Lockdown v blitz

Yesterday I had a long call with a lady of 90 years whose son – a close friend – contracted coronavirus. Those who complain of feeling stir crazy should realise that the virus in the virulent form that the my friend and the PM have is most unpleasant and can cause long term lung tissue damage. In my friend’s case it lasted two weeks and now he has extreme fatigue.

In the course of my call I posed the question of how this compares to the Blitz.

She said it’s worse. In the Blitz you knew your enemy and there was an optimism that they would be defeated.

In simplistic terms, the Battle of Britain when the RAF stood up to the Luftwaffe reversed the Nazi Blitzkrieg of Northern Europe, Hitler then made two crucial errors of attacking Russia and declaring war on the neutral USA.

By 1942 there was only going to be the one victor – the Allies.

Throughout the Blitz, restaurants were open, Myra Hess gave her lunchtime concerts, morale was high. Now, my friend said, you do not know how or when it will all end. The same thoughts were held by a 94 year old disc jockey and conveyed to me via a close friend.