Coronavirus #25 - Ending restrictions

Many of us, after eleven months of restrictions on our daily lives due to this pandemic are getting impatient for an end to it all. I know I am; video meetings and home working have completely lost their appeal. Masks are unpleasant and rob people of their humanity; I appreciate their necessity and do wear one, but I can't say I like it.

Ultimately an end to restrictions should be governed by the science - and that's all the science. Not just epidemiology, but mental health, behavioural science and the economy. These necessary restrictions to protect the NHS and save lives should last as long as needed - and no longer.

We will likely not be able to eliminate Covid-19 entirely, so restrictions should be minimised once the most vulnerable are vaccinated. We should still keep a wary eye out for mutations, but the media should not inflate every mutation to being a vaccine beater when they almost certainly won't be. The newspapers have a lot to answer for their role in causing fear during this pandemic.

I look forward to this being a bad memory.