When Chris Whitty trended last week, some calling for him to face war crimes for the putative policy of herd immunity, I started to understand the fear gripping officials in government. We are in a state of mass hysteria, stocked by armchair experts https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/i-challenge-the-online-experts-so-critical-of-no-10-on-coronavirus-tell-us-has-sweden-got-it-right-or-wrong-xk6nlpjfx

Even scientists have sought to gain profile with inflammatory language. Call it the Piers Morganisation of public discourse, a world of manufactured confidence and synthetic outrage.

I would prefer experts to explain their views, along with the inherent uncertainties, so that we can properly assess them, rather than pseudo-positions tailored for maximum effect.

Fear among officials is curtailing action. One source said: "Everyone knows there will be an inquiry at the end of this. Officials are in massive arse-covering mode. They’re refusing to do stuff because they think it will blow back on them.” Can you blame them given the hysteria?

For those so confident of what we should be doing, consider Sweden, its citizens still going to schools and offices. Is this policy wise? Or will they end up with higher deaths and economic devastation? If you are certain, you are either a genius or a dupe.

But here’s the thing: in a few months you will face the temptation to reconstruct the past to fit the future, to “remember” feeling entirely sure, one way or the other, holding up Swedes, or the rest of the world, as fools. This is retrospective genius, the most disreputable kind