S.O.S. (send oxygen supplies)

Things in the UK are looking up, with the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions over the past 2 months and the imminent return to life as it was before the pandemic on 21 June. But, if there is anything the pandemic has taught us, it is that no one wins unless everyone does. For many of us, friends and loved ones are widely dispersed all over the world, and relief at the situation in one place is marred by crippling worry about the situation elsewhere. And, with globalisation, health and wellbeing can no longer be ensured in national silos, as proved recently: a German biotechnology company co-founded by scientists of Turkish origin teamed up with American ‘big pharma’ to produce the first vaccine to be approved for COVID-19.

What is happening in some countries (e.g. India, Brazil and Turkey) at present is exactly what worried policymakers all over the world in the early stages of the pandemic. Although things seemed to be in control after the first wave, not enough was done to ensure preparation for and management of the second wave. With the governments dithering, people's faith in their political leaders was shaken, and compliance with control measures in the subsequent wave has been poor.