{"id":115764,"date":"2021-07-04T17:04:13","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T00:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=115764"},"modified":"2021-07-04T17:04:13","modified_gmt":"2021-07-05T00:04:13","slug":"lessons-learnt-from-the-covid-19-pandemic-nature-verses-the-open-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/04\/lessons-learnt-from-the-covid-19-pandemic-nature-verses-the-open-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC -NATURE VERSES THE OPEN ECONOMY"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY DR JANAKA GOONETILLEKE <\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The basic\npolicy of the prevention of the spread of Covid 19 is social distancing and\nprevention of close association between strangers by barrier methods such as\nfacial masks , gloves and washing of hands. We have returned to our traditional\nmethods of greetings which is worshipping and moved away from the western\ntradition of shaking hands . Worshipping has more than one meaning . It is not\nonly a tradition of greeting but also extension of respect to a fellow human\nbeing another clog in the great wheel of Human Bondage the basis on which\nhumanity can progress. This also has reduced the need to wash hands. It is very\nclear that the easterner over centuries have seen the need to practice social\ndistancing. This is nothing new to humanity . Humanity is only comfortable if there\nis four feet between strangers in social activity and two feet between loved\nones who we know for sure does not have a communicable disease and the\ncloseness is comfortable.  Thus social\ndistancing is not a stranger to humanity but the new world order that ignores\nnature in search of profit at the risk of suffering , it is something new. It\nis time  the hubris  that we can control nature is abandoned. So\nshould the policy of creative destruction and creative accounting in search of\nprofit be abandoned as it is false.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANDEMIC AND\nNATURAL WAVE PROPAGATION OF EPIDEMICS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without\nunderstanding the nature of an epidemic one cannot understand the reality of\nthe predicament humanity is facing. All natural phenomena observe a wave format\nreflecting natural exacerbations and remissions be it a storm, blowing and even\nphysiological phenomena such as the oxygen dissociation curve. This is best\nexpressed in the Buddhist Philosophy that every thing is in flux and nothing is\npermanent. To ignore the basic Buddhist philosophy in a Buddhist country shows\nthe degree to which the rulers have moved away from society. This is now\nhighjacked by the present world as the first wave, second wave etc. What they\ndo not say is that the wave format will burn itself out and be a spent force\nwith time when herd immunity will take over. The inevitability of the situation\nmust be accepted but society should do its utmost to protect the vulnerable\nsuch as senior citizens , children etc. so that the burden on the Health care\nsystem is minimized . A proper assessment cannot be made until the blood tests\nare done to evaluate the risks . The risks of course will depend  on the immunity of the citizens, Demography\nof the society , climate etc.  Unfortunately blindly following the west will\nnot give a proper assessment whose status is very different from the east and\nis not pragmatic.  Can a nation ignorant\nof this basic concept be realistic in assessment and management of this threat\nto humanity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EPIDEMICS AND\nOPEN ECONOMY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As much as the\ncovid 19 epidemic needs to be emphasized because of it virulency the more\nchronic epidemics in society has been ignored.  In Sri Lanka Diabetes , hypercholesteremia,\nfatty livers and kidney disease and cancers have reached epidemic proportions.\nPoisoning of society has been encouraged by the Ruling classes in the name of\nprofits and commissions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best\nexample of this poisoning is the incidence of chronic Renal disease which\naffects the 15% of the population in the North central province related to the\nMahaweli scheme. The rulers who are slaves to the IMF and World bank have not\neven had the courage to properly investigate the plight of the citizens. The\nrulers have abdicated their responsibility to the people. The disease has been\nattributed to the heavy metals in the fertilizer. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The olden times\nthe rice was cooked and the excess supernatant was discarded where most of the\nheavy metals were. Today the Rice cooker does not have a mechanism to rid the\nrice of the pollution and hence are consumed. These heavy metals are then\ndistributed by the commercial marketing to the rest of the country as  even the rice is contaminated. Water being the\ncarrier not only of nutrients but also poisons.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interesting\nquestion is why the Hype on the corona virus? Why has the rulers evaded their\nresponsibility towards other epidemics? Interesting questions that only the\nrulers can answer. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is only\nthe tip of the iceberg. The anti-human policies in the name of creative\ndestruction and open economy has to be reviewed..<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FUTURE\nEPIDEMICS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the rate  the deforestation in sri lanka is going on to\npander to the political ambitions of the ruling class and paying debt and\ngeopolitical schemes like the millennium 2000 with agreements with America will\ncreate new diseases that are at present confined to the forest .  The best example is the epidemic of dengue.