Six members of the government’s scientific advisory committee receive gongs in honor of the queen despite possible investigation

10/10/2020 Health, Science, Technology, UK

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Six members of the government’s scientific advisory committee have received gongs in honor of the queen, although their council may be the subject of future research.

SAGE members will become OBEs for their work during the pandemic, although Conservative MPs have claimed the decision is “premature.”

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Professor Graham Medley will become OBE, and he once advised Britain to adopt a strategy of herd immunity.Credit: BBC

Professor Calum Semple, University of Liverpool, will also become OBE

Professor Catherine Noakes, an expert in airborne infections at the University of Leeds, criticized the relaxation of the two-meter rule and will be honoredCredit: University of Leeds

Professor Julia Gog, Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Cambridge, has also been honored for her services to public health during the pandemic.

The Daily Mail reports that the move has drawn fury from Tory MPs who say some of their advice has proved controversial and could be subject to investigation.

Boris Johnson has announced that a full investigation into the government’s handling of the pandemic will be conducted to examine decisions made by ministers as well as the guidance of scientific advisers.

Government scientific advisers have recommended a number of measures to curb the spread, ranging from closing bars and the six-foot social distancing rule to a herd immunity strategy.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said that while SAGE members deserve recognition, their advice has not always been correct and the move could hurt a future investigation.

He told the Mail: “It may end up being a major investigation, and that should not be biased.

“Receiving an honor can also influence the way your advice is received.

“’So I think this is not wise, although it may not be wrong.

“His advice has been controversial and has at times changed and at times been incorrect, although this is not surprising given the difficulty of responding to an unprecedented pandemic.

“So while that’s reasonable, it makes the early awarding of an honor reckless and premature.”

Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne said SAGE members “work very hard and they deserve it,” but added that when “he starts pointing fingers, I don’t think an honor can save anyone.”

Which SAGE members will become OBEs?

Six members of the SAGE advisory group will become OBE despite Conservative MPs warning the decision is “premature.”

Professor Graham Medley, an infectious disease specialist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, will be honored.
Professor Calum Semple, who is a professor of child health and sprout medicine at the University of Liverpool, will also become an OBE.
Professor Catherine Noakes, an expert in airborne infections at the University of Leeds, will be honored.
Professor Julia Gog, an expert in mathematics from the University of Cambridge, has also been awarded for his services to public health during the pandemic.
Dr. James Rubin, an academic psychologist and reader in Psychology of Emerging Health Risks at King’s College London, will become an OBE for his work during the pandemic.
Professor Lucy Yardley, an expert in health psychology from the University of Bristol and the University of Southampton is also honored and has previously criticized the government’s “top-down rules”

Among those who became OBEs were Professor Graham Medley, an infectious disease specialist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Professor Medley previously suggested that herd immunity was the only solution to combat the virus, advice that the government initially considered but ultimately rejected in favor of the shutdown.

In September, Professor Medley wanted the UK to be able to see 100 deaths a day in three to four weeks.

Other advisers who have become OBEs include Professor Calum Semple, who is a professor of children’s health and sprout medicine at the University of Liverpool.

He called for a brief national shutdown to curb the second wave of the virus, previously suggesting that it is as deadly as Ebola, which has caused tens of thousands of deaths in West Africa.

Professor Catherine Noakes, an expert on airborne infections at the University of Leeds, criticized the government for relaxing the two-meter rule.

Professor Julia Gog, a mathematics expert at the University of Cambridge, has also been honored for her services to public health during the pandemic, as has Dr. James Rubin, a behavior expert from King’s College London.

Dr Rubin has long called on ministers to be transparent with the British public about the effect of the lockdown measures and the importance of maintaining public trust.

Professor Lucy Yardley, a health psychology expert at the University of Bristol and the University of Southampton is also honored and has previously criticized the government’s “top-down rules.”

She told the BBC: “I think it’s a real problem that people are trying to follow top-down rules that change all the time and are different in different places and in different organizations.”

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told the Mail: “The Independent Committee on Science and Technology set a high bar for moving forward with the recommendations at this time, and recognizing that work in so many areas is ongoing.

“The Committee sought vital, often voluntary, contributions to the pandemic response with front-line impact, along with extraordinary contributions for the entire career.”