Tuesday morning virus thoughts.

Early this morning ... well, not that early ... about 9.30 .... I saw an aeroplane fly over our house. An unusual sight these days. Briefly I felt as if I was in one of those science-fiction films where the sight of a plane in the sky is the first sign that all will be well and that help is at hand. If only life were like the stories.

We have today received our letter from Mr Johnson. Not that it tells us anything that we have not heard already in the media.

Michael Gove assures us that Boris Johnson has not had to be put on a ventilator. The next thing we hear is that Gove himself is self-isolating. Surely all of those politicians and advisors who have had anything to do with Mr Johnson in the last few weeks, weeks in which we saw them all standing too close together, should have been self-isolating for at least a week now. Leading by example, following their own advice and working from home via modern technology.

And on the radio news, right now as I type, people are waxing sentimental about how wonderfully our prime minister has coped with things - first he had to deal with Brexit and now he has the virus!!

These words were posted by my daughter this morning:-

“I wish Boris Johnson a swift recovery.

I wish this horrible illness had not appeared. I wish so many were not struggling and dying alone. I wish this was not our reality. I wish our children were not having to live through this. I wish people were not having to face this in their work every day, and fight it on the front line.

I wish this government had acted quicker when they knew the path the disease was taking. I wish they had got the equipment our NHS needed in advance when they knew it was coming. I wish they hadn’t spent ten years cutting essential services. I wish they had learnt from the way other countries handled this crisis.

I wish they had told the truth. I wish they had been honest about why we haven’t got enough tests, enough PPE and enough ventilators. I wish they had sought to be part of every available method to get this vital equipment.

I wish ways to discourage the spread had been enforced sooner. I wish our prime minister had not encouraged people to shake hands and visit people known to have the disease, only three weeks ago.

I wish they had brought in measures to support people who are falling into poverty due to this virus sooner, and broadened them to incorporate all who need help.

I wish for everyone who is not following guidelines to take this on board and help us to control this virus.

I wish more people would question why our government have waited, lied and erred, instead of praising this massive mishandling of a life and death matter.

I wish the government had been brave enough to admit just how ill Mr Johnson actually was. I wish they hadn’t made it seem that there was some shame in it. This virus is so strong it takes the strongest, it is not the disease of the vulnerable we were led to believe. I wish Mr Johnson’s representatives had stood and told us how gravely ill he was without it having to be leaked to the press. I wish this message had been relayed, that even our prime minister could be taken in its grasp and have to seek help to fight it.

I wish Boris Johnson, and everyone else fighting this disease, a swift recovery.”

And I think that’s all I feel like saying this morning!