I feel like I've had a good grip on the current crisis, I've called it well. I've thought for a while that the events I had on next week wouldn't happen, I thought it was inevitable that schools would be closing by the end of the week (no point before we had people working from home and had started a culture of social distancing). I don't believe - like many still do - that it'll just be a long Easter, I think this is for the long haul ... months
While I think this is all inevitable and right I'm really worried for the poorest in society, the self-employed (as well as of course the most vulnerable) and I wonder how history will judge all the decisions we've made.
While the virus kills indiscriminate of wealth - poverty doesn't.
Last week I was criticising the government for putting the economy above the safety of people. I almost wish, however, that we could do a 'perfect' version of BJ's initial plan. Isolate the 20% most vulnerable somewhere completely safe and then let the virus rampage with minimal time off for work, no distancing and mostly life as normal
Don't get me wrong - I know this isn't possible, this isn't how it works and I'm absolutely supporting and following the guidelines.
I do wonder how many will die of poverty, how many businesses will close, how the self employed will cope, and what will be the mental heath of so many people at the end of this.
I'm lucky - I can work from home - I will get paid. I may lose a holiday but that's life. I hope I won't lose any loved ones ...
I want to do something to help - I have some savings, not much but maybe enough to stop a family going under and I wonder if somehow I can do that.
I haven't been worried about this virus really - yes I knew how serious it was, but I've found the whole thing really quite fascinating (I'm a mathematician so the modelling and simulation is really interesting.
I'm awake worrying now and no one to say this to - so sorry for the long post and the ramble - and the views that might seem quite incoherent.