By Ben Kerrigan-
Prof Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, today dashed any hopes that the new norm of social distancing will be changed anytime soon. There had been little hope that the lockdown, extended by Dominic Raab until May 7th at the earliest, would end there and not be re-extended. Today, the medical expert said that the measures will only be lifted if a COVID-19 vaccine has been found.
Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus press conference: “In the long run, the exit from this is going to be one of two things, ideally.One of which is a highly effective vaccine… and/or highly effective drugs so people stop dying of this disease, even if they catch it.
“Until we have those – and the probability of having those in the next calendar year are incredibly small – we are going to have to rely on other social measures, which of course are very socially disruptive as everyone is finding at the moment. The UK’s chief medical officer has suggested social distancing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus could remain in place for the rest of the year.
Professor Chris Whitty said ‘disruptive social measures’ would have to go on until a vaccine, or ‘highly effective drugs’, could be found, which he warned was unlikely to happen this year.
“In the long run, the exit from this is going to be one of two things, ideally,” Prof Whitty said at Wednesday’s Downing Street press conference.
“A vaccine, and there are a variety of ways they can be deployed… or, and or, highly effective drugs so that people stop dying of this disease even if they catch it, or which can prevent this disease in vulnerable people.”Until we have those, and the probability of having those any time in the next calendar year are incredibly small, and I think we should be realistic about that.
“We’re going to have to rely on other social measures, which of course are very socially disruptive as everyone is finding at the moment.
“But until that point, that is what we will have to do but it will be the best combination that maximises the outlooks, but it’s going to take a long time and I think we need to be aware of that.”
“A vaccine, and there are a variety of ways they can be deployed… or, and or, highly effective drugs so that people stop dying of this disease even if they catch it, or which can prevent this disease in vulnerable people.
“Until we have those, and the probability of having those any time in the next calendar year are incredibly small and I think we should be realistic about that.
“We’re going to have to rely on other social measures, which of course are very socially disruptive as everyone is finding at the moment.
“But until that point, that is what we will have to do but it will be the best combination that maximises the outlooks but it’s going to take a long time and I think we need to be aware of that.”
“We have to be very realistic,” he said. “If people are hoping it’s suddenly going to move from where we are in lockdown to where suddenly into everything is gone, that is a wholly unrealistic expectation.
“We are going to have to do a lot of things differently for s really quite a long period of time, the question is what is the best package and this is what we’re trying to work out.“If you release more on one area, you have to keep on board more of another area so there’s a proper trade-off and this is what ministers are having to consider.” New Labour leader Keir Starmer has called on the British government to reveal its exit strategy, but Dominic Raab has repeated his five criteria that must be met before the lockdown is eased-all dependent on the scientific advice