The pandemic’s darkest hour is yet to come - a deceptively well written article. Usually I’m very fond of the FT and I think that their reporting on Covid has been superb. But passages like the following are just cheap shots (pardon the pun): https://www.ft.com/content/0d519265-60ea-483e-87fb-9f7f94037031

‘Taiwan, Vietnam and New Zealand demonstrate that early, aggressive intervention delivers a healthy population able to participate in a healthy economy’.

Seriously. Of course, if an apple tasted like a pear at a first bite, one could more effectively bake more apple pies.

Besides the obvious points that none of the above cases can even remotely compare in terms of population, human geography, and connectivity, but anyone suggesting a comparison between Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the UK has probably missed out on some basics:

1. General public health. No need for hard look into stats to see that all of the above have on average populations that live longer because they live better;
2. General public behaviour. Degrees of restrictions to personal lives for the food of broader society are accepted.

Indeed they are a fact of life. As a young student, back in 2004 I was in Tokyo wearing a mask when I had a cold as I moved around the city. It was not only normal; it was an act of social responsibility. Period. No question. Fast forward to Marco 2020, a week before lockdown.

I’m on a busy commuting train into London Bridge surrounded by the young Cosmopolitan elites who work in the city. I’m wearing a mask - because I agree with the Asian logic. Half of the people on the train are looking as if I had some serious problem, when are not making fun.

By June, I still have conversation with well educated colleagues who refuse to wear a mask because they feel their liberties are curtailed.

My point: criticism of gov action is essential for a well working democracy. But let’s start with relevant comparisons.

More importantly. If we really like the irrelevant ones, that’s fine too. But let’s focus on relevant ‘lessons’ at least. And one will suddenly realise that gov action is only the problem if one has sorted the social dimension of the issue upon which any gov action is built.

There. Off the chest. I can happily go and do some marking before home schooling. Happy days.