COVID-19 and Freedom

I've recently read three separate media articles about Australian Federal and State government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Essentially the writers argue the cure is more painful than the cause and the general public will be very angry with their political leaders once they realise this.

The writers also point out that there have been relatively few fatalities (816 in Australia) compared to the population (25 million). Therefore COVID-19 isn't particularly harmful.

One writer also pointed out the majority of fatalities were with the elderly in residential care (606). The writer then goes on to point out the statistics.  There were 1000 fewer deaths in aged care in the first seven months of 2020 compared to the previous year.

I find these arguments quite illogical.

In my opinion the reason why there has been a low fatality rate in Australia is precisely because of the measures introduced by Federal and State governments. Not because the virus is relatively harmless. Furthermore, where there was a breakdown in control measures there was a spike in infections and fatalities.  One only has to look at the rate of fatalities in Brazil where there have been few control measure or the USA where the response has be patchwork.

Moreover the recent lower mortality rate in residential aged care can be attributed to the increased national isolation measures which not only restricted the spread of COVID-19 but also the annual influenza outbreak.

It's not rocket science... just simple logic!

What has surprised me is the realization that a sizeable proportion of the population is incapable of complying with control measures. Society seems out of balance with so much emphasis on personal 'freedoms and rights' whilst ignoring their 'responsibilities'. The two are opposite sides of the same coin. The more you have of one the more you have of the other. To put it another way. You have the freedom and right to drive your vehicle whenever you want. However you are also responsible for complying with all the rules of driving. The more you drive, the more responsibility you have!