Prime Minister Boris Johnson has largely kept Britain open, opting for more targeted measures, a strategy that has startled some epidemiologists.
to keep the beaches open after a constituent is eaten by a shark. As the coronavirus now stampedes across Britain and much of the world, Mr. Johnson is heeding the same principle, spurning the mass closures that have become commonplace across Europe and gambling his political future on a more restrained approach. While countries across Europe have shut schools, sporting events and even restaurants and bars, Mr. Johnson has largely kept Britain open, opting for more targeted measures like asking people with respiratory symptoms to stay home. In effect, his government has said that mass closures will not halt the outbreak, and that exposing a large segment of the population will help build immunity and limit future infections.
That strategy has startled some epidemiologists, drawn criticism from a former health secretary and political ally, and prompted angry demands that Mr. Johnson’s government reveal more of its reasoning.
In this instance, Mr. Johnson has fashioned himself as the dispassionate answer to leaders across Europe who have acted more aggressively.
But his government is not immune from public alarm, signaling late Friday night that it would reverse course on at least some aspects of its approach. It told British news outlets that it would ban some mass gatherings, like sporting matches and concerts, starting next weekend, and lay the groundwork for more widespread working at home. So far, in the absence of government-mandated shutdowns, private entities in Britain have taken up the slack. Unilever, the British-Dutch consumer goods company, said on Friday that it was ordering all its office-based employees to work from home starting next week. And the Premier League, England’s highest-level soccer league, suspended games until at least next month. Mr. Johnson’s government itself moved on Friday to postpone hundreds of local elections and the London mayoral election for a year after a watchdog said the coronavirus would affect campaigning and voting.
But Mr. Johnson has resisted other measures, like closing schools, restricting mass gatherings, steering people away from restaurants or bars and banning crowds from sporting events.
By then, it hopes that the warmer weather will reduce further transmission – though virologists still do not know if that will hold true – and the National Health Service, free of the usual wintertime crowds, will be better able to cope with whomever is infected.
Some epidemiologists have also bristled at the government reliance on a private firm of behavioral scientists, known as the “nudge unit.” That unit has helped shape the government approach to delaying any shutdowns until later in the course of the virus, on the theory that people will get bored of staying at home by the time the outbreak is at its peak and separation is most needed.
And Professor Hibberd, of the London School of Hygiene, said the government approach may not rely enough on testing. Without knowing whether Britain is suffering a more concentrated outbreak, as in the north of Italy, or whether its death rate is as low as it believes, it is difficult to craft the right response.
“If there’s something I feel is missing,” he said, “it’s that they haven’t tested sufficiently.”
- It is is a novel virus named for the crownlike spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people and can cause
- How contagious is the virus? It seems to spread very easily from person to person, especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen can travel through the air, enveloped in tiny respiratory droplets that are produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.
- Where has the virus spread? The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has sickened more than 280, in at least countries and more than 5, have died. The spread has slowed in China but is gaining speed in Europe and the United States . World Health Organization officials said the outbreak qualifies as a pandemic.
- What symptoms should I look out for?
Symptoms, which can take between (two to) days to appear- How do I keep myself and others safe?
Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick and (avoiding touching your face.)- How can I prepare for a possible outbreak?
(Keep a) – day supply of essential medicines. Get a flu shot . Have essential household items on hand. Have a support system in place for elderly family members.- What if I ‘m traveling? (The State Department) has issued a global Level 3 health advisory telling United States citizens to “reconsider travel” to all countries because of the worldwide effects of the coronavirus. This is the department’s second-highest advisory.
- How long will it take to develop a treatment or vaccine?
Several drugs are being tested , and some initial results are expected soon. A vaccine to stop the spread is still at least a year away.(Read More) 
- Where has the virus spread? The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has sickened more than 280, in at least countries and more than 5, have died. The spread has slowed in China but is gaining speed in Europe and the United States . World Health Organization officials said the outbreak qualifies as a pandemic.
a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to lung lesions and pneumonia.
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