Is the ‘new normal’ a chance to change?
There is now a likelihood that there may not be vaccine to protect us against Covid-19 for some time, if there is going to be a vaccine at all. That means we are going to face straitened social circumstances, with lockdowns interrupting even the less liberated options when the virus is dormant . Managed risk is going to dominate our behaviours, which will put restraints upon large gatherings for whatever reason. Travel prospects will be curtailed and we will be confined more or less to the areas where we live and work. Schools will have to operate on tighter timetables with shorter days to accommodate the restriction of numbers within school buildings. It will be ironic on Boris Johnson’s watch if it becomes compulsory to wear face coverings — and it will play havoc with the plans of those who want to introduce facial recognition cameras. There will also be a psychological price to pay when greeting people with a hug or a kiss or even a handshake is no longer permissible. Tactility, which plays an important part in our lives, will wither on the vine. We cannot say that nature has not sent us a warning about our carelessness in the ways we have dealt with our planet and we are now finding out the price we have to pay for our insouciance.
Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs, Dunbartonshire.
The phrases ‘new normal’, ‘life will never be the same again’ and ‘social distancing’ are becoming negative cliches. Yes, the new normal is a world in which civil liberties are removed, we can’t see our friends and family, visit a pub or go on holiday. But this situation is temporary. The virus peak has passed and the country must be restarted. In some respects, I hope life will never be the same again. While out on my bicycle or walking, there are unprecedented signs of solidarity with strangers: we smile, wave and say hello. With more people working from home, traffic is reduced. So can we please look forward to life going back to an improved normal?
TOnY BecK, Maidenhead, Berks.
We’re getting back to normal . . . the roads are busier, the air quality declining and birdsong is losing out to traffic noise. We’ll soon be back on course to destroying the environment and planet.
D. M. DeAMer, York.
The Covid-19 pandemic was neither unprecedented nor unpredictable. It was the result of vulnerabilities in our national and global systems. Our reaction to it has been shambolic but that’s what happens when reliance is placed on a political class whose lack of scientific knowledge is so total it’s almost a thing of wonder. It’s worth noting that much of what is required to avoid or mitigate the next pandemic starts with individual action: personal hygiene and fitness. The fact that bottom-up change is a major factor is good news. When we finally get out of jail it’s up to us to get moving. Starting over is never easy but we can do it.
Dr JOhn cAMerOn, st Andrews, Fife.