Why the UK Government Suggestion to issue “Immunity Certificates” to COVID-19 survivors might not be a great idea.

Firstly, there is still no COVID-19 antigen test. That is, the test to check for antibodies.

It might be in development, but it is not there yet. Remember such a test would need to have 100% confidence.

So only those who have been tested positive for COVID-19 itself, and recovered, could possibly be certificated.

Like the PM himself, for example.

Now, think what will happen if a certification process is introduced.

Certificates will enable folk who might otherwise be struggling financially, to get back to work.

So certificates would quickly become very desirable items.

Younger fitter folk, and others with high confidence of survival, could start to go out to deliberately catch the virus, to get things over with, and get certificated.

Like playing Russian roulette, with one bullet in a 40 round revolver.

Pretty much the opposite of hitting a single number in casino roulette.

I’ve never won in roulette. Why would this time be any different?

You can see I could be tempted.

But that would be the exact opposite of what is intended by social isolation.

By that, I would be putting the lives of my elderly father and his partner, amongst many other people, in danger, even if I continued to stay well away from them myself.