BUG FEARS
Matt Hancock ‘lacks basic understanding’ of coronavirus after claiming herd immunity is a ‘flawed goal’, say scientists
MATT Hancock “lacks a basic understanding” of coronavirus after claiming herd immunity is a “flawed goal”, two world-leading virus experts have said.
Dr Martin Kulldorff and Dr Jay Bhattacharya launched an anti-lockdown petition called “the Great Barrington Declaration” which argued the best way to beat the virus was to allow it to spread in young people.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
5
5
5
But Mr Hancock criticised their work and told the Commons it was “not true” that herd immunity can be reached by enough Brits catching Covid-19.
He also said it is “simply not possible” to “segregate the old the vulnerable” to protect them from the killer bug.
Mr Hancock said their petition, which has been signed by more than 33,000 medics and scientists, was based on two main claims which were “emphatically false”.
Co-authors Dr Kulldorff, from Harvard University and Stanford’s Dr Bhattacharya said the Health Secretary made “inaccurate statements” in the Commons.
COVID ROW
They said it is “shocking” that Mr Hancock does not have a “basic understanding” of the virus.
The doctors told : “Matt Hancock made inaccurate statements about herd immunity and the Great Barrington Declaration.
“After living with this terrible pandemic for eight months, it is shocking that the Health Secretary does not have a basic understanding of infectious disease epidemiology.
5
“With the following clarifications, we hope he can improve his pandemic job performance.”
The pair also addressed Mr Hancock’s claims that herd immunity is a “flawed goal without a vaccine” and that we “should have no confidence that we would ever reach herd immunity to Covid, even if everyone caught it”.
They replied: “Of course there is herd immunity for influenza and measles.
“Before vaccines, measles and other childhood diseases, outbreaks ended with herd immunity before everyone got sick.
After living with this terrible pandemic for eight months, it is shocking that the Health Secretary does not have a basic understanding of infectious disease epidemiology."
Dr Kulldorff and Dr Bhattacharya
“As new children were born, the number of susceptible people rose, leading to a new outbreak some years later.
“The same will happen with Covid-19. In the future, most will catch it as children, for whom it is a mild disease and less dangerous than influenza.
“The reason we see repeated annual outbreaks of influenza, despite herd immunity, is because a new form of influenza arrives every year.
“While Covid-19 reinfection can occur, it is so rare that it does not affect herd immunity.
“Even if immunity wanes over time, which is plausible, that will not happen completely nor simultaneously for everyone, so there will always be enough immunity around to avoid a repeat of this spring.”
There comments came as hospital admissions shot up across the UK, with the virus-hit North West of England suffering the biggest jumps.
It comes as Boris Johnson was last night under increasing pressure to order a nationwide mini-lockdown - with a 60 per cent chance he will bring in the measure over half-term.
'INACCURATE STATEMENTS'
Growing demands for a “circuit breaker” to tackle surging Covid cases came as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a shutdown of up to three weeks.
Scientists claim this could save thousands of lives.
The PM has so far rejected warnings from his medical advisers that a major reset is required.
But there is a growing belief in his inner circle that the move is inevitable.
Most read in UK News
One close Cabinet colleague said last night there is a 60 per cent chance he will bring in the measure over half-term, which begins for many a week on Friday.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland looks set to plunge into a four-week circuit breaker lockdown with schools, pubs and restaurants all to close.
Schools will close for half of the four-week period while restaurants and bars will only be able to offer takeaways.
5
Topics