Scotland, Covid and Herd Immunity
Jason Leitch laid out the Scottish Government's strategy for 'herd immunity' to defeat Covid back in March 2020.
One year on Glasgow is still under severe restrictions which is completely mad, of course, because all vulnerable groups have now been vaccinated and there is zero risk of the NHS being overwhelmed.
Coronavirus - Then and Now (May 28, 2020)
Here's an interesting Channel 4 interview with Scotland's national clinical director, Jason Leitch who was speaking on behalf of the Scottish Government on 16 March 2020, the week before the current lockdown was imposed - some of the key points:
- Original prediction was that 80% of the population would become infected with most suffering mild symptoms
- NHS staff testing - but only if showing symptoms
- No mention of care staff or hospital patients discharged to care homes or their own homes
- Scotland has adequate testing in place?
- Scotland and the rest of the UK in the context of World Health Organisation (WHO) advice
- Contact with the elderly and other vulnerable groups
- Spread of the Coronavirus by people with no symptoms
- The importance of social distancing - at the right moment
- The impact of lockdown measures on Scotland's care homes
- Part of the strategy was to develop herd immunity because "you can't get rid of the virus"
- Contact tracing was dropped in Phase 2 as part of the agreed UK wide strategy
