‘Fan the flames’ freedom Warning over Delta variant

A FULL unlocking could “fan the flames” of rising infection levels, said one of the Government’s scientific advisers yesterday.

Andrew Hayward, from University College London and a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), compared the process to driving a car around a bend in the road without knowing what was around the corner.

“I think it’s clear we will have a substantial third wave of infections. The really big

question is how much that wave of infections is going to translate into hospitalisations,” Professor Hayward, inset, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr yesterday.

“But we still don’t know how bad it could be.” Referring to the Delta variant first identified in India, he said: “I think 60 per cent more infectious is extremely worrying. That is the thing that will drive the speed with which the next wave comes along. If we were to open up more, that would really fan the flames.”