Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

EXPLAINED: Why Britain takes ‘delay’ approach to tackle coronavirus

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cautioned that more families will lose their loved ones to the coronavirus but has taken a distinctly different approach to tackling the outbreak.

Below is the scientific and public health argument behind the British approach.


Where Is the UK?

The United Kingdom is about four weeks behind Italy and other European countries. Between 5,000 and 10,000 people are believed by scientists to be infected in the UK. As of 9am on March 12, the country had tested 29,764 people. It had 590 confirmed cases and 10 people have died.

Delay and Reduce the Peak

"What you want to do is protect people in the most infectious period," said Patrick Vallance, the British government's chief scientific adviser.

Britain wants to "delay the peak and to push the peak down", he said, to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed and to push the peak into the summer months when the health service is less burdened.

Scientific and medical experts say they are adopting a "staged" approach, not bringing in more stringent measures until the infection rate increases "significantly", which may not happen until a "few weeks" from now.

They say the science of the virus is "broadly agreed" internationally but countries will take different measures to tackle the spread.

Timing Is Crucial

There is no point isolating the population at such an early stage as too few are infected, people get fed up with staying at home and a prolonged period of isolation could result in loneliness, the scientists say.

Closing schools is not logical at this point as they would have to stay closed for 13-16 weeks, many children would resist being isolated for so long and parents, including those working in the NHS, would be forced out of the workplace.

In essence, isolation will be needed but not yet.

"We do need to do it at the last point it is reasonable so that people maintain their energy and enthusiasm to get through what will be quite difficult things to do," said Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer.

Isolating the entire elderly population so early is not logical, according to the government's scientific advisers.

"Asking elderly people to stay at home - that is one thing that you really have to time... so that it coincides with the period at which the epidemic is at its peak," Johnson said. "That is one of the reasons we are not triggering that draconian measure now."

No Whiplash

Isolating the population would suppress the virus temporarily but it would then release it back into population and the entire health crisis would be repeated.

"If you completely locked down absolutely everything probably for a period of four months or more then you would suppress this virus," Vallance said. "All of the evidence from pervious epidemics suggests that when you do that and then you release it, it all comes back again."

Protect the Vulnerable

The disease has five days of mild viral illness, when sufferers could be very infectious, and then a small proportion of people have a second phase in which they have some sort of immune response which causes the damage. The elderly and sick are the ones in the gravest danger.

Herd Immunity

The British scientists do not believe the virus can be eradicated at this stage and that it will return.

"We think this virus is likely to be one that comes back year on year and becomes like a seasonal virus and communities will become immune to it and that's going to be an important part of controlling this longer term," Vallance said. "60% is the sort of figure you need to get herd immunity."

More for you

Cadbury, Mars, and Terry's chocolate products with higher prices and smaller sizes due to shrinkflation.

Shrinkflation hits chocolate prices

iStock image

Shrinkflation hits chocolate prices

Prices of some chocolate products have risen by 50 per cent in a year while many have also shrunk in size, states a recent report, raising the concern of shrinkflation among shoppers ahead of Easter celebrations.

The latest report by Which?, the price of eggs made by big names including Cadbury, Mars and Terry’s have risen by as much as 50 per cent in some cases while some have also shrunk in size, according to research by consumer champion Which?.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fyffes Trudi’s ethical bananas in SPAR North of England store 2025

SPAR North of England launches new Trudi’s brand in UK exclusive

SPAR North of England has launched Fyffes’ new ethical trade brand Trudi’s in a UK exclusive for bananas.

The large premium bananas are free of plastic packaging and are available in a paper banded pack of five or loose, including as part of SPAR Meal Deals. This is meeting shifting customer demands and is driving sales in store.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK food and drink manufacturing facing -47% confidence drop in 2025
iStock image

Food and drink makers call for government action as confidence drops

A food and drink makers body is calling on the government to work with industry to boost growth and the competitiveness after a recent survey drop in the confidence among the maker as inflationary pressures including energy, labour and raw material costs gain pace.

According to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), business confidence plummeted to -47 per cent in the final three months of last year, down from -6 per cent in the previous quarter, as companies in the sector were hit by measures announced in the October budget.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hemanshu Patel representing Fed’s response to Payzone fee hike 2025

Fed’s national deputy vice president Hemanshu Patel

The Fed

Payzone services at risk after fee rise, Fed warns

Independent retailers will seriously think twice about providing Payzone services in their stores following the news that the company is increasing its fees by 3.5 per cent from April, the National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has warned.

Letters advising of the increase have been arriving with members since the beginning of this month. They state that the increases to its weekly charge to £5.54 - and to £8.85 for those offering card processing - are in line with its annual retail index price adjustment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Police at Johnson Newsagents in Colchester after knifepoint robbery 2025
iStock image

Arrests made in multiple convenience store thefts

Active police response was seen across the country in the past couple of days , resulting in the arrest of alleged thieves targeting convenience stores.

According to local reports, a man has been charged after three convenience stores in Norwich were raided with a crowbar.

Keep ReadingShow less