1. Anyone who’s been following me for a while will know that I’ve been concerned about reinfection and persistence since #COVID19 first emerged. We now know both of these things occur. https://twitter.com/dgurdasani1/status/1332608343458844672

2. What we don’t know is the frequency of reinfection, or the prevalence and duration of viral persistence. Time and again, those who’ve minimised the risks and potential impact of this virus have been wrong.

3. A virus that is capable of reinfecting AND persisting presents real challenges. If vaccines don’t provide sterilising immunity, will they protect against the mechanisms that facilitate viral persistence? What does this persistence mean in adults and children?

4. We can’t answer these questions yet. We don’t even really understand what #LongCovid is, but evidence of viral persistence in some people suggests it’s not just a residual inflammatory response. The UK and US governments have downplayed risk at every stage.

5. Trump is on tape admitting to this, and there is little doubt the British government had access to the same information. The UK’s pandemic plan was based on flu. Broadly speaking, it was to hang on until the development of a vaccine. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-pandemic-preparedness/uk-pandemic-preparedness

6. The plan states this process would take 4 to 6 months. A flu vaccine against a pandemic strain is an endpoint. A non-sterilising vaccine against a coronavirus that can reinfect or persist is not an endpoint. Once again, the British government is pursuing a risky policy.

7. We already have public health measures that work. Other countries have shown that when these measures are applied effectively, infections can be minimised & economies can open safely. People can have health, freedom and prosperity. Vaccines aren’t saviours, they’re bonuses.

8. The UK government’s middle way offers the worst of both worlds. High levels of infection, loss of life, economic harm, and the possibility of long-term illness for some of those infected. If the gamble of holding on for a vaccine doesn’t pay off, what then? https://twitter.com/adamhamdy/status/1315914586927837185

9. We know what works. The UK government has chosen not to implement proven policies, largely because it still doesn’t seem to understand this virus. The John Snow Memorandum set out the scientific evidence and suggested the need for effective action. https://twitter.com/adamhamdy/status/1316513055250026497

10. The more we learn about this virus, the greater the imperative for suppression. We should not be gambling with a virus that seems capable of persistence. Lives, livelihoods and long-term health are at stake.

11. This isn’t some abstract issue. I know a number of people who now have cardiac damage, neurological disorders and other serious complications post-Covid. It’s troubling to see young, previously healthy, active people debilitated. Without action, this will affect us all.

12. Instead of accepting one of the worst public health responses in the world, we should demand the same protection as New Zealand or Vietnam.

Mockdowns, moonshots, and saviour vaccines aren’t the way to go. Stop gambling and implement the measures that ensure success.