Comment: Little England’s big Covid problem

The UK government’s response to the coronavirus has been fatally shambolic

Whereas many of its European neighbours – notably Italy – are now performing far better in the fight against the virus, Britain more closely resembles the pandemic-stricken United States. Picture: Getty

In late September, English schoolchildren were sent home with a letter from Public Health England, the official body in charge of dealing with the pandemic. It warned parents not to have their kids tested for Covid-19 unless they had one of three symptoms: a fever, a continuous dry cough, or a loss of smell or taste.

It was a puzzling message, given mounting evidence that the most common Covid-19 symptoms in children are in fact ...