Silence has descended on the United Kingdom (UK) like an all-enveloping eiderdown.  The UK has the fifth largest economy in the world. This supposed tranquillity is deceptive though, as the invisible enemy is relentlessly spreading all over, targeting the vulnerable as the ever-increasing number of victims prove. It is still difficult to fully understand the scope and impact of COVID-19. You get the feeling, like when the 9/11 attacks happened in the United States, that this is a massive, almost apocalyptic event, but how to handle it? The unforgettable scenes of the burning towers and people jumping to their death in New York at the time hit the world like the blow from a hammer, but COVID-19’s effect is more like that of a slow, lingering, paralyzing poison. How is our world going to change? What will be left of the economy, of businesses?

The uncertainty and unpredictability of current events result in dramatically diverse reactions: Christians and other believers see a Higher Hand behind the universal disruption, economic downturn and increasing loss of life. I can almost hear my father’s voice saying “man proposes, but God disposes”.

Then there are also conspiracy theories for those who want to listen, for example, that the virus was specifically developed in China in order to force Western economies to their knees, allowing China to take control and pick up assets for a song. Allegedly this is in response to the economic sanctions imposed by the United States against China. As so-called proof of this conspiracy theory, people refer to drastic measures introduced at an early stage by the Chinese, for example when they built hospitals, and ordered large quantities of ventilators and other emergency equipment. The theorists emphasise that Beijing itself has never been affected, and that China is once again open for business, while the West is staggering under the economic impact, with blue chip stocks and other assets that can be snapped up at unprecedented low prices. China’s allies, Russia and North Korea, also seem to have got off lightly thus far. In a censorious article in the Mail on Sunday, Sir Ian Duncan-Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party, went as far as accusing the Chinese government of a cover-up.  He went on to suggest that, in the light of the current crisis, the British government should review its relationship with China in total.

Current events ensure that we have reverted to the basics, such as cultivating healthy eating habits, exercising regularly, staying in touch with loved ones, washing hands regularly, and only buying essentials. Our headlong rush through life has been halted. We have been forced to review our priorities. No wonder a guest in a radio programme this morning pointed out that Christ lost his temper only once, namely when he toppled the merchants’ tables in the temple!

Mortality reality ‒ differences among countries

Mortality rates among countries with more or less the same demographic profile vary drastically. This phenomenon is hard to explain. In Spain, for example, 8.5% of corona patients die, compared to just 2.0% in neighbouring Portugal. In Germany, the mortality rate is only 0.8%, while the Netherlands next door has a death rate of 7.1%. Could it be that Germany is just more effective at testing on a large scale, and that the other countries have thousands of cases that they are not aware of? The UK has no public testing centres yet, while my sisters who respectively live in Australia and Ireland, tell me about their drive-through centres. Australia is currently at a low 0.4%, and Ireland at 1.8%. (The Times of 30 March 2020 quoted Worldometer as source in this regard).

Speculation runs rife

According to Prof Philip Thomas, a risk analyst at the University of Bristol, he and his team have calculated that if the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) were to fall by more than 6.5% for a consistent period, the economic consequences of the anti-coronavirus measures would cost the country more lives than the disease itself. He explained on BBC Radio 4’s programme, The World at One, that a prolonged depression or recession could result in a large-scale loss of life, as there is a clear link between a country’s GDP and the average life expectancy of its residents. One reason for this is the fact that wealthier countries can spend much more on healthcare, safety measures and environmental conservation.

Contrary to his opinion, Prof Neil Ferguson of the Imperial College in London (who is also a director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis) warned last Sunday that the period of lockdown should last at least three months. This comment followed a sharp increase in the number of deaths in Britain ‒ within three days it had increased to 1 019 by 29 March 2020.

A day later, Dr Jenny Harris, the British Deputy Chief Medical Officer, told Britain to expect six months of restrictions. She is convinced that three months of total lockdown should be followed by some months of gradual relief.

