The EconomistMay 16th 2020 Britain 452 performance than Remainers, but both are
becoming increasingly negative.
Attitudes at home are reflected abroad.
Chinese parents panicked on social media
about children studying in a plague-ridden
basket-case. But the Europeans are most
vociferous. Coronavirus has reinforced un-
favourable views formed during the Brexit
saga. The British government’s early dis-
missal of lockdowns was seen as reminis-
cent of Mr Johnson’s disregard for the risks
of leaving the bloc. The German press has
been particularly scathing. Süddeutsche
Zeitungconcluded that unequal and un-
healthy Britain made “a good breeding
ground for the pandemic”. Poland’s gov-
ernment, which locked down early, cited
Britain as a case study of what not to do.
Scott Morrison, the Australian prime min-
ister, described the “herd immunity” strat-
egy that Britain had initially favoured as a
“death sentence”.
Mr Johnson’s election victory last year
went some way towards restoring an image
of stability and competence after Theresa
May’s chaotic attempt to negotiate Britain’s
departure from the eu. Covid-19 risks de-
railing that, and foreign policy hands wor-
ry about its impact on Britain’s reputation
for good governance. Expertise in public
administration and fields such as global
health has long been one of Britain’s calling
cards in international forums. New Zea-
land’s standing has been enhanced by its
rapid elimination of the outbreak. Mr John-
son’s decision to shun an euscheme to
procure medical kit collectively sent a
blunt message about its appetite for co-op-
eration after Brexit, according to Fabian
Zuleeg, of the European Policy Centre, a
think-tank in Brussels.
Reputation is soft power, and big
cheeses in the foreign-policy world worry
about the impact on Britain’s ability to
sway opinion. “During the Brexit process I
was very struck by the decline in Britain’s
authority,” says a former foreign secretary,
noting particular dismay in Japan. “We we-
ren’t treated as grown-ups.” Esteem for
Britain is probably recoverable, says Mi-
chael Jay, a former head of the foreign of-
fice, but securing top international posts
may be tricky for a while.
Declinism is a national pastime in Brit-
ain, and some aspects of the country’s re-
sponse have been impressive. The National
Health Service has held up remarkably
well, thanks to swift reorganisation. Mr
Johnson is driving an international effort
to produce a vaccine, and has pledged gen-
erous sums in support of it. Britain’s vast
jobs rescue package, announced by Rishi
Sunak, the chancellor, originally an-
nounced in March and extended until Oc-tober on May 12th, compares favourably
with schemes deployed elsewhere. Oxford
University’s vaccine research programme
is one of the world’s most advanced; suc-
cess there, or in one of a series of British
trials for antiviral therapies, would be a fil-
lip for a battered government.
But the recent knocks to Britain’s repu-
tation will have consequences. “I would
not want to be going around, as we all used
to do, saying whatever its defects the Brit-
ish government system is one of the best in
the world and other countries should bor-
row it,” says Lord Jay. 7A race you don’t want to win
Covid-19,confirmeddeaths
To6amGMTMay14th2020,logscaleSource: JohnsHopkinsUniversityCSSEDayssince50thdeath100,00010,0001,00010010
726050403020100United StatesSpainItalyGermany FranceBritain“I
’ve beenusingthewaxfroma Baby-
bel,” admits a sufferer of chronic
toothache; she has stuffed cheese-casing
into a cavity to replace a lost filling. With
most surgeries in Britain out of action
due to lockdown, home dentistry has
become worryingly common. “People are
using needles to burst abscesses,” says
James Goolnik, a dentist in London.
“They’re using knives and forks to take
teeth out, and nail files to cut down
broken teeth.”
Britain has long had a reputation for
bad teeth, perhaps dating back to the
second world war, when American sol-
diers were horrified by rows of bare
gums. Today it is unfair: Americans are
more likely than Britons to be missing
teeth. But the nation’s teeth are not going
to improve in the near future.
Since March 25th, all routine treat-
ment has been cancelled. Dentists offer
just the “three as”—antibiotics, analge-
sics and advice. Someone with lost
crown will be dealt with over the phone.
MyDentist, with around 650 practices in
Britain, has warned its patients: “do not
use superglueor fixadentto fit your
crown.” A hygienist reports that a patient
had become suicidal with pain.
Only those with problems such as
breathing difficulties due to swelling or
nerve exposure qualify for urgent treat-
ment. The British Dental Association
(bda), a trade union, says the new urgent
care system has faced teething problems,
with a lack of the protective kit needed
for “aerosol-generating procedures” (ie,
ones where spit or blood will be flying
around). As a result, in some practices
the only treatment on offer is teeth re-
moval. “In this day and age that’s pretty
prehistoric,” says Dr Goolnik.
Many dental practices either rely
entirely or partly on private income,ratherthannhscontracts, and are thus
facing financial collapse. Some, unlike
shops or restaurants, do not qualify for
business-rates relief. “I can’t help feeling
forgotten when I walk down the street
and see the vape shop, which is getting a
£25,000 grant and rates relief, painting
and decorating,” sighs the hygienist.
When dentists reopen, they will
struggle to satisfy the pent-up demand
they are bound to face. Safe dentistry in a
pandemic is slow. Waiting areas must be
kept empty, protective kit procured and
surgeries disinfected. At practices that
are now doing urgent care, such re-
strictions mean traffic is down by three-
quarters. If there is a similar drop-off in
service when others return, care will
continue to be rationed. Bad news for
anyone with toothache. Good news for
Babybel manufacturers.Say cheese!
Toothache in a pandemicThe alarming return of prehistoric dentistryOne of the lucky ones