By Gabriel Princewill-
Boris Johnson may have caught the coronavirus by shaking hands with diagnosed patients at a hospital.
The announcement confirming he has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating in Downing Street for seven days has taken the world by storm. Also alarming is the news that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has tested positive too, and chief Medical adviser, Professor Whitty has experienced coronavirus symptoms.
The news comes on a day in which the Uk saw a huge spike in deaths with over 700 people dead the virus, and over 100,000 people having tested positive for the virus. There have been conflicting figures with respects to the precise number of individuals who have tested positive for the virus.
The prime minister likely caught the coronovirus from Kettereing General hospital where he admitted shaking hands with patients who had already been diagnosed with the virus. News earlier this week that Prince Charles had tested positive for the virus too calls for a careful examination as to whether the virus may be spreading in political circles from a common source.
Johnson himself admitted weeks ago to have been at a hospital where there were patients with coronavirus and he shook them. “I can tell you that I’m shaking hands continuously,” he said.
“I was at a hospital the other night, where I think there were actually a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody,” he said a few weeks ago. And the prime minister was at the Westminster Abbey on March 10th where he shook hands with world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and may have also shaken hands with Prince Charles.
Critics say it is a reflection of the government’s policy 2 weeks ago when Downing Street proposed a herd immunity”. The concept of the herd immunity is that if those who contract the virus become immune then it wouldn’t spread as widely because the next time someone with the virus comes in contact with them they would be immune to it and won’t be able to spread it widely.
There was a logic to the prime minister’s reasoning, it’s only shortcoming being the risk to life for those susceptible people who become infected by careers of the virus, before the stage of immunity. Downing Street was also understandably considering the damage to the economy a complete lockdown would create.
CRISIS
Johnson and those who advocated this view perceived it to be the best way of handling the crisis, but some critics disputed it was possible to definitively state how a new virus would operate. Many of those who have come into close contact with the prime minister and the health secretary may need to self isolate since testing is only done for those show symptoms.
A Downing Street Spokesperson told The Eye Of Media.Com that politicians who have been in close contact to the aforementioned trio are ”self isolating and following guidelines from the Department Of health”.
ALARMING
What makes today’s revelation more alarming is the fact it is barely a week since the prime minister gave an impassioned speech to the British public with the simple instructions that they stay at home and join in the collective effort to beat the coronavirus.
Describing the coronavirus as ”the biggest threat this country has faced in decades”, the prime minister implored the British people to make the necessary sacrifices to beat the deadly disease as be instructed a national lockdown which he stressed was in the public interest of saving lives.
“This is about saving lives and supporting our NHS, I ask that the public gives us their support in this time of crisis.”No Prime Minister wants to enact measures like this,” .
“I know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to people’s lives, to their businesses and to their jobs. And that’s why we have produced a huge and unprecedented programme of support both for workers and for business.
“And I can assure you that we will keep these restrictions under constant review. We will look again in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows we are able to. “But at present there are just no easy options. The way ahead is hard, and it is still true that many lives will sadly be lost.”
DIGNITARIES
The Prime Minister has been surrounded by political and professional dignitaries of late. During press conferences, he has been in relatively close proximity with Health Secretary Matt Hancock who has also tested positive for the Coronavirus, Chancellor, Rishi Sunak , Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Wand Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.
We wish the Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock all the best and trust he will shake off the virus well.