WITH regard to the mass hysteria that has gripped the nation, I say calm down, get a sense of proportion.

We have 55 million people spread around four countries in the UK and a few thousand cases of the virus.

There is more chance of being struck by lightning than meeting someone showing symptoms.

The current measures will kill more people than the virus by bankrupting industry, causing mass unemployment and thereby collapsing tax revenues so that state benefits and services (including the NHS) cannot be afforded once the borrowed £303 billion set aside is spent.

It is not a plague, 40 per cent of those who catch it will not even know they had it.

Eighty per cent will recover without serious illness.

Indeed many who self-isolate may already be immune due to, without knowing, having had it and recovered.

Lettuces and tomatoes are largely from Spain at this time of year and represent far more risk as the virus is alive off body for three days. Does freezing affect this?

All that panic-bought pasta from Italy had been through France and the Channel Tunnel, along with Amazon goods from French warehouses. They are the true risk points. Lastly I say stop terrorising pensioners with worst-case scenarios so that they are afraid to spend what may (due to age) be their last months cowering in fear, lonely and hungry.

R P Lambeth

Martin Road Hove