Don’t do a Corporal Jones and panic

THERE’S been an awful lot of anxiety stirred up about this new mutation of the virus.

It seems it is much easier to transmit from person to person and is behind the high rise in infections in some parts of the UK.

It is certainly here in the South West. But should we be incredibly worried that it has mutated into a new strain?

No, we can stay calm.

The current virus has had over 1,000 changes, the scientists say. But viruses mutate all the time – it’s just what they do.

And viruses do this at their speed, not human speed. This natural evolution was predicted, and now it has happened.

It happens with winter flu each year, and so the clever scientists (and we have lots of them) study it, learn, and adjust the winter flu vaccine.

The same will probably happen with this coronavirus.

What can we, the public, do?

Keep Calm and Carry On! Don’t do a Corporal Jones and start panicking.

Do the things within your power to do – wash your hands, wear a face mask, and keep apart from people (maintain social distancing). We can all do our bit.

Novel virus mutation? We can beat it together, and we will!

P Evans Bristol