It has become a commonplace to say that the virus makes no discrimination between people. As Auden’s In Time of War puts it: “the hospitals alone remind us of the equality of man”. In truth, this is a lazy thought. Covid-19 strikes with precision both medically and economically. Scientists at Imperial College London have estimated that the death rate for the over-eighties is almost ten times the average, with the rate falling below average for those under 50. The economic impact, however, will be borne by the young. Long after lockdown has passed, the bill will come in.

There is no fault here, only unfortunate consequences. This is not a war between the generations. If anything, isolation will bring them together as grandchildren and grandparents