Lockdowns unlikely to stop Omicron spreading says UEA Professor
Professor Paul Hunter says the booster jab programme is the best tool we have against the virus
Last updated 2nd Dec 2021
Lockdowns are unlikely to help stop the spread of the new Omicron variant, which has been found in North Norfolk.
That's according to Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in epidemiology from the University of East Anglia.
It comes after a range of measures such as mandatory mask wearing in shops and on public transport were introduced on Tuesday.
He told us that booster jabs are the best tool we have and the current measures in place are designed to buy the programme more time: "Getting the booster jab when it's being offered is the thing that's most likely to be effective. All these other control measures by themselves are almost certainty not enough to stop the spread, but they slow it. Face-coverings aren't a guarantee that you're not going to get infected or a guarantee that you're not going to spread the infection, but they do reduce that risk.
"It's doubtful with what we know at the moment that even if we went back into another lockdown, that that would be enough to suppress the spread of this particular variant. So essentially all that we're doing is trying to reduce the rate at which it spreads, to enable us to get the booster vaccine out".
He went on to says its early days but there's reasons to be optimistic about the severity of this strain: "The more that it can escape from the control of vaccines, the more rapidly it's going to spread and possibly the more severe the cases we see might be. There's a hope and some initial indications that it may not be cause such severe disease. But its really too early to be certain about that."
Mr Hunter concluded by saying that those with underlying health conditions should not go to large festive gathering this month: "Particularly if you are a vulnerable person or live with vulnerable people, then do think twice about whether you need to go to the Christmas party this year. My view is probably the English Government will suggest that we don't have Christmas parties fairly soon and if it doesn't it probably should do".