Ben Fordham has unleashed another scathing attack on Covid-19 by Australia’s health leaders as a new variant emerges called the most contagious strain of the virus.
The World Health Organization has issued doomsday warning about BA.2.75, which was first discovered in India in May.
Experts claim that the newest strain nicknamed ‘Centaurus’ has been discovered in Australia as the highly contagious Omicron strains BA4 and BA.5 are rapidly spreading across the country.
As Australia grapples with the third wave of the virus, Fordham says it’s admirable that most Australians are getting on with their lives.
The 2GB The breakfast station called for calm and is one of those paying little heed to the latest fear campaign led by Australian chief physician Professor Paul Kelly and federal health minister Mark Butler.
2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham praised Australians moving on with their lives as the country grapples with a third wave of Covid (pictured, Sydneysiders in the CBD on Sunday)
“If you’re one of those people who stares at this thing and refuses to hide at home, good luck and that’s how I feel,” Fordham said.
“Many of our own leaders want us to hide under the bed now.”
He rejected Professor Kelly’s plea for workplaces to allow staff to work from home and urged everyone to wear masks.
The health chief also warned that Australia’s latest Omicron strains pose a “significant threat.”
Westpac and Telstra were among the first to take Professor Kelly’s advice.
Westpac has given staff the choice to work from home, while telecom giant Telstra ‘strongly encourages’ staff to work from home.
“We strongly encourage our people to work from home if they can, wear a mask if they can’t social distancing and get a booster shot if they qualify,” said Telstra’s Group Executive Alex Badenoch.
Fordham pointed out that many Australians do not have the opportunity to work from home.
Fordham said the rest of the world has left Covid and most Aussies have too (Photo: Sydney commuters during rush hour at Central Station)
‘What if you’re a small business or work in hospitality or retail?’ he continued.
‘You know what? Millions of Australians don’t want to back down.
“We know what it was like when we were locked up at home and cut off from our families.
“We know the risks of the coronavirus, we know the rest of the world has largely moved on and we are doing the same.”
Fordham had this message for those who listened to the doomsayers.
“If you want to stay at home that’s your decision, but most Australians won’t be, they can’t afford it,” he said.
And more importantly, we don’t want it.
“Perhaps our leaders are required to present the worst case scenario.”
Fordham compared Health Secretary Mark Butler’s stark warnings about the latest wave to the language of experts in the US.
Fordham said it is admirable that most Australians are getting on with their lives
Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly has urged everyone to wear masks and employers to allow staff to work from home
Fordham quoted Chicago health commissioner Allison Arwady as saying this week that “there is no reason to let the virus rule our lives.”
she feels strong’that you can’t howl a wolf all the time.”
“You see, Australia is more than 95 percent doubly dosed,” Fordham agreed.
‘More than 60 percent have had a booster. A fourth shot is available if you want and the hospital admission rate is 1.5 percent, while the IC rate is 0.04 percent.’
Fordham ended his four-minute diatribe by getting involved in the debate over the possible return of mask mandates.
“If you want to wear a mask – wear one, if you want to stay inside – go for your life, we live in a free country and we can do whatever we want,” he said.
‘But make sure that others don’t feel guilty because they want to move on with their lives.
“The rest of the world has moved on and so have most Aussies.”
Australia has so far registered 41,512 new infections and 64 deaths as of Thursday, and four states and territories have yet to release their latest figures.
Ben Fordham (pictured with wife Jodie) has doubled down in his attack on Covid fear men
Now Covid doomsayer Norman Swan warns Australia will be ‘FILLED’ by the next variant unless the country reintroduces MASKS – as ABC applauds the mandates
Australia could be ‘full’ when the next Covid-19 variant arrives on our shores unless mask mandates are reintroduced, ABC presenter Dr. Norman Swan.
dr. Swan renewed the call on Monday for the return of masks to indoor environments as the highly contagious and “immune-evasive” Omicron strains BA4 and BA.5 rampant.
State and territory leaders convened an urgent national cabinet meeting on Saturday after federal health secretary Mark Butler warned to expect “millions” of cases in the coming months.
dr. Swan described the latest wave of the “immune evasive” subvariants as deeply concerning.
The accredited doctor said vaccines don’t work as well as they used to, when he called for improved ventilation measures and mandatory indoor masks.
There are growing calls for Aussies to wear masks in high-risk environments such as shopping malls (Sydneysiders pictured in the CBD on Sunday)
dr. Swan said: ABC’s Radio National Breakfast: ‘Probably we should mandate masks and N95s in high risk environments or else when the next variant comes and it is more virulent than this one – in other words more likely to kill you or make you seriously ill – we will be packed .’
dr. Swan said governments have a responsibility to reintroduce masking rules, and insisted that vaccines alone were not enough to protect the population.
dr. Swan said he would host leading immunologist Chris Goodnow of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research as a special guest on a Radio National’s Health Report program.
“He has had four doses of the Covid vaccine himself and is unfortunately currently disabled with a cardiac side effect of Covid,” said Dr Swan.
“The point he will make tonight is that vaccines are important in protecting against serious disease, but they don’t work as well as they used to.
dr. Norman Swan says vaccinations are important but don’t work as well as previous Covid variants. Pictured is Olympian Cate Campbell getting vaccinated
“What’s not happening is what some people thought would happen, which is that we would build up a background resistance and this would get milder and milder over time.
“What it shows is that with repeated reinfections there is an increased risk of heart, kidney and other side effects, which increase over time, independent of vaccination.”
“We need to slow down and prevent this, because it puts us at a significant burden of heart and lung disease.”
dr. Swan described the current third wave of the virus in Australia as very worrying.
“The history of this virus is mind-boggling, with a new variant appearing about every six months,” he said.
‘BA4 and BA.5 behave as if they are a new variant, even though they are a sub-variant of Omicron.
‘Six months after Christmas, we are going again with viruses that evade the immune system.
“As time goes on, this virus baffles immunologists because it doesn’t behave as expected.
“The government has loaded the dice on the vaccines and the vaccines are not enough.”
Australia, according to Dr. Norman Swan (pictured) could be ‘full’ by the time the next Covid-19 variant shows up
dr. Swan ended the radio interview by accusing the federal and state governments of putting the economy ahead of public health.
“Wearing a mask should not significantly affect the economy, but we need to slow it down and kindly beg people not to necessarily go to work,” he said.
“It’s also young people who get these long-term side effects, even if they don’t get serious illnesses.
“This isn’t the common cold — and it’s not the flu.”