Is overcoming Covid-19 a war that can be won?

SOME of the biggest news stories this past week were reminiscent of anecdotes I heard as a child from elderly relatives and family friends about the war years.

There were concerns about food supplies, forcing supermarkets to effectively ration the sale of some staple items. People worried about being able to cross international borders as more and more countries imposed travel bans and airlines cancelled flights. Then, there was the heartbreaking sight of Malaysian workers sleeping rough at Kranji MRT station in a desperate attempt to keep their jobs in Singapore during the lockdown imposed across the Causeway.

US President Donald Trump, who avoided serving his country during the Vietnam War on medical grounds, is now talking about containing Covid-19 in terms of a military campaign. He referred to himself this past week as a "wartime president" and called on Americans to "sacrifice together" in order to achieve "complete victory" over the "invisible enemy" that is the "Chinese virus".