1/ I think there's an interesting twitter narrative going on about who has the "right" to an opinion on coronavirus and also some accusing others of unprofessionalism for speaking out on certain issues when they are not an "expert"

2/ In normal times if a person in healthcare field has an issue with something it is considered more professional, more appropriate (and sometimes more effective) to address this through official channels eg complaints procedures rather than publicly at least initially

3/ however, these are not normal times... things changing very quickly and timely and responsive actions needed... As @DrMikeRyan @WHO would say "perfection is the enemy of the good"

4/ I believe the narrative on who has the right to an opinion is a potentially dangerous one which can impact on one of our most valuable rights - the right to free speech. With every right comes responsibilities, however

5/ At this time, fear, rumours and conjecture are spreading even faster than coronavirus. I would ask those who have a significant public following to be especially mindful that any comment you make can be shared and misinterpreted

6/ While also acknowledging the power of advocacy and the courage that it takes to advocate often in the face of significant obstacles

#WeAreAllInThisTogether #FreeSpeech #CoronavirusIreland #COVIDー19 #coronavirussolidarity