The Covid-19 outbreak is a culture war. The cultures in conflict are those of science and medical discovery, which are couched in both uncertainty and relative transparency – when your blood tests come back, we should be able to eliminate some causes – and of politics, which craves certainty and enjoys secrecy.
Boris Johnson told reporters he believes that the United Kingdom will be able to exit its Covid-19 fighting measures in 12 weeks thanks to medical advances in the detection and treatment of the disease, provided the British public commits to a period of social distancing. But upon further questioning he clarified, saying he could not “with confidence” guarantee that the period would be over by the end of June.
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