The country seems happy to rally behind the flag – but we mustn’t forget the mistakes Johnson has made

I wish the prime minister a speedy recovery, but he must still be held to account, writes Matthew Norman

The prime minister has faced scrutiny over some of his decisions (PA)

The list of potential symptoms of novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, is on the rise, with the loss of smell and taste, stomach upsets and others added to the fever and persistent cough.

But could yet another early sign of virus be the newly acquired ability to see Michael Gove on telly without nausea? Before similarly affected viewers of the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1 think about calling the emergency services, the answer is no.

A more credible explanation lies in the well worn trope that in times of national emergency, the instinct is to trust those in power.