SAGE member: UK won't be clear of pandemic this year

21 September 2020, 18:20

Professor Calum Semple on learning to live with Covid-19

By Seán Hickey

A member of the SAGE committee told LBC life will not return to normal this winter and the world will have to learn to live alongside Covid-19.

Calum Semple is Professor of Child Health and Outbreak Medicine at the University of Liverpool and was speaking to Eddie Mair amid the UK's tightening of restrictions in a personal capacity.

As the Health Secretary spoke in the House of Commons earlier on the rise in cases and what the Government is doing to combat this, Professor Semple noted that decision makers must now think "how do we balance some societal activity" while remaining wary of the virus.

While schools and universities reopen bringing the risk of virus spread up, Professor Semple warned that "other aspects of society will have to be restricted in some way" to balance this.

Eddie noted that although there are some "positive noises" being made by politicians about how and when the UK will recover from the pandemic, he stated to the SAGE committee member that "life is not going to be the same for many many months" - and Professor Semple agreed.

Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance warned of a potential second wave. Picture: PA

"We're not going to get out of this this winter," he revealed, "we have to learn new ways of living with this virus."

He told Eddie he could foresee "new ways of behaving" in future to quell the spread of the virus.

"Spitting on the street will have to be as socially unacceptable as drunk driving," Professor Semple told Eddie, reiterating "we are going to have to learn to live with this."

Listen & subscribe: Global Player | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify