"At no time, in modern times," writes Adam Gopnik, "have we endured so much and understood so little."

But Adam reminds us that plagues have often, in the past, preceded times of plenty - the Jazz Age, for example, following closely on the heels of the 1918 flu pandemic in the US.

"So what lies before us may be parched austerity and continuing depression... or champagne at midnight in Gatsby's garden."

Producer: Adele Armstrong