6 April 2020updated 04 Sep 2021 7:27am

The fight against Covid-19: what does winning look like when the enemy is a virus?

Until the worldwide search for a vaccine succeeds, winning is likely to mean making sure we lose as little as possible.

LONDON, - MARCH 26: Wembley way is seen thanking the NHS on March 26, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. The "Clap For Our Carers" campaign has been encouraging people across the U.K to take part in the nationwide round of applause from their windows, doors, balconies and gardens at 8pm to show their appreciation for the efforts of the NHS as they tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19). The coronavirus pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 20,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The tabloid talk at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak was of the need for “Blitz spirit”. It was probably inappropriate; it was certainly premature. The point about the Blitz wasn’t only the justified fear of harm, or the deprivation of goods and liberties. The point was also that it went on for eight months, and the war for six years. The UK has been in Covid-19 lockdown for precisely two weeks.

You measure your “Blitz spirit” – whatever that might be – at the end, not the beginning. And the story of Covid-19 is still only beginning.