Social distancing could be ‘abandoned’ by end of the year, says expert

University professor of bacteriology says efforts should focus on trace and testing

Social distancing could be “abandoned” by the end of this year if decision-makers stopped waiting for a vaccine, an expert claimed.

Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said he was “reasonably optimistic” the coronavirus outbreak could be “eradicated” in Britain by Christmas by focusing efforts on a huge increase in testing and tracing.

The UK Government aims to carry out 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month but Prof Pennington believes the target should be nearer one million

The expert urged ministers to pursue such a strategy rather than pinning their hopes on getting a vaccine, as he warned: “We might never get a good vaccine”.

Prof Pennington said schools, shops and restaurants could be the first to reopen but predicted pubs may have to remain shut for a longer period, as

“If we have a... strategy that is successful by the end of the year... even social distancing could go. PROFESSOR HUGH PENNINGTON

would restrictions on people coming into the country.

“If we have an eradication strategy that is successful by the end of the year, then all these things could be abandoned. Even social distancing could go.

“As long as we still had a really good testing programme to make sure the virus wasn’t still creeping about, and then we would obviously need to have restrictions on people coming into the country from countries where the virus is still busy.”

Prof Pennington, who led a 1997 government inquiry into an E. coli outbreak in Scotland, is due to give evidence to Holyrood’s health committee on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic today.

Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, who has been a key adviser to the UK Government on its response to the disease outbreak, has warned that significant social distancing measures would need to remain in place until a vaccine is created, which is not expected until next year.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also said that “some form of social distancing is going to be required perhaps up to the point where a vaccine is available”.

Prof Pennington said government policy should not be based on such hopes.

Shutterstock. Picture: Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University.