Absolutely right UK as Europe at tipping point. Tipping points not defined by a day they happen over wks as transmission increases. Later functional interventions in place harder & longer they are needed to reduce transmission.Very tough political choices independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
No easy, simple non-disruptive choices. It is simply not possible to have everything open, working, schools/HE/FE back & also reduce transmission & prevent all COVID related and unrelated illness. These are very hard political choices & none are easy.
A "Swedish" model is not that different. Anyone offering simple, easy options, or arguing that everything can be opened up without restrictions & such a choice will have little or no consequence is doing a disservice to society & to the choices that need to be made.
At a time of such national and international crisis, is this a time to put party politics & arguments aside and have a short term national government?
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Plus @wellcometrust Discovery Research all aspects curiosity, investigator/team science plus opportunities Infection Challenge Area-New targets and/or antibiotics,Stewardship Policies, Surveillance, @CARB_X, Vaccines, Diagnostics with a commitment of £16Bn wellcome.org/news/wellcomes…
An absolute commitment to Discovery Research, open, investigator/team based curiosity driven research - wellcome.org/news/unlocking…
1/2 Personal view 1) I'll wear mask public transport & crowded indoors 2) Enhance ventilation work places/schools/homes 3) Ensure vaccinated & boosted 4) Support employees/education stay home if symptomatic or testing positive bbc.co.uk/news/health-62…
5) Make Test-Treat accessible & available 6) Prepare now for Flu/COVID in 2022/23, support staff in and enhance capacity of NHS, Care facilities Essential services & all employment/education for higher levels of illness and disruption through 2022/2023 bbc.co.uk/news/health-62…
7) Increase investment in R&D, Distributed manufacturing and equitable access for Tests, Treatment, 2nd/3rd Generation Vaccines that reduce transmission & prevent severe illness. 8) Prevention & response to another event or crisis & resilience to cope with more than one event
@jburnmurdoch@ewanbirney Underlines "Vaccine Plus" strategy & need 2nd & 3rd Generation Vaccines that are transmission blocking & reduce illness/death Plus New Therapeutics, Access Tests, & Non-Pharmacological Public Health-Test, Masks, Community Surveys, Reduce contacts if symptoms/+ve test. Ventilation
@jburnmurdoch@ewanbirney Perspective @washingtonpost "What if we’re in middle not the end of pandemic?" What do we need to do & no regrets. Just hoping it is over, or only planning for some apparent easy transition to endemicity is not wise. Need to prepare for multiple scenarios. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/…
@jburnmurdoch@ewanbirney@washingtonpost The seductive political narrative is a transition to endemic infection, a less severe infection, "living with COVID". That is only one possible scenario.There are others. We cannot only prepare for the one we all hope for. We need to prepare for multiple scenarios.
Summary of comments 1) Events in east Europe over the last 12 hours remind us all if we needed it of what an uncertain, troubled and turbulent world we live in. 2) Pay tribute to Paul Farmer who passed away this week, who made such a huge contribution to so many.
3) Tribute @WHO Leadership, World Health Emergency Programme, @rd_blueprint Team & Health Care & Essential Workers,Researchers globally. 5) Tribute @WHO@rd_blueprint Meeting Feb2020 which set the spirit & tone of the collaborative approach public health, researchers, clinicians
Huge respect all authors & agree with conclusions- "Entering new phase pandemic. All over world an assessment measures most suited to this phase. Top of list- Vaccination, good indoor ventilation, monitoring of SARS-Cov-2 & other possible pandemic threats. dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-0…
Every country/region will need to do this,timing will vary as pandemic waves shift globally. Personal additions - Reasonable to plan for the most likely scenario but we must also have the humility to prepare for other scenarios
1: Equitable access, sustainable access to all tools needed Dx,Tx,Vx,Surveillance,Health Systems. 2: Shift to ensure utility all the time & beyond SARS-Cov2 by building stronger horizontal disease systems agnostic to specific type whilst not losing impact of vertical programmes