\nThis until recently confined to the forests. The dengue mosquito was well\ncontrolled in the forests. The relatively cold water and the tannins created by\nrotting leaves are toxic to the mosquito eggs in addition predators such as\nbats kept the dengue mosquito in check and confined to the forests. With\nurbanization and deforestation the mosquito was offered warm water environment\nto multiply and become a threat to society That was done by the authorities\nallowing deforestation with out assessing the threat. Today the same\nauthorities who created this problem are accusing the ordinary citizens by\nchecking for larvae in natural collections of water be it in coconut shells\n,latrines and wells etc and taking legal actions. In this process the Police ,\narmy are utilized to bring fear to the people. The rulers who created this\nproblem are now putting the blame on the ordinary citizen where as they are\nliable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This corona\nvirus epidemic is only the start . The annihilation of the policy of natural\nsocial distancing by urbanization will only expose society to many such\nepidemics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOCIAL\nCONSEQUENCES OF URBANISATION AND APARTMENTAL LIVING AND ABANDONING THD EASTERN\nPHILOSOPHY OF AHIMSA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing that\nsuffers most in an urbanized society is the human phenomenon of social\ndistancing the compromise of which creates stress , natural spread of disease\nsuch as corono and the pressure on utilities such as healthcare. Healthcare\nsubsidies have been greatly reduced by IMF demands and private practice which\ncannot adequately care for the consequences of urbanization such as epidemics.\nThe lack of social distancing and stress has confirmed the reason for  the  media publications of increased wife bashing\nduring the epidemic . In addition living in small apartments with little social\ndistancing has created a society where there is increased dependency on drugs\nas found out in the research in New York. Another epidemic of drug usage and\nits social consequences is  violence. The\nrecent spate of Drug related Police actions are further evidence of the\nconsequences of Urbanization. An important message to the Resident committees\nof Apartment complexes where it should take a holistic approach not\nmilitaristic rules.. The space here is inadequate to give further details.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consuming game\nsuch as bats only opens humanity to diseases of animals. It is another\nmechanism by which humans will be exposed to new diseases. Corono virus is\nclaimed to have originated from Bats.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRESENT\nEPIDEMIC AND THE UNREALISTIC MANAGEMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hubris that\nnatural phenomena can be controlled with out consequences is a western\nphenomena that is against eastern belief. The natural wave phenomena of the\nepidemic are used by the ruling class as a form of propaganda. During exacerbations\nor the crest of the wave the people are blamed for not adhering to the rules of\nsocial distancing where as during the remissions or bottom of the wave they\ntake the credit for controlling the epidemic. With the second and third wave\ntheir credibility is questioned by society. The long and short of it is that a\nnatural phenomenon like a hurricane cannot be controlled without consequences\nbut the wave format will continue until it burns itself off by herd immunity.\nThis is no different from a hurricane which burns itself off but the damage\ncannot be prevented. Like wise Death and disease in this epidemic cannot be\navoided but with careful management can be minimized<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONCLIUSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present\nmanagement is inadequate because<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Does not accept the pattern of a natural\nepidemic but feel it can be controlled not accepting it is by Herd immunity.\nThe longer we prolong the virus has an opportunity to mutate which may be more\nvirulent than the original and the epidemic can recur.<\/strong><\/li>
  2. There is no care plan for the vulnerable\nthe old and the sick. Its been proved without doubt that the old and the very\nyoung are vulnerable. Unfortunately no such social problem is addressed <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    In\nthe non buddhist UK vulnerable citizens are cared for using what they call a\nsupport bubble. Ie introducing another family that can interact with them in\nspite of lock down without restrictions. In Buddhist Sri Lanka the elderly are\na spent force  not cared for. How\nBuddhist  is it ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • No proper risk management has been\nestablished in society where 80%  of the\ncovid infected are symptomless. In sri Lankas the death rate is less than 1% a\nreflection of the hot climate, natural immunity and the maintenance of social\ndistancing especially in the Rural areas.<\/strong><\/li>
    • Vaccination- Will it have a 100% immunity?\nWill the virus have mutated by then and will the vaccine be effective? A\nquestion that can be answered in retrospect. Still early days to pass udgement<\/strong><\/li>
    • Health care- should the government\nreestablish a fully funded free health care system that has been abandoned\nafter IMF advised the government to \nreduce subsidies.<\/strong><\/li>
    • Review of the Program  of deforestation and environmental protection.\nIs a absolute necessary to prevent new epidemics from forests. The use of\nchemicals in food preservation must be banned. To prevent other epidemics like\ncancer.<\/strong><\/li>
    • 52% of sri Lankans are daily wage earners.\nThe frequent curfews and locked down has devastated their earning capacity. In\naddition the expatriate workers mostly in the Middle East are unemployed stuck\nin the middle east unable to come back because of the failing economy  has caused major setbacks to their economy and\nthat of their dependent families. This has caused a lot of suffering. The sri\nLankan indebted economy has virtually come to a stand still where do we go from\nhere?<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

       Lock down and curfews must not interfere with\nthe national economy. Undernutrition not only cause death but will cause more\nproblems if they get Corono. A Realistic approach and the acceptance that\nfinally Herd immunity is the answer must be accepted. If not the suffering and\ndismantling of society would continue.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      THIS\nEPIDEMIC IS A CONSEQUENCE AND MISMANAGEMENT OF THE ECONOMY. IT IS TIME THE EAST\nCHANGES ITS ECONOMIC POLICY \u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      BY DR JANAKA GOONETILLEKE INTRODUCTION The basic policy of the prevention of the spread of Covid 19 is social distancing and prevention of close association between strangers by barrier methods such as facial masks , gloves and washing of hands. We have returned to our traditional methods of greetings which is worshipping and moved away […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,174],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category--19-"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115764"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115764\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}