Politics

Alan Jones Reckons Coronavirus Is Just “The Health Version Of Global Warming”

"It's a perfect analogy. They're both very real threats being downplayed by complete idiots like Alan Jones."

by Rachael Conaghan  16 March 2020
Alan Jones coronavirus

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If you’re one of the millions — no, billions — of people worried about coronavirus, radio shock jock Alan Jones is here to tell you not to worry. According to him, COVID-19 is just “the health version of global warming”.

“Unless I’m moving in different circles, the almost universal reaction I am getting is that we have gone mad,” he said on radio this morning.

“And in this modern world, at the slightest provocation it seems, we revert — in spite of all the money spend on education — we revert to hysteria and alarmism.

“We now seem to be facing the health version of global warming. Exaggeration in almost everything. Certainly in description, and certainly in behaviour.”

The notorious climate change denier said the vast majority of people who catch coronavirus will get “a mild illness”.

While that may be true, it ignores the fact that those with the so-called “mild illness” can spread it to others and eventually infect people with health issues who might not be able to fight off the virus — which still has no vaccine.

Considering it has led to the deaths of more than 6,000 worldwide, including five Australians, it may be worth listening to the experts on this one.

COVID-19 has seen Victoria and the ACT both declare a state of emergency, and South Australia declare a public health emergency.

Non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people have been banned nationwide, all overseas travellers are being forced to self-isolate for 14 days, and offices across Australia have started telling people to work from home.

The hope is that these measures will help Australia “flatten the curve” — basically, slow the spread of the disease so that hospitals don’t become overwhelmed — to avoid ending up like countries like Italy.

Italy is second only to China in the number of infections, with 1441 coronavirus-related deaths so far recorded. At least 368 people there died of COVID-19 on Sunday alone.