Virus will test citizens as well as Government

The coronavirus has the potential to affect the lives of millions, not just via infection but economic disruption, closed schools and disrupted travel. So, it is right that the Government is taking bold but proportionate steps to prepare. Each department will be assigned a coronavirus minister; there will be a central command hub; and a proper public information programme. If things reach a certain point, retired doctors may also be called back into service.

There are already signs of strain on the health system. Large numbers of callers to the NHS 111 service claim they’ve given up after failing to get a reply, and one IT project worker who returned from Italy with a fever says he waited four days with no call back from a clinician. It is unclear whether our infrastructure will be able to cope, so it is therefore essential that bottlenecks be fixed as soon as possible and that every element of the Government’s plan is put into action.

The state response in East Asia looks more dramatic precisely because those countries are already overwhelmed. The goal in the West, by contrast, is to track the early advance of the disease and self-isolate sufferers immediately, in the hope that its spread can be pushed forward into the warmer months and staggered over the year, rather than have thousands descend on A&E departments all in one go.

There’s always a risk that people’s fear of the disease becomes as great a disruptor as the disease itself, which is why it is important that the Government communicates clearly and extensively.

Many citizens feel under-informed and vulnerable. Encouraging them to make small lifestyle changes, such as washing their hands, while genuinely useful, also gives them a sense of doing their bit to help.

In six to 12 months we might finally know whether all this has been an over-reaction or entirely proportionate: meanwhile, it is far better to be safe than sorry. The coronavirus will be a test of the public services and the Government’s abilities, as well as the everyday common sense of our citizens.