I am reading about the great influenza epidemic of 1918 on, in The Great Influenza by John M Barry. Among many disturbing things in the book were how long it took for people with particular agendas to make the public aware of how serious the rapidly spreading scourge really was, how many people who, with the adults in the family ill perhaps, had no food coming into the house for the children and babies, and how socially isolating the whole epidemic was, how people were afraid of contact with others – understandably, as the death tolls were horrendous, and people died very fast, often within 24 hours of becoming ill. Which barely scratches the surface, either, of other terrible things in the book. But it has set me wondering whether I really ought to be making facemasks for everyone in the family for christmas ? to be supplied with cases of spray on disinfectant and boxes of rubber gloves – I think many of us are in a false sense of security thinking , well, we have some Tamiflu or similar – which we don’t – but someone does – supplies are all sold out here and in other places too. Perhaps I shouldn’t read anything but fiction.