HERE are a few facts to start. The chance of a child under 16 dying of the Covid-19 virus is around five million to one. In the latest research in Italy, 96 per cent of those dying from coronavirus had underlying health problems. Almost half the deaths in Scotland have occurred in or been connected to care homes. The cost of the lockdown in the UK is heading towards £200 billion.
Las month I argued that there was a danger of a “safe, safer, safest” approach being adopted by politicians and the media. If the virus was moralised and politicised around a one-dimensional myopic idea of “safe is good”, I argued, there was a danger of developing unscientific, irrational and potentially authoritarian responses to the virus. The problem, I would suggest, continues.
It is one of the bizarre and depressing aspects of events over the last few months that being super-safe is seen as progressive or radical. Some so-called left-wing commentators, for example, claim that “all” the deaths so far are the fault of Tory policies; some others argue that a herd immunity approach is a form of “eugenics”.
On the slightly less insane front, we find that unions want to keep the country closed because their sole role, apparently, is to keep their members safe (regardless of the actual risk). Meanwhile, in Scotland, an internal investigation has taken place into STV’s “North Korea-style" video showing children praising Nicola Sturgeon for “keeping them safe”: Given the evidence, safe from what is not clear.
Part of the super-safe approach has been based on a distrust that politicians and experts have of the public. This accounts for the simplicity of the messages given to us and indeed the numerous arrestable offences that harm no one.
These inane policies have been politicised and adopted as a new form of goodness, encouraging us all to boo at people who drive more than a few miles or to become outraged by those who get within five rather than six feet of us: Note that even the World Health Organisation advise a one, not two-metre distancing rule.
Science tells us we are not all equally at risk, in fact many of us are not at risk in any meaningful sense. Let’s stop playing politics with safety and start developing a balanced approach to this virus.
Our columns are a platform for writers to express opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel