Then I thought, if we had known what was about to happen, and the path it was to take, could we have done anything differently to have avoided the turmoil caused by COVID-19? A discussion on this could go on forever, and probably will.
The path to the future is full of unknowns and we must be ready to adapt. This has been particularly true while the world has struggled through the complexities and personal tragedies caused by the pandemic. Different nations, and indeed different individuals, handled it in various ways and it is only in looking back can we assess which actions were more effective. With hindsight, it’s clear where things were done well and where they weren’t. Yes, mistakes were made, but it would be unfair to blame just the decision-makers. It’s easy to point a finger, but far more difficult for politicians to take decisive actions which affect a population. In a democracy, we vote for representatives to take those decisions for us. We may not always agree, but we have given them the right to do so unimpeded. If we don’t like them, we can vote for another party next time and hope they get a majority.
As we get back to some sort of normality, it’s interesting to note how some habits have changed, both individually and as a society. Wearing masks is perhaps the most outward change that can be seen. People who, eighteen months ago, would have completely shunned the idea of covering their face, now wear masks even when not close to anyone else. Further, when meeting people, it’s still unusual to shake hands of kiss the cheek, and fist pumping or elbow contact have become strange but acceptable alternatives. In addition, there are still restrictions on where we can go and the number of people who can attend events and this has been reluctantly and somewhat quietly accepted. Fear of the virus is still evident.
Whether this continues will, in some ways, depend on whether we are able to safely live with the virus. With effective vaccinations and low death rates, it appears that we may be able to do so. But should we also dismiss the recent past in the futile hope that it will never repeat itself in the future?