Does the COVID-19 Outbreak Distinguish Between Rich and Poor?

Below, we share excerpts from Hamid Alizadeh’s article "Them and us: rich vs. poor during the COVID-19 pandemic" (Them and us: rich and poor during the COVID-19 pandemic).

COVID-19 Pandemic spreads, we have begun hearing that “the virus does not discriminate—rich or poor, we are all in this together.” Yet the reality is that privileged elites, enjoying relative safety, are willing to expose workers to a higher risk of infection to keep making profits. This virus exposes the rotten, heartless nature of a capitalist system that puts profit before human life.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson contracted coronavirus. So did Britain’s heir Prince Charles and British film star Idris Elba. The list of rich and famous people infected with the virus grows longer every day. So far, however, no celebrity has died from COVID-19. Boris Johnson was first hospitalized, then admitted to intensive care. He subsequently recovered and left intensive care. Many other celebrities are self-isolating, many without symptoms, and receive very good healthcare.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Britain’s class divide was Kayla Williams. She was 36, a mother of 3 and the wife of a refuse collector, and she died from COVID-19. She had all the symptoms, but according to the paramedics who saw her the day before, she was “not a priority.” She was neither tested nor treated. Her husband’s desperate words were:

"They just said I had to isolate. They told me nothing else. I have diabetes myself and use insulin. All I know is that I have to isolate. Nobody mentioned testing or anything else."

Had Mrs. Williams been tested and treated, she might have survived. If anyone is to blame, it is not the paramedics or NHS (Britain’s National Health Service) staff, but the government itself. For the pandemic, they pursued a strategy called "herd immunity" and made no serious preparations. While China and Italy were devastated, the British government sat back and waited for the virus to “pass through society.” They bought no test kits, protective equipment or medical equipment. They built no new hospitals or increased capacity. Nor did they recruit new staff or prepare training for existing personnel. The working class, of course, was told to prepare to "lose loved ones".

Even before the outbreak, the NHS could barely meet society’s needs. Insurance cuts and privatization destroyed the healthcare system. Ordinary people are being left to protect themselves.

In the USA, millions of people lack access even to basic medical care. In California, a 17-year-old was turned away from a local hospital. He had all the symptoms of coronavirus but was uninsured. He later died from the disease. With proper care, he might have survived. The Los Angeles Department of Public Health stated that his death was coronavirus-related. This was later withdrawn, clearly under pressure from higher authorities. A bill signed last week by US President Donald Trump provides free testing for everyone, but obtaining a test is almost impossible! Actual treatment is another matter entirely. Treating an uninsured COVID-19 patient can cost 35,000 dollars. Even people with employer-provided insurance may pay 1,300 dollars or more.

We are told that the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) does not distinguish between classes. The British government says “We are all in this together”. In reality, however, there are some rules for the poor and entirely different rules for the rich. In most countries, ordinary people are told there are not enough tests. People with symptoms are not tested unless they are critically ill. As noted, Kayla Williams was not tested for coronavirus even after her death. Neither were her diabetic husband or her three children. None was a “priority.” Her cause of death was probably not classified as coronavirus-related in official records. How many more such cases are there?

Meanwhile, businesspeople, celebrities, politicians and royalty are tested at the slightest suspicion and then receive the best possible healthcare. The USA faces a serious shortage of test kits, and tens of thousands of tests were rejected as unsuitable. Yet after a millionaire player on the Utah Jazz basketball team was diagnosed, dozens of players and staff from Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, who had recently played each other, were tested. According to the Atlantic, this accounted for 20 percent of Oklahoma’s entire stock of test kits.

Rich people have no difficulty going to private clinics. In London, the private Harley Street Clinic sold thousands of tests to wealthy clients for 375 £ each. Its director, Dr. Mark Ali, told the Sun: “There are private individuals, well-known names, lords and their wives, and even doctors and dentists worried about catching the disease whom we are testing.”

Extreme examples, such as alternative medicine and buying one’s own ventilator, are also increasing. A private British medical facility, Lansherhof, reported a significant increase in its 300 £ Immune Plus Support Infusion, a treatment that “supposedly” boosts the immune system. According to the New York Times, some wealthy people are buying ventilators and competing with hospitals for them—can you believe it?! Celebrities worldwide post photographs on social media wearing masks and protective suits. Millionaire model Naomi Campbell posted Instagram photographs in a full protective suit and a hospital-grade N95 mask.

Meanwhile, public healthcare workers have almost no protection. Nurses and doctors have gone untested for weeks. A desperate doctor wrote in the Guardian:

“I also cannot understand why they stopped testing healthcare workers. Hospital staff are told we cannot be tested if our own symptoms are mild. This is unbelievable. If we are not allowed to be tested, how will we know how many other people—patients—we are infecting? What a brilliant plan!"

There is an urgent shortage of protective equipment. British hospitals lack the most basic safety equipment. Recommendations to use adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) have been weakened, and NHS staff have been told to treat coronavirus “like seasonal flu”.

Self-Isolation

Most Western countries told their populations to stay home and “prepare to lose your loved ones”, but made no such plans for themselves and did not stay home. According to the BBC, inquiries about international private-jet flights increased ninefold. At airports, the rich pay for private suites and terminals with their own check-in, customs and security. In Britain, the super-rich are asking high-end estate agents for mansions with bunkers, Cotswolds estates and deserted Caribbean islands.

American millionaire Charles Stevenson is staying in Southampton, New York. In an interview with Bloomberg, he said: “I am not worried right now; it is not near me at the moment. If people in the village have coronavirus, I would leave.” He said he was ready to fly to Idaho and shut himself in a cabin where his family could join him if he wished. How far removed this is from the reality facing millions of workers in the city.

Thousands of super-rich New Yorkers are fleeing to villas in East Hampton, where they can have food and shopping delivered by helicopter. Working-class people, however, have nowhere to go. New York has become a hotbed of the outbreak. It will be a living hell for ordinary working people who have watched their conditions and local infrastructure deteriorate for decades. But never mind: wash your hands, keep your distance, and you will be fine!

From a safe distance, behind high walls, on private islands or large estates, protected by every kind of service and equipment, the wealthy have no right to ask workers who produce their fortunes to risk their lives to secure their profits. In Italy, the federation of major business executives is determined to keep thousands of factories open—including arms and even cosmetics factories—even when they play no essential role in sustaining society! There is an obvious correlation between factories remaining open and high infection levels. But the bosses do not care.

Donald Trump seems determined to restart production in the USA at Easter, long before there is any chance of controlling the pandemic. Much of the US capitalist class supports him. Billionaire Tom Golisano told Bloomberg:

“I am very worried that if things keep going this way, the damage from keeping the economy shut down could be worse than losing a few people!"

Another capitalist, Dick Kovacevich, says in the same article:

“We will gradually bring these people back and see what happens. Some will get sick, some may die, I do not know. Do you want to suffer more economically or risk a flu-like experience? Do you want to take an economic risk or a health risk? You can choose.”

These words reveal capital’s cold reasoning. Do you want to lose your job? Or do you want to die? It is up to you.

In Britain, Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley wanted his employees to be allowed to go to work. He knows the risk the virus poses to his workers and society. Nevertheless, he asked the government to classify his products as “essential” so he could keep his shops open.

Billionaire Richard Branson lives on a private island, safely removed from working-class people’s daily lives. He built an empire worth billions of liras, partly through public outsourcing contracts. His wealth could support his workers for months, if not years. Yet when the crisis began, he had the audacity to “ask” all his employees to take eight weeks of unpaid leave. In the same breath, he asked the government to rescue his airline! Both Branson and Ashley have since backed down—but only after an angry working-class response. Anything to protect their profits.

