When I first wrote this article at the beginning of March I set out to write a very positive piece. Today, I decided it needed what they call, another run through the typewriter.
Please don’t get me wrong. The last thing I am suggesting is that we, or anyone, panic but I think we all agree the coronavirus is something that we have to take seriously.

In that first draft I wrote, “At time of writing there were 51 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UK and that number will surely grow.

Media coverage has ranged from hysterical forecasts of mass extinction to suggestions to keep calm and wash your hands. The truth is certainly somewhere between the two.

Coronavirus will have an effect on our industry, as it probably will affect the entire economy but quite how bad that might be remains to be seen. Certainly hysteria and panic will only make things worse.”

Now wash your hands.

Today there are total of 3,269 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the UK.

As a population we are supposed to be self-isolating or social distancing, dependant on our circumstances. Universities and schools are closed. Exams are cancelled. Businesses are closing.

The media is full of pictures of empty shelves but on my last visit to the shops, the shelves were full of food, although perhaps sadly lacking in loo roll.

The things that we can do to limit the spread of the virus seem simple and effective. If we exercise some common sense in how we behave as individuals, it seems that the medical profession and the supply chain will do their best to look after us.

Still, these are challenging times.

Anxiety is contagious.

People catch the virus from an infected person; they can catch worry, and even fear, from their phone.

Apparently, evolution programmed us to take more notice of bad news than good. If your fellow caveman told you that a sabre-toothed tiger was roaming nearby or that a particular berry was poisonous then it made sense to move that information to the top of the priority list.
There is logic to the thought that those who didn’t do that failed to make their contribution to the gene pool; that many of the happy-go-lucky cavemen died out and it explains why we are so obsessed with bad news.

In the present situation, most people I talk to think that they are either worrying too much or not enough; but they aren’t sure which.

It is certainly no time for fake news or false information.

‘The spread of COVID-19 forces us to rethink how we work and live our lives.’

That was the opening line in GC’s most recent newsletter and it was not something that I ever imagined having to write.

At the moment we are still taking orders and we are almost fully staffed but we are aware that could all change. Government could impose changes on us or our circumstances could change. I am sure that your business is in a similar position.

We collected some information on the effects of coronavirus on pools, spas and saunas and, if you would be interested in that, there is a link to it on the home page of goldenc.com

And tomorrow?

This pandemic may be new, but it isn’t unique. The world has suffered like this before and we are still here.

The fact that COVID-19 has spread so widely and so quickly says something about how interconnected the modern world is. In the days before the virus, climate change was the common threat that many people felt they were facing. Both of these challenges affect the entire world and will need the world to work together if we are to truly overcome them.

The same is true for us as individuals, in our industry and the others; the more we work together and support each other, the more likely we are to overcome the challenges that face us.

I wish you all the very best. Now, wash your hands.