Britain should use military expertise in screening if the coronavirus spread is to be contained

sir – As someone with lengthy experience in chemical and biological defence, I am astonished at the way this country has been handling the threat from coronavirus.

Effective screening is the only way to address the problem early. As the time period from infection to the onset of symptoms is 10 to 14 days, we may expect there to be an explosion of casualties, perhaps within the next two weeks. National official advice and publicity have been lacking.

Finally, appropriate measures for general public protection and – more importantly – for decontamination are missing. There is a lot of military expertise available about lethal chemical and biological attack. This expertise will not be found in the NHS. Sqn Ldr Philip Congdon RAF (retd) Poyntington, Dorset

sir – Amid the doom and gloom, new reported cases of coronavirus in China have declined to double-digit figures. That should demonstrate to the rest of the world that large outbreaks can be brought under control through strict measures, effectively applied.

The question in Britain is: will we succeed in implementing and adopting such measures? Nigel Dyson

Alton, Hampshire

sir – I was staggered to read your report (March 9) that dozens of flights arriving from coronavirus hotspots, including Milan, were allowed to land in Britain without checks.

Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, says that Italy “was the first country in Europe to ban flights from China and they also looked at airport screening”. However, looking at a procedure is quite different from implementing it. As Rory Stewart, the London mayoral candidate, points out, a “half-hearted” approach will simply exacerbate the problem. John Howden-richards

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

sir – Rory Stewart has suggested that the Government should ignore the advice of medical and scientific experts and close schools immediately.

Mr Stewart is clearly seeking attention to bolster his mayoral bid, but to suggest that politicians should make decisions that fly in the face of expert advice is ludicrous. David Kidd

Petersfield, Hampshire

sir – The suggestion that the elderly should self-isolate ignores the fact that this group is propping up the current workforce.

Many grandparents collect children from school and step in to provide care when children are ill, as well as covering inset days and holidays. Alex Catto

London SW1

sir – In the event of widespread self-isolation, one thing is critical: identifying those who are elderly, alone or “invisible”.

Some will have no experience of shopping online, and many may not be able to afford the £40 minimum spend for supermarket deliveries. Who will ensure that food reaches them? Lavender Buckland

Iwerne Minster, Dorset

sir – Jeanna Gallagher (Letters, March 9) is perplexed by the bulk-buying of stuffed olives.

I suggest she reads your feature, “13 ways to give your body a boost to keep coronavirus at bay”, published the same day. This recommends a Mediterranean diet, “rich in different coloured fruit and vegetables”, which will “give you the best chance of getting the wide variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients your body needs to fight the infection”. Geoff Pringle

Long Sutton, Somerset

sir – Written on the back of a van seen locally: “No toilet rolls are stored in this vehicle overnight”. K M Jones

Hambledon, Hampshire