‘Leek outbreak should give us pause for thought’

THE sudden upturn in covid cases in Leek and the fact that they include the Delta variant inevitably concerns the neighbouring areas, among them the Potteries. We should be alert to the implications for the future.

However, at the moment, the prospect of relief from some of the remaining restrictions understandably fills people’s minds.

Locally, as well as nationally, the focus seems to be shifting to the younger age groups.

Vaccination is being offered to those more likely to mix either at school or at work.

But complacency can be risky.

Bill Gates has warned that further pandemics are more than likely.

As he is responsible for a successful campaign against malaria he is well-informed on widespread illnesses.

And with a world population topping seven billion, cross-species infections and laboratory mistakes are almost unavoidable.

At the beginning of this pandemic, the Chinese authorities ignored the situation and threatened the whistleblowing doctor.

Later, when they were galvanised into combatting and containing the disease, they threatened an investigative journalist.

Meanwhile populist leaders like Trump, Bolsonaro and Modi told people what they wanted to hear, i.e. that the danger was exaggerated until it was too late for hundreds of thousands.

Boris Johnson made the same mistake initially, but realised it in time to institute a vaccination programme.

We must sincerely hope that in future governments will encourage warnings, act on them and cooperate with other governments.

Speed and cooperation might be vital.

Any future pandemic could be as devastating as bubonic plague.

Perhaps this pandemic and its flare-ups might prevent future disasters.

A century ago, Spanish ‘flu killed more people than World War I had. Margaret Brown Staffordshire