The UK currently has the worst infection rate across Europe and has seen more than 40,000 people die due to the deadly pandemic. But fears have escalated as new infections continue to rise on a daily basis as the country enters the second wave.
At the start of the outbreak, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, spoke about the idea of enough people being exposed to the virus would build up natural immunity – known as herd immunity.
Although both Sir Patrick and the government have insisted this was never an official policy, emails have revealed concerns among top scientific advisers over Sir Patrick’s comments.
In one email from March, Sir Patrick asked for help to “calm down” academics who were angry at his repeated reference to herd immunity and the lockdown delays.
Obtained by the BBC via a Freedom of Information Act request, the results include every email sent by Sir Patrick and chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty which contain to the words “herd immunity” from February to June.
Sir Patrick Vallance criticised over herd immunity (Image: Getty)
Boris Johnson, Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance (Image: Getty)
The first reference comes after March 13, when Sir Patrick had discussed herd immunity in a number of interviews.
Back in March, Sir Patrick said: “Our aim is to try and reduce the peak – not suppress it completely, also because most people get a mild illness, to build some degree of herd immunity whilst protecting the most vulnerable.”
On the same day, Sir Patrick also said not suppressing the virus completely will “allow enough of us who are going to get mild illness to become immune to this.”
However, the following day, more than 500 academics published a joint letter criticising the lack of social distancing restrictions imposed by the government.
READ MORE: Coronavirus rebellion: Boris must do FOUR things to avoid backlash
Coronavirus cases in England are on the rise (Image: Getty)
They also added that “going for herd immunity” does not seem a viable option, arguing it would put the NHS in more levels of stress and risk “many more lives than necessary”.
Following the letter, Sir Patrick emailed Sir Mark Walport, the UK’s former chief scientific adviser, and said herd immunity is “not the strategy”.
He said: “The strategy is to flatten the curve… and to shield the elderly… As we do this we will see immunity in the community grow.”
It is believed the first public use of the term was by Dr David Halpern, chief executive of the government-owned Behavioural Insights Team and a member of SAGE.
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UK coronavirus cases mapped (Image: Express)
He told the BBC in March: “You’ll want to protect those at-risk groups so that they basically don;’t catch the disease and by the time they come out of this cocooning, herd immunity’s been achieved in the rest of the population.”
These emails come just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the public with new measures going forward in the fight against the virus.
In a televised speech last night, Mr Johnson said: “Though our doctors and our medical advisers are rightly worried about the data now, and the risks over winter, they are unanimous that things will be far better by the spring, when we have not only the hope of a vaccine.
“But one day soon – and I must stress that we are not there yet – of mass testing so efficient that people will be able to be tested in minutes so they can do more of the things they love.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation (Image: Getty)
“That’s the hope; that’s the dream.
“It’s hard, but it’s attainable, and we are working as hard as we can to get there.
“We must rely on our willingness to look out for each other, to protect each other.
“Never in our history has our collective destiny and our collective health depended so completely on our individual behaviour.
Coronavirus cases around the world (Image: Express)
“If we follow these simple rules together, we will get through this winter together.
“There are unquestionably difficult months to come.
“And the fight against COVID is by no means over.
“I have no doubt, however, that there are great days ahead.
“But now is the time for us all to summon the discipline, and the resolve, and the spirit of togetherness that will carry us through.”
Follow below for live updates…
US death toll passes 200,000 (Image: Getty)
8.05am update: Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council says no plans to have military taking on policing roles
Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Martin Hewitt has said there are no plans to have military personnel taking on frontline policing roles during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about the Prime Minister’s comments that the military will be able to provide support to the police if necessary.
Mr Hewitt was also asked if this suggested police were not capable of doing their job.
He responded: “I don’t think it suggests that at all.
“We are now six months in and I think the service across the whole UK has stepped up during that six months to deal appropriately and deal really well with these unusual regulations and the situation we’re in.
“The military had been involved with us throughout the Covid crisis, using their engineering skills, their logistics skills and we already have plans that allow the military to backfill into roles to release police officers in certain circumstances.
“We’re not in that situation now. But I think it is sensible to have those conversations and think about that plan.
“And it’s really important to make the point that under no circumstances would that be military personnel in frontline, public-facing roles instead of policing. That isn’t what we would do. It isn’t any part of the planning.
“But there may be a point where using military personnel to backfill roles to release police officers might be necessary, but it is not necessary at the moment and I don’t anticipate that situation.”
8am update: US death toll passes 200,000
The US death toll has now passed 200,000 according to data from John Hopkins University.
More than 6.8 million people are known to have been infected in the US – making Donald Trump’s country the worst in the world.
Mr Trump said on Tuesday the new death toll was a “horrible thing” and claimed China “should have stopped” the virus.
