Thread by @StefSimanowitz

1/. A year ago, at midnight on 23 March, Britain finally went into lockdown

On the same day, #FacultyAI proposed modelling for “targeted #HerdImmunity”

Govt scientist, Edmunds claims late lockdown was an “error” & @neil_ferguson says it cost 20,000 lives

https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1270484296009056256

2/. But to lockdown earlier wasn’t an “error”

It was part of the govt’s nefarious strategy

They knew they would have to lock down & yet the govt didn’t even model for lockdown until mid-March

They used the unscientific idea of “behavioural fatigue” to delay lockdown by 3 weeks

https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1255581752896167940

3/. The PM claims he “stuck to the science like glue”

It isn’t true

Late lockdown wasn’t scientific

“Behavioural fatigue” wasn’t scientific

The #HerdImmunity strategy - allowing #COVID19 to spread - was deadly

Herd immunity is an outcome NEVER a strategy

But they knew this

https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1372465202306899969

4/. The reason for lockdown on 24 March was to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed NOT to fully
suppress or eliminate #COVID19

This mitigation strategy is in line with govt’s #HerdImmunity strategy

The idea that the govt ‘pivoted away’ from herd immunity isn’t supported by facts.

https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1274734840156430340

5/ Last June, SAGE minutes showed that the govt knew on 25 February - 3 weeks before they claimed - that NHS ICU beds would be overwhelmed

SAGE recommended lockdown on 13 March so why did it take 11 days?

Were they trying to “allow the disease to spread through the population”?

https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1271526217548693511

6/. Asked in May why one of the key stated aims of govt #COVID19 strategy was changed from “preventing a second peak” to “avoid overwhelming the NHS”, @uksciencechief couldn’t recall

JH: Why was that condition was changed?

PV: I'm not sure I can tell you

7/. Incredibly, @uksciencechief Vallance couldn’t remember when SAGE advised the govt to lockdown

“On the 18th or 16th of March, I can’t remember”

It was actually the 13th March

@BorisJohnson & @carriesymonds held a baby shower in Chequers on 14th March

8/. The govt’s strategy seemed designed not only to allow #COVID19 to pass through the population but also to sow confusion & uncertainty

"Is the objective still to let COVID flow through the population & just to stay within NHS capacity?" @devisridhar

9/. It seems clear that the late lockdown was not a unfortunate error, but instead a central pillar of the govt’s so-called #HerdImmunity strategy

We know the govt knew that herd immunity is & outcome & never a strategy, so what were/are they really up to?

Some answers here👇

https://twitter.com/stefsimanowitz/status/1370281854067179521

10/. The @TheLancet’s @richardhorton1 describes the UK’s response as “the greatest science policy failure for a generation” & “a national scandal”

This wasn’t a “mistake”

It was part of the #HerdImmunity strategy which in turn is part of a bigger plan.