Regarding ‘over-reacting’ letter

Email April 13

Dear Mr. Editor,

I refer to the letter from Louis Shawcross which appeared in the ‘Letters’ page on April 10, 2020 concerning Covid-19 under the heading, “Over-reacting”. He begins by launching into figures of the deaths, provided by Public Health England, attributed to the influenza virus for the year 2018/2019, when quite wrongly drawing a comparison with the coronavirus deaths in an attempt to persuade readers into believing that this current pandemic, “Is flu. It may be a particularly virulent flu, but it’s just flu.” Whereas at this time all currently available scientific evidence is that whilst the current virus can be likened to the SARS virus, there is no nexus between Covid, and the flu virus other than it is one of the great many other viruses which exist on our planet. Would this individual also attempt to persuade others that ebola is just another virus?

Your readers will have noted that in his letter Mr. Shawcross seeks to blame the UK Government’s primary interest for the lockdown, as being for capitalistic reasons. Would Mr. Shawcross also say this in respect of all those countries globally which have imposed similar curtailments of activities. Indeed, we are reliably informed that such restrictions involve some 1/5th of the world’s population. In his letter to the CBN Mr. Shawcross also makes an isolated derogatory reference to Israel. It can be by no coincidence that another reporter, Andrew Shaw, wrote an article in the Belfast Telegraph (13/02/15) in which he accused Mr. Shawcross of his, “Attempts to denigrate the State of Israel's democratic credentials in a very shoddy and misconceived attack.” Mr Shaw was referring to Mr. Shawcross allegedly stating that Israeli Forces had been shooting at Palestinian children.

His complaint appears to also centre on the fact that, at present we have all been deprived of our freedom of movement. This deprivation has been imposed for our better well-being and it is childish to hold the opinion that such deprivations will, in various forms, continue once the pandemic is brought under full control.

I am sure that it is quite obvious to one and all that, without such restrictions, the number of people, especially in the older age groups, as well as the many others who are also at risk, would otherwise die.

I know that most, if not all, readers will join with me in saying a very big thank you to all those medical workers, who put their very lives at risk, when working long hours, while attending to the very ill patients who have succumb to the coronavirus. Here I also include all medical carers as well as all those who are actively engaged in keeping us safe, not least those who maintain the food chain as well as the many others who continue to work in order to ensure our lives are made as comfortable as possible and we should not forget our security forces, as well as those who keep the various public undertakings functioning. The list is too numerous for me to mention here, although suffice it for me to say that without them the very fabric of our society would break down. Lest we should forget.

Lastly, but not least, I should also like to thank all those who continue to bring us the news in whatever format and here I include all those staff of the CBN, who continue to carry on working, so as to bring us as much news as is possible under very difficult circumstances.

Sincerely, David R. Burrage