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.

WHEN the Government set another seemingly overly ambitious target to offer a vaccine to all 15 million people in the top four vulnerable groups (over-70s, health/care staff and clinically extremely vulnerable) I was not optimistic.

It seemed like an impossible task, but to hit the target early is an impressive achievement from everybody involved.

As one of that number I was delighted to get my jab done. I’m feeling well and have had no side effects whatsoever.

Encouragingly, there are potential signs in the data that the rollout is already saving lives. One useful metric to use is the percentage of daily fatalities of the over 80s to other age groups.

The numbers are falling which would indicate that the group who received the vaccine first has some level of protection.

As we know that can take some time to develop, so the picture will become clearer over the next few weeks.

Cases continue to tumble which is hugely positive news and that will feed through to hospitalisations and fatalities, both of which are also falling.

We should hopefully soon be seeing daily figures consistently back in four figures which will be a huge relief.

The conversation is already turning to how we open up. Reopening schools needs to be the top priority. Outdoor exercise, especially for children, will be a huge step in the right direction too.

I sympathise with ministers. Whatever decisions in terms of unlocking they take will be criticised. That aside, the vaccine rollout has been a triumph so far. Hopefully, the better news will continue.