Coronavirus: the situation in the UK is very serious, a big announcement is expected tomorrow

In his assessment of the situation on Sunday, Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, cited estimates from the British Bureau of Statistics (ONS) noting that there are currently 224,000 coronavirus infections in England after 116,000 last week and an increase in hospital admissions. and require intensive treatment. Professor Van-Tam explained that the epidemic has regained strength in young adult groups in recent weeks, but there are clear signs that it is gradually spreading to older generations in the most heavily affected areas. According to the deputy medical director, it follows directly from this that the number of deaths caused by the Covid-19 disease will also start to rise in the coming weeks.

According to Van-Tam, the reproduction rate R, which shows the average number of additional people who are infected with a coronavirus infection, is is between 1.2 and 1.5 in the UK as a whole, but is significantly above limit 1 in all areas of public health services (NHS) care in the UK, above which the spread of the epidemic is accelerated.

The professor, who is also a member of the UK Government Health Advisory Council, said current scientific estimate suggests that the number of new infections will double in 8-16 days in some parts of the UK in less time. Van-Tam, however, hinted that the prevention situation now is much better than it was in the spring. “What would I not give if we had as much data, testing capacity and medical knowledge (about the coronavirus) in February and March as we do now,” said the government’s senior adviser.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will outline plans for the government’s next steps in the House of Commons in London on Monday.

According to preliminary media reports from government sources, the action plan, which was even being negotiated on Sunday, will focus primarily on large cities and areas in the north of England where the infection rate is well above average. national.

According to some expectations, the government could order the temporary closure of restaurants in this part of the country.

Over the weekend, however, there has been serious debate between the leaders and the government of the major cities in the north of England, including Liverpool and Manchester. City leaders mainly complain about a lack of communication and coordination and that the planned measures would disproportionately affect the regional economy, especially the hotel sector. In England, a series of clinical trials began over the weekend to find out whether a BCG vaccine developed against tuberculosis, which several studies have shown to be effective against coronavirus infection, actually has a significant preventive effect.

A research team from the University of Exeter School of Medicine provides 2,000 volunteers from the UK Health and Welfare Service with BCG vaccines or a harmless but drug-free drug and monitors for a year how many of the two groups become infected with the new type of coronavirus. .