Why is December 8th special?
The 8th of December is a significant day for many reasons
We should celebrate the good work done by the scientists which allowed the COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out exactly a year ago today.
On December 8th, 1980, John Lennon was shot dead in the US
On December 8th, 1990, the spacecraft Galileo flew by the Earth about 600 miles up, to use the force of gravity to build speed on its way to Jupiter.
On December 8th, 2020, one year ago, the UK started vaccinating for COVID-19.
December 8th is quite a day.
We can be sad at an untimely death of someone famous like John Lennon. That is at a completely different scale from our sorrow at the untimely deaths of thousands of older people with dementia in care homes from COVID 19, or from the effects of isolation that was enforced in response.
But we must stand in awe of the scientists who can hurl machines into the further corners of our galaxy and those who can invent a molecule that will circulate around inside human bodies to mitigate or eradicate disease.
Much of the advice that was given to us about COVID 19 by policy makers at the start was not based on science. We knew it was airborne but delayed putting on masks and opening the windows. We knew it was airborne but obsessed with cleaning surfaces and wiping down our shopping when it was delivered. And once we knew it could be tackled with a vaccine, some of us diced with death by refusing vaccination, while in other countries people died wanting it.
Today we should stop for a moment and be grateful for the vast team of people from the laboratories to the vaccination centres who used their science and their energy to start to bring the horror of COVID-19 under control. I propose that December 8th should be nominated as a day of thanks for all scientists, but especially the ones who know how to make a vaccine that works.
It would be great if some more scientific work could be done on dementia. But dementia is much more complicated than a viral infection. Many diseases cause it and dozens of lifestyle factors make it worse. In the mean time let’s get people living as well as possible for as long as possible, and celebrate those areas where we have had some success. Then get on with the work.
If you would like more information, you can buy my book Dementia, the One Stop Guide or Care Homes: When, Why and How to Choose a Care Home. I am available for consultancy for families or organisations. And if you have any further queries or questions, or suggestions for something you’d like to see me write on, please contact me via the Contact Page
See my new course on Dementia the One Stop Guide on Policy Hub here
