Our vulnerable world of vanishing safety nets

How vulnerable do you feel as 2022 draws to a close? How worried are you for family and friends? How much more vulnerable are your patients in a world of vanishing safety nets?Perhaps the most tragic statistic is that 10.5 million of the world’s children are now orphaned by covid-19 (doi:10.1136/bmj.o2838).1 The impact is greatest, as ever, in the poorest countries and among the most disadvantaged populations. Thus far, solutions are few and specific initiatives rare, even in rich countries. Here is a clearly identified group of people who need support—and society, the safety net, is failing them.A rise in hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses and cases of fatal invasive group A streptococcal infections are rightly receiving attention (doi:10.1136/bmj.o2941).2 But some discussion around these cases is missing. Helen Salisbury argues that safety netting—“come back if she doesn’t get better”—works only if patients and carers have easy access to primary care…
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