Calm preparations to avoid mass panic

THE number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the UK is now rising at an alarming speed.

Between Thursday and Friday, the figure jumped from 115 to 163, marking the largest single-day increase so far.

Some 20,338 people have been tested for the virus, most in their own homes, and there have been two confirmed deaths.

While the number of cases in Wales remains at two, public health experts say it is highly likely the number will rise – if not soar – over the coming days and weeks.

Arguably the biggest concern is the fact that the virus, which was previously being contracted solely by people returning from abroad, is now being passed from person to person in the UK.

Dr Frank Atherton, Wales’ Chief Medical Officer, said this makes the prospect of an epidemic increasingly likely.

He still predicts, based on current trends, that Wales will see a surge in cases in April, with a peak in May or June and a tailing-off in July or August.

Before long, he projects that Wales could move from the current “containment phase” of Covid-19 to the “delay phase”, which could lead to schools and businesses closing and mass gatherings being cancelled.

While this news understandably has the potential to create panic among the population, leading to stockpiling of food and hand-wash, he has stressed there needs to be an element of “calm preparation”.

As mentioned before, most people will have a mild episode of the disease and will recover after a fortnight or so. Those who do suffer more severe symptoms and need a stay in hospital will be cared for separately, well away from the main wards.

If people are vigilant about selfisolating, washing their hands properly and catching, binning and killing their sneezes, then the spread of coronavirus will be less severe and will be easier for the NHS to manage.

And the announcement of a further £46m for research into a vaccine and rapid tests is welcome news, although it’s still likely to take a whole 12 months for a jab to be successfully rolled out.

Yes, Wales should brace itself for disruption, potential shortages in supermarkets and a period of higher-than-normal rates of ill-health.

But this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, and we all need to play our part in reducing the burden this will place on our health service.