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

Home energy smartmeter
Photo: iStock

Inflation jumps in October on higher energy bills

Britain's annual inflation rate jumped more than expected in October to back above the Bank of England's target as households and businesses faced higher energy bills, official data showed Wednesday.

The Consumer Prices Index reached 2.3 per cent from a three-year low of 1.7 percent in the 12 months to September, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nestle

Nestle logos are pictured in the supermarket of Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, February 13, 2020

REUTERS/Pierre Albouy/File Photo

Nestle to step up marketing investment; Waters and beverages to become standalone business

Nestle on Tuesday said it will increase investment in advertising and marketing to 9 per cent of sales by the end of 2025. The company also announced plans to make its waters and premium beverages activities a global standalone business from New Year.

Unveiling a plan to fuel and accelerate growth at a Capital Markets Day for investors and analysts, the Swiss group also said it aims cost savings of at least CHF 2.5 billion (£2.25bn) above existing initiatives by end 2027 to fund increased investments.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deposit Return Scheme

Retailers express concern over Welsh government’s decision to press on with its own DRS

A single UK-wide scheme deposit return scheme (DRS) would be far more successful, efficient and effective, retailer body the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has stated, expressing surprise and some concerns over Welsh government’s decision to press ahead with its own deposit return scheme for bottles and cans and not to join a UK-wide DRS.

The Fed’s National President Mo Razzaq has further warned that this decision by Wales - coupled with its intention to include glass in its scheme - would cause unnecessary confusion. He commented: “While we applaud Wales’s desire to make its deposit return scheme a success, we would prefer to see one single scheme for the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Insolvency

Retail insolvencies flat though 'wave of distress' expected

Retail insolvencies remained flat in the lead up to the Budget, shows a recent report, though experts feel that a wave of distress is expected following the Chancellor’s increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions and National Minimum Wage.

Today’s company insolvency statistics show retail trade insolvencies fell slightly from 2,101 in the 12 months to September 2023, to 2,089 in the 12 months to September 2024, and were flat month-on-month (137 in August 2024 to 138 in September 2024).

Keep ReadingShow less
Raj Patel

Raj Patel

National Lottery retailers help raise landmark £50bn for good causes

Today, on The National Lottery’s 30th birthday, operator Allwyn is announcing that, through selling tickets, National Lottery retailers have helped players raise a landmark £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994 – funding an incredible 700,000 individual projects across the UK.

Allwyn is also announcing that National Lottery retailers have now earned over £8 billion in sales commission since the first draw on Saturday 19 November 1994.

Keep ReadingShow less