The retreat of Covid-19 in the near future is not a given, but it is looking increasingly likely thanks to the remarkable effectiveness of vaccines. The crisis has underlined the importance of a strong, well-run, caring State – and our need to equip it to act in our interests. It has shown the capacity for excellence, even heroism, in systems, such as the health service, that had become bywords for stasis. If the Covid-19 endgame is in sight, it is because a global crisis has been met with unprecedented collaboration, exchange and team-work in scientific fields that know no borders. One of its most enduring legacies should be to vindicate the internationalist case for collective action.

Source: The Irish Times March 16, 2021 17:45 UTC