At a ski resort in Ischgl, Austria, authorities knew about a major coronavirus outbreak for at least nine days. This happened in early March, when Europe had not yet been heavily affected. Fearing economic losses, however, they did not close the ski resorts, bars or hotels. The resort consequently became an important hub for spreading the virus across the continent.

This reflected governments’ responses everywhere. Chinese authorities initially denied the outbreak in Wuhan. To protect China’s fragile economy, they persecuted whistleblowers and journalists writing about it—until it was too late. In Iran, the city of Qom remained open, and the virus’s existence was denied for weeks to maintain relations with China and ensure high election turnout. Everywhere, the ruling class does all it can to keep the economy running until the threat of mass social unrest forces it to act. Yet, as Italy shows, even then attempts to protect economic profits make efforts to fight the virus much less effective.

Meanwhile, millions of people are beginning to do what governments will not. In Britain, several million have joined community initiatives to help the sick, elderly and other vulnerable groups. In Iran and China, people have set up their own checkpoints to enforce lockdowns their governments refused. Millions worldwide are volunteering in hospitals and elsewhere. While all this happens, men and women with resources are busy maneuvering and scheming in the corridors of power.

Just Another Flu (?)

Much has been said about coronavirus mortality. Billionaire Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone told Bloomberg that, “What people who know more about the disease than I do have told me is that, as of now, it is a bad flu". How, then, can double-digit mortality rates in places such as Italy be explained?

The reality is that with proper medical care, coronavirus mortality is less than 1 percent. In careless, unprepared countries, however, it is well above 5 percent—for example, currently 12.7% in Italy. When healthcare systems become overwhelmed, as in Italy and Iran, mortality will therefore be 5 percent or more. According to the New York Times, these figures make COVID-19 “almost twice as deadly for those at the bottom of society.” In some areas, up to 10 times...

Add to this the fact that low-income people generally live closer together and must work and socialize more than the wealthy. Over time, they are more likely to catch the virus. Yes, for Mr. Langone and his friends, it may be more like a “bad flu.” For workers laboring day and night in their stores, the story is very different.

Poor Nations

The situation is even more severe in poor countries. Western imperialism has drained oppressed nations of their wealth for decades. Its heavy yoke has left countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America in a backward state. Healthcare and basic infrastructure are largely absent.

According to the United Nations (UN), around 1.8 billion people worldwide live in inadequate housing or are homeless. Approximately 40 percent of the world’s population has no running water and soap at home. Regular handwashing to stop the spread of disease is out of the question. Many people live with others and share homes. According to the Housing and Land Rights Network, India’s urban areas alone have at least 4 million homeless people. More than 70 million Indians live in slums and informal settlements. The real figures are far higher. Similar situations exist worldwide.

In India, there is only one doctor for every 1,700 people! Yet it accounts for 21 percent of the world’s disease burden. Public healthcare spending amounts to only 1.28 percent of gross national expenditure (GNE). Defense spending, meanwhile, exceeds 11 percent of GNE. For the rich, this is no problem. They have private healthcare and can hide in their walled gardens, mansions, palaces and rural retreats.

Big Pharma

Given the potential scale of death and destruction, the most rational response would seem to be pooling all medical research and treatment options to resolve the crisis globally. Yet even here, there can be opportunists.

The race to create a vaccine can be undermined by competition between national ruling classes. The USA, China and Europe each hope to develop an effective vaccine. According to rumors, Donald Trump wanted to acquire CureVac, a German biotechnology company working on a potential vaccine. Suspiciously, shortly after this failed attempt, the company received an 85 million € “grant” from the EU.

On 13 April, the World Health Organization reported 70 vaccine studies in different countries. According to the organization, only 3 had reached human clinical trials: one in phase-II and two in phase-I. A vaccine offering hope against coronavirus is expected in 2021. Australian researchers also announced that they were only a few weeks away from clinical testing.

