weekly
Author: Luo Naizhi
2021-02-04 14:50
Last update date: 2021-02-04 14:50
The new crown pneumonia epidemic has ravaged the world for more than a year. As of January 31, the number of global infections exceeded 100 million, the death toll exceeded 2.2 million, and the mortality rate was 2.16%.
At the time of writing, as the most severely affected country in Europe, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson solemnly announced that the number of deaths due to new coronary pneumonia in the country exceeded 100,000.
I still remember that in March last year, Johnson said "the theory of losing the closest relatives" before closing the city. The whole country was shocked because the death rate of the elderly was very high, and the elderly suddenly became the focus.
Coincidentally, at the end of March last year, when the epidemic began to break out in Europe and the United States, the Internet went viral and "Human Rights in Europe and America?"
"Let the elderly die" article quoted Italy "abandoning treatment for people over 60 years old and leaving the hope of life to young people" and France "no intubation treatment for people over 70 years old."
However, after the content quoted in the article was checked by the Taiwan Fact-Checking Center, it pointed out that "the rumor was wrong."
It's just that this false rumor has spread wildly. Its phenomenon is worth thinking about. However, the new coronary pneumonia is more or less "age-discriminatory" because the World Health Organization and medical studies of various countries have found that the death rate of the elderly after infection is much higher than that of the younger generation. .
Furthermore, a series of problems such as care of the homes, the right to visit in nursing homes, and the order of treatment have also followed one after another, making the situation of "the old do not have a doctor" and "the old do not have a place to depend on," especially under the epidemic.
The picture shows the British Prime Minister Johnson holding a new crown vaccine jointly developed by Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in a vaccination center in London on January 25.
(Data Picture/Reuters)
According to the analysis of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, since the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the mortality rate of patients over 60 in Hong Kong has reached 6.27%, which is 105 times (0.06%) of those under 60. In the third wave of the epidemic, all deaths were 60 Patients over the age of.
The Hospital Authority’s report also pointed out that because the elderly’s immune system and their response to medications are relatively poor, it described that “new coronaviruses are like two different diseases in young and elderly patients. Such as SARS and MERS", and the elderly may suffer from long-term or chronic diseases. After contracting new coronary pneumonia, the mortality rate can even reach as high as 10%.
Under the anti-epidemic policy, Hong Kong's elderly homes are basically completely closed management. Therefore, the elderly are not only prohibited from going out, but also not allowed to be visited, in order to "reduce the risk of infection."
According to the case of the Hong Kong-Thailand Nursing Center and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, He Yuqing and Cui Liu Yiting, no matter how tightly managed it is, the caregivers in the hospital are no match for the infection, and the elderly become the group that cannot participate in epidemic prevention decisions and bears the highest risk.
Of course, if the elderly do not live in institutions or have better financial conditions, such as celebrities in the "dancing group", they are both elderly, but they can stay in hotels to isolate themselves, or even conceal the epidemic, and they can almost "ignore" epidemic prevention. Policy, this is the "class nature" of risk.
In accordance with the policy of the Social Welfare Department, household cleaning is not an emergency service. During the epidemic, all charities are not allowed to arrange non-emergency services.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
"It seems to be waiting for death" is not alone
Zeng Bo is about 70 years old this year. He is an elderly person living alone, living in a public housing estate in Kwai Tsing District. He was interviewed by the Hong Kong 01 Weekly under the arrangement of the Major League Concerning Home Care Services (hereinafter referred to as "Care Care Alliance").
Uncle Zeng lives in a single-person public housing. It can be seen from the home environment that many places are filled with personal belongings and sundries. Even if you want to dry your clothes, you have to hang them by the bed. The place where you can walk around can be described as one step. Stop.
"The windows in my house are covered with dust, can you see it?" It turned out that due to the epidemic, the free household cleaning service that was originally once every two months was forced to suspend.
According to his description, almost no one came to clean for him this year.
"I once called (phoned) to the charity to inquire, and they said that the epidemic cannot arrange services. Many organizations used to help me, but now they are all gone. If I arrange privately, I will be fined, so I can't help it either." In a few short sentences, Tao is helpless under the pandemic.
In accordance with the policy of the Social Welfare Department, household cleaning is not an emergency service. During the epidemic, all charities are not allowed to arrange non-emergency services.
He even described, "I really don't know what to do. I feel like I am waiting for death. Many elderly people are like this."
This kind of mentality of "as if waiting for death" is not an isolated case, but a common phenomenon.
He said that before, he could go to the community canteen to have a meal by himself. During the meal, he could see friends, four or five people on a table, and the center was also very close. Now there is no such situation.
After wave after wave of epidemics, Zeng Bo was not only afraid of catching the epidemic, but also facing the dilemma of losing his social life, and even faced many difficulties in daily life.
With wave after wave of epidemics, the elderly are not only afraid of catching the epidemic, but also facing the dilemma of losing their social life.
(Profile picture)
Seeing discrimination everywhere will inevitably be "unhappy"
During the interview, Bo Zeng said "unhappy" no less than ten times, and this mood may only be deeply understood by the elderly with similar conditions.
He blurted out the most common question, "Hey, are you sick (new coronary pneumonia) and you are out of the street?" The reason for this "greeting" is only because he is old and has poor trachea. When he coughed, others turned his eyes.
Zeng Bo emphasized that because he was afraid of catching the epidemic, he would wear a mask when he went out and would take it off until he went home.
Klaus, founder of the World Economic Forum
Klaus Schwab wrote in "Post-epidemic Era: The Great Reconstruction": "One of the characteristics of infectious diseases is that they can trigger fear, anxiety and large-scale hysteria, and challenge social cohesion and people's joint management of crisis. Ability. Infectious diseases can cause social tears and personal trauma. We fight against invisible enemies; family, friends and neighbors can all become sources of infection; daily behaviors that we value (such as meeting with friends in public) can become infectious Way.” It is undeniable that when the pandemic lasts for a long time, people are prone to distrust others in the process of the epidemic, out of the primitive fear of death, which will cause great harm to society.
This kind of "unhappiness" is undoubtedly the emotions that have been backlogged for a long time in the fight against the epidemic for the elderly. If it is not well managed, the problem may become more serious.
However, the lack of emotional support for the elderly is only the tip of the iceberg. Has the government properly addressed the predicament of the elderly and offered assistance?
From the conversation between the two interviewees, it can be found that the answer seems to be negative.
For details, please read the full text of the "Hong Kong 01" weekly electronic journal.
The above excerpt was recorded in the 251st issue of "Hong Kong 01" Weekly (February 1, 2021) "Elderly people have no "medicine" under the epidemic". If you want to read the full text, please
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Selected content of 251 issue of "Hong Kong 01" Weekly News:
[Cover story] Elite thinking dominates the traditional economy to clamp down on Hong Kong’s talent strategy dilemma
Beijing's policy of governing Hong Kong is shifting from "struggle" to "reform"
Why is "consultation theory" included in the Basic Law?
"Election" may not be better than "negotiation"
After the reflection of the GME war, who will pay the bill after the bloodbath on Wall Street?
"Kaishou" listed on the new and old economy at HKU
Under the epidemic, the elderly have no way to "medicate"
[Technology.
In the future] new variants will become normal, new coronary pneumonia will eventually become endemic
Gospel of the infertile and "alternative golden egg"?
U.S. fertility industry has huge business opportunities
Buy back public transit agencies to reduce commuting costs
Outbreak in the UK and the UK (New Crown Pneumonia) Johnson Boris Johnson Outbreak in Europe (New Crown Pneumonia) New Crown Pneumonia Aging Population Restriction Order 01 Weekly
