In the midst of social lockdown, I have started to take stock of just how fortunate I am to live in a country like Australia. After all, as a nation, we’ve had…

• Twenty-eight years of uninterrupted economic growth.
• A government that is so generous with its welfare payments that it borders on socialism.
• A world-class health system that would make most other countries green with envy.
• A police force largely characterised by professionalism and integrity.
• An essentially stable government, especially if you exclude the veritable revolving door of Prime Ministers.
• A part from a few drongos in Bondi and Manly, a general population that has conscientiously adhered to the social distancing guidelines as outlined by the chief medical advisors.
• And one of the lowest incidents of death related in COVID-19 in Western civilisation.

Following on from that last point, while every single one of the thirty COVID-19 related deaths in Australia is tragic, it’s pertinent to keep in mind the large picture. As the following chart shows—at this stage at least—the death rate for COVID-19 is not only extremely low, but in comparison to the other major causes on death, it is almost negligible.