Forum Topic

A doctor writes...

I’m on a WhatsApp group with 40 of my year from medical school who are now mostly very experienced consultants and general practitioners covering multiple specialities. It’s fair to say everyone is anxious. Four have had Covid19 already. A 51 year old ENT surgeon in the UK with no previous health problems has just died of Covid19 after doing his normal job. There are other doctors in the UK currently on ITU with Covid19. Doctors and nurses are are particular risk from this disease, probably because some will receive a high inoculating dose of virus. Please don’t carry on as normal. Don’t mingle. Help your neighbours. Keep distance from others. We need to keep as many people as possible staying healthy over the next 4-6 weeks. Stay positive, but please be responsible.

Edward Seaton ● 2419d13 Comments

Bless you and the thousands like you in the UK. Words are not enough for my gratitude to everyone in the NHS.But I think your words are lost on the chattering classes of Chiswick who appear delighted that the Farmers Market is going ahead tomorrow and it was so busy last week.(WTAF????)I despair of my fellow humans at times but send love and hope you you and your colleagues and pray the idiots in our society who think it will never happen to them will see sense and error of their ways.I don't want to die young or be the reason that someone else does.An organic potato is not worth someone's life!

Shelagh Lafferty ● 2419d

Thank you Edward and all your colleagues.
It is very sobering to read comments like this from someone who is directly in the frontline. 

Angela Knight ● 2419d

26th March 8 pm  an organised big applause for the nhs 'from front doors, garden, balcony windows' etc.  clapforourcarers.co.uk

Helen Whitman ● 2419d

This is to seek clarification not to advocate attending the Farmer's Market.  I fully support everyone being responsible and keeping a safe good distance from your fellow man.  However, isn't this market in the open air?  So provided every one stays back 6ft from anyone else, wears gloves, keeps a scarf over one's nose and mouth wouldn't it be safe?  I would not suggest anyone over 70 going perhaps as they will have been told to self isolate.  I am in this category myself.  A neighbour usually brings me back 2 glass bottles of raw milk, sometimes spinnach and apples and pears.  Everything should be wiped before bringing into the house and of course thorough hand washing essential but I would not want to put them or me at any risk.

Jennifer Selig ● 2419d

Oh FFs a scarf over your nose is  more likely to trap rather than exclude virii,or the NHS  staff would just be sticking a nice paisley number across their faces.

Tessa Russell ● 2419d

Where can you buy a good mask please?  Meantime, at least a scarf, if that is all one has,  is better at trapping my breath from getting into anyone elses space especially if I am standing back at least 6ft away.  Pity the poor nurses - they have to be much closer to the definitely infected.  The do a wonderful, magnificent job.

Jennifer Selig ● 2419d

Thank you Edward and we wish you all all the luck in the world.

Philippa Bond ● 2419d

From my observations I see strangers giving each other a wide berth but not so friends with friends. Shouldn't people realise they are just as likely to infect/be infected by friends as by strangers? Might it be that people subconsciously feel that their friends wouldn't infect them? Or they their friends?

James Petri ● 2419d

Jennifer , it's just because it's so hard to stop the spread of the virus that we need to stay in social isolation or distance where we can.None of us will know if we're contagious and able to pass on the virus so it's not just about keeping ourselves safe it's about reducing the risk of spread.I'm not visiting my mum tomorrow because I could infect her and actually she could infect me.I doubt you are ever 6 ft away from someone in a transaction and a scarf really won't help at all. So keeping any contact to a minimum is all any of us can do.Take care, this will pass or get easier in time `

Tessa Russell ● 2419d

Agree with you Tessa.

Janice Evans ● 2419d

Agree with all those advocating keeping away from any crowded areas at all.  Even if you try to keep a metre or two apart, others may not respect that, difficult not to touch anything that's been handled by others. And masks apparently can trap the virus and make it worse.  It's only for a short time, hopefully.

Claire Moran ● 2419d

Edward you and your colleagues are stars, I am just so sorry that so many people are selfish, ignorant, arrogant, shame on all of them. Thank you for everything you and your colleagues are doing to save lives.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2419d

Ed, have you been redeployed from your expertise to assist with this virus? Or is it business as usual for you?

David Lesniak ● 2419d