March 22, 2020

expert comments about the situation in London hospitals and the importance of the public taking advice seriously

London is being widely described as the epicentre of the UK’s COVID-19 outbreak and there have been reports in the media* that the hospitals in the city are under immense pressure due to the surge in patient numbers.

Dr Andrea Collins, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said:

“While many members of the public might be unaware, the situation is already bad within London, and medics throughout the country know this (through our network of colleagues).  ICUs throughout the capital are filled with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, and many of those being treated are under 50.  While we don’t want to cause panic, people should no longer be continuing life as normal, we need to act now to ensure that the health system is not overwhelmed, which will lead to more deaths than are necessary.

“I appreciate that it is very difficult to comprehend what is happening – but now is the time to act.  We need to get the message out that adults of all ages can get very sick and we need to be responsible, not just for ourselves but for the whole community, we simply cannot all get ill at the same time.

“Now is the time for anybody with symptoms to self-isolate and follow PHE and NHS guidance.

“Today is the time to start social distancing, not tomorrow but right now, and make sure you are aware of just how far 2m actually is.  Just because it isn’t on your doorstep now, doesn’t mean that it isn’t coming soon.  We need to be careful, not just for ourselves, but for everyone, public complacency at this point could prove very dangerous.”

*www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/20/london-hospitals-struggle-to-cope-with-coronavirus-surge

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www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

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