The Meaning of Boris Johnson’s Illness
His diagnosis with the coronavirus illustrates the paucity of the war metaphor we’ve all adopted in combatting the pandemic.
Boris Johnson has the coronavirus. So does his health secretary. That means people close to both might have it. This includes the prime minister’s pregnant fiancée, anyone who works in 10 Downing Street or the Department of Health, and, well, Britain’s entire pandemic crisis-management team.
If we are fighting a war against the coronavirus, as we are told, the generals’ mess hall has just been mortared. While there aren’t any casualties, it remains unnerving nevertheless, raising troubling questions about Britain’s defenses: How was this
