We may have to accept life with greater risk

Sir, – Derek Farmer (Commonsense can guide us through crisis, Courier, May 15) correctly calls our leaders during this pandemic ‘infantile’.

However, it is not only our politicians who need to grow up but we also, as a society, need to grow up too and face some very unpleasant truths.

Firstly, we need to accept that we live with risk daily – in and outside our homes, in our jobs and in our personal relationships, in our personal activities and habits and with our health, particularly as we age.

Covid-19 is, unfortunately, one more risk to add to that already lengthy list.

It is unlikely that we will ever be safe from the virus.

Hopes that an effective vaccine will be found soon appear to be nothing more than that. There are half a dozen coronaviruses that humans can contract; no vaccines have yet been found.

After nearly 40 years of research, there is still no vaccine for AIDS.

Lockdown until a vaccine is developed is quite unrealistic; eventually we might win the battle but we will lose the war.

The current death rate attributed to Covid 19 is approximately 0.06%, or six deaths per 10,000 of population.

But as Dr John Cameron pointed out, the Hong Kong flu of 1969-70 killed 80,000.

Every decision we make, personal or political, has an opportunity cost.

The governments’ decisions to minimise loss of life has been with considerable damage done to the immediatemedium term society and economy, with little consideration given to the longer-term suffering that that choice will inevitably cause.

Early statistical analyses suggest that certain population groups, – the aged, the poor, ethnic minorities, those with underlying health issues, those in densely populated areas and in high density accommodation – are at greatest risk.

Wherever possible, people must take responsibility for their own health.

The rest of us must be prepared to accept the cost of this; it will certainly be much less than the cost of the damage that will be done if the current strategy continues.

We, and not governments, must decide what our future will be.

Whether to accept the ongoing long-term damage to the economy by minimising loss of life, or to return our lives to something like normal, accepting the higher death rates which may result as one of the risks of being human. Murray SB Duncan. ‘Larachbeg’,

West Huntingtower.