Five years ago this weekend, the nation was plunged into what was expected to be a three-week lockdown. Weeks turned into months and years, lives were upended, and society was reshaped. But with the Covid inquiry rumbling on and the threat of a new pandemic ever present, it is worth reflecting on what happened.
That’s what we did for today’s special episode of Spectator TV. We wanted to look back on the conversations our contributors were having at the time, so this morning’s show starts with an episode from during the pandemic, hosted by Cindy Yu.
She interviews two University of Oxford bioethics professors, Julian Savulescu and Dominic Wilkinson, about why – at the time – they felt the pandemic was not as bad as it could get, and whether some lives should be prioritised over others. The extract ends with a discussion of how Covid’s true societal costs should be measured – not just in terms of lives lost, but lives altered: jobs gone, education missed and health problems stored up for the future.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in