➡️SAGE minutes
➡️SPI
➡️Future evolution of SARS-COV-2
In summary, this doesn't support details coming out about the Government's "living with covid" plans
2/ To start with, future evolution of the virus document and the discussion of this in the SAGE meeting
Possible scenarios
3/ All scenarios assume we reach stable reoccurring patterns over a 2-10 year period
Immune escape of future variants and waning immunity will be important factors
Possible to end up with more than one variant co-circulating
4/ Viral variant characteristics are not necessarily predictive of each other, eg higher transmissibility doesn't mean its going to be less severe
Unlike what others claim this isn't a given!
5/ Surveillance, vaccines, therapeutics and testing will have a large impact on outcomes
This does not support scrapping ONS surveillance and cutting back massively on testing
"Waves will be worse if detected late"
How quickly can gov ramp back up testing once dismantled?
6/ Warns against extensive use of antivirals, these need to mainly be held back in case of lower vaccine effectiveness
We don't have the supplies yet for mass use but when we do, gov saying antivirals means high transmission can be sustained is either disingenuous or that...
7/ they plan on risking our fall back plan in the case of a dangerous variant
If a dangerous variant does arrive then it looks like UK gov is going to be leaving us very vulnerable and underprepared
8/ SAGE discussing the Virus Evolution paper
High confidence variants less susceptible to current vaccines will emerge
"No reason future dominant variants should be similarly or less severe than Omicron"
SAGE don't think it's just going to turn into the flu or a cold
9/ Another note that antivirals need to be used in a way to reduce the risk of resistance emergence
"We now have antivirals, dont worry about masks, ventilation, filtration etc"= bollocks excuse for letting it rip
10/ SAGE minutes: Current situation
As @chrischirp has pointed out tracking of cases vs ONS infection survey aren't tracking as they have in the past
Cases in over 60s increasing in some regions
BA2 growing, highest in NI, could explain their higher and increasing positivity
11/ Suggests behavioural changes have had a big impact on current case rate, lots of ppl still being cautious
This wouldn't have happened without SAGE's warnings in Dec, bet @spectator won't point this out in their next "SAGE was wrong article"
12/ Continued high rates of hospitalisations in under fives, action point is to further assess the data for small children
Future waves could have sharper peaks due to reduced testing, importance of testing is said repeatedly
13/ SAGE minutes: Social and Behavioural changes impacts of lifting restrictions
Removing access to free testing and isolation will cause CEV increased anxiety, and will disproportionately impact the more vulnerable ppl in society
14/ Government must tackle presenteeism, providing support for workers to stay off when I'll is recommended.
Messaging must be clear and consistent to encourage encourage ppl
Vulnerable ppl should continue with protective measures
15/ SPI paper
Removing restrictions requires mitigations against harms to disadvantaged and vulnerable, these groups are likely to be disproportionately impacted by removal of testing
Good evidence for improving sick pay and access to it
16/ NHS advicr for years has been to stay at home if you have flu like symptoms, this advice has been ignored and there are concerns the same will happen with Covid, not staying at home likely to cause more outbreaks, deaths and increased morbidity
16/ As in the SAGE meeting SPI-B say Gov messaging should stress importance of general public understanding how their behaviour can impact the vulnerable
Concerns of attacks on those seeking to protect themselves
Concerns for marginalised communities
17/ Also slide in tweet 15 does say that this is likely to lead to increased outbreaks in schools, so more disruption and sickness for us, so choosing more disruption to education to keep the CRG happy
19/ Basically saying that if gov scraps requirements it should continue to recommend voluntary adherence to continue reducing risk
Provide a toolkit for reducing risk, cut out central control and trust local decision making, so NO to DfE emailing heads to micromanage
20/ More advice on the need for clearer messaging
21/ Long term communication considerations
More needs to be done about informing the public of long term health consequences
Support for all the wider harms of the pandemic including grief needs to be considered by health professionals
22/ Slightly different to other SAGE papers, reads as though its retrospective, rather than looking through policy choices the only scenarios are virus evolution, the rest feels like trying to mitigate against policy decisions already made
23/ One thing is clear, it's not SAGEs advice the UK government is listening to.
Attendees
One final addition, it looks like the UK government is embracing the Great Barrington Declaration, this author Sunetra Gupta's current view on the Pandemic
Herd immunity apparently now means constant reinfection
🧵Oh what a suprise, Together Declaration are part of this network, and members of the Exec like UsForThem founder Kingsley accused anyone who said they were a hard right political project of smears and defamation
2/ Founded as anti-lockdown but going straight into anti-vax talking points, Together then switched to anti Ulez, anti net zero heading towards climate change denial
3/ They have been one of the main groups peddling nonsense about the WHO pandemic treaty, starting two years ago with Farage then becoming the leading face of a new astroturf group
While much of the media claims the inquiry is accomplishing nothing, its slowly revealed the gov knew transmission occurs in schools and causes harm to a not insignificant number of children
2/ The bill gives the Secretary of State the power to add to the list of interests that can access your childrens data through secondary legislation avoiding parliamentary scrutiny
3/ The Bill also permits 14-18 year olds to be targeted with political marketing
3/ More and more evidence emerges of the long term harms caused by covid, but the UK govs preferred paedatricians continue to peddle claims that with enough infections children will develop lasting immunity
Said this would occur after 1 infection, what is it now? 5? 7? 10?🤷♂️
🧵Cass Review
Not had a chance to read the whole thing yet, but have had time to look through the main points
What positives can be taken from it? The time spent on waiting lists was identified as a major issue, all children's services are massively underfunded at the moment
2/ I would like to think that this will lead to an investment in all children's support services like CAHMS, more pastoral support in schools etc
That would be a positive outcome, regardless of what else is included in the review, unfortunately real terms cuts are the reality
3/ What matters is how government interprets the review and what it chooses to implement, additional funding for children isn't going to be prioritised over tax cuts to appease RW papers
Imagine if the billions from last round of tax cuts had instead been invested in children