The coronavirus lockdown will at some point have to end. Even if a vaccine takes 18 months to test, produce and distribute, it is simply not sustainable to keep the entire country indoors for the next year. That solution would be immensely damaging for physical health, with the absence of exercise and green spaces no doubt causing a higher level of non-coronavirus related health issues. Mental health would also suffer hugely, with the social connections that tie a society together unable to take place.
There is therefore talk of isolating the over 70s for a prolonged period of time. I am still unclear as to whether these proposals exist and, if they do, whether they refer to all over 70s or simply those with underlying health conditions. Again, I don’t believe this is the correct answer. Among the old, I have little doubt we would see an increase in health problems (and deaths) not related to coronavirus. If an individual is fearful of catching coronavirus, they are unlikely to report symptoms of a cancer. This is despite beating cancer being heavily reliant on early detection. Similarly, older people are likely to suffer even more from the lack of social interaction. Upon retirement, many individuals in their twilight years keep busy through a weekly, sociable routine. Whether it’s playing bingo, attending the over 60s Keep Fit, visiting the garden centre or seeing their grandchildren (cliches I know!), individuals are often at their busiest in their older years. Being shut inside for months on end would surely reduce their cognitive ability and social communication. 18 months is likely to be a huge proportion of an older person’s final years: if these are spent indoors away from family and friends, the mental and physical health implications are likely to be disastrous. Yet even the general public remain unsupportive about ending the lockdown. In an Opinium poll for the Observer last weekend, only 20% of people wanted schools, pubs and restaurants to be reopened. Of course, this is different from ending the lockdown in a staggered manner. But it demonstrates the level of public fear and concern about being outside in the company of others. In a sense, this is understandable. One doesn’t have to hold a PhD in epidemiology to understand that if a large number of asymptotic individuals congregate with coronavirus-free individuals, the number of cases will accelerate dramatically. Thus the lockdown to prevent the NHS being completely overwhelmed, with more key workers tragically passing away, could be even more authoritarian and severe. As someone who intrinsically supports individual liberty and civil freedoms, that cannot be allowed to happen. There must be a balance over how the lockdown comes to an end. It is pleasing to hear the government will announce their strategy from departure this Sunday. Though this announcement has been delayed by three days, Boris Johnson must use his judgement. He cannot simply rely on ‘evidence’ and ‘the science.’ As I spoke about on my radio programme, the science is not one holy book with all the answers. Part of the beauty of science is disputes take place, scientists peer review one another’s work, the academic understanding evolves over centuries. Besides, scientists can only offer their interpretation to the government; they can only advise them of the statistics. It is for ministers to decide their political response, what departments and structures receive attention, and take necessary scrutiny for their actions. I imagine the UK’s response will mirror that of Europe. Some joyous news has been seeing daily death tolls in France, Italy and Spain reach an all time low. Of course, 130 new deaths, for example, linked to coronavirus is 130 too many, but it is deeply pleasing and a cause for optimism that the cumulative death toll is increasing at a slower rate. This has meant the European lockdown is now equivalent to the UK’s response. I have family in Spain who can now walk around their city during certain times of the day (depending on their age). Every two weeks, the Spanish regions will be monitored to see whether they can move into the next phase of lockdown, which gradually decreases the inconvenience of coronavirus. However, to prevent a second spike, a region can move backwards in its lockdown easing phase as well as forwards. Some people may have enjoyed staying inside and working from home. I wouldn’t be surprised if businesses that haven’t seen a change in their productivity from home working decide to make that a permanent change. Instead of spending large amounts of their turnover on office space, why not Zoom call permanently and rent out office space for a day if a company needs to meet in person? ‘The Office’ TV show could be a cultural relic of the past, a reflection of how our working lives used to be. In decades to come, children will ask why an Earth so many pointless in person meetings took place. They’ll question how people managed to get any work done with computers all next to one another, the gossip at the coffee machine lasting 15 minutes. I jest, but we may look back on the change as something that should have happened years before. People are fearful, including myself. I worry deeply for my family and friends catching the coronavirus and passing away. I also worry for people I know with health issues generally - what if they need to go to hospital and catch coronavirus there? Hospitals are normally seen as the safest place for an ill person; that is where all the health experts are present who can diagnose and appropriately treat a condition. Now, that is far rarer. It is no wonder people want to avoid GPs and hospitals like the plague (a poor simile I recognise), both for the communitarian reason of not overwhelming the NHS and utilitarian fear of catching coronavirus. We have to assess coronavirus differently. It is far more costly than the common cold or flu. Societies don’t shut down their economies and isolate the old for fear of catching the cold. Vaccines are available, the flu jab is a common hobby for mature generations. The risk of catching the cold, on balance, doesn’t outweigh the freedom of living one’s life normally. This is what individuals may have to become used to after lockdown. A form of coronavirus may always be with us, being impossible to entirely eradicate. Human freedom will then need to be celebrated. While I have a mixed view of human nature, believing we all have the potential to be compassionate and wicked, I believe we are rational. Humans should desire the freedom that comes from living their daily lives. Part of that freedom and rationality is balancing risks and fears. Simply by stepping outside our front door, we are accepting all kinds of risks. Who knows which people we could come across or what disaster we might find ourselves in? But we don’t stop that from living a life; indeed, humans take each situation as it comes and try to respond appropriately. Celebrating human rationality and encouraging people to harness these most precious of freedoms must be a key priority as lockdown is reduced. Let us not forget that other political arguments remain strong. Matters related to, yes, Brexit require government attention, especially if they (foolishly in my view) won’t even contemplate an extension to the transition period. I would like to think the coronavirus pandemic and discussion it has created regarding health policy could be a catalyst for dealing with the crisis of social care, not least as the UK’s population continues to age. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if it remains an issue politicians decide to leave for another government. When schools return, education policy (a key interest of mine) should be at the top of the agenda, with discussions about what makes a fantastic education and the future of higher education key debates of the 2020s. All these matters are deserving of attention: Brexit pushed them to one side, now coronavirus has done the same. While our departure from lockdown will be gradual and create a new normal, humans must both accept and welcome the risks that come with living in a free society governed by individual choice.
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