UK government planning for second peak of coronavirus infections, warns measures may go on for years

The UK is "absolutely" preparing for a second peak of coronavirus, despite a "definite and sustained decline" in new cases, the deputy chief medical officer for England has said.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, speaking at the government's daily coronavirus update, said the risk in new peaks will only be truly averted when a vaccine is found, but he added "we can't be sure" that will ever happen.

"We may need to live and learn to live with this virus in the long term and certainly for many months to come, if not several years," Prof Van-Tam said.

Social distancing had worked so far in reducing the spread of the virus, he added, but warned there may be an increase in cases when the season changes.

"It may well be that the autumn and winter conditions provide a better environment for the virus to then do its work again.

"So we have to be very cautious about that and plan for these kind of health care surges that we hope we don’t need but we want to be ready for them if they happen."

Syl wrote:Everyone of a certain age ...including myself, must be wondering if we will live long enough to ever know life like we have always known it.

I am watching films and envying people in the crowded streets and kerbside cafes...what was so normal now is so unatainable....maybe for life.

eddie wrote:

Syl wrote:Everyone of a certain age ...including myself, must be wondering if we will live long enough to ever know life like we have always known it.

I am watching films and envying people in the crowded streets and kerbside cafes...what was so normal now is so unatainable....maybe for life.

Not for life. Maybe we will all develop our own immune systems enough to deal with this...?

Syl wrote:Everyone of a certain age ...including myself, must be wondering if we will live long enough to ever know life like we have always known it.

I am watching films and envying people in the crowded streets and kerbside cafes...what was so normal now is so unatainable....maybe for life.

eddie wrote:Not for life. Maybe we will all develop our own immune systems enough to deal with this...?

Ben Reilly wrote:

Syl wrote:Everyone of a certain age ...including myself, must be wondering if we will live long enough to ever know life like we have always known it.

I am watching films and envying people in the crowded streets and kerbside cafes...what was so normal now is so unatainable....maybe for life.

Me too!!! But I don't think it will last for the rest of your life. I think we'll get to the point where some places will have to re-introduce social distancing, but life will largely go back to normal elsewhere. At least the optimistic part of me wants to believe that

Ben Reilly wrote:

The UK is "absolutely" preparing for a second peak of coronavirus, despite a "definite and sustained decline" in new cases, the deputy chief medical officer for England has said.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, speaking at the government's daily coronavirus update, said the risk in new peaks will only be truly averted when a vaccine is found, but he added "we can't be sure" that will ever happen.

"We may need to live and learn to live with this virus in the long term and certainly for many months to come, if not several years," Prof Van-Tam said.

Social distancing had worked so far in reducing the spread of the virus, he added, but warned there may be an increase in cases when the season changes.

"It may well be that the autumn and winter conditions provide a better environment for the virus to then do its work again.

"So we have to be very cautious about that and plan for these kind of health care surges that we hope we don’t need but we want to be ready for them if they happen."

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-18/dominic-raab-leads-the-government-s-daily-coronavirus-press-conference/

The "pretend nothing's wrong" approach is not going to work. A vaccine may not even work or be found, if the 30-plus strains of C-19 are sufficiently different from one another -- which we have to remember, happens with the flu all the time.

It's beginning to look like the only sure way to rid the world of C-19 is to starve it, and that means social distancing until the last patient recovers or dies.

Ben Reilly wrote:

Syl wrote:Everyone of a certain age ...including myself, must be wondering if we will live long enough to ever know life like we have always known it.

I am watching films and envying people in the crowded streets and kerbside cafes...what was so normal now is so unatainable....maybe for life.

Me too!!! But I don't think it will last for the rest of your life. I think we'll get to the point where some places will have to re-introduce social distancing, but life will largely go back to normal elsewhere. At least the optimistic part of me wants to believe that

Maddog wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:

Me too!!! But I don't think it will last for the rest of your life. I think we'll get to the point where some places will have to re-introduce social distancing, but life will largely go back to normal elsewhere. At least the optimistic part of me wants to believe that

When you come back to Texas in a few months, you will see things fairly close to normal.  

Yahoo News wrote:The Texas Department of State Health Services announced on Saturday that 1,801 new people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.  The statewide tally had risen to 48,640 patients and 1,344 deaths.
https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-relaxed-coronavirus-restrictions-even-183324484.html

Maddog wrote:Well, I guess he could stay in NY.  

Thorin wrote:Prototype Vaccines Protect Monkeys From Coronavirus

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/health/coronavirus-vaccine-harvard.html

Coronavirus vaccine trialing in monkeys in China is 'most impressive', says Irish health expert

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/coronavirus-vaccine-trialing-monkeys-china-22058504

Inovio says COVID-19 vaccine produces antibodies in mice, guinea pigs

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/inovio-says-covid-19-vaccine-112819498.html

Victorismyhero wrote:But Maddog....they couldnt make a monkey of you...why try to improve on nature?