Letter published in the Guardian, 1 June 2023
‘Don’t mention the virus’ has become a mantra, says Joan Twelves, while Joe Sim and Steve Tombs say the government is silencing discussion about the disease. Plus one reader describes how her husband’s death was not recorded as caused by Covid
John Harris is right. It’s as though the pandemic never happened. The long-term effects it has had on our and our children’s mental and physical health, our NHS, our public services, as well as the global economy, have been swept under the carpet. ‘Don’t mention the virus’ has become the guiding mantra of our media and our politicians.
The past is being erased. The present is being ignored. Even though the pandemic is still with us, all protections, surveillance, and data collections have been dismantled. Those millions still at the highest risk are reporting being told to take their masks off in hospitals. The over quarter of a million people who died from Covid – and their millions of grieving friends and relatives – are no longer even a number.
Let us hope that the Independent Inquiry doesn’t just become about Partygate, or even Cronygate. We owe it to the dead and those who are still dying (nearly 300 a week according to statistics from the end of April) to learn the lessons of such a traumatic and long-lasting period in all our lives, recognise that Covid is still with us, and ensure that we are prepared for any future pandemics.
Joan Twelves 