Use Of Ionisers In Covid Fight Raised In First Ministers Questions

10th June 2020

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, David Stewart, highlighted the role that the use of negative ion ionisers could have in the continued fight against COVID-19 during First Minister's Questions in Holyrood today (10 June 2020).

Mr Stewart said "The First Minister will be well aware that to conquer COVID-19 requires scientific collaboration, initiative and innovation. Will the First Minister join with me in congratulating my constituent, Pete Gavin, from the Highlands and Islands in his work highlighting the positive role that negative ion ionisers can play in fighting the virus, preventing infection and setting Scotland back on the road to recovery."

The First Minister replied "Yes, I will congratulate Pete Gavin for the work he is doing and we should all, in circumstances none of us would have chosen to be in, take great pride in the way that Scottish scientists are at the cutting edge of the global efforts to both understand COVID-19 and also find ways of tackling it.

“That is true in terms of the trials to hopefully develop a vaccine, is true in terms of some of the scientific work that was reported on yesterday about genome sequencing of the different lineages of the virus to help us understand more about how it spreads and transmits and a whole range of different ways Scottish scientists are leading that work in partnership and collaboration with scientists across the UK and indeed globally and it is right and proper that we draw attention to that."

David Stewart said “I have been supporting Pete Gavin in trying to raise awareness of how negative ion ionisers may be able to help fight the virus. He has been working tirelessly to get this information into the public domain and I was pleased therefore that the First Minister responded so positively. I will continue to raise the scientific endeavours on this in a bid to support our health workers in caring for patients with the virus.”

The First Minister concluded that it is right and proper to note that that Mr Stewart had announced his own retirement from Parliament this week and she took the opportunity to wish him well and thank him for the contribution that he makes.