Today's press briefing - Harries asked about the possible lack of long-term immunity to COVID-19, which may have implications for vaccination & reinfection. Harries says antibody tests will make this clearer (this is not necessarily the case - as Abs are not always neutralising)
She says she's still hopeful about a vaccine. Mentions that elderly people may not mount a robust antibody response. Puts into context all the decisions that have been made based on 'herd immunity' so far. This may not even be possible - understanding this needs a lot more work.
First antibody tests are generally poor at the moment- lots of cross-reactivity with antibodies against other viruses. Second, the presence of antibodies, does not mean that re-infection isn't possible, because these may not effectively neutralise the virus.
Jenrick asked about the 1.8 million people being asked to shield & the support they will need through prolonged isolation & lockdown. Jenrick speaks about food supplies & mental health support. Worth considering wheter TTI could mitigate the need for prolonged 'shielding'.
Harries saying that the definition of high risk vulnerable populations is being updated based on the data available. Also looking at adapting existing NHS services to vulnerable groups - e.g. virtual management, and mental health support in the community
Harries responding to question about TTI implementation & when this is likely to safely help us out of lockdown. Harries once again speaks to quick testing. And to a hybrid system that includes an app & ? manual tracing. No more information here than's been shared before.
No response on when TTI will be in place. Hancock last said they were recruiting 18,000 people for tracing, but not clear how many (if any) have been recruited. Harries asked about this again as she didn't answer the first time round. Harries says this is an 'exciting adventure'
And everyone has to 'work together on this'. She still doesn't answer the question - says they need to trial it and will be doing this 'soon'.
Is she alluding to signing up for the app, when she suggests the public need to 'work together on this'.
Is she alluding to signing up for the app, when she suggests the public need to 'work together on this'.
This is important, because there is a lot of distrust about the companies managing the contact tracing app, given they were involved in the Leave.EU data analysis, and haven't responded to questions about their involvement in the campaign.
I for one would really like more transparency on this. If the public are to trust this collection of data, we need to know why these companies have been chosen to manage national data, given their previous history of involvement in campaigns that have breached the law.
The success of contact tracing through app is reportedly dependent on uptake. And uptake requires trust. Why has the govt chosen such controversial companies and leaders to lead this, when cultivating trust was so important when collecting these very sensitive data?
I certainly don't feel comfortable sharing my information in this way, given the lack of transparency around this at the moment. And many others are likely to feel the same way. There are also important analyses that have brought the efficacy of such an approach into doubt.
Jenrick asked now whether uptake will determine success of tracing. Jenrick says again that 'we all need to work together on this' and he's 'optimistic'. Provides no more detail. Current analysis of digital tracing suggest that these are likely to be less effective than suggested
Jenrick talks about ensuring tests are accessible to care workers. I can't believe we're still talking about this over 6 weeks into the outbreak. Clearly care home workers and residents still not being able to access tests to the extent needed.
Jenrick asked about whether mass gatherings will be allowed given previous comments about people being 'more likely to contract SARS-CoV2 in a pub than a football match'. Jenrick waffles for a few mins, without really saying anything useful.
Harries defending the statement about pubs, saying the outdoors are much safer than indoors. Hmm... so a football crowd is safer than a couple meeting in a pub? Good to know these are the public health experts leading our response.
Harries asked about the new cases among NHS staff/care homes (pillar 2) exceeding those carried out within the NHS (pillar 1). Harries speaks about 'systematic processes' managing infection, and says while PPE is important, it's not the only element.
Fully expect them to say this, given PPE is still not fully available in care home settings. There are reports of care home staff who have lost their lives, likely due to lack of PPE. And care homes are clearly hot beds of transmission with >70% of care homes with confirmed cases
Very disappointed that no one is asking about the actual capacity for testing - how many tests are being processed in a single day - and what are the implications of this capacity on TTI. We need much more capacity if we are to control transmission given the high no. of cases.
Overall, a briefing almost completely devoid of any new information. It's amazing how much time is spent talking given nothing is being said. 'These are matters we are considering' is not an answer. Disappointingly, this is also not a forum for govt reflecting on lessons learned.
