Coronavirus round-up: 'Look for the helpers'

As the Queen and Prime Minister look to send cautious notes of optimism to a largely bewildered country, not all of the news is bad. A few green shoots are emerging, presenting the first glimmers of hope for treatment since the outbreak began.

Meanwhile, a reminder (as if you needed one) that schools and nurseries will close for the foreseeable future at the end of the day today.

Positive news

A glimmer of hope out of Japan, where flu drug favipiravir was shown in clinical trials undertaken in China to reduce symptoms and reduce the amount of time someone is ill. “Patients who were given the medicine in Shenzhen turned negative for the virus after a median of four days after becoming positive, compared with a median of 11 days for those who were not treated with the drug,” according to public broadcaster NHK.

An antidote to fear

On Scotland Tonight, Janis Marshall asked “if life as we knew it will ever return.” Professor Jason Leitch said government officials knew they were going to create difficult situations for some people when they suggested social distancing but that the importance of containing the virus outweighed the challenges of isolation. His suggestion to get through the tough times? Volunteer to help where you can.

Advice from Mr. Rogers

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.”

By the numbers

Six patients have died after being diagnosed with coronavirus in Scotland. The policy of the governments of the UK is no longer to test every suspected case of coronavirus. That makes the daily count they produce largely meaningless, because the actual number is likely far higher (and completely unknown). Numbers continue to rise around the world, although China seems to be seeing a slowdown.

Hospitality woes

Thanks for your service, now pack up and leave. That’s the gist of a letter sent by Coylumbridge Hotel in Aviemore to its employees, many of whom were staying at the property as a perk of the job. The dismissal letter was posted to social media, causing widespread criticism of the way the employees are being treated.