I HAVE been watching the daily briefings with somewhat mixed feelings.

To me, there is a lack of advice as to how the public could improve their protection against the virus, beyond the prevention measures such as social distancing and hand washing.

As a retired nuclear safety engineer, the principle of “defence in depth” was key to safeguarding the public and nuclear facility staff against accidents.

The first stage of this was prevention of an initial fault event which could potentially challenge safety (in the case of the virus coming into contact with our respiratory system).

The second stage was protection against the failure of the first stage in preventing the challenge (in the case of the virus, having our immune system in as good a condition as possible).

However, alas, very little is being done to advise the public on our immune system – our basic defence against viruses.

Much more could be done to ensure our immune system is functioning as well as possible including:

  1. Nutrition – a good diet and sufficient vitamin D via sun or supplements (the latter being important if we spend so much time indoors in lockdown). 
  2. Adequate sleep and exercise.
  3. Reduce/stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
  4.  Fresh air and as little air pollution as possible.
  5.  Minimise stress and psychological challenges.
  6.  Be supportive of others and be willing to accept/request support if necessary.

I would suggest that a short presentation on the above be given following the daily briefings on national TV and radio.

Robert Reid

Glasgow

TIME and again I hear and read of people wishing to return to “normality”. I do not.

I have no wish to return to a life where nurses and others in work use food banks, where child poverty continues to rise, where councils are starved of money which in turn means closing of libraries, youth facilities and other leisure facilities.

I have no wish to return to a society where it is normal to live and die on the street, and who in their right mind would like to return to be recipients of Universal Credit, which is seen as normal by those who impose it.

How about, returning to a society which takes poverty seriously and no-one is without a home, where wages allow a decent family life, where those who lose their job are given an allowance which would reflect their recent wage to avoid immediate poverty, where those in power are not rewarded for failure, where anyone in public office who lies or cheats is named and sacked and prosecuted if necessary? That would do for a start.

Michael Tolland

Knightswood

TOTALLY agree with Frank McAveety that the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has shown magnificent leadership in the fight against the virus.

Even before this she had shown what she was capable of. Compare that to the dithering at Westminster, with ministers doing disappearing acts and totally refusing to answer crucial questions on PPE and testing as they stutter and stumble along like the cast from a Carry On film without the humour.

In contrast, Nicola Sturgeon and her ministers have shown consistent clarity and leadership.

MA

Glasgow

READING about the amount of money the council collects per month is unbelievable (Glasgow Times, Thursday), considering the state of our roads.

Why is that money not spent on repairing all the potholes that are about the city?

J McArthur

Glasgow