our grandparents lived with polio

By Alex Kane
Published 9th Oct 2020, 08:00 BST
Polio immunisation in west Belfast in 1982; the emergence of a vaccine in the middle of the 20th century eventually all-but eradicated itPolio immunisation in west Belfast in 1982; the emergence of a vaccine in the middle of the 20th century eventually all-but eradicated it
Polio immunisation in west Belfast in 1982; the emergence of a vaccine in the middle of the 20th century eventually all-but eradicated it
In my opinion, another complete lockdown would be to take a very blunt and destructive instrument to solve a complex but serious problem.

Damage to the economy, presently camouflaged by the furlough scheme, would be compounded and unemployment and poverty increase further.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Levels of emotional distress and mental ill health would escalate.

Closing schools again would be catastrophic for the future wellbeing of many children and young people.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Outbreaks tend to be clustered and need to be tackled with rapid test, trace and isolate. Social distancing and wearing face coverings should be mandatory.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Where individuals, businesses or social venues have flouted the rules penalties should be implemented.

Vulnerable elderly can and should be protected; many care homes and elderly homes have an excellent record on protection of their residents and have sensible precautionary measures in place.

A strict lockdown risks provoking widespread noncompliance by the public, fed up with what, to some, seems like an over-reaction. Widespread noncompliance, as seen with some high profile individuals in USA, results in increased spread of the virus.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Unfortunately the virus has disrupted life, sometimes tragically.

We will have to devise ways to live with it much as our grandparents, before the days of vaccines and antibiotics, lived with the threat of polio, TB and other common but life-threatening infections.

Dr John Kyle, Belfast City PUP councillor and long-serving GP

READ MORE OF THE NEWS LETTER’S RECENT COVERAGE:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

CLICK HERE: Exclusive: Republican die-hard’s courtroom tactics have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds

CLICK HERE: Brooke Reid funeral: Family of fire death girl ‘overwhelmed with love’

CLICK HERE: NI man, 33, who died in Turkey incident named as Richard Molloy

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor

Related topics:BelfastJohn Kyle