Daily Times

It is very important to keep an eye on how authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) are handling the spread of the coronavirus since the new, more contagious strain that was discovered there has been spreading like wildfire and causing far more damage than was expected even as the second wave picked up pace. Already hospitals in the country, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself, “are under more pressure from Covid than any time since the start of the pandemic.” Now the biggest fear of the government over there is an abnormal rise in the number of infections before the vaccine is rolled out to a majority of the population.

And just to make things even worse, authorities are not sure as yet if the new variant is resistant to the vaccines that have been so hurriedly developed. If it is, in the worst case scenario, then you can expect six more months of work before they can become effective again. That explains why the British government has ordered yet another nation-wide lockdown, which will no doubt obstruct work, affect the economy, and keep schools closed for as yet an unknown period of time. Considering that the British economy is already in a painful recession, the steps that the government is being forced to take could well put it in deep sleep for a long time to come.

Pakistan is of course one of the many countries where the new variant has reached. Therefore we should pay very close attention to how fast it is spreading in the UK, how the government is keeping healthcare facilities functioning and also see if there is any indication that it is not just spreading but also killing much faster. Such analysis can make the difference between ending up ahead of or behind the curve. As things stand the second wave of the pandemic has already begun overwhelming the country’s healthcare infrastructure. The last thing we need right now is for things to get completely out of control in case the new variant spreads fast and far enough to become the primary concern. Hopefully nobody will need to be reminded that the people have to play a more important role than the government because if they do not follow safety protocols to the letter then there is no way the government can come to their aid. What is now happening in the UK will, to a large extent, show what is going to happen in much of the world as time progresses. *