The Government stepping up its reaction to the coronavirus crisis could mean some big changes for you and your family – though other countries are doing far more.
Here is what Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said yesterday...
1 Why do other nations seem to be doing more? Schools in Italy, France and Ireland are closed, regions are in lockdown and America has banned incoming flights from Europe. But according to the British experts, drastic measures require the support of the public – meaning the timing of when they are introduced is key.
Prof Whitty said: “The important part of the science of this is the behavioural science. People start off with the best of intentions [of following the rules] but if you start too early, people’s enthusiasm starts to run out just about at the peak, which is the time we want people to be doing these interventions. So we need to do it at the last point it is reasonable, so that people retain their enthusiasm through what will be difficult things to do.”
2 What are the symptoms?A high temperature – above 37.5C – and a new, continuous cough. Sir Patrick said modelling predicted a 20% to 25% reduction in the peak of the epidemic by getting people with mild symptoms to stay at home for a week.
Moving to whole-household isolation adds an extra 25% reduction – so together, those measures roughly halve the size of the peak. Preventing the elderly from getting infected could reduce death rates by 20% to 30%.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/21043/425639/5e6ba5b289248/1584113058_loc.jpg]
3 Will there be more announcements?Prof Whitty spoke of the need of isolating older and more vulnerable people but that will not happen yet as it could have other negative consequences, like increasing loneliness. There is also no need to close schools now as the advice is that it could do more harm than good. But this may change. The Government could also advise anybody living with someone who is taken ill to self-isolate for seven days, taking the total to 14 days.
4 What should I do if I feel ill?Prof Whitty said that potential patients should self-isolate for seven days. He said: “It helps to protect older or more vulnerable people who they might come into contact with.
“It is important that people with very minor symptoms do not call 111.” But if symptoms worsen they should use the helpline.
Prof Whitty said the virus is at its most contagious when symptoms first appear – so that by seven days the majority of people are not infectious. “The evidence would appear to be that some people with even quite mild symptoms can spread this virus to a lot of people. It is no longer necessary for us to identify every case and we will move from having testing mainly done in homes and outpatients and walk-in centres to a situation where people remaining at home do not need testing.”
5 Are large-scale events such as football matches going to be cancelled? Not as a matter of course in the UK, apart from in Scotland, where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took a decision to axe any events where more than 500 people are gathering.
But that is not because of the spread – largescale events actually do not make the spread more likely. Instead, Ms Sturgeon said she put a stop to them to free up the NHS and other emergency workers. Boris Johnson said he was not taking a similar decision yet but that could change in the coming weeks and months.
The PM said: “We are considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures.
“The scientific advice as we’ve said over the last couple of weeks is that banning such events will have lit...
Here is what Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said yesterday...
1 Why do other nations seem to be doing more? Schools in Italy, France and Ireland are closed, regions are in lockdown and America has banned incoming flights from Europe. But according to the British experts, drastic measures require the support of the public – meaning the timing of when they are introduced is key.
Prof Whitty said: “The important part of the science of this is the behavioural science. People start off with the best of intentions [of following the rules] but if you start too early, people’s enthusiasm starts to run out just about at the peak, which is the time we want people to be doing these interventions. So we need to do it at the last point it is reasonable, so that people retain their enthusiasm through what will be difficult things to do.”
2 What are the symptoms?A high temperature – above 37.5C – and a new, continuous cough. Sir Patrick said modelling predicted a 20% to 25% reduction in the peak of the epidemic by getting people with mild symptoms to stay at home for a week.
Moving to whole-household isolation adds an extra 25% reduction – so together, those measures roughly halve the size of the peak. Preventing the elderly from getting infected could reduce death rates by 20% to 30%.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/21043/425639/5e6ba5b289248/1584113058_loc.jpg]
3 Will there be more announcements?Prof Whitty spoke of the need of isolating older and more vulnerable people but that will not happen yet as it could have other negative consequences, like increasing loneliness. There is also no need to close schools now as the advice is that it could do more harm than good. But this may change. The Government could also advise anybody living with someone who is taken ill to self-isolate for seven days, taking the total to 14 days.
4 What should I do if I feel ill?Prof Whitty said that potential patients should self-isolate for seven days. He said: “It helps to protect older or more vulnerable people who they might come into contact with.
“It is important that people with very minor symptoms do not call 111.” But if symptoms worsen they should use the helpline.
Prof Whitty said the virus is at its most contagious when symptoms first appear – so that by seven days the majority of people are not infectious. “The evidence would appear to be that some people with even quite mild symptoms can spread this virus to a lot of people. It is no longer necessary for us to identify every case and we will move from having testing mainly done in homes and outpatients and walk-in centres to a situation where people remaining at home do not need testing.”
5 Are large-scale events such as football matches going to be cancelled? Not as a matter of course in the UK, apart from in Scotland, where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took a decision to axe any events where more than 500 people are gathering.
But that is not because of the spread – largescale events actually do not make the spread more likely. Instead, Ms Sturgeon said she put a stop to them to free up the NHS and other emergency workers. Boris Johnson said he was not taking a similar decision yet but that could change in the coming weeks and months.
The PM said: “We are considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures.
“The scientific advice as we’ve said over the last couple of weeks is that banning such events will have lit...
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Daily Mirror UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 13, 2020