At a news conference, Prof Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of the UK’s National Health Service warned against a false sense of security, stressing that the purpose of anti-virus measures is to keep the death toll below 20 000.  He said that if this aim could be achieved, “we would have done well”.

A million British citizens abroad?

The UK’s population is 67.9 million.  At any given time there usually are approximately one million British citizens wandering abroad, all over our wonderful old planet. Now the British government has the complex task of bringing these world travellers back home. Foreign Minister Dominic Raab has announced that a number of commercial and charter flights will be used to bring people back from places including India, Peru, Nepal, New Zealand and Sudan. The service centre set up to deal with this problem is currently receiving 15 000 calls a day.

Role of the church in this time of need

The Church of England has suspended all formal services for the foreseeable future. A reader of The Times, Martin Pettinger, points out that his local church has been there for centuries. It has now been closed to the public for the first time ever. He wants to know what purpose church buildings of the Church of England serve if they cannot be used for prayer during the day.

Deadly funeral

Two days before lockdown came into force in Britain, 86-year-old Sheila Brooks was buried in the Western Midlands. Seventeen of the people attending the funeral now have the Covid-19 virus and sadly one of them, 65-year-old Susan Nelson, died on 25 March 2020.

Increase in births ahead?

Dr Sheri Jacobson, a Harley Street psychologist, predicts a sharp increase in births in 2021, as couples are now forced to spend more time together. The antipole, namely more divorce cases, may also be expected, as the period of seclusion may cause increasing levels of frustration.

Blue lake now black

The enforcement of social distancing took on a new dimension when Derbyshire police treated a beautiful lake, known as the “Blue Lagoon”, with dye to turn it black, in order to make it less attractive to visitors who had up to that stage still been gathering there in groups.

Celebrity watch

Members of royal families who have tested positive for the virus include Prince Charles and Prince Albert of Monaco. Politicians include British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, British Health Minister Matt Hancock, as well as Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief negotiator.

Our family

On Saturday morning we got an urgent call from my daughter, René, to tell us that Christiaan, our eldest son, had severe fever and had not been able to go shopping for a few days because his wife, Nicole, has also been feverish and coughing badly. The two of us immediately rushed to our nearest Lidl supermarket and arrived a few hours later with a mass of groceries at our children’s home in Ashford. We put the bags in front of their door, Nicole carried it in, sorted through it and put everything they couldn’t use outside again. Everything while maintaining our distance, as if we were afraid of leprosy.

Benefits

The large-scale reduction of air and ground traffic has resulted in a dramatic decrease in pollution. Prof Hugh Coe, of the University of Manchester’s Environmental Research Institute, says that there is a noticeable reduction in pollution, and that nitrogen dioxide and fine airborne particles in particular have decreased. The result is that even in the usually hazy British sky, one can now see stars ‒ especially the planet Venus, better known as the Morning Star.

Formula One

The seven Formula One teams based in the UK joined forces to establish “Project Pitlane”, manufacturing ventilators with the same zeal and expertise that they would normally apply to races. The big difference is that now, instead of merely a design challenge, there is also the challenge of a supply chain to consider. “Project Pitlane” is part of a larger national project in which Rolls-Royce, Dyson and Airbus, amongst others, also participate.

Clued-up criminals

Thieves and burglars have adapted their tactics to the lockdown conditions, and are now concentrating on deserted business areas, where shops, restaurants and traditional pubs are being targeted. Drug trafficking methods have also changed ‒ dealers are now finalizing their transactions in and around supermarkets. There are major concerns about children who do not have the protection of schools and are left with an abundance of leisure time at hand. Our local newspaper, the Sittingbourne News, reports that vandals have slashed the tyres of six ambulances in Ramsgate, Kent.

Now that we have more time for our daily hike and are not allowed to chat with other hikers, we are exploring our immediate surroundings in more detail. A while ago we came across a badger that had been killed just before lockdown commenced.  As a result of the freezing cold, it only started smelling badly after 10 days. While I was out jogging today, I saw a lot of refrigerators and stoves dumped in a field ‒ probably by someone who had been paid to dispose of them in a legal way.