Member-only story
Gambling with the undead
In these surreal times, it is good to acknowledge the gambles we and others make
I am a gambler. The UK is in a near-lockdown state, and yesterday I needed to go to the shops for some provisions. It was quiet, and it was easy to stay more than 2 metres from anyone else. But later on, as I had got home, washed my hands and put my bread, produce, cereal and a bottle of wine (and even some kitchen roll!) away, I realized that anyone could have touched these items before me. Including people who might have coughed or sneezed in their hand just before. To be absolutely safe, I should have thoroughly wiped every single item in my bag.
And I never did — so I gambled. I bet that the chance my purchases were contaminated, and I would somehow pick up that contamination and infect myself was negligible. I could have spent 10 minutes wiping everything, but I bet that it would be fine to ignore that risk, and in return saved myself some time.
Our lives at stake
So, in a very real sense, I gambled with my life. And I suspect you have done the same, many times. Even in normal times, we make many choices where we could opt for an alternative that keeps us (or others) safer or healthier. But we make a trade-off and choose the riskier path, because it saves us some time, money…
