COMMENT | We stand on the eve of the most dreadful year in recent history. On every New Year’s Eve, we pray all bad happenings will give way to new hope and a better future. But today is totally different. The Covid-19 pandemic has not receded as we yearned for. In fact, all signs indicate the worst is not over yet, arguably having reached the state of runaway community spread.

As always, it is time to reflect on the past year and draw lessons for the New Year. This time we need to be brutally honest, accept our shortcomings, and truly resolve to make amends. Not just wishful thinking. I call this “Covid-19 reset”, and explain why and how.

I will also explain why the trending fashionable quote “all of government, whole of society” is just so misleading and used as a political tool. I exceptionally touch on corruption and cronyism, which I consciously avoid writing because everyone is an expert on it.

But before that, since we are bombarded with numbers everyday this year, let me recall Statistics 101. Statistics is borne based on the concept of population (all elements in a target group) and sampling. In any study, it is not possible to analyse the population beyond a certain size to give us the perfect conclusion. This is where sampling comes in, to scientifically seek out a manageable representative size of the population, analyse it, draw conclusions, and then postulate the behaviour of the population.

Of course, a devious mind can purposely seek out a wrong sample, and come to the conclusion they want. So everyone will first analyse the methodology before looking at the conclusion. However, we are told the raw data and methodology cannot be shared for scrutiny, and that we just have to trust the single authority. This is not how science or rational thinking works. Also, what we don’t know, doesn’t hurt. Covid-19 reset 1.