PM warns ‘many more families will lose loved ones’ to coronavirus
Boris Johnson has warned that “many more families will lose loved ones before their time” as he confirms the UK is moving into the second stage of dealing with the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister, who chaired a COBRA meeting this afternoon, said it was “the worst public health crisis for a generation”, arguing it was not comparable to seasonal flu because of a “lack of immunity”.
As a result, people with mild symptoms including a fever and persistent cough should self-isolate for seven days. This advice mirrored that given out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier this afternoon.
Chief medical officer Chris Witty said evidence suggested that “people with really quite mild symptoms can spread this disease”, however in most cases it abated within a week.
Experts urged people with “minor” symptoms not to seek medical care, including calling 111. If symptoms deteriorate after several days, they should then call, Witty said.
However there were some differences in advice. Firstly, Johnson said that in a few weeks if someone in family has symptoms, it is likely that everyone in the family will have to self isolate.
Number 10’s advice has also differed on mass gatherings, which are not being ruled out currently.
Schools throughout the UK will remain open for the time being, although this will be kept under constant review.
As a result of moving from the contain to delay phase, testing will no longer be the default, Witty said. It is also no longer relevant where people came from.
Chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance confirmed that although the official number of positive cases of Covid-19 in the UK was 590, the actual number was likely to be far higher – as much as 10,000.
Asked why the government wasn’t taking greater action at this stage, Witty pointed to behavioural science, which he said shows “people start with the best intentions, but enthusiasm at a certain point starts to flag”. It was important to time social distancing to have the optimum impact, rather than have people give up at the worst point in the outbreak, he added.
“It sounds trivial to stay at home with mild symptoms – but wait until you’re doing it,” Witty said.