Share this page!

Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
Twitter logo
4 Jan, 4 tweets, 1 min read
Scotland going into strict restrictions tonight for Jan to handle new variant. Children under 12 still allowed to play outside in larger groups and are excluded from 2 person outside limit for meetings.
Schools remain online learning for Jan (except for vulnerable/key worker kids) bc of substantial community transmission (& need to drive this lower) & considerable uncertainty & data gaps about role of children in transmission of new variant. Precautionary approach.
If you want schools back open for in-person learning, please please abide by restrictions so that we can all work together to get community transmission down.
Scotland FM @NicolaSturgeon showing strong leadership & decisive action today. Explaining current epidemic situation, why it is worrying, need to learn from other places (London/SE England) & rationale for the restrictions being put in place. One of the hardest jobs in the world.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Prof. Devi Sridhar

Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @devisridhar

Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
3 Jan
Happy Sunday! ❄️ Bad news: this new variant is spreading quickly & our current restrictions don’t seem to be enough. Xmas & NYE going to make it worse. Please be cautious & keep distancing/avoid indoor/crowded places!! Just need to get through this hardest period until Spring.
We all want schools open. But the challenge is keeping schools open with high transmission. Cases will keep arising in schools & bubbles sent home repeatedly. That’s not sustainable education. We all have to work together to break chains of transmission & get our numbers down.
What should govt be doing? Clear messaging is the start and using the tools we have: vaccines, mass testing, supported isolation, enhanced restrictions with economic support, pausing schools (except for certain groups) for 2-3 week to assess latest evidence & travel restrictions.
Read 5 tweets
Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
28 Dec 20
Happy Monday! ☀️ This is truly the worst time & normal to feel low- new variant spreading quickly, depths of winter, NHS under pressure. But we will get through with vaccines, testing, weather change in Spring & Summer, & continuing to look out for each other. Better days ahead!
If nothing else maybe European countries will realise by March that the East Asia & Pacific model of managing this crisis is optimal and pivot towards that. They’ve had a year to learn by then. All other roads have led to worse health & economic outcomes.
And in less than a year from detecting a novel virus, we have multiple tests, effective therapeutics & at least 3 vaccines. 👏 Just imagine where we will be in a year from now? It is not hopeless at all- loads of progress has been made. Delaying infections now makes sense.
Read 5 tweets
Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
26 Dec 20
Because you only matter if you’re under 60 & don’t have any other health conditions. Otherwise, bad luck!
This view completely misses that lockdown is caused by the high hospitalisation rate of Covid & pressure on health services. Which is also young people ill. And that the case fatality rate can jump to 10% if people, young or old, can’t get medical care like fluids or oxygen.
And to be clear, I’m not pro-lockdown. I’m anti-death, anti-disability & anti-economic pain & unemployment. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Read 5 tweets
Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
18 Dec 20
Happy Friday! ☀️ More good news: Moderna vaccine about to be approved in US & EU. Who would have thought we'd have at least 3 (!) effective & safe vaccines less than a year from identifying completely new virus (SARS-CoV-2)? Science is amazing. bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-…
Still big unknowns:
1. Do these vaccines stop transmission (people being infectious) or just severe COVID-19?
2. How long do they provide immunity for?
3. Will this become a yearly vaccination project for entire populations?
4. Do they prevent Long Covid (morbidity)?
With talk of mutation/strains, scientists concerned about:
1. Will new strain spread faster making suppression harder?
2. Will new strain have worse health outcomes?
3. Will new strain evade vaccine &/or naturally induced antibodies/t-cells?
We don't yet have answers to these.
Read 5 tweets
Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
4 Dec 20
But if you’re ‘elite’ enough, you can fly into the country with no tests or quarantine period. 😑 Have we learned nothing after 10 months?
These words sticking in my mind today *Government of the people, by the people, for the people* - Abraham Lincoln
Top Google searches today ‘How to become elite’, ‘How to become high value’. Others?
Read 4 tweets
Prof. Devi Sridhar Profile picture
26 Nov 20
Keep being asked questions about meeting/travel over the holidays that people want to hear an emotionally reassuring & comforting answer. I can't do that as a public health scientist right now & have to be straight, even if unpopular.
COVID doesn't care that it's Christmas or Thanksgiving. It spreads in indoor, poorly ventilated settings esp households. If you want to safely see family, check local prevalence, get outside for walks, ventilate indoor settings & isolate for 2 weeks before seeing vulnerable ppl.
You can also get tested (Boots, etc) before seeing family/travel but virus incubation period makes this tricky. Could test negative and be infectious & positive the next day. 2 negative tests several days apart can help mitigate risk.
Read 5 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @devisridhar has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @devisridhar!

Read all threads by @devisridhar