WHO questions UK virus approach as scientists call for more transparency
Tom Hancock reports from London from the FT:
The World Health Organization has questioned the British government’s policy of allowing Covid-19 to infect a large proportion of the country’s population in order for “herd immunity” to emerge.
“This virus… hasn’t been in our population for long enough for us to know what it does in immunological terms,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“We can talk theories, but at the moment we are really facing a situation where we have got to look at action,” she said when asked about the British policy. “We want all the things you need to do to be done together,” including large-scale testing for the virus and tracing contacts, she added.
Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, has said it was desirable for around 60 per cent of Britain’s population to be infected with Covid-19 so that “herd immunity” can emerge in the population to protect the country in the longer term.
The theory has been presented as the basis for the British government’s refusal to take steps such as closures of large scale events, schools, bars and other venues which have been rolled-out across Europe aimed at stemming infections.
The comments from Ms Harris as a group of leading scientists wrote to the Times newspaper demanding the government release scientific models and evidence for its policy.
“There is no clear indication that the UK's response is being informed by the experiences of other countries in containing the spread of Covid-19,” the letter, which was signed by six infectious disease experts including Richard Horton, editor of prestigious medical journal The Lancet, stated.
“Transparency is essential to retain the scientific community, healthcare community and the public's understanding, co-operation and trust,” the letter added.
An editorial in the FT on Friday called Britain’s counter-virus strategy a significant gamble. Read it
here
F**k herd immunity, and the CMO and CSA if they don't show the rationale and implication! As I have said all along.
