It's now 5 years since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK. A number of experts now claim the key scientific lessons of that event are being lost. The UK's National Health Service is currently no better prepared. Each winter, as seasonal infections grow, its hospitals totter on the edge of collapse. There arn't enough beds, doctors or nurses for the aging population size. It's also clear the lockdowns had serious psychological impacts on many sections of the community (especially children). There's been, however, no attempt to work out better ways of minimising the negative impacts. The pros and cons of so-called 'non-pharmacological interventions', like social distancing and wearing facial masks, have also remained largely unconsidered. This will vary with the mode of disease transmission (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/23/key-lessons-of-covid-are-being-forgotten-uk-scientists-warn). We Brits have long regarded ourselves as major players in the Sciences. Our leaders , however, always seem to attempt to deal with crises by 'flying by the seat of their pants'. Making up policy and preparations de novo isn't, however, an effective way of dealing with any crisis. The next pandemic will seemingly still 'take us by surprise'?
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