The Coronavirus pandemic has shaken our lives to their foundations.  Our approach to work, family life, leisure and health have all had to change rapidly and drastically.  We have also had to process huge amounts of information about the virus and the approach we have taken to it, nationally and internationally.

If much of this information has seemed contradictory it is perhaps no surprise. Conflicting messages about the use of face masks, which hand sanitisers are effective and when and how often we can leave home have been muddled at best, highly confusing at worst.  

So what is the real picture and how do we get to it?

We thought it was worth spending some time researching the most reliable sources of information on Coronavirus. Where should we go if want to really know about Government advice, infection rates and what help there is out there, formal or informal?  We will be updating this post over the coming weeks, but for now, our top sites include:

Gov.UK - official UK Government advice on how to protect yourself and your family from the Coronavirus; current policy on testing; work and financial support schemes from the Government; policy on schools, housing and transport together with international travel and immigration.  

Price Bailey - this accountancy firm has put together a good overview of all the different Government schemes to offer financial support for businesses and individuals hit by the Coronavirus.

World Health Organization - A global view of the Coronavirus pandemic from World Health Organisation including a highly informative question and answer page dealing with all kinds of issues such as how to protect yourself in public, the status the latest treatments and when we might expect a vaccine to ready.  The WHO also deal with the increasingly important subject of facemasks, when, whether, and importantly, how to use them on this page.  Importantly the page also explains the key differences between self-isolation, self- quarantine and social distancing.

Worldometer - statistics on global spread of Coronavirus, country by country, day by day.  This site may not be for everyone and certainly isn’t for the fainthearted, but it gives a very good overview of the current situation worldwide.  

Further information on spread of the virus in the UK can be found on the Office for National Statistics website.  In the USA John Hopkins university offers an authoritative overview of the scale and development of the pandemic.

Feed up with the lockdown and the bleak news being pumped out by the news programmes on a daily basis?  Well, almost all the major news website have also put tips on how to have fun in these testing times.  Some of the more popular sites that can accessed without paying for content include:

The Guardian - How to have fun during lockdown

Manchester Evening News - 50 Fun Things To Do With The Kids In Lockdown

Save the Children - Keeping kids entertained during lockdown

The Telegraph - Fun things to do in lockdown

Hello Magazine - 47 fun things you can do to keep yourself busy at home while in isolation mode

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