Your favourite pub or restaurant may be shut, you might not be able to buy your designer clothes or latest electronic gadgets. But, for free, you can save lives – by staying at home and doing almost nothing.

Yet, with daily reminders about hygiene, social distancing and shopping as normal, hordes went about their business as normal before Sunday’s lockdown, filling pubs, restaurants and shops, and continuing to stockpile what they saw as essentials – hand sanitiser, toilet roll and pasta.

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s daily news conference on Sunday were reports of packed beaches in Brighton and Bournemouth, and visitors flocking to parks, as well as those who couldn’t follow the advice and stay away from family on Mother’s Day.

As we watched life carry on virtually as normal from our little box, I read a thought-provoking account of what happens when you contract this disease.

If you or someone in your family does come down with it and they start to deteriorate, when the ambulance arrives to take them to hospital, no one will be allowed to go with them. 

The rest of the household must remain isolation and cannot go to hospital where they could spread the virus further.

The person who is in agony and having difficulty breathing will face the ambulance journey terrified and alone, before being admitted to hospital where they will again face a lonely wait for treatment while hoping to recover.

There will be no family to hold their hand and tell them they love them. There will be no comfort or moral support. They will be surrounded by equipment and medical staff trying to save their lives.

Should they deteriorate further and lose their battle against the disease, they will be alone and frightened, with no family by their side.

Those left behind will only find out after the event, having themselves been in isolation. Some may be able to visit hospital, but only be able to communicate through an intercom in a sterile relatives’ room.

Faced with that prospect, how anyone can choose to ignore the medical advice is beyond me.

I could not bear the thought of losing a loved one in that way, nor would I want to be alone in hospital, awaiting my fate.

This is why taking the simple steps of staying at home, away from other people, is so important.

The key is to take a step back, accept what we need to do and realise that things are going to be different and that they will be this way for the long haul.

Schools have set work to occupy children but it is not set to a rigorous timetable. Parents do not need to become teachers. They need to help, support and reassure their sons and daughters.

Make the most of your time together, find a new hobby or learn a new skill. See it as an opportunity, rather than a punishment.

Put down the phones, iPads and laptops and learn how to deal with people properly again.

Please look after yourselves and stay safe.