Read on Twitter
I know this is obvious, but in the UK the lifting of restrictions on the 4th of July (allowing households to mix and stay overnight with responsible behaviour) is *not* an indication that the virus has gone or the threat is not present.
Just to loop back to basics; this is an infectious virus that causes a severe disease in a subset of people, often leading (sadly) to death in those people.
Although we have improved the treatment of the disease, in particular due to the knowledge gained from large, well powered clinical trials, the severe disease and death rate across the entire population if the infection went through the population is unacceptably high.
We therefore have to live "alongside" the virus until we have better treatments, or vaccine, or some combination of both. From the experience of South Korea, Japan, Germany and France this is doable but it is *very complex*. Everyone has a role to play.
A particular problem is that many infectious people are asymptomatic. If you have even the slightest sniffle or cough or anything - get a test - it is quick and easy to do and by being trigger happy on getting a test you will help suppression of the disease.
People have to be responsible in every day life. Hygiene has to be high (channel your inner Japanese). Mask wearing helps. Avoid crowded, indoor places. Do not shout or sing near other people. Eat, drink with friends outside and wash everything carefully.
There is a tremendous habit on twitter to push to extremes; do not be fooled on either side. This virus has *not* gone away and is still dangerous. We *can* live alongside this virus for extended periods of time, and we can have relatively normal lives.
(And, it goes without saying, that this is not some competition between countries - this is collaboration across humans to defeat this virus; everything we can learn from every situation we should do; we should share all insight. Stupid to think otherwise).