Even aid efforts can be obstructed by the ruling class. Germany and other European countries seriously obstructed shipments of essential medical supplies to Italy in the early weeks of the outbreak. How many lives did this cost?

While Big Pharma and the national bourgeoisie of different countries rush to protect their narrow interests, the masses are launching countless grassroots initiatives to address the crisis. One is OxyGEN, a royalty-free hardware project to create an inexpensive, low-tech mechanical ventilator usable anywhere. Predictably, however, the project attracts little interest.

A Dead-End System

At every turn, concern for profit takes priority over society’s needs and working people’s lives. As a result, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, may die. Not because it is inevitable. Not because the pandemic cannot be stopped. Not because no treatment exists for those in acute danger. But because capitalism’s wheels must keep turning. Business must continue. Profits must be protected!

Do you lack access to healthcare? Too bad! Are you at risk of infection because you cannot stop working? Too bad! Do you desperately need treatment you cannot afford? Too bad. “YOU ARE NOT A PRIORITY.” In a capitalist society, you are not a priority. Profit is the highest priority. That is how the system is built. As a result, parents will lose children. Children will lose parents. Brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues will die. As Boris Johnson said, "You must prepare to lose your loved ones".

The ruling class’s interests run counter to those of society as a whole. Humanity has all the knowledge and productive capacity needed to overcome the problems we face: immense factories with extraordinary technological capabilities, astronomical computing power, robotics, and hundreds of thousands of scientists ready to do what is needed to stop the virus.

Ultimately, of course, the virus does not distinguish between rich and poor. Yet groups with resources clearly have advantages in protecting themselves and accessing healthcare. Instead of capitalism, a new society should be built in which production is owned and controlled by society as a whole. Society should be based on meeting everyone’s needs, rather than those of a privileged minority...

- Related Topic: Governments’ Responses to the Coronavirus Outbreak and FUTURE SCENARIOS

Comment

Although most Western countries rank among developed nations, their report cards for the COVID-19 pandemic have been poor. They did not act quickly enough on preventive measures, and financial concerns took priority over public health in their decisions. Britain and the USA pursued the most frightening strategies, while Italy and Spain faced difficult struggles because of weak healthcare systems and large elderly populations. Particularly in the USA and Britain, painful differences emerged between rich and poor people’s access to healthcare. Attempts were made to cover the difficulties facing the public through healthcare workers’ selfless efforts. Many healthcare workers in these supposedly developed countries were badly hurt by inadequate protection and an overwhelming disease burden.

While conditions distinguishing Turkey positively from Western countries made us happy, similar and sometimes worse aspects saddened us. The expansion of city hospitals and what many of us had criticized in recent years as an excessive supply of public and private healthcare prevented nationwide panic during such a global outbreak. These facilities’ technological infrastructure and experienced staff, combined with healthcare workers’ dedication and expertise, enabled hospitals in Turkey to manage the pandemic much better than those in other countries. Almost all citizens, rich or poor, could access high-quality healthcare throughout Turkey. We see our hospitals and healthcare workers continuing their efforts toward passing this important global test.

Although there was some initial confusion about protective masks, clothing and testing, measures taken enabled a rapid recovery. Important strengths included free public mask distribution, adequate protective clothing for healthcare workers, measures concerning medicines for treatment, the numbers of intensive care beds and ventilators, the increase in daily testing in recent weeks, and the availability of tests for healthcare workers with suspected infection.

As a consequence of Turkey’s financial difficulties, the inability to provide the financial support and reassuring commitments Western countries offered employees and employers, delayed quarantine decisions, and quarantines limited to weekends, especially in critical provinces, will remain in our memories as weaknesses in our pandemic response. Although we believe it is far too early to assess the entire process, we could not ignore Hamid Alizadeh’s article. We tried to reflect both Western societies’ perspective through his words and our own circumstances through our viewpoint. 

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