Ok, let's get something straight. 

I am not a doctor or nurse and apart from a first aid course a while ago I have no medical training whatsoever. So, you can take this item with a pinch of salt , if you wish. If you need a plaster for a simple cut, or someone to hand you a glass of water to swallow a paracetamol, then I'm your man. After that think of dialling 111 and go from there.

Let’s face it, there is a huge chance of each one of us as driver trainers catching this bug. We are getting in and out of the car with a whole range of people hourly and on a day to day basis. We are without doubt one of society’s carriers of bugs. I remember a few years back when there were cold and flu bugs flying around like swings in a funfair. I’d come home on Thursday evening, I worked away from home in those days. I’d have a rotten cold, get ill for the weekend, jump up sprightly on Monday morning and bounce off to work on Monday full of the joys of spring only for my wife and daughter to go down with the dreaded lurgy by Tuesday and have a rough week. I was not a popular little bunny, I can tell you.

Back to my story, as they say. A few years back, just like so many other ADIs (Approved Driving Instructors) I became more aware of the lack of hygiene of some of my pupils, particularly the gentlemen, and the lack of handwashing going on. This was brought on by a forensic study of a bowl of peanuts left on a pub bar. Many of us bought cleansing wipes to clean the steering wheel regularly and wipe down the other surfaces in the car.  

3 years ago I brought home a particularly nasty bug which for my wife led to pneumonia and a stay in hospital for a week, 2 years back something similar happened but we caught it early and she stayed home and dined on antibiotics, keeping warm, lots of rest and plenty of fluids. I was lucky! This winter past I was not risking it and the car is now cleaned regularly and I have antibacterial surface wipes – nice lemon ones, and alcohol-based hand cleaning gel. She is strong and healthy this time round, thankfully.

Where does this take us with the Covid19 virus you ask? Well simple cleanliness is the answer. Wash and clean your hands regularly, wipe down the surfaces in the car and keep tissues to hand should you, or your pupil sneeze or cough and make sure that your pupil takes home their dirty tissue with them. For advice from the experts follow the link here to the NHS . There is no magic cure as they don’t know how to kill it yet and are busy trying to find a vaccine, but that will most likely be available for next year. Until then we can only take care and hope that should we get it, it will only be a mild dose that we catch as that is what a vast majority of people will get. If our pupils fear they may have it, be sympathetic as many may be terrified if they have been watching the media or reading social media. If they need to cancel, be fair and not harsh, it may save you from catching it and being off work for 2 weeks yourself. Accept losing one hour and not maybe 60hour+ hours.

Stay healthy and prosper.

Cheers.

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