Let's take action ourselves..

We want to minimise effects on productivity from our current pandemic/near-pandemic, however, this must be in addition to looking after our health and those who are most vulnerable in our island society.

It is well known that a tighter grip on the spread of infectious disease at onset would dramatically decrease the total number of cases with any given time period thereafter..

We ask the Chief Medical Officer to advise all travellers (from countries with at least one case of Covid-19) or those who were in contact with travellers as such or those with cough and/or flu-like symptoms such as fever or sore throat (even from different causes) to self-isolate for 2 weeks according to published guidelines.

This can be facilitated with a public online forum and support centre (+/- telephone) that may be incorporated within the 111 service as well as being supported by government initiatives such as the very welcome news on the relaxation of sick leave rules.

Although this may affect productivity more initially, it would certainly be less than that of a situation when there would be a high percentage of people that are infected who would subsequently need to self-isolate in any case, and would, as a matter of fact, apply more and possible breaking-point pressure onto Intensive and Critical Care services throughout the NHS.

It's not too late!

We can start today.