Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has teamed up with the Archbishop of York John Sentamu to issue a joint plea for everyone to be good Samaritans during the coronavirus crisis.

The pair say it was important to look after friends and neighbours.

They also suggest people should recite the Lord's Prayer while washing their hands instead of singing Happy Birthday and condoned doctors deciding not to treat some patients.

In a statement they said: "We are good in this country at holding our nerve and steadying one another. But a pandemic is something else; you can’t touch the virus, see it or even know where it is.

"It may be spread by those who don’t even know they are infected. It is very serious for some, very mild for many.

"Nevertheless, the effect of the virus could drive us apart. To some extent it must do. When someone we care for has it or is at risk, they must be isolated.

"That is particularly so for older people and the most vulnerable, the ones by whose beds we want to sit and hold their hands, expressing our love with touch.

"As in epidemics throughout history the fear we feel disturbs us very deeply, and dread comes upon us.

"The answer to conquering this fear is the love that we receive.

"The words of a friend can enable us to challenge the fears of illness and reduce our sense of threat.

"The UK has a culture of caring, expressed through the NHS, in social care and in many other ways.

"All of us, now, face a common threat, Covid-19. The question is, how do we find hope in these difficult circumstances?

"Hope comes both from what we can do and who we are.

"We know that everything possible is being done to ensure that we can meet the challenge, in the NHS and across society.

"The struggle will bring with it many practical difficulties, from the closing of sports grounds to meeting the needs of those in isolation.

"It may mean some very hard decisions have to be taken about who is treated, as in Italy where they have had to decide not to treat some patients.

"We must not be suspicious or indulge in conspiracy theories.

"Those who are leading our country are seeking the best advice and can be trusted to do all they can.

"We can help at a food bank. We can volunteer in community service. We can support those who struggle to feed their children when there are no free school lunches.

"Finally, there is one more thing that everyone can do. Something we would expect from two Archbishops.

"We make no apology for saying ‘Pray!’ Even if you scarcely can imagine how, pray! Pray for yourself, for those you love, for friends and neighbours.

"Three thousand years ago, a young king of shepherd background called David wrote a song. It was a hit in his day and has remained so ever since.

"That is quite some success – even the greatest of our stars of today would feel that 3,000 years at the top was an achievement. It’s The Shepherd Song The Lord’s my Shepherd.

"We sing it in our common worship, at weddings and at funerals. It starts with hope but speaks of darkness as well as life.

"The singer begins with joy: God, the divine Shepherd-King, leads his people to nourishment and safety but in the song the scene quickly darkens.

"The path along which he goes becomes a valley of the shadow of death.

"But the shepherd’s ‘rod’ and ‘staff’, implements that prod and guide the sheep, provide the comfort that comes from divine guidance.

"Find Psalm 23 and read it aloud. The Shepherd’s song is about real life, not an idealised picture. It speaks of suffering and of facing enemies.

"Whether we are confident and brave, or doubt-filled and fearful, God is the source of love and hope.

"Why not say the Lord’s Prayer – ‘Our Father who art in heaven' – when you wash your hands? It takes more than the recommended 20 seconds."

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