A regular description used by those in power has been to describe this pandemic as a War, with the NHS as our front line against the virus enemy.
The expression of the Tory government on Boris Johnson and his stay in Intensive care has been to say that he is a fighter and will get through this.
The Queen used the expression “We’ll meet again” a clear reference to the World War 2 song.
All of this is rhetoric to ramp up the War time spirit, and we are British, together we will win this war.
Whatever it is, it is not a war, and we are not all in it together.
Yes, this virus does not distinguish by wealth, class or position who gets it, we are all risk from getting it, but not all of us are equal in risk. The poor, the workers, the homeless are all in far greater risk than those of wealth and privilege.
Nor is it a war, for it to be a war the virus would have to be actively choosing to make war on humanity.
What this is for all of us is a matter of survival and finding a cure.
Our health workers are not trying to kill life, but to save lives.
One thing for sure is that when this pandemic has finally passed, hard questions will have to be asked, and hard answers will have to be given.
Governments in 2008 were well warned that a major pandemic was to be expected and to plan appropriately for one. It would appear however that the UK government prepared itself for a flu like pandemic and stock piled vaccine in the event of one.
What they could not be as prepared for at that time was the possibility of a virus for which there was no comparable vaccine.
Questions arise though on how they originally responded, this ridiculous notion of herd immunity for one.
Their own advice on isolating cases and testing they have not been at all prepared for, unlike countries such as Germany who did thoroughly prepare, and also maintained their health service sufficiently, unlike the UK government which has for years been undermining the NHS and selling off chunks of services in England and Wales.
Questions arise on why unlike other countries who closed their borders they have not done so, with even today flights coming into Heathrow from virus torn countries like Spain and Iran, with passengers not put into quarantine on arrival.
In one report I have read from 2009, there seems to be a balance of health and economic cost, with saving one human life in Intensive care given the price of £1.5 million!
So how much of a factor was the economy in their original assessment?
Many more questions like these will be asked once this is all over.
One thing for sure, the world will be in an entirely different place once this pandemic has passed.
The worlds economy will have been severely damaged, things that we understood last year will not be seen the same way now.
Vast changes are coming, and those that survive this will face a new reality in their daily lives.
So much for billions of pounds spent on nuclear arms, they are useless.
Expenditure will have to be placed where it rightly belongs, and not in some Global game of Risk.
In the meantime…. keep safe, keep well
Auld Acquaintance 