Human cost of ‘herd immunity’ from coronavirus is irresponsible and cruel

As a retired NHS infectious diseases consultant from Edinburgh, I have dealt with, and advised on, infections like this throughout my professional career.

I fully appreciate the value of establishing a “herd immunity”. However, the human cost of pursuing this “holy grail” exclusively is both irresponsible and cruel in terms of the likely increased spread of this disease and the associated illness and deaths.

Having looked at the alternative approaches being adopted in other countries around the world, and the success being achieved especially in the Far East, I believe the World Health Organisation is absolutely right today in questioning the UK’S approach.

An immediate lockdown is our only hope of controlling this disease until such a time as numbers are back under control. A cautious approach could then be taken to balance the needs of the country until hopefully a vaccine is available.

If the UK continues to follow the current strategy of relying ultimately upon reaching

It is time for similar concern over bringing to others a virus which may be fatal for them.

JOHN RISELEY Harcourt Drive, Harrogate some level of ‘herd immunity,’ it will in my professional opinion result in tens of thousands of fatalities, and quite literally hundreds of thousands of severely ill patients, whom the NHS will quite obviously be incapable of treating.

The pace of infection is rapidly getting out of control. A much ‘flatter curve’ is required, and to achieve this, much more stringent measures are urgently needed.

It is not yet too late, though we are perilously close to it being so and an immediate shift in policy is needed to

theory and application thereof in the herd approach to immunity in the coronavirus outbreak.

Given his other comments on the scenario, his whole resume of the problem and his suggested “scientific” solution must surely rank on mirror many of our European counterparts if we are to avoid what will become an apocalyptic situation.

JAMES GRAY Salisbury Road, Edinburgh

I’m a subscriber from Bergamo, Italy, the hottest place of Covid-19 – and I’m not a medician but a normal citizen.

Every day I read your newspaper because I love your country and to read The Scotsman is a way to be in Scotland.

I write this letter to alert you all about Covid-19. Initally, some of us took it easy about

a par with the “theory” of the four humours as a diagnostic guideline in medicine or the phlogiston theory on combustion.

As the UK government at Westminster has now scrambled in a panic to do a U-turn in step with the US, one must this new virus, some (not all) thought that the virus was a “strong flu”.

It is not true. Our hospitals are fighting every day a battle against the virus and they are near to collapse. Here we hear the ambulance siren all day and our graveyard has burials every 30 minutes. Yes, the people who die are especially old men with health problems, but it is not always the case. A lot of people get pneumonia. All those things could be avoided immediately if everyone acts responsibly.

If you have a fever you and

wonder at the level of professional advice it receives.

JOHN EDGAR Langmuir Quadrant, Kilmaurs

The cessation of football may be the best thing to happen to TV for half a century. Instead of endless matches sometimes delaying the news perhaps we can hope for some worthwhile viewing for a change?

Can we hope for a literary flowering, with some of our star performers informing us about history? Perhaps a rerun of Civilisation? A new Tomorrow’s World? New Avengers, or The Saint series, made in days as once upon a time they were? No. If we’re lucky we will have Where Eagles Dare or On the Buses!

ANDREW H. N. GRAY Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh your family stay at home; it is very important because you could infect someone who could have serious problems from this virus and if many people get those serious problem, your hospital can’t help everyone. They could be too ill. If hospitals can’t help them, they could die. So if you have flu-like symptoms, stay at home and all that problem could be avoided.

Don’t let our sacrifice be in vain. If you don’t believe me, read our newspapers. NICHOLAS FELICIANI

Zanica, Bergamo, Italy

al credentials to be further enhanced and allow us to have solidarity with peoples across the globe with similar outlooks and aspirations.

Whilst sharing many of their values, the people of Scotland have given up on Labour and turn to the SNP because they realise that Labour can never win in an increasingly rightwing RUK and that the only way to create the fair society and equitable society they seek is through independence

BRIAN KELLY Langwill Place, Edinburgh