I'm white and even I can see how we may have been led to believe racist myths about coronavirus

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Some of the NHS workers who have died after contracting Covid-19 (PA)

Statistics show Bame communities are being hit harder by Covid-19 than white people.

I am white but I have a medical condition that a consultant of Asian heritage once told me is very unusual in Caucasians, so there could be something to examine genetically.

Such differences need to be fully understood, as do a whole gamut of others such as housing, income, education. However, this should not divert us from asking if there is an element of racism involved, albeit unconsciously.

It’s an uncomfortable question, but could it be that after centuries of telling ourselves that white people are intrinsically better than other races, we believe we deserve more? It was a belief that was used to justify colonialism, slavery and to steal whole continents from indigenous peoples, after all.

We know about slavery and that all over the world, people were taken from their lands. And that those who resisted were simply killed. These killings were justified because these people were believed to be “uncivilised” and “standing in the way of progress”.

Could it be that buried deep, deep down inside our culture is a belief that non-white people are of less value? And that it is natural for them to be exposed to more risk and to receive poorer rewards? I’m not conscious of such beliefs within me but I am also unaware of other infectious ideas I might harbour.

If you don’t ask the questions, you won’t find the answers.

John Simpson
Ross on Wye

Don’t lock the vulnerable away

The debate on isolating the vulnerable, particularly the over-70s, is the wrong way round.

The UK government has not adopted policies to eliminate Covid-19, so it should be developing policies to protect the people it will kill.

The vulnerable should be told how to avoid contact with infected people. It is important that we protect them from the people who care for them.

If you depend on a carer, how do you make sure they are not infected? What can care companies and homes do to ensure none of their staff are infectious?

If vulnerable people have safe access to care and food their chances of dying of Covid-19 may be slimmer. And fewer cases of Covid-19 could eventually lead to better access to funds for the safe care and amusement of those that are, for their own safety, isolated from society.

Jon Hawksley​
France

Confusing measurements

It’s all very well to specify 2m, but for many over-60s, that metric is meaningless. Much worse, they may accidentally envision 2ft. So why not get off your high horse and help us out here?

Perhaps shops might make it ”2m or about 6ft” for in-store announcements?

And if you’re worried about potential litigation from the missing six inches, make it “about 7ft” to be on the safe side.

This is the thing about the SI base unit of length, it’s much too large. The foot gives far better flexibility.

As they also say, better 6ft separate than 6ft under.

James Mason
Address supplied

Golf is safer than running

Tom Kershaw’s article (“Why golf is ready to lead sport’s return in the UK”) gives us golfers some hope we will be released from this nightmare.

My own club had already started doing the things listed in the article before lockdown – plus a rubber tube placed in the hole to stop the ball dropping in and requiring no one to lift out the flag.

The changing rooms were closed; you come dressed for golf and change your shoes in the car park. No shaking hands at the end of the game.

How the government can consider cycling and running safer is a complete mystery to me.

We have a national cycle route 55 passing our house. Since lockdown, the increase in rubbish, wipes and tissues being discarded into the hedge has gone up considerably.

How people puffing and panting, spitting and one person actually vomiting right in front of us as they cycle and run can be considered safe is a joke.

Keith Jacques
Stafford

Remember Brexit?

Now that we have wall to wall coverage of the pandemic we seem to have forgotten the threat of a no-deal Brexit. The fear was that it would send the economy over a cliff edge with business and industry unable to plan or react in time.

Am I alone in thinking that the economy has already gone over the cliff and lies wrecked on the beach? The government can quite happily forget about a deal as no one will be able to tell the difference and they can blame the pandemic for wrecking the economy.

Derek Polley
Bangor

What a wonderful opportunity Covid-19 is!

So soon after the referendum, the Brexiteers are presented with the opportunity to take back control and show those pesky Europeans and every faceless bureaucrat just how we manage a national crisis.

The proof of the pudding is in the continuing deaths amongst the vulnerable in care homes, in our NHS staff and throughout our inner cities.

Let us hope that Rees Mogg, Fox, Duncan Smith, Cummings and the entire ERG remain securely locked down for very many months to come.

Let us also hope that Boris Johnson’s brief sojourn cared for by immigrants within the allegedly-bloated NHS is but the start of his personal road to Damascus.

Tim Rubidge​
Salisbury