“Water pumps, not Wars” – From emotive to rational language in
managing the Covid-19 pandemic
Abstract
At the date of writing this editorial, there is growing agreement
amongst experts that the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is in
decline. The number of deaths reported each day is now around 1% of the
cumulative total and falling. In general, the approach to predicting
pandemic policy has been through a comparison of inter-country
performance in managing this crisis. While all countries are paying a
high price in economic slowdown and lives lost, the health consequences
in terms of cases and deaths have varied considerably. Countries with
lower relative mortality and infection numbers have shown a more
structured logical approach to pandemic management. There is a very real
urgency to learn lessons immediately given the pressure to reduce the
home confinement policy as soon as possible. While this is clearly a
challenging time for policy makers, public health messaging is often
emotive around concepts such ‘being at war’ with the virus, and other
similar statements. We propose that a more rational approach to moving
forward is required to avoid a second wave. Understanding this rational
approach can be found through an evaluation of not only how other
countries are approaching this challenge, but also from history.