Why have we forgotten about Covid? |
Deep in the honeycombed limestone caves of Slovenia, Croatia, and Friulian Italy, there is a fantastical creature called “the olm,” also known as “the baby dragon.” It was once an ordinary salamander, which probably fell down into the karstic caverns – where it has evolved into an eerie pink creature that lives for a century, eats once a decade, possesses eyes without sight, lives permanently in a larval condition – called “neoteny” by zoologists – and has been recorded sitting in the exact same place for seven years, without moving.
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Why do I mention the olm? Because, as I travel the world, I’m increasingly wondering if we humans, Homo sapiens – have turned into a peculiar higher primate version of the olm. As a result of what happened to us during Covid: physically, socially, psychologically.
Consider, first, your memories of Covid. For example, do you recall where we were exactly five years ago? In England, as of early June 2021, the country had just moved into “Step 3.” That meant indoor mixing was allowed under limits, and people could again sit inside pubs, restaurants, etc. – to eat and drink, albeit with masks, table service and social distancing. However, in the north of England, the Delta variant was brewing around Bolton, threatening the move to “Step 4,” which was indeed delayed by four weeks.
If you’re anything like me, all this sounds like a garbled news report in a semi-foreign language from a distant planet, of which we know little, and care to........