By Only a vaccine can control Covid-19, Government briefing warns
More details on the updated lockdown measures have now been released in a Government briefing which warns that Covid-19 can only be controlled through the use of either drugs or a vaccine.
It also warns that the winter flu season may prevent medics from being able to trace the coronavirus and put a strain on hospital beds as the symptoms of the two are so similar.
The document, explains the Government’s next steps in handling the epidemic, and a phased approach to exiting lockdown.
It details that reopening schools or relaxing all social distancing measures would lead to a devastating second wave of coronavirus which would be much worse than the first, in advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
However, in yesterdays broadcast, the Prime Minister did announce that the Government is hoping to open schools to pupils in reception classes, year 1 and year 6 in June.
This comes as some minor tweaks were made to the lockdown rules, including removing the limit on the amount of exercise you can take per day and being able to meet one other person in, for example, a park while remaining two metres apart.
The statement that only a vaccine can control Covid-19 also follows an updated warning poster to the public, which now reads ‘stay alert, control the virus, save lives’, instead of ‘stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives’. A message which many have criticised for being too vague.
The document released today said:
“Only the development of a vaccine or effective drugs can reliably control this epidemic and reduce mortality without some form of social distancing or contact tracing in place.”
It said herd immunity had “never been part of the Government’s strategy” and said that “in the medium-term, allowing the virus to spread in an uncontrolled manner until natural population-level immunity is achieved would put the NHS under enormous pressure”.
There are more than 70 vaccine development programmes worldwide, and the global hope is that it may be possible to develop a treatment if not a vaccine.
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