Solidarity 583, 24 February 2021

Isolation pay can keep the curve going down

If we self-isolate when we have Covid symptoms, that reduces transmission by about a quarter or a third. The current contact-tracing regime brings a reduction of only 2% to 5%, an official 19 February report estimates. Reducing social contact for us all — especially face-to-face indoors contact — also reduces transmission, since many transmissions happen before the transmitter gets symptoms. But present only a minority of people with Covid symptoms — maybe 18% , maybe 29% — self-isolate properly. Winning full isolation pay for all is central to improve self-isolation rates and help keep the...

Spread vaccines world-wide

First figures from Scotland and Israel show vaccination working well. It is urgent to spread it to the world’s poorest countries. Africa has had only 2 vaccinations per 1000 people, and many countries have no vaccine supplies at all any time soon. Money from the rich countries into the World Health Organisation Covax project, much less than spent on bailing out businesses, and requisitioning of Big Pharma to get maximum spread of technology and maximum production, can fix that. Saving lives should be the driver, not just the current anxiety of France, for example, that China and Russia will...

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