Holding politicians to account on Covid

sir – As an economist working in the pharmaceutical sector, I was privileged to explore key clinical and economic data with global pandemic experts throughout the pandemic.

The majority of those discussions focused on the emerging clinical and epidemiology data and, although naturally characterised by the uncertainty of small numbers, the underlying opinion, even at the beginning, was that the focus of intervention should be on the vulnerable (the elderly and those with significant co-morbid conditions). This did not change, even as new variants emerged.

I do not envy the politicians who had to make decisions on what route to take, as they were doomed if they did and doomed if they didn’t. But let us remember that these decisions were as much political as they were about making the right choices for the nation. For the same politicians to present the negative economic consequences that inevitably followed as apolitical is disingenuous to say the least.

Tim Wright Rampisham, Dorset

sir – C Brian Smith (Letters, January 23) should check the data before suggesting that New Zealand saved lives with its zero-covid policy.

After nearly two years, and with the population vaccinated, New Zealand removed almost all of its draconian measures. A close look at the data reveals that, within three months, deaths per million reached the same level as that reached in Britain and Europe for the six months (April to October 2020) before vaccination started. All that was achieved was a two-year delay in the inevitable. Data must always speak louder than words.

Dr Lindy Thomsen St Albans, Hertfordshire