100,000 Brits could die if coronavirus lockdown is lifted too soon, Prof Neil Ferguson claims

BRITAIN could see 100,000 deaths if the lockdown is lifted too soon, an expert has claimed.

Professor Neil Ferguson warned it would be impossible to send some people back to work without seeing a huge increase in deaths.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

The Imperial College epidemiologist insisted social isolation was here to stay until a vaccine is found.

He told : “In practical terms, you would require a very high level of effective shielding for that to be a viable strategy.

“If you just achieve 80 per cent shielding – and 80 per cent reduction in infection risk in those groups – we still project that you would get more than 100,000 deaths this year from that kind of strategy.

“The most vulnerable people are also the people who most need care and most need interaction with the health system and are least able to be truly isolated.”

Professor Ferguson has been helping advise the Government on what measures are needed to tackle the virus.

Britain entered the coronavirus lockdown on March 24, and some European nations are beginning to ease measures.

Ministers, however, are reportedly gloomy about any significant easing of the lockdown on May 7, needing to meet five key  including slashing the number of cases and securing regular supplies of PPE.

His comments come as Dominic Raab admitted a coronavirus vaccine is “unlikely to come this year”.

In a blow to Britain’s battle with the virus, the Foreign Secretary today warned the process of making a vaccine will take a while.

Scientists the world over are attempting to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 – which has killed almost 200,000 people across the globe.

Vaccines often take years to develop, but researchers are trying to achieve the goal in a matter of months.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.