How we can learn from the Blitz in next phase of Covid-19, according to Leeds academics

When the Queen addressed the nation in a special coronavirus broadcast back in April, she invoked a wartime spirit in her message of hope.

“We will meet again”, rang her words, echoing the Second World War anthem by Forces’ sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn.

It is one of many occasions in which parallels have been drawn between the Covid-19 pandemic and wartime efforts, from the NHS workers on the frontline to the mobilisation of a volunteer army and the endless displays of resilience and community spirit amid widespread fear and uncertainty.

Now academics at Leeds Beckett University claim the Government would do well to look at how the blackout in Britain was lifted in 1945, as key lessons can be learned as lockdown restrictions are relaxed.

Historians from the School of Cultural Studies and Humanities say people need clear messaging in order to follow social distancing rules as more measures are being lifted.

The success of the blackout 75 years ago, rested on the clear communication of restrictions by Government, fairness in their application backed by sanctions, and a measure of common sense, they say.

And they argue that the same explicit messaging is needed to ensure people equate distance with safety as the nation moves into the next phase of its response to the coronavirus.

Without it, there is a risk that people will ignore the rules or that ambiguity could undermine trust in the whole approach, they claim.

“The blackout was successful because people understood that darkness made it harder for enemy planes to find their targets,” says senior lecturer Dr Henry Irving.

“The impact of Covid-19 is less easy to see than a falling bomb: there is a time lag between infection and illness, and deaths occur mostly out of sight.

“Our understanding of the risk is instead framed by what we read and see about the virus.

“Much of this is dictated by Government communications, so the messaging is important.

“They need to ensure that people do continue to equate distance with safety.”

He acknowledges, though, that there are major differences between an armed conflict and global pandemic.

The reality of aerial bombing, for example, forced civilians to alter their daily routines.

And people do, of course, break the rules. More than 14,000 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued by police in England and Wales for alleged breaches of lockdown restrictions between March 27 and May 11.

“No one is perfect – not even those who lived through the war,” says Dr Irving.

“Around one in twenty people were prosecuted for breaking the blackout, but the policy did not break down and people still thought it was a useful thing to do.”

Dr Irving and Dr Shane Ewen, a Reader at the university, assembled a team of historians to explore the analogy between then and now.

They have issued a policy paper entitled The real lessons of the Blitz for Covid-19, with national network History & Policy.

The paper also explores how maintaining high morale in the NHS is fundamental to the success of treatment and how medical understanding based on the experience of health professionals and epidemiologists must be prioritised.

It reads: “To bolster this morale, the Government would be well-advised to work with unions and professional bodies like the British Medical Association to draw up NHS and Care Charters making the case for better PPE, increased pay or a Covid-19 bonus to express the nation’s gratitude, and longer-term guarantees around funding and organisation.”

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