Six months ago this virus didn’t exist. There was no such thing as Coronavirus Covid -19. The first known case dates back to 17 November in Hubei, China and we’ll probably never know if Case Zero was indeed the first person to contact the disease.
This first case was first brought to the attention of the World Health Organisation on 31 December and today, one hundred days on, there have been 1.8 million cases worlwide and more than 110,000 people have died.
Our world has changed out of all recognition from the place we knew as we brought in the New Year what seems an age ago.
Coronavirus has brought out the best in some people, the worst in others. The unsung community heroes, the supermarkets, the care workers and the NHS staff on the frontline. And then there are the stockpilers, the profiteers, the guidance floughters and the fraudsters.
We worry about family and friends. We miss the simple things: the cinema trips, a pint in the pub, a football match, a family meal.
Just a few short weeks ago, we worried ourselves over other things that don’t seem quite so important now, but they will resurface again when coronavirus is under control.
Brexit will become an issue again and we can be pretty sure that politics will return to the pre-Covid Punch and Judy Show it was before the virus took hold.
And we’ll talk again about our Edinburgh – we’ll debate Air BnB, we’ll seethe over ‘student flats’ planning development applications, the dire state of our public services and we’ll discuss the commercialisation of Edinburgh’s city centre at festival times.
The virus is a cruel, terrible thing but it does have one blessing: it gives each of us valuable time to think. To think about what is important. To think about what we as a society need, not want. To think about how we can do things differently to ensure that all are included and none are left behind.
We CAN do things differently if we choose to. We must use this precious time wisely.
A happy Easter to everyone – please stay safe at home
