[Article/Guancha.com Qiqi] Since 2021, the number of new confirmed cases in the United Kingdom has exceeded 50,000 per day, and on January 8, it was approaching 70,000;
As of January 10th local time, the United Kingdom has confirmed more than 3 million cases, becoming the first country in Europe to have more than 80,000 deaths;
Since the discovery of the mutant virus was announced last December, the infectious coronavirus, which is 50% higher, has spread like a “wildfire” across the UK…
Since the “three lockdowns” since January 5, the effect of epidemic prevention in Britain is not optimistic.
According to the British Mirror on the 9th, the country’s health care system is currently on the verge of collapse.
At this time, some scientists question that the current blockade measures taken by the government are too weak to stop the spread of the mutant virus.
They then suggested that the government learn from Asian countries such as China and Vietnam and adopt strict “Asian-style” blockades, including using idle hotels for mandatory quarantine, issuing mask injunctions in public places, and closing kindergartens and religious places.
British Prime Minister Johnson announced on Monday that from January 5 to mid-February, England will enter a third “lockdown”, taking similar epidemic prevention measures as those during the initial lockdown last March.
Johnson also said that medical staff are trying to vaccinate “tens of millions” Britons by April.
However, the Mirror reported on the 9th that so far, the move has had little effect.
At present, more than 32,000 confirmed cases are being treated in hospitals, causing the British medical system to be on the verge of collapse; in London, one in 15 people is infected and has become the hardest hit by the epidemic.
A leaked confidential British NHS document shows that even under the most optimistic circumstances, the number of patients admitted to London intensive care unit will reach 2,300 next week, which may cause a medical run.
One medical worker said: “It’s incredible to think that we may need to put 2,300 patients on ventilators. I don’t think we can do it.”
Professor Deanan Pillay, a member of the Independent Sage for Emergency Situations (an unofficial organization that replaces the British government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), said, “Because the government has been working for a year. “
The sub-optimal response”, the hospital’s medical capacity is at risk.
In response, another member of the independent group, Professor of Global Health at University College London and former director of WHO, Anthony Costello said that only a “total blow” is enough to stop the virus.
He said: “We are in a national crisis that is out of control.
We should not open nurseries, synagogues, churches and mosques. We should force masks to be worn and keep two meters away from person to person.
Costello stressed: “We must take this matter seriously, and that’s what Asian countries do.
The longer we allow the virus to spread, the sooner the vaccine will be ineffective against the virus, and then we will really be in the bad way (in deep doo-doo).
Christina Pagel, a professor of operations research at University College London, agreed that the government’s current measures are “fairly likely” to fail. “We have to start thinking about mandatory quarantines, like in China and Vietnam,” she said.
We have a lot of empty hotels and we can take advantage of this space (mandatory isolation).”
The Mirror mentioned that in Asian countries such as China and Vietnam, the government implements strict epidemic prevention measures, including strictly tracking close contacts and requiring any inbound and close contacts to be quarantined for two weeks in isolation centers.
But Professor Pegel added that the British government should subsidize at least one living expenses for infected people in isolation, because the lack of livelihood is forcing many people to refuse to self-isolate.
Meanwhile, the British Labor Party is growing dissatisfaction with the Johnson government’s epidemic prevention measures.
Labour’s shadow cabinet health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the full lockdown “should have come earlier” and that the UK is paying a “catastrophic price” for Johnson’s “hesitation and delay”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed, who said in an interview with the BBC program that the current lockdown rules “may not be strict enough”.
