Virus should not lead to panic
The topic that is obviously the main discussion point these days is the coronavirus, or COVID-19 to give it its medical name.
It has dominated TV and radio broadcasts and featured on the front pages of newspapers on a daily basis.
Of course, what residents must bear in mind is that the vast majority of these stories concentrate on‘worst-case’ scenarios.
These‘scare’stories make sensationalist headlines but I feel there is a conundrum here. We shouldn’t downplay the serious nature of coronavirus, as it has already seen an increase in confirmed cases in the UK, including one inTayside.
However, we need to avoid a sense of panic, which has already seen some shoppers clearing shelves from supermarkets in order to stockpile pasta, rice and toilet rolls, and chemists running out of sanitising hand gel.
I was also alarmed to hear that 38 per cent of Americans won’t drink Corona lager out of fear it is linked to the virus.
It is vital for people to follow both the UK and Scottish government’s advice on how to avoid cornonavirus, with the most important one being to wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds.
Residents can also follow other useful advice as they go about their daily lives.
These include simple things like cleaning the glass surface of your mobile phone and washing your hands after using touch screens, which many of us use at cash machines and at GP surgeries.
People should also think about the likes of a lift button, which can be a harbinger of germs. A study carried out by the University of Arizona found that a typical lift button harbours almost 40 times as many germs as a public toilet seat.
I have been pleased that many measures have been put in place since the outbreak of coronavirus, with regular updates for the likes of myself working at the Scottish Parliament.
A series of hand sanitiser dispensers are now in place around the building at Holyrood, along with notices placed in the likes of the coffee bar to remind staff to wash their hands.
The UK Government has responded well so far to the coronavirus, with prime minister Boris Johnson recently heading an emergency COBRA (Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms) meeting to finalise plans to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, in Scotland the NHS has said that hospitals are capable of treating more than 200,000 coronavirus patients in the event of a worst-case scenario.
And I was heartened to hear that a Scottish scientist is hopeful that a vaccine can be found to fight the disease.
Dr Kate Broderick, a graduate from Glasgow University, has been involved in research work at Inovio, San Diego, California.
She has said they are hoping to start the first clinical trial of a possible vaccine in April at the University of Pennsylvania in Kansas City.
There’s no doubt it is going to be a challenge to deal with the impact of the coronavirus, but I would ask all readers of the Perthshire Advertiser to go about their daily lives in the usual manner and follow the advice provided by the UK and Scottish Governments in the days and months ahead.