‘ No lockdown’ plea from top scientists
TOP oncologist and Daily Express columnist Karol Sikora was joined by academics in the UK in asking Boris Johnson yesterday not to announce a second lockdown – and focus instead on protecting the nation’s most vulnerable.
In an open letter, they urge the Prime Minister to change the Government’s strategy for fighting Covid- 19.
Prof Sikora has criticised government rhetoric and warned of the dire effects of another full national lockdown.
They want the government to ditch mooted blanket measures and instead target the most vulnerable – including people in care homes, living with existing health conditions and those aged over 70. It comes as the PM prepares to update Parliament today ahead of a proposed restriction on movements.
But he is warned that imposing fresh nationwide measures risks imposing “significant harm across all age groups, which likely offsets any benefits”.
The letter, signed by 32 experts, calls on the Government to “step back” and “fundamentally reconsider the path forward”. It wants a focus on helping the most vulnerable instead of pursuing an unfeasible goal of suppressing the virus until a vaccine arrives.
Signed by Oxford professors Sunetra Gupta and Carl Heneghan, alongside Prof Sikora from the University of Buckingham and Sam Williams of the Economic Insight consultancy, the letter says the “existing policy path is inconsistent with the known risk- profile of Covid- 19”.
They say: “The unstated objective currently appears to be one of suppression
of the virus, until such a time that a vaccine can be deployed.
“This objective is increasingly unfeasible… and is leading to significant harm across all age groups, which likely offsets all benefits.”
The letter comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged “to do what it takes” in order to fight Covid- 19.
After the UK experienced a sharp rise in new infections the Government is considering a “circuit- breaking” period of tightened measures – thought to cover a two- week period.
Such a move would involve bringing back restrictions in public spaces, most of which were relaxed throughout May and June.
Pubs and restaurants could be forced to close earlier across the country, but schools and most workplaces would be kept open. Closing some parts of the hospitality industry is also one of the options. But the scholars insist the blanket measures are not the way to go. They say: “Instead, more targeted measures that protect the most vulnerable from Covid, whilst not adversely impacting those not at risk, are more supportable.
“Given the high proportion of Covid- 19 deaths in care homes, these should be a priority.”
The pandemic hit the UK’s care sector claiming 19,394 lives between March and June, which accounted for 29.3 per cent of all deaths in care homes during that time, according to government figures.
It emerged that care home staff were allegedly under pressure by the NHS to admit coronavirus- positive or untested patients at the height of the crisis during the spring.