COVID-19: Lifting most restrictions in England is risky and could lead to a new variant, warn prominent scientists | UK News

Leading scientists have warned of the risks of lifting the majority of COVID restrictions on July 19, saying there would be increased potential for the virus to mutate.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the government advisory group of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modeling (Spi-M), said planning for the reopening in England means there is a risk of exposing more people to the infection .

“Of course, the more cases you have, especially with high levels of vaccine protection, then this challenges the virus a bit more and gives it more potential to mutate into a form where vaccines are less effective,” he said. he declared. told Times Radio.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, president of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, pointed out that COVID cases, hospital admissions and deaths are on the rise and said she was “deeply concerned” about the lifting of the restrictions.

In most parts of England, the rate of new coronavirus cases has returned to levels last seen over the winter, while the number of hospital patients reached levels last seen in April .

Cases over the past week have increased by 30.7% compared to the previous week, as deaths during this period rose 43.1% and hospital admissions rose 55.9% in the week to July 5, according to the latest figures available.

Professor Stokes-Lampard told Sky News: “They are all headed in the wrong direction.

“We have come this far and there is an end to this pandemic. Someday the pandemic will be over, even though COVID will be with us forever. We have to learn to live with it.

“And that means being careful and responsible and not rushing into thinking it’s all over.”

Professor Stokes-Lampard said there “seems to be a misconception that life will return to normal” from July 19 and that “we can throw all precautions”.

“Frankly, that would be dangerous,” she told the BBC.

“In hospitals and GP surgeries it feels like the middle of winter in terms of how …