Super Spreader? - Ciaran Murtagh

I’m on my way to Jordan. For a bit there it was touch and go, although with the Corona virus doing the rounds, touching and going is probably the last thing you want to be doing. This virus has got me thinking about the job I do and how to best protect myself and those I love from its impact. Should I be on my way to Jordan for example? Is that a good idea? Is it any more dangerous than staying in London with it’s massive population and huge amount of tourists? Probably not. I’m more likely to catch something in my local chicken shop than in a school halfway around the world.

Is it still responsible for me to visit schools in the UK over the next month? Over the course of world book week many of us travel the length and breadth of the country and come into contact with thousands of children. Does that make us potential super spreaders, or do we carry on as normal? Financial pressures on authors are getting tighter. The month of March is often an opportunity to swell some of those coffers with school visits and book sales. It’s hard to turn them down for the greater good. I suppose I could load up with hand sanitiser if there were any in the country.

It’s a fine line between managing a situation and creating a crisis -  you don’t want one to lead to the other. But it does feel that leadership has been lacking – or on holiday. I guess for now we carry on as normal. I’m resigned to the fact that I will probably get it and will then keep myself locked away for a week or two. 

What better way to finally finish the second draft of that book I’ve been working on for a few months? Every cloud and all that…