'It would be crazy if, hypothetically, we stop 100 people dying from the virus but over the next two years, 200 people died from poverty and mental health'
University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell says Victoria needs to address a question that has hung uneasily over our COVID-19 response: what is our tolerance for death in this global pandemic?
“The question everyone is skirting around here is what is the appetite in any country for disease and mortality associated with this virus,’’ he told“Every answer to that question is valid in one way or another. If you were to say we have no appetite whatsoever for any deaths from this virus, that is a perfectly reasonable position to take, but you have to take that position knowing the consequences.
Professor Maskell arrived in Melbourne at the end of 2018 from the University of Cambridge to take over the running of Australia's top-ranked university. He spoke toas part of a series of stories in which prominent Melburnians offer constructive ideas about Victoria's way forward.
Why has Victoria taken such a different approach? Professor Maskell wonders whether we are a victim of our early success. “What people need to keep front and centre is the only certainty in life is death. The only event in our life with a probability of one is you are going to die. You can’t protect all lives all the time without consequences. That is the very tricky and difficult discussion that needs to be had.
He laments what the absence of international students will mean, beyond the bottom line, for the university's culture. “Universities have always been international organisations, right back to medieval times. It is a great strength of universities that you have international students and workers in the organisation who bring their perspective and a different view on the world.’’
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brett Sutton apologises for ‘calling out’ Afghani communityVictoria’s chief health officer has publicly apologised after “inadvertently calling out” Melbourne’s Afghani community when referring to the city’s deadly virus cluster in the southeastern suburbs.
Read more »
Household hoppers blamed for growing Casey clusterVictoria has recorded 45 new cases of coronavirus as authorities race to stem a cluster in Melbourne's south-east and motorists face traffic chaos at police checkpoints on Melbourne's 'ring of steel'.
Read more »
Victoria has recorded 21 new coronavirus cases and seven more deathsBREAKING: Victoria has reported 21 more cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths as Melbourne tackles a suburban cluster and braces for anti-lockdown protests.
Read more »
Victoria's Chief Medical Officer fears state would 'burn through' PPE supplies if guidelines expandedVictorian COVID-19 health workers are still not being provided with the best protective equipment because the numbers required would 'burn through the supplies in one week', the state's Chief Medical Officer says in private meetings leaked to the ABC.
Read more »
Afghan community accuses Victoria's health officer of 'singling' them out during COVID-19 briefingA group representing the Afghan community in Victoria has criticised Professor Brett Sutton after he made direct reference to the community during a daily briefing on new coronavirus cases.
Read more »
Brett Sutton rose to cult status during the coronavirus pandemic. Jeannette Young received death threatsQueensland’s chief health officer recently revealed she lives with permanent police protection, raising questions about her treatment compared to male counterparts.
Read more »