Tragically, Bermuda is alone in the world at the top of the “red list” chart for Covid-19, and has 75 deaths as testimony to its status. I became curious about the reporting of these Covid deaths. I would go to the obituaries section of the newspapers to find possible persons. But the maths do not add up in the obituaries; there are more people said to have died that are not listed in The Royal Gazette obituaries.

We know in road deaths, often the victim’s identity is concealed until contact with the next kin. It’s a matter of respect for the family, which is understandable. However, I don’t understand the ethics behind not naming the victims of Covid. We can sit in front of our TV and watch foreign news and see families and persons sharing their stories about contracting Covid; they don’t seem to mind the exposure .

OK, so we have chosen this to be a privacy matter for Covid and I don’t know how much additional harm that has done to aid the spread. The public are totally veiled from persons with whom they may have come in close contact.

We can appreciate privacy over certain types of illness, but we hear all the time that persons lost the their battle against cancer, or someone had a massive heart attack. Naturally there are some illnesses that have stigma attached, such as HIV/Aids.

Covid is not a sexually transmitted disease like HIV. An innocent child can catch Covid. There is nothing embarrassing about Covid; anyone can get it.

So why the secrecy? Why is there no reporting on those who have passed as a result of the Covid pandemic. What about the public who yesterday had coffee with someone or a quick conversation? Would it not cut down on the investigative tracking if people were informed?

Maybe there is some logic for why we have such policy. Privacy of information cannot be the only reason. It would be good if the government health department were to explain the rationale for the practice of concealment. There should be no shame attached to acknowledging persons who succumbed to Covid.