[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

This has nothing to do with what I was talking about? I was pointing out that there is no evidence base for the absolute best practice during a modern global pandemic, because this is the first modern global pandemic. There literally can't be an evidence base... Where would it have come from? There are theories, plenty of them, and I won't argue that the failure to adequately prepare healthcare services with adequate capacity and equipment lies squarely on the governments (plural, right back to Blair, let's face it)...

But I'm talking about people's certainty that the timing of lockdown was wrong. That the current figures serve as "proof". They don't... There's no way to know which approach was right until analysts can reflect on the bigger picture once all's said and done,and it'll be years until we reach that point.

For now people can say they don't THINK the government made the right moves and explain why, but it's far from evident or obvious.

For example as I've repeatedly said, I think the collateral damage done to public health by a lockdown going on for too long would be devastating and worse than the damage done by Covid itself. I don't "know" that, I just worry that it might be the case. Time will tell, but not for quite a while, so it's too early to be confidently stating what was right or wrong.

Not sure why you are now fixated of 'evidence based' responses, there is a response. .. it's the response I posted, it may be a novel coronavirus however there is still best practice and contingency planning for a novel virus. It may not have happened before, that does not mean it has not been prepared and planned for at a local and national level.

Where we did not have 'absolute' best practice we had a well researched and documented script for resilience and preparedness in the UK. That was the point I was making.
There are those for whom this pandemic is the realisation of a life's work... All their labours are now being played out in real time.

So I'll play it your way, I don't know that they got it wrong but based on what we know, that the likes of Whitty, the WHO and many others were expecting and waiting for this eventuality across the globe.

A pandemic is easier to prepare and plan for I would say though than a public response to a lockdown, it is nigh on impossible to say how each individual nation will respond. I don't have as negative view of the British public than most it seems, which may surprise some...

I feel this is our time to shine, to show as I feel we are doing, that we can work together for the greater good...no matter how long or how deep we have been divided, so long as we are informed and supported.