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The UK faces a return to the “hard lockdown” if people do not realize the reality of Covid-19 and do not follow the rules, warned a professor who advised the government.
Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said a “trickle” of cases can turn into a “cascade” if restrictions such as the new rule of six are ignored.
He expressed concern after worrying increases in the spread of the deadly virus, including in some nursing homes and among the very young.
Speaking at Sky’s Ridge on Sunday, he said: “We know these are very vulnerable pockets. It’s not just in younger people, it’s starting to show up in more vulnerable people and that will inevitably be followed by hospital admissions and deaths, so we have to to act quickly.
And this is not a game. We shouldn’t be trying to party as much as we can in the run-up to Monday’s close. We should all really think about what we can do now to stop the spread. “
As of Monday, meetings in Scotland are restricted to two households and up to six people. There are exemptions for the number of children under the age of 12, but they still must be from no more than two households.
The number is also limited to six in England, but they can be from any household, a policy that is also causing alarm among health experts.
Meanwhile, the UK government sent an alert to care providers in England on Friday to highlight the rate hike and call for action.
The letter, which was sent on Friday, urges the heads of care to “take the necessary measures to prevent and limit outbreaks,” noting that in the last three days there has been an increase in notifications of coronavirus cases in residences. .
Professor Openshaw, who is a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, which advises the Government on the threat posed by new and emerging respiratory viruses, said: “I think everyone agrees that we really must act very fast now to prevent it from growing exponentially.
“I think the main point is that we have to act fast because it is much more difficult to control this kind of thing if you delay.
“Even a few days will be potentially quite dangerous right now at this particular time.”
Sir Mark Walport, former chief scientific adviser and member of the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), warned that the country is “on the verge of losing control” of Covid-19.
When asked if he thinks Sir Mark is right, Professor Openshaw told Ridge, “Well, yes, I think he is correct.
“It’s a bit like water that seeps through a dam, it starts out as a trickle and if you don’t do something about it, it can turn into a real waterfall.”
He said the “rule of six” should be followed.
“If we don’t do this now, we will be back in a hard lockdown in no time,” he added.
At the same time, the Sunday Telegraph reported that up to 4.5 million people considered at risk of serious illness from Covid-19 will be asked to stay home again or given personalized advice on how to protect themselves if cases rise to levels. dangerous.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reported to be even considering introducing a 10pm or 11pm curfew in England in restaurants, bars and pubs if local measures cannot control the spread of the virus.
The measure stems from concerns that adherence to social distancing measures will decline the more people consume alcohol.
Linda Bauld, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said the UK has moved away from a four-nation approach to tackling the coronavirus and the measures suggested in England are not strict enough.
She told BBC Breakfast: “In England there are six people from any household, but then you include children, including a baby, which doesn’t make much sense to me, and then in Scotland there are a maximum of two households.
“It is this mix between households that is riskier from a public health perspective.”
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