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| Mask wearing in supermarket (Image: BBC) |
There's too much hysteria around the present Covid-19 situation. In the UK, the public is stuck in the middle of the fear-mongers - the government and its independent advisors - and the anger-mongers - the political commentators who seem to spend more time on Twitter than on their day jobs. And at the moment, they're peddling each other something silly, and as a result we don't know whether we're coming or going.
Let's remind ourselves where we're at. So, we're edging closer to marking two years since the first positive Covid-19 case was confirmed. I don't want to delve into how the pandemic has devastated families across the world; that millions have died of the disease, millions have made an economic loss or have developed health issues fuelled by record waiting times and closed services. Right now, we have vaccines which are available for anyone over the age of 12, all businesses are now open if they financially can, and hospitalisation rate across the country is stable. This all sounds good, until I point out that there's a 'new variant of concern' and we've seen 50,000 positive test results consistently these past couple of weeks. The government doesn't want to take any chances and not 'cancel Christmas' for a second year running and has re-imposed some familiar restrictions for England - face masks indoors, for example.
It's hard to dispute that the overall picture is tonnes, tonnes better than this time last year. December 2020 was bleak, but we saw light at the end of the tunnel when pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and AstraZeneca got their jabs approved to use. When I first heard this news, I couldn't wait to have my two vaccines - I foresaw its benefits, in that it will save me from catching severe Covid-19 and know that if I'm a carrier, it's not of the bad stuff. But I was conscious that not everyone would share my view and I hoped the government would feel the same. To this day, I felt Westminster was blind to knowing the level of scepticism out there, around the new vaccines. While today, 81% have been given at least two vaccines, that's still 1-in-5 teenagers and adults who haven't got the required protection, and they can still spread the 'bad' Covid around. But the excellent vaccination rate is why hospitalisation is stable, but not at the ideally low level for the NHS to think about completely forgetting it altogether.
The vaccine has been a beacon of hope, and I understand those who can't have them due to allergies. With those who refuse to have it, I feel they never will during this particular vaccination campaign, especially with the knowledge that they will need to have a 'booster' shot. I don't blame them, though I sincerely wish misinformation around microchipping, for example, would stop. If you think the vaccine has a tracking device, I suggest you delete your Google account and throw away your phone first. Vaccine or no vaccine, you're being followed.
The vaccination campaign could have been perfect, however. The government has a lot to answer for on its true potential. Yes, when people lined up to have their jabs, it thought 'job done', and were pressured to produce a timeline to reopen after weeks and weeks of winter lockdown. That, we now know was the misguided approach. If it truly followed the science, knowing that 80% double vaccines for the over 12s would be enough for herd-immunity, Prime Minister Boris Johnson should have announced a complete reopening of society until that target was reached. By 19th July, so-called 'Freedom Day', that target wasn't near reached, and at that point, 12-17 year olds weren't offered the vaccines. With that, teenagers should have been offered the jab in May/June, as like the rest of Europe. By reopening in July, and introducing vaccines to teenagers by the new academic year, it allowed Covid-19, and other illnesses to spread like wildfire. It's daft to say, "Oh, we shouldn't take notice of 50,000 positive cases per day," when that is a seriously high number, particularly when those thousands of people should be self-isolating for ten days. I know of people who have refused the vaccine, got Covid and not self-isolate, leaving people at risk. With that attitude, the disease will never leave.
The vaccine shouldn't be seen as a contentious issue, but it is. At the moment, the fear-mongers versus anger-mongers are battling about whether vaccines should be made mandatory, and whether 'vaccine passports' should be introduced. If we're to treat Covid-19 like flu, then nobody should be forced to have the vaccine, though, like the flu vaccine, I expect to be offered a Covid-19 vaccine every year. I am keen to see the development of the Covid pill, which again, will prove a magnificent boost for science. In terms of the passport, I supported the use from 'Freedom Day' in July, with the condition for it to be a temporary solution until enough of us were given the protection - again, that golden 80% target. There's no point in the passports in the UK now, but I can see the logic in various parts of Europe where vaccination rates are low.
Right now, my mindset is 'keep calm and carry on'. I want to emphasise that the last thing Boris Johnson wants to do is to close the economy and lockdown, the UK cannot afford to do so. The re-introduction of face masks in England needn't be a big deal. And if passports come into force, then that shouldn't be a big deal either - if you're double or triple jabbed, fantastic. If you're not, then produce a negative lateral flow test and happy days. It's a silly system but for heaven's sake, it doesn't mean we're living in a 'two-tier society' or 'we're losing our freedoms', as some claim. Again, these measures are temporary until the situation completely calms. I don't want to hear things like, "Oh, but in Sweden..." when the pandemic situation changes every five seconds, even in Sweden (which its apparent 'herd immunity' strategy had been praised by some commentators). Let's not say that passports are dividing people like the Nazi's did in the 1930s and 40s. If you're not protected against Covid-19, you're not going to dragged away from society and be sent to concentration camps. It's completely disrespectful to think otherwise. And I don't think stories about the 'overwhelmed' NHS helps either, as this happens every year and it will take more than controlling Covid-19 to sort the issues the health service is enduring. Equally, the "worst case scenario" predictions aren't helpful, as we've not seen these materialise yet and I've seen enough people who, as a result, won't take any chances to make the most of their present situation.
This is why I want the pandemic coverage stripped back; a clean slate. Allow science to continue to amaze, enable us to choose and please, don't judge and complain, whichever 'side' you're on. The government - believe it or not - has our best interest at heart. The reported parties during lockdowns are horrendous and those responsible should rightly be held accountable. Yet, we don't want to use people breaking the rules to mean that we should all do the same. Let's show we're more responsible than the people who make the rules. I'm happy to comply, let's not be cynical about everything, aye?
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