That changed in the second quarter of this year.
it is clear that up to March our response had been - through good geographic fortune and brutal border policies - successful and we enjoyed a standard of life and freedoms much of the rest of the world envied. The economy was recovering and we watched as the rest of the world had harder longer lockdowns, mass death and economic hits.
But by March steadily people in many of the worst hit western countries had rolled up their sleeves and got jabbed. Meanwhile we suffered from mixed messaging about what was safe, bungled orders became apparent, and fatally were told vaccination was not a race. And then came delta.
I would rather be in the UK now than here.