House arrest

Trails of the first of PM Johnson's public briefings suggested that we over-70s were to be banned from crossing our own doorsteps for the next 12 weeks as a result of the epidemic of Covid-19 in England and Wales. This would give a boost to Ocado, Tesco, Iceland and others who make home grocery deliveries, but would do nothing for ones physical fitness. AsthmaUK advises that:

getting your heart rate up can actually improve your asthma symptoms. Here’s how:

• Raising your heart rate regularly boosts your lung power, increasing stamina and reducing breathlessness
• It supports your immune system and helps fight colds and viruses – a major trigger for over 80% of people with asthma
• Activity helps you stay a healthy weight, in turn cutting your risk of an asthma attack
• It releases ‘feel-good’ chemicals in your brain – studies show that if you’re stressed, or depressed, you’re at higher risk of asthma symptoms

Clearly some of these advantages apply to older people with other limiting health conditions. I hasten to add that I am not recommending that one should undertake strenuous exercise when one already has a fever - there are too many reports of athletes in the prime of life who have done this and damaged their hearts as a result - but a blanket ban on going out would do more harm than good.

To our relief, the word from the Downing Street oracle is that we need only avoid social interaction and that we are "allowed to go out for walks" when our period of staying at home begins. One trusts that tending allotments and dog-walking are also "allowed".