• Question: Do you think that corona virus is one of the biggest problems we have had to face?

    Asked by anon-237445 to Peter, Mhairi, Madeleine, Catherine, Andrew on 18 Mar 2020.
    • Photo: Mhairi Bowe

      Mhairi Bowe answered on 18 Mar 2020:

      It is certainly one of the biggest issues affecting us right now, but don’t forget many other countries have experienced rapid illness spreading, lack of resources and support etc in much worse contexts, e.g., during civil war and famine. We have a lot more resources and hopefully a strong community spirit will help.

    • Photo: Peter Kinderman

      Peter Kinderman answered on 18 Mar 2020:

      I think it’s a real challenge.
      The scale of the infection itself could be significant. The best comparison seems to be the influenza epidemic of 1918, which killed more people than the First World War. If we take appropriate action, we can probably manage the direct infection risk, but it will be serious.
      Then there’s the impact on the economy – and our personal, financial, employment, educational, social circumstances do affect our mental health. So an economic crisis is a psychological crisis.
      We need to be guided by science – and our science is superb – but also by a collective, communitarian, compassionate spirit.
      We’ll be OK, but we have to look after each other.

    • Photo: Catherine Talbot

      Catherine Talbot answered on 19 Mar 2020:

      It’s a huge challenge – and it’s one of the biggest issues I’ve certainly faced in my lifetime! It is also likely to have a knock on effect after we’ve dealt with the virus itself. For example, it will have an effect on the economy and we’ve seen some people lose their jobs as their companies can’t afford to keep them on. There are other huge issue that we also need to deal with as a society – such as global warming!

    • Photo: Madeleine Pownall

      Madeleine Pownall answered on 19 Mar 2020:

      It’s a huge problem, yes.

      As a psychologist, I have been so impressed by the way that the field has responded quickly and effectively to the psychological challenges of coronavirus. Psychologists have come together in a matter of weeks to think about the effects of people’s wellbeing, social isolation, health services, and education. It’s been quite humbling to watch unfold.

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