WINTER IS COMING
Winter could bring second lockdown as another deadly wave of coronavirus spreads UK, says top Gov scientist
WINTER could bring a deadly second wave of the virus in the UK as the nation's health services come under more pressure and temperatures plummet.
Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Medical Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance both gave a chilling warning this evening that coronavirus could come back with a vengeance in the UK.
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Sir Patrick said this evening scientists were looking carefully at how lockdown was managed "should this happen again in the winter."
Professor Whitty said: "We have to accept that we could find ourselves in one of three situations.
"One is where we have a situation where (the virus) starts to escape control.";
"The aim is that we (ease measures) very slowly to prevent that from happening but that's the risk.
"The second situation is (the virus returning in winter) and we all think there is a a reasonable chance that in the winter this virus will have some advantages it doesn't have the rest of the year.
"It's something that transmits more easily indoors.
"Therefore, things that are working well in summer and autumn may cease to be working as well in winter.
"The nature of new epidemics is very often they come in waves, circling around the world and if we get hit by another wave.
"At that point we need to understand better what is the optimal mix of things we can do."
One of the Government's key tests for lifting lockdown is ensuring the NHS will be able to cope - but as the nights start to draw in and more people fall ill with regular winter viruses, the health service could start to falter again.
But Professor Whitty added a hopeful note to his warning, saying it is unlikely to be as devastating as when it first hit the UK because of the massive amount of information scientists now have about the virus.
Sir Patrick also said the R rate - the rate of transmission of the virus - was below one in all areas of the UK - at a national and regional level.
His assurances follow fears the number may have crept up over one - when the virus could start growing exponentially - in some areas of England.
The Government's top scientists warnings come after former Sage member Professor Neil Ferguson saying today coronavirus deaths could have been halved if the nation had gone into lockdown a week earlier.
It was thanks to Professor Ferguson's modelling showing 500,000 people could die that the PM sent the country into shutdown on March 23.
Sir Patrick warned the country needs to "proceed very cautiously" as lockdown measures are eased.
From this weekend, single Brits will be able to form "support bubbles" with people from other single-adult households to help an epidemic of loneliness.
They will be able to go into one another's homes and even stay overnight without having to social distance.
But if one member of the bubble falls ill with symptoms, they will all have to self-isolate for 14 days.
The PM was adamant the country continued to meet the crucial five tests for easing lockdown, despite the coronavirus alert level staying at level 4.
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