THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR

SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.

THERE is a huge amount of speculation about a new second wave starting to “roll across” Europe. I don’t agree with the language used by the PM and Matt Hancock, but I understand they are keen to stress caution.

Some countries are having upticks in infections and we are absolutely right to be prepared, but let’s not pretend it is anywhere near as bad as in March/April.

We’re seeing clusters across the continent, but an effective public health response from governments can get them under control.

As for the UK, it is true to say that the average of new cases is slowly rising. However, we need to look past the catchy headlines.

The number of tests conducted is up and we are rightly carrying out concentrated local testing in hotspots which will uncover more infections.

Despite the increase in cases, hospital admissions are at their lowest for months. NHS data shows no uptick in online queries or 999/111 calls, which would be the first sign of any potential trouble. It does feel as if the Government is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut with the situation near Manchester.

Some areas have issues and it is absolutely right to act fast in those, but plenty don’t. Surely a more targeted approach would work better?

So much of all of this is based on trust. Troublemakers are going to ignore the rules whatever the Government says.

I would think targeting more specific towns rather than a whole region would work better. How much of it is actually being policed?

Problem areas are driving up the country’s average. If we can get these outbreaks under control, as we are doing in Leicester, then the nationwide picture will look much better.

As I always say, we need caution, not panic.