Measures needed to catch up with delayed operations

In the UK, approximately 6,159 people have died of the virus to date, most of which (not all) were elderly with underlying conditions.

In normal times about 1,600 people die every day in the UK for one reason or another.

For instance in 2013, the last year these particular figures were available, 31,307 people died of respiratory disease.

In the winter of 2017/18, more than 50,000 excess deaths occurred in England and Wales, largely unnoticed.

The average death rate for flu and flu-related complications in England averages 17,000 a year.

This figure changes each year, but last winter 1,692 deaths occurred, but in the winter 2014/15, 28,330 people died.

Most of the people who died had underlying health conditions, as they do with coronavirus.

One of the interesting points is that the greatest deaths have been in areas of the greatest air pollution.

China has terrible air quality and so does northern Italy.

In fact, northern Italy is the most polluted in Europe.

Other places of high death rates are large cities that also suffer air pollution and obviously have a denser population.

The above figures do apply to the UK, but are pro rata to the island.

So why are the governments so preoccupied with this virus?

Are they expecting a death rate similar to the 1918 flu epidemic – if not why the propaganda and instilled panic?

Surely the restrictions on our movements are going to cause more damage than the virus could.

It is all fine and good to introduce lockdown and close businesses with all the financial ramifications, but lockdown also has a very human toll as well. Just think of all the avoidable deaths that will occur due to this lockdown and to the continuing rising death toll for the foreseeable future.

I am not talking about potential depression and suicides, which are very real.

Due to the island/UK/European lockdown, doctors and medical clinics are not seeing patients as they should.

Normally the clinics are extremely busy, with long waiting lists. These medical conditions aren’t going away due to the coronavirus.

People with cardiac conditions that have been waiting to see a cardiologist will now have to wait even longer.

People with a cancer diagnosis aren’t going to get the early treatment that they should receive. The population is now at a greater risk because they are refraining from seeing their GP or not able to get an appointment, therefore not getting an early diagnosis.

The list can go on and on.

The health departments will just say, yes, it is unfortunate that people are missing out on treatments, but that is a consequence of the coronavirus.

A healthy person will just brush it off and say, so what.

However, just put yourselves or a loved one in the position of not receiving timely diagnosis or treatment, then your attitude may change.

Many people will probably die an early and avoidable death, but the cynic in me would say that as far as the government is concerned, that’s OK.

Statistically they will be put down as natural deaths and the government will say they did a good job in stopping deaths of Covid-19 patients.

After this turmoil is over, are deputies [Heidi] Soulsby or Gavin St Pier able to reassure the island population that measures will be put in place to catch up with the cancelled and postponed operations, the cancelled specialist clinics, etc, etc? The States of Guernsey have done a fine job so far, but please let’s not create further avoidable deaths due to this virus.

NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD.