EDITORIAL

KIA ora. Ko Marion McMullan toku ingoa. I am 7 and 14/16th years old. I am a pupil at North East Valley Normal School.

I think Covid19 is a very serious issue and should be taken very solemnly.

It’s sort of confusing for me. An extreme lot of changes have been happening. It seems like one minute I’m hearing about this coronavirus in China and the next I’m getting homeschooled.

It’s sort of fun not having to go to school. I do miss my friends, though. And the friendly warm feeling that always hangs around the classroom. And I miss seeing my teacher, Whaea Mel.

I wonder about the future and how Covid19 might affect it. Perhaps not a positive way.

One of the few positive things about it is that there is less travelling and that means less carbon emissions.

Maybe, once the virus has passed, people will check the results of the lockdown and see that it has lowered carbon emissions.

Perhaps Covid19 will affect the future positively. I sure hope so.

I think global warming is also a very serious issue, and it would be amazing if Covid19 eliminated global warming, and as a consequence people eliminated Covid19.

That’s my idea of a perfect world. It would be amazing. It would also let people know that they could eliminate injustice if they teamed up. That would be a brilliant, brilliant world.

Marion McMullan

North East Valley

THANK you for an excellent editorial about Dr Ashley Bloomfield (ODT, 21.3.20).

In times like this, calm and factual information, on a regular basis, is important. Dr Bloomfield is delivering daily, including the weekends.

As you say, ‘‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’’. The man deserves a knighthood.

Pete Smith

Warrington

COMETH the moment, cometh the woman!

Stuart Mathieson

Palmerston

I COMMEND J. Munro’s concise letter (23.3.20) regarding this pandemic and the resulting ‘‘smarm’’ attack from the Chinese regime.

Yes, they did a remarkable job placing the megaambulance at the bottom of the cliff. However, they and other countries are responsible for repetitive outbreaks of viral epidemics/pandemics originating from viral crossover from animal to human.

Sars, swine flu and avian flu have all originated from Asian ‘‘food markets’’ where people live and work in confined spaces along with caged, stressed and ultimately sick creatures.

Until the countries involved stop this practice and introduce some decent animal rights and hygiene regulations then this will all happen again. And again.

Well done, China, in early 2020, but how about erecting a sturdy safety fence at the top of the cliff?

Pete Jenkins

Galloway

SCIENTISTS and medical professionals of the world, unite! Enjoy your rediscovered respect.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been a ‘‘brain drain’’ of the best and brightest, away from the sciences, and into information technology (because that’s where the real money lies).

IT won’t save us from this one.

Let us hope that enough of the best and brightest remain in the sciences. They are our only hope in these difficult times.

Alastair Watt

Ranfurly

‘‘A BIT rich for China to crow. . .’’ by J. Munro (Letters, 23.3.20) was on the mark, but the China problem goes much further.

The vector of new viruses for nearly the last 100 years has been assessed as likely due to peasant farmers wintering their livestock inside their homes.

China, stop it!

Craig Werner Macandrew Bay

REGARDING your article “A socially distanced stroll” (ODT, 26.3.20).

I would be really interested to know whether, under lockdown conditions, we are still OK to take a car to a location to go for a walk.

The way I understand the situation is that even a drive across town for an outing is discouraged?

Ulla Reymann

Musselburgh ..................................

BIBLE READING: Stop and consider the wondrous works of God. — Job 37.14.