Corona, the most deadly virus in living history is Opportunity for some, Suffering & Death for God forsaken others, Economic breakdown for most and deep psychological issues for survivors.
Different Conspiracy Theories have NOT been accepted globally in this human fight for survival.
Consequently, The virus has given birth to a staggering new Global Drug Economy of roughly USD 500 billion plus already, which is a fresh cash boost of at least 50% , on top of around 1200 billion USD pre- corona Global Drug Economy, mostly controlled by Big Pharma brands like Pfizer, Glaxo, Meyers, Sanofi & Roche Etc.
Broadly speaking, there are four cash costs attached to this pandemic so far, Covid Testing (involving diagnostic kits and hospital charges) has already been done for around 4 billion persons, with an average cost of USD 30 per person amounting to 120 Billion Dollars globally till date.
The second cost is that of universal Vaccination at an average USD 30-32 per person for two shots i.e. USD 210 billion for universal Global immunization program. The Corona vaccines costs vary from USD 6 – 60 per person as per published data on Covid Vaccine Brands amidst serious supply disruptions.
Pfizer being the leading producer of Corona Vaccines is set to produce 2.1 billion vaccines in 2021 at an average price of USD 32 (for both dozes) to the US & European Governments, as per Pfizer’s own reported financials. Their Profit is projected to almost double to USD 7.8 Billion this year being (86%) higher than last year. It’s pertinent that the share of Pfizer covid vaccine sales this year alone will be larger than the combined revenues of Pfizer’s seven top selling non-Covid Drugs added together.
Interestingly, Pfizer, dominantly owned by private institutional investors had been distributing dividends/profits to its shareholders consecutively for last 83 years now but this second quarter 2021 profit distribution of USD 2.2 billion in last three MONTHS is unprecedented.
Pfizer’s German Partner BionTech and Moderna (USA) which hardly had any cash Drug in their pipeline yet have both shot to the world’s top 20 Pharmas overnight with an average projected profits of around USD 5 billion each in 2021 primarily with one cash Drug i.e. Covid19 vaccine. Both Pfizer/BionTech & Moderna have launched genome controlled laboratory prepared mRNA vaccines for the first time in Human history while Chinese vaccines are based on inactivated virus like the previous Polio Vaccine.
Russia’s Sputnik, Astra Zeneca & Johnson & Johnson vaccines are based on Viral Vector technique tried in successful Ebola Virus before.
Thirdly Covid Patients paid average cost of USD 92,000 USD each in USA for an average nine days of hospital stay. Roughly half of Global Causalities of 4 million plus have borne this hospitalization costs at varying levels across the globe. In USA alone USD 18 billion has already been spent on 196,000 covid patients treated in hospitals. That’s a whopping 400% on top of hospitals actual out of pocket costs in USA while people are selling family’s silver in poorer countries to save their loved ones. Globally patients spent an estimated USD 60 billion plus on hospitalizations alone.
And finally, the breakthrough cases ( which got Covid despite vaccinations) and booster dozes reportedly required at periodic intervals for the next few years till a stable & permanent vaccine is developed. Most Covid Vaccines have been tested to have efficacy levels of 60-93% for first six months after vaccination and that most of them deplete their effect at a rate of 1% per month. So Covid Vaccines would continue to be administered for few years to come. Interestingly Pfizer has already started promoting a third booster doze against Indian Delta Variant of Covid19 on its website.
Moreover,the overall Global Drug Prices have already registered an increase of 16% in the last seven months alone.
Miles to go before you snooze!
One may be Naïve to shrug that covid fight is funded by governments and not individuals. Anyways where do governments pay their money from, your taxes? New Opportunity cost,,,, Corona.
Interestingly, five major American/European Pharmas currently in production of Covid19 vaccines were given Grants amounting to over 10 billion USD to fund and support the mass production, and clinical
trials of potential covid vaccines on Emergency Grounds through Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) office responsible for the procurement and development of medical countermeasures in consultations with Department of Defence, USA. This Emergency Funding was also payed from US Tax Payers money.
The only positive purpose, though unclear, apparently is Nature’s attempt to course correct humanity in General and developed & Upper Middle Income countries in particular. Intrigingly, the covid deaths in developed world were six times more than least developed countries as per Brookings institute in USA.
One needs to ponder why this virus/pandemic has the highest recorded cumulative infection rate of 89% and Death rate of 90% in developed world only amounting to 47% of total deaths recorded only in Americas, 29% in Europe and 14% in South East Asia, according to World Health Organization (WHO) Stats on 10th Aug 2021. Brookings Institute in USA has also declared that the deaths in developed world were six times larger than least developed countries out deaths in devWhy is this virus so intelligent to focus on rich nations only and exposing their respective health & political systems to the hilt. Isn’t it time to reflect why the so-called human growth & Excellence centers were Covid stricken & couldn’t save themselves from this natural Wrath?
Also the virus is especially more painful & deadly for older people with proven comorbidities. Two thirds (67 %) deaths is USA were of 65 years plus retirees & only 3.5% perished below the age of 30 years till Jan 2021. Nature is clearly discerning to that extent.
Interestingly, the American homeless persons, which are the epitome of the wretched and living in compromised hygienic conditions, reported only 462 covid related deaths amongst over half a million homeless population in USA. Their Death ratio was less than half that of America, as per endhomelessness.org in USA. How did that happen?
Equally, the Big Pharmas are reaping in huge economic dividends in their bulging revenues and Share price surges. President Biden’s exhortations to Big Pharma to be flexible on Drug patents to adopt a more humanistic & inclusive approach has effectively been squashed by hundreds of Big Pharma’s lobbyists in European Parliament so far. The lobbying cost per annum to Big Pharmas a meagre 38 million USD (or 0.002% of Big Pharma’s revenues) as per advocacy group corporateeurope.org in Brussels.
In Short, The Developed world has not changed an iota in its attitudes in the face of Corona pandemic.
Politics, Drug Diplomacy and profiteering is rampant, as usual, and hardly any lessons have been learnt yet from this natural onslaught.
In Retrospect, Covid is devastating for humanity and a newfound source of inhuman profiteering for Big Pharma.
Pandemic couldn’t jolt the capitalist world despite 4 million plus deaths. Its business as usual when it comes to sharing bounties of this human tragedy. And it’s the first time in human history that each living human soul is a customer/patient because Covid is global in its proliferation. It’s not any small disease specific patients target group for Big Pharma, as usual, but the whole human race of seven billion plus target this time.
Conspiracy? Get the forensic audit of shareholding patterns of Pfizer, Moderna & Johnson & Johnson (USA) & Biotech (Germany) during the last five years to find answers.
Author; The author is an Award winning Investigative Journalist.