While no one should expect these factors to dramatically or permanently change our lives, their emergence is certainly a thought-provoking insight into alternative social possibilities.

What benefits, for instance, might greater, ongoing intercession of public money (our money) into social and public welfare have for us all?

What might happen if the global economic dynamic shifted from the myth of perpetual growth to one of sustainability and stability?

What if consensus and cooperation became the modus operandi of social and personal life?

Of course, money (as the economic rationalists and neo-conservatives will loudly point out) is and has been our saving grace. No one can realistically expect that the deluge of government funds (our funds) that have been injected to sustain us during the current crisis can be sustained - it's largely borrowed money anyway, available through the fathomless generosity of international lenders - but the principle of greater support of public services from the public purse remains valid.

Socialism? Maybe; but if the bogey of the historical baggage from the Soviet and other early communist experiences is put in its rightful place alongside all the other paranoid ravings of the Right, the concept of social care by governments remains intact.

This is the principle which Bernie Sanders and others have so fervently advocated, and which is embodied in a number of contemporary societies such as Sweden and - dare I say it - Cuba, which has survived despite crippling US sanctions.

Maybe, just maybe, this pandemic is an opportunity to re-think the ground rules, and foster the kind of quiet revolutionary changes that will nurture a happier and more equitable future for us all.

Which social distancing restrictions will be lifted first

How the coronavirus crisis affects your cup of tea