Back in December we became aware of a virus in China, and now just a few months on, what was once brushed off as a 'foreign problem' has now become a domestic concern, and labelled a pandemic on 11th March.
Since then, we have seen a surge in panic buying, hoarding behaviour, misuse of products, and a free fall of global financial markets, a result of confusion and fear of contagion fulled in the main by the media, and non medical/scientific sources. I have decided to only take guidance from proven and qualified medical and scientific sources.
I believe we must follow guidance for planning, prevention & protection from the medical and scientific experts who are armed with the facts, and able to best prepare us, not politicians and journalists. In my humble opinion it's politicians and journalists who have served to create mass confusion and hysteria among the British public.
The public want the government to show leadership, and offer clear and comprehensive information to prepare and protect us. Many are claiming that such information has been absent, inconsistent and conflicting in its guidance. But criticism is unhelpful right now, we simply need the facts based on real, factual scientific and medical information. Knowledge is power after all!
In what has been labelled (unhelpfully) the 'worst public health crisis for a generation' by a politician (our Prime Minister) is it not time now for politicians to show leadership and allow people like the chief medical officer and other suitably qualified medical and scientific experts to step forward to deliver advice and guidance, providing ONE clear and consistent message, based on fact, not speculation, assumption and personal interpretation.
I am sure information and events will change and develop rapidly, but I hope that we may all come together to support friends, families and communities to pull this together through unity and kindness.
