Paisley no more… Fort William no more… Covidiots no more!

Patience is a virtue and tolerance is the last virtue. But even big elastic bands can be stretched to breaking point.

I can tolerate the stupidity of those who believe planet earth is flat. They do me no harm and are as intriguing as they are oddly entertaining.

Some believe the moon landings were fake and I can live with their conspiracy theories too.

It’s all part of the rich tapestry of life and human opinion.

Some people believe passionately in capitalism – others in socialism and others in communism.

Many are devout about their faith beliefs and many others are convinced that religion is nothing more than hocus pocus fantasy.

All these things make the world go round… and be round (not flat!)

But when it comes to Covid deniers my tolerance level is zero.

This week they gathered outside a London hospital screaming about the pandemic being a hoax while doctors and nurses inside were battling to keep people alive as they struggled for a gasp of air.

Is this the same “hoax” that has led to hospitals being overwhelmed and cancelling all but emergencies?

They abused those who asked them to put their pathetic placards away and stop risking infection to themselves and others.

There are the morons who deliberately cough on police officers and shop staff who ask them not to congregate or to wear a mask.

The term “Covidiot” is not appropriate to describe those who organise mass gatherings and flout every public health rule in the land.

“Covidiot” implies silliness… these are not people who are being silly. These are people whose actions will kill people by spreading this deadly virus in an ever-increasing spiral of fatal infection.

It’s debatable if the measures being taken are the most appropriate.

There’s even varied views on who should be vaccinated first…some countries vaccinate the mobile working population first while the vulnerable isolate.

What’s not open for debate is that Covid-19 is a deadly virus that is mutating and spreading at an alarming rate.

No-one has the right to put two fingers up at emergency measures to curb its spread and protect lives and the very fabric of our society.

In the last seven days more than 300,000 people in the UK were infected and in three weeks thousands will be in hospital and some of them will be dead.

Covid has killed more than 82,000 in Britain. That’s the equivalent of wiping out every man, woman and child in Paisley.

It’s killed almost 6,000 people in Scotland – equivalent to wiping out the entire population of Fort William.

The stakes are too high to tolerate anyone’s “right” to spread a killer virus.

Ally McLaws is a freelance specialist in powerful writing, business marketing and reputation management. See the full range of services on offer and view all previous back issues of this column at: www.mclawsconsultancy.com