Tasmin Lockwood finds out how people on the streets of Darlington are feeling about coronavirus.

YESTERDAY the World Health Organisation officially categorised coronavirus as a pandemic. At the time of writing, there were more than 118,000 cases spanning 114 countries, with 4,291 deaths.

A pandemic is when a disease or virus spreads across a country or the world.

But there is little consensus in Darlington, with residents' opinions on the virus varying, some taking subtle measures against infection and others arguing a scaremongering campaign.

One Darlington woman, who expects to cancel an upcoming trip due to the virus, said: “I am actually meant to go to London for an event soon, but I have underlying immune problems so I think I’ll be returning my ticket to the station. It wasn’t just for the event but my friend is performing there too, and I was going to see my brother, but I think the risk is far too great for my own health.

“And, I have an 84-year-old mum with dementia. I cannot risk passing it to her.”

Taking an opposing stance is Anthony Smoothie, 43, who believes the death rate of the virus does not justify its coverage.

He said: “This has been heavily overstated in the media. I am always concerned, but have looked at the stats and the mortality rate is very low in the UK, compared to the US where there are inadequate health care provisions.

“I think the NHS will be stretched, and it is going to get worse, but there will also be an overreaction.”

Armed with a pair of gloves, Duncan McRae, who was people watching in the town centre, believes he is safe.

The 84-year-old said: “I’ve wear gloves and take precautions. I live alone and am mostly on my own as my wife has passed, and have no plans to go away so think I am safe at home. Plus, I’m as fit as a dog. We do need more information, and someone should come up with a cure – we have the brains for it.”

Battling the wind with her two young children, who are taught at home, a 40-year-old mum isn’t doing anything differently.

She said: “We’re not worried. I have looked at the death stats and cases are not really that scary. We aren’t avoiding anywhere we would normally go to. Obviously when they start shutting soft plays and things we won’t get going there, but children haven’t really been affected.”

Travelling back from a game of chess, where he had “just been talking about it”, Martin Conway, 67, said: “We are all going to get it.

The Northern Echo:

"We just have to assume we will get better. I don’t have any underlying health conditions so hopefully it will just be a mild flu. I drink with other gentleman, we’re all old and just make jokes about it.”

Many people, however, are not as calm. As people across the North-East stockpile goods, the effects have been felt by foodbanks in the town.

Caroline Todd, manager of King’s Foodbank, said: “We have seen more people but that’s to do with universal credit not stretching but I have heard from the guys that pick up donations that there have been less. We normally have loads after the weekend but there have just been little bits in. So generally, we have seen a decline.

“We’re sending food to another foodbank in Darlington, who said they had dried up and couldn’t meet demand. It is a bit of a concern, the impact we have seen, but understand why people would stockpile.

“We don’t have a delivery service so I worry about how people will get the food they need if they do have to self-isolate.

“Nobody knows how it’s going to impact us fully, we’re just waiting for it.

“We are trying to put measures in place so that people know we’re doing what we can, like hand sanitiser.

“We have to be careful; we have a duty of care. For us, we just want to make sure everyone that’s coming here is in genuine need and is not just trying to stock up where the supermarkets are running low.”