Top scientists warn UK’s progress on COVID-19 could be squandered

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The emergence of the Omicron variant shows that the world is “closer to the beginning of the pandemic than the end”, warned one of Britain’s top scientific figures, as he lamented the lack of political leadership for Covid.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust who resigned as government scientific advisor last month, said progress in the fight against Covid-19 since its onset was being “wasted”.

Writing in the Observer, he said rich countries were taking “a very local focus, calming to believe that the worst of the pandemic was behind us.” He said while he was cautiously hoping that current vaccines would protect against severe disease from Omicron, that may not be true for future variants.

“The longer this virus continues to spread in largely unvaccinated populations globally, the more likely it is that a variant will emerge that could defeat our vaccines and treatments,” he writes. “If that happens, we could be close to square one.

“This political drift and lack of leadership is prolonging the pandemic for everyone, with governments unwilling to address unfair access to vaccines, testing and treatment. There have been wonderful rhetoric, warm words, but no action necessary to ensure equitable access to what we know works and ends the pandemic. “. He said the urgent action needed remains unchanged — “wearing masks indoors, increased testing, social distancing, isolation if positive (with support to do so) and vaccination, all of which will help reduce transmission and protect against disease.”

Farrar’s intervention came as a major charity raised concerns about the government’s stepped-up crackdown, which it sees as the current best way to combat the virus. Caroline Abrahams, director of charity organizations at Age UK, said the program was “frankly a mess”. “It’s way later than it should be, and hearing this week that up to one in five nursing home residents haven’t gotten their boosters yet was nothing short of alarming,” she said.

She spoke after some of the doctors’ goals were put on hold to allow them to focus on giving the punches. Routine medical examinations for those over 75 and new patients may be postponed under the new guidance.

“Against this context, we agree that the top priority now is turbocharging the booster programme, to ensure that as many elderly and vulnerable people as possible get their vaccines, and quickly,” Abrahams said. “Ultimately this situation is further evidence of how weak our GP system is. Unless and until we invest more in it, we will continue to see these difficult choices arise whenever a crisis occurs, and that is certainly not in anyone’s interest, least of all seniors “.

The booster injection at St John’s Church, west London on December 4, 2021. Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

On Saturday, Downing Street announced it was offering pre-departure testing for people traveling to the UK. From Tuesday, they will have to complete a lateral flow test or PCR test 48 hours before entering the country. Officials said the move came as evidence emerged that the Omicron strain had been reported in more than 40 countries, with clear community transmission in places like Norway. They also said there was evidence that the incubation period was shorter than the other variables.

Labor has been pushing for the introduction of tests. A Downing Street source said new evidence about the variable’s prevalence and characteristics prompted the decision. This will further frustrate the travel industry, which has been hit hard by the Covid restrictions. Nigeria will also be added to the government’s red list of countries on Monday.

The sudden spread of Omicron dismayed many scientists. “What really surprised me was the rapid increase in the numbers of cases reported from South Africa,” said Professor Francois Ballou of University College London. “Cases are multiplying at a rate I have not seen before. It is very worrying.”

Early estimates indicated that this increase was driven by the fact that the Omicron variant could infect three to six times as many people as delta, over the same time period. It’s an alarming number that has been counterbalanced by early reports that have suggested that the alternative is, for now, less likely to result in hospitalization.

But scientists warned last week that caution should be exercised with such data. “It’s a really difficult situation. Even if Omicron were less likely to cause serious illness, it could still cause more hospitalizations and put more pressure on the health service, because many more people would become infected,” said Professor Roland Kao, from the University of Edinburgh.

Other concerns focus on the elderly. Scientists note that Omicron was spreading in younger age groups, but they are concerned that as it spreads, it could change shape to infect older and more vulnerable people.

Scientists say the situation is now in a critical equilibrium. The health service was already under threat from a spike in delta cases and the potential for a serious outbreak of seasonal influenza. “Omicron has changed the game so drastically that we don’t know how it will turn out,” Kao added.

There is also evidence that more than one in four (27%) British workers will present to work with symptoms of the Omicron variant because they need the money, including 23% of those whose job puts them at risk of infection. Also, 16% of workers said they would be able to work from home, but their employer wouldn’t allow them to, according to a survey by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce (RSA). Only 31% said they would receive support from their employer beyond statutory sick pay.

“To secure economic recovery, workers must be economically secure,” said Anthony Pinter, RSA’s chief research and impact officer. “In the short term, we need to see a ‘self-leave’ system and more generous sick pay, but in the longer term, both the governors and the business must clarify how to address the deep economic insecurity that Covid has only exposed.”

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