The Rhyming Guide to Covid-19

Right now almost all of us have got a lot to lose
Suddenly we got the truth and people don’t know what to do
It’s not the flu, look around the world yourself, watch the news
There’s tens of thousands dying now and I don’t want that to be you

A lot of us are trying to do our best to fight the virus
People here are dying and we’re starting to get frightened
Governments around the world have given proper guidance
But for weeks all we seemed to get here is silence

Our government’s response has been absolute insanity
Reckless at best and mass murder in reality
Every other government has got a proper plan
But if we just wash our hands then we can fix it magically!

I mean am I just meant to sigh, like:
“Ahh but that’s just Boris
I’m stuck at home in bed now but that’s just Boris
I can’t pay my rent now but that’s just Boris
My Grandad’s dead now but that’s just Boris”

They never do what’s best for us, only what they feel to
They’re only gonna heal you when their friends can bill you
I know it’s hard to hear but soon you’re gonna see the truth
That the virus makes you ill but it’s the government that kills you

I mean, the official plan they’ve had to fight the virus
Has literally been to give everyone the virus…

Their idea was clear: give it to the nation
“Let the disease run through the population”
Don’t do a single thing to stop its circulation
“Take it on chin” and accept the situation

They called it ‘Herd immunity’ and scientists destroyed it
So now they say they changed the plan and that we must avoid it

Yeah… it took them almost two months to decide that we should avoid the virus…

So now you can tell your friends and relatives
We need to slow the spread of it
To buy ourselves time to study how to get ahead of it
But that’s just one of many things that we need to do
And it’s useless unless we do mass testing too

I mean if we don’t do tests then we don’t know where it’s active
So we can’t treat people cos we don’t know who has it
So people think they’re healthy but actually they have it
And the virus keeps on spreading and we all increase the damage

So why is nobody being tested?

I’m really asking, honestly
It’s like stopping testing on the nation is a policy
We need to be protected here before we’re all infected here
The deaths are going up and that’s cos they’re not acting properly

And you know what they said
You do know what they said?
That infection rates *could* reach up to 80%
But actually just half of that with 2% mortality
Would mean over 500,000 people dead

Put that number on the side of a bus…

And that’s just the people who would die directly
Then you’ve got to think about people more generally
If anyone needs a hospital, they won’t be empty
And if you need a care bed there won’t be plenty

We’ve already got a massive lack of NHS workers
We’re short of more than 50,000 doctors and nurses
The NHS was on its last legs as it was

Cos the government has cut and underfunded it on purpose

Because they want to make you think it makes sense to privatise
Because they want to justify their greedy little prying eyes
Kinda like how the Tories plan to give Branson
A handsome few billion, just to keep him flying high

Because his climate change business, I mean his aeroplane business, was hit by the virus
And Branson and his friends don’t wanna have to sell their islands
So they asked the Tories for billions in support
Which of course the British government will offer to his highness

Cos that’s what they are, innit… the rich…

The ones we’re taught to worship from the second we start breathing
The ones who we spend our entire lives feeding
The ones who watch us work until we’re ready to collapse
Before they stab us in the back and steal our money while we’re bleeding

Let me ask you a question:
Are you more afraid of the virus, or not being able to pay your rent?
Are you more scared of catching it or getting into debt?
I‘d say that it’s the second one if I had to guess
And that’s exactly why there’s people still people working facing death

I mean none of us exactly want the virus to spread
But we need to pay the bills and we’ve got a lot of debt
It’s like we have to go to work because we have to pay the rent
And if we lose our home then you know that we’re as good as dead

So you see, normal working people can’t act safely and properly
We can’t self isolate because we can’t afford it
That’s why the government need a proper policy
To make sure all affected people are supported

We need full wage sick pay for anyone infected
Full wage sick pay if symptoms are suspected
Protection for the self employed and those who lost their jobs
With a Universal Income for everyone affected

We need to double disability and sickness benefits
Speed up the process for every state claimant
Stop ESA reassessments and sanctions
Ban all evictions and suspend rent payments

I mean, the banks have stopped mortgage payments for landlords
And nobody should have two homes til everyone has one
So if Boris don’t guarantee our safety, be damn sure
We *will* go on rent strike and general strike until our rights are won

Until then: don’t panic, just start preparing
And let’s keep connected
Stay calm and caring

And don’t be scared to ask for help cos none of it is charity
Every act will come from love and common solidarity

Cos the government aren’t saving us, they do what they feel to
They’re only gonna heal you when their friends can bill you
I know it’s hard to hear but soon you’ll see the real truth
That the virus makes you ill but it’s the government that kills you.