“I don’t think we’ll eradicate coronavirus ever, I think it’s going to be with humankind forever.” said Professor Van-Tam during this evening’s Downing Street press briefing

Jonathan Van-Tam The Deputy Chief Medical advisor added:

“I think we may get to a point where coronavirus becomes a seasonal problem… possibly flu is the kind of way we would learn to live with it. Do I think there will come a big moment where we have a massive party and throw our masks and hand sanitiser? No I don’t. Those habits will perhaps persist for many years. And that may be a good thing if we do.”

The comments came at the end of a day that saw The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK, paving the way for mass vaccination.

At the same press conference the Prime Minister :

“There will come a moment where we’re able to relax the non-pharmaceutical interventions. All the things that are so difficult we will steadily, we hope, be able to take those off.” adding
“we’re not there yet and there are weeks, months to go before we’re in that situation, alas. But thank goodness we now have a vaccine to work with.”

Earlier Van Tam fell back in his train analogy

“What a fantastic journey. And I gave you the train analogy many weeks ago now. The train has now slowed down safely. It has now stopped in the station and the doors are opened. That was the authorisation by the MHRA.
“Now we need people to get on that train and travel safety to those destinations. This train is going to stop several times on the way, it’s going to have to reach all parts of the UK. There will be trains that come behind it and that is going to take time. Everyone needs to be delighted with the news today, but patient and realistic about how this rolls out.”

 

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