It Hasn't All Been Bad...

I'm not going to comment here on the events in Minneapolis.  This post is solely about Covid-19 and some of its unexpected consequences, as we head towards the 're-opening'.

For most in the UK, the loss of lives to the virus, the lockdown's effect on economic activity and the misery of being under a form of house arrest are the three most obvious things that have come about because of the pandemic.  Of course it's been especially tough for those who have been confined in their homes with dangerous partners, seen their livelihoods evaporate, suffered mental breakdown or at worst, lost friends or family members.

Nonetheless, the events of this year have brought significant 'fringe benefits' beyond the cleaner air, quieter roads, more audible birdsong and time for personal reflection.  

I think most of us will accept that the value of the NHS is better understood now than at any time since the post-war generation learned what it meant to get healthcare that was free at the point of access.  I also believe that the roles of all those non-medically-qualified people without whom our hospitals, care homes and social services could not function have been brought to a much wider public audience, and this will prove to be to the long-term benefit of us all.  

Public altruism has increased, a stronger sense of community has been fostered the length and breadth of the country and unexpected kindnesses have been experienced by many who didn't know anyone gave them a second thought.  Attitudes to those who drive delivery vans for a living have improved.

While some will have sought distraction from lockdown in the TV set, I've seen evidence that fewer people now give a toss about who is doing what in Eastenders or whether the Kardashians will get another series. 

I will stick my neck out and add that many people, given time to reflect upon the pandemic and its possible consequences, have re-graded what matters most to them.  There's been a change in attitudes to consumption and consumerism.  We've heard that Covid-19 has been a stroll in the park compared to how serious global warming will become and this has led people to question how they perceive international travel and the carbon-based economy.

I'll further wager that a lot of of parents who have swallowed the anti-teaching union vitriol of the Daily Mail and Daily Express now regard teaching as an important and challenging activity.

Scepticism about the official response and the efficacy of some Whitehall institutions seems to have increased, and the public will expect adequate preparation for the next pandemic.

Better statistical analysis of Covid-19 will be published in the coming months and, should something very similar hit us in the next few years, we hopefully won't all be lumped into a homogenised group, have another blanket lockdown, and witness economic activity drop into first gear.   Perhaps Lord Sumption is right; maybe the sensible course is to protect the vulnerable while still letting everyone else get on with business as usual.  If you lock a virus down without a vaccine or widespread public exposure it just returns, so you are trapped without a credible exit strategy (as some say we have been for several weeks).  Next time this happens maybe the approach will be to just keep the frail protected until we know there is general immunity in the population, at which point we can let them enjoy a return to 'normality' (but maintain a vigilant watch for any unexpected clusters surfacing anywhere).  

With acknowledgements to Sunetra Gupta, Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at Oxford University.