Norwich City club doctor Nick Wilford is all too aware of the effects of coronavirus, and is playing a major part in helping the local community overcome the pandemic.

Wilford assists City’s playing staff with injuries and health concerns, but with football suspended due to the impact of COVID-19, he has had to prioritise his second job at present.

He splits his time between aiding City’s professionals and being medical director for the 111 and urgent care service in Norfolk and Waveney.

Speaking to the club’s outlets about the current crisis and how his role has altered, Wilford said: “My role certainly is broad. It’s only got broader as you can imagine during the current period.

“My essential role to Norwich City is relatively unchanged. Obviously, social distancing and the importance of maintaining sensible distance from all individuals is crucial. “That includes all members of staff and I still have an important role to play in that regard.”

The government have urged people to stay in their homes and to resist the temptation of breaking the restrictions in place in order to enjoy the sunshine set to hit the county over the bank holiday weekend.

Wilford has pleaded with people to comply with the advice in order to allow the NHS to cope with the number of patients admitted with the disease and to help flatten the curve of infections.

“As you can appreciate, my role has been extremely full on at the moment during the unfortunate times that we’re going through with COVID-19.

“It’s going to be lovely weather and we want to be out enjoying the sun but the reality is the greater public need should obviously trump that and we should be really quite respectful of governmental advice which is clearly designed to flatten the curve.

“For instance, the number of incidents we see coming through the system, the rate of that needs to be sufficiently lowered so we as a service can provide enough hospital beds, enough ventilators, enough equipment so when the final peak occurs that we are sufficiently staffed and equipped in order to manage all that.”