In 1918-19 the so-called Spanish Flu pandemic is estimated to have killed 50 million people worldwide – far more than were killed in the First World War. Within the UK 228,000 people were killed by it; about 10-20 per cent who caught the virus. My mother told me that my own grandfather died in that outbreak.
Today we learn that 578 people have died of Coronavirus in the UK and that about 11,658 others have tested positive for the virus. That a mortality rate (rough as my workings are) of just under 5 per cent of people who catch it. But on my basic calculations the odds of survival seem to be far better today than 100 years ago. Thank goodness for that. Let’s hope too that we don’t have national mortality rates as great as then too.
From what I see on my brief daily walk (normally the post box to send constituents’ letters) life seems much quieter and people really are staying at home. It's the only way. I am so lucky because I have a garden to enjoy when I get stir crazy but I fully realise that so many do not and they must feel very shut away and indeed isolated. When I get like that I reach for the phone to chat to friends. I think I could use SKYPE but I'm useless at fixing it up!
The UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer suggested that there were some small signs that the gradient of infections is lessening although it doesn’t seem like it when over 100 poor souls were taken in the 24 hours before she was speaking. Some optimistically suggest the so-called peak for the UK is some 7-10 days away. I really hope they are right but cannot see that yet. I am afraid we still need to keep our hatches battened down for the foreseeable future.
Thankfully the Chancellor Rush Sunak (photograph) was able to announce a package of financial measures to help the self-employed yesterday. Through the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, the Government will pay self-employed people a grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits over the last three years, up to £2,500 a month, for three months – but we will extend for longer if necessary. It is one of the most generous schemes in the world and covers 95 per cent of the self-employed. That last 5 per cent of people should be those whose income is over £50,000 and who should be in a much better position to handle the crisis than others.
May I end by saying that I too applauded the NHS yesterday from the social distancing safety of my front drive. But it’s not just NHS workers who deserve our profound thanks its also the police, fire men and women, bus and train drivers, supermarket employees, refuse collectors, energy workers, emergency plumbers, emergency electricians and we must not to forget the civil service who amongst others are going out to keep our society functioning. Thank you to all of you on behalf of all of us who are closeted up and much safer in our own homes.