Though members of the public are not being informed of the real reasons for medical centre closures and the deep cleansing of these venues taking place in their communities. Most of us have already deduced that the reasons for such closures are suspected contamination by Coronavirus. Today A clinic in Barkingside has not opened its doors and is displaying a message that confirms that they will be temporarily closed. Their website says:
4th March 2020
Fullwell Cross Medical Centre is temporarily closed today to enable a clean to take place as a routine precautionary measure.
The practice will reopen as soon as possible and patients will be contacted if their appointment needs to be rearranged. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Safety is our priority and we have been working with public health teams to make sure there is no risk to staff and patients.
Patients who require urgent or help or advice should contact 111
EIBP are also aware that Coronavirus scares have resulted in closed areas of Elmhurst Clinic in Woodford, where a partial quarantine is in place. Moreove,85 people have now contracted Coronavirus in the UK and these numbers look set to increase exponentially.
NHS guidance promoted ubiquitously has advised people to wash hands regularly and to catch their coughs and sneezes to prevent infections spreading. Sadly they have not taken into account what such practices would induce in the many 24 hours gyms that have proliferated across the UK.
These gyms use pin code entry systems and exit buttons for ingress and egress, moreover the handles on shared-use gym equipment are contacted by many hands. Government guidance to these gyms is woefully pathetic and entails the provision of an antibacterial wash in bathrooms.
I fear that not everyone who has just coughed into their hands while using gym equipment will walk to the remote locations of the washrooms to cleanse their hands. I believe however, a larger percentage would be likely to clean their hands if a hand sanitizer was on the wall close-by.
Gym users on excercise bikes will often read their phones while cycling to distract themselves and get the best out of their efforts. By not cleansing their hands that they have touched the display screens and handles with means their phone will now contain any potential viruses. The frequency in which a piece of equipment is used by the next person means that they will no doubt come in contact with viruses within surface-contact-life-span. Its frightening to think how dangerous this is to local communities. Especially as people will go to the gym before shopping, or before school or work.
Moreover people using the equipment can be seen scratching itches, biting their nails and using their phones, the chances of catching or sharing an infection in such locations is ridiculously high. It should be made mandatory for sanitizing gel to be made available at source of need – anything else is just simply naive.
I sent a message to The Gym Group a 24 hour gym that I frequent. I was shocked and horrified at their response which ignored all the concerns I raised and simply reiterated what an employee had told me while I was present at the gym on Wednesday. Their minimal approach to meeting government guidelines is evidence of their profit-before-safety methodology and will result in an increase in local infections in due course. I am praying that they reconsider their current position and that other 24 hour gyms also introduce a safer system of work going forward.
We believe, Schools, colleges and any high-attendance buildings must be made to develop a hospital style culture with hand sanitizer available throughout buildings, but in particular near door handles, entry buttons or other contact areas where there is a serious risk of infection. Yet despite the priority being placed on washing and cleanliness of hands many schools across the UK are warning parents that children cannot take hand-sanitizers to our schools even when parents are giving and reiterating safe use of it. Read more (here).
Finally, I have spoken to several UK health professionals and some of them believe flights to and from the UK should be terminated to areas significantly hit by Covid-19, flights should only be permitted for important reasons. At least until a cure and/or a vaccine has been found that can treat it. I hope that even stricter measures restricting travel are brought into place soon. After all airline flights are already cancelling flights due to the reduced passenger desire to travel. Fiscal concerns and realpolitick must be put aside for the benefit of national health.
I have sent this post to all the UK MP’s and to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and will share responses with you. Please comment below or sign our petition below if you agree (click here).