Living through this pandemic – no doubt an event of historical proportions – has allowed time for reflection and offers insight into the ways different countries have dealt with it. The media throws statistics at us – death tolls, infection rates, R numbers, positive cases, demographic stats – as different countries are ranked, like a morbid Covid-19 fueled Top of the Pops.  Typically the Asian countries come out best – Taiwan, Vietnam, parts of China – reflective of more compliant and obedient societies seemingly happy to follow orders, in conjunction with having dealt with virus outbreaks before (SARS) and a culture of mask wearing already in existence. New Zealand was also held up as a beacon, perhaps unfairly as it’s low population and isolation – an island on the bottom of the planet – offered a clear advantage.

Then we have the United States. The highest death rate and the noisiest population in resistance to being told what to do in order to stop the spread. Those things are connected. Plus, in Donald Trump, an atrocious leader who categorically failed in dealing with it. A failure of historic proportions. Zero leadership, no unifying speeches or compassion, ridiculing mask wearing, blaming ‘China’, suggesting bleach as a treatment, to name a few slip ups. After losing the election he checked out entirely so the country was left rudderless during critical stages of the pandemic. I have no doubt in my mind that his catastrophic failure will be talked about by historians in very negative terms in the future. This failure is his legacy.

Who would want to be a leader dealing with a Covid-19 response? No one in their right mind. It’s a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Impose strict measures to stop the spread and face the wrath of one sector. Don’t do enough and you piss off the other half. A sensible middle ground impossible to achieve. I look at the case with California’s Governor Gavin Newsom – charmingly referred to as Gruesome Newsom in some parts, or even Gestapo Gavin – as he faces the wrath of much of the population over his shut down mandates. I see both sides of the argument, although I find how personally many people here take his measures a bit baffling. When a leader implements a mandate that includes shutting down of businesses – restaurants, bars, pubs, yoga studios, gyms, hairdressers, nail salons etc – you know it’s a very difficult decision as it puts many livelihoods at risk and will no doubt be the final nail in the coffin for many of them after 8 months of the lockdown see saw. I get the arguments of, ‘how come Walmart, Target, Home Depot and other big corporate brands can stay open and the small family hairdressers has to shut down? I actually don’t know. I did see how in the UK when the Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the latest stricter measures in the UK he looked like he was close to tears knowing full well the negative impact his decision will have on many businesses. What’s more important? Saving lives or the economy?

Saving lives probably, but then it’s hard to quantify when you consider perhaps the negative affects of shut downs – mental health, poverty, suicide, a suffering economy, hunger – might outweigh the actual loss of lives from the virus. All very difficult decisions, often without a winner. So when I hear the negativity round Newsom’s orders, I do think to myself ‘his measures are in place to save lives, he has taken advice from scientists, looked at the data, analyzed where transmission occurs and made a tough call. Ordering a 10 PM curfew? Yes, because data shows a lot of transmission occurs amongst youngsters who after 3 pints in a bar are not inclined to be socially distant or wear a mask. 

American’s historically have always been anti-government and Newsoms orders are seen as socialist informed tools of control. For what agenda I am not entirely sure. Things are further not helped when he issues mandates which the Sheriff of Orange County (and many other counties) say publicly they will not enforce. In the UK if a restaurant opens in a lockdown they will get a fine. Not here. Hence its a lockdown where many things are still open. Lockdown lite. Hence you wonder when will it be ever fixed? With a vaccine hopefully but that also generates a lot of noise and pushback in the population (I don’t trust it, what are the side affects etc). Like many others, I am personally very burnt out by it all. Covid fatigue? Yes, I’ve got it, where can I find a cure?