Rising to the challenge of COVID-19

Abstract

Journal of Prescribing PracticeVol. 2, No. 5 EditorialFree AccessRising to the challenge of COVID-19Tom AllawayTom AllawayEditorSearch for more papers by this authorTom AllawayPublished Online:12 May 2020https://doi.org/10.12968/jprp.2020.2.5.213AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Tom AllawayIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am humbled by the stories I am hearing from the frontline about you, our healthcare workers. From talking to many of the journal's regular contributors who are working day-to-day to help the public in their roles, I can only begin to comprehend the sacrifice you are making.Of course, the news is largely consumed with news of the pandemic, and it can be an overwhelming experience watching every day. As the number of deaths continues to grow, I think it is important to consider how many lives have also been saved. Whether progress is being made quickly enough is questionable; the UK government today (29 April 2020) announced the virus testing is now being extended to millions more, including any of those who can't work from home, all care home residents and staff and those over 65 (BBC News, 2020). No 10 aims to hit its target of 100 000 tests per-day by tomorrow, with just over 43 000 taking place as of Monday – by the time this issue is published, we will know whether this target was reached. One statistic indicating that the measures in place may be working is the number of people in hospital with illnesses related to COVID-19 has fallen from a peak of 21 000 on April 13 to 15 796 on April 27 (Giles, 2020). There is continued concern about the government's failings to provide the necessary PPE to healthcare workers, which will undoubtedly continue to be an invaluable resource that should be considered an unquestionable necessity at such a time. Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, told BBC News (2020b) ‘we have been moving heaven and earth’ to get sufficient PPE to the frontline in a ‘mammoth effort’. We shall see if these promises are met.Yesterday, like many others around the country, I partook in the one-minute silence to remember the healthcare and key workers we have lost thus far during the pandemic. Andrea Sutcliffe, the chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said: ‘our tribute in silence…is as important as the noisy cheering for the NHS, social care and key workers on a Thursday evening’.As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases sits at 161 145 and 21 678 deaths (Worldometer, 2020). This figure is going to rise, but I have faith your continued perseverance against the virus will win out. If there is one thing I have learnt from being the editor of this journal over the past five months, it is that the NMP community will continue to rise to the challenges faced – your resilience and determination should never be underestimated.Here at the Journal of Prescribing Practice, I'm doing my best to stay on top of the many Rapid Guidelines that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are publishing to guide prescribing for conditions that put patients in the ‘at-risk’ category. Some of these can be found in our Updates page (p214) this week. Elsewhere, our regular contributor Ruth Paterson examines the continued guidance and treatment on those presenting to hospital with suspected severe COVID-10 infection (p220).Once again: take care, stay safe, and thank you. References BBC News. Coronavirus: Testing opens for millions more people in England. 2020a. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52466814 (accessed 29 April 2020) Google ScholarBBC News. Coronavirus: PM ‘focused on PPE delivery’ on return to work. 2020b. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52455778 (accessed 29 April 2020) Google ScholarGiles, G. How close is the UK to easing the coronavirus lockdown. 2020. https://www.ft.com/content/d0dc03f2-eafa-497e-a982-c10b147605ed (accessed 29 April 2020) Google ScholarWorldometer. Coronavirus. 2020. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/ (accessed 29 April 2020) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 May 2020Volume 2Issue 5ISSN (print): 2631-8385ISSN (online): 2631-8393 Metrics History Published online 12 May 2020 Published in print 2 May 2020 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download