Barney the Beagle has problems.

He suffered a paw injury a little while ago, which the vet quickly and noisily identified which, with rest and painkillers, was soon sorted, but he remained off-colour; not his usual self.

Professional prodding, poking and an X ray, identified a back problem as the likely cause. More painkillers: more rest.

Back pain, in dogs as in humans it seems, takes a while to clear up.

The problem is that, although evidently off colour, Barney refuses to tell us exactly what’s wrong.

Perhaps he isn’t his usual troublesome self because he hasn’t had much exercise over the last few weeks? Of maybe he’s getting old? Or with the weather variously too hot or too wet, it’s all got too much for him?

‘Gentle exercise; a gradual reduction of the painkillers and see what happens,’ was the vet’s advice. ‘If you’re in any doubt,’ she said, ‘Call me and we’ll have him back.’

I listened to the Prime Minister’s news conference on Monday evening with much the same feeling.

He seemed to be saying ‘Let’s unwind restrictions and see what happens.’

‘Like a very large experiment where no-one knows what the outcome will be…’ one expert commented.

‘We can never say it’s irreversible, because no-one really knows what will happen with this virus…’

With Barney, I get it. Keep an eye on him. If in doubt, check back with the vet and resume treatment. With Covid, I’m less sure.

We are all taking part in an experiment; if we get it wrong, people die or suffer severe and lasting illness; resuming treatment will not be an option for them.

And whilst I may exercise choice about mask wearing in crowded spaces, that choice isn’t available to people who work there.

They have no more choice about whether they take part in the experiment than Barney does about reducing his painkillers. Both are enforced participants in ‘best guess’, trial and error remedies inflicted on them by others.

At least Barney benefits from being under the control of a qualified, professional who has previous experience of canine back injury.

We, on the other hand, are hapless victims in a pandemic experiment of which no-one, not even the experts have any knowledge or experience.

I am reminded of last summer’s ill-fated ‘eat out to help out’ scheme, in no small part responsible for the autumn surge and its contribution to the UK’s position at the top of the developed world’s, Covid death rate leaderboard.

One can’t help wondering if the desperation to return speedily to normal and the government’s headlong libertarian rush to abandon all controls in spite of the exponential surge in cases, will lead to similar regret.

Barney is responding to treatment; let’s hope to God the country does as well.

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