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 has won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.

AS WE emerge from lockdown and the full damage is laid bare over the coming years, what will the reaction be?

Highlighting the adverse effects of lockdown has not been easy at times and the criticism has been intense, but we have to ask the difficult questions if we are going to mitigate all harms, not just Covid.

In medicine, if we just relentlessly attempted to treat one symptom without any thought or consideration for any unintended consequences, our patients would suffer enormously.

I fear that has happened over the last year and, although Covid may now be under control, we will be dealing with the fallout for years, if not decades.

Covid has been unpredictable but lockdown repercussions are not. We’ve known this disaster was coming yet many have not faced the costs out of fear of being labelled a “Coviddenier”. What a terrible shame that is.

I have friends and colleagues who despite feeling similar to myself and others about lockdown harms decided it was simply not worth the risk putting their head above the parapet.

Talented and decent people silenced. Is that how we want to conduct a debate? Especially one that affects all of our lives.

Scientists and academics who have spoken out have been viciously attacked. It’s only natural that dissuades others.

I suppose that was the point and it has sadly worked very well. I’m so far in, I will continue making the case but it’s wrong others feel intimidated.

We should look to the past to see the dangers of censoring ideas. It rarely ends well.