Introduction – Jan 21, 2021

Given their impact economically, socially and in many other respects, then if lockdowns are failing to contain the rise in Covid-19 cases then it’s fair to say that they are doing more harm than good.

Jobs are in jeopardy, businesses are being put at risk; education, health care services and travel are all being disrupted for measures to contain a pandemic that don’t work.

So why are governments around the world still imposing draconian lockdowns?

Or is the supposed “pandemic” simply being used as a pretext for the imposition of more authoritarian rule, globally? Ed.

England’s lockdown fails to suppress rise in Covid transmissions

Clive Cookson – FT.com Jan 21, 2021

The lockdown in England has failed so far to suppress coronavirus transmission, according to the latest survey, which indicated a “worrying” possible uptick in infections.

The closely watched React-1 study led by Imperial College London concluded that prevalence of the virus, known as Sars-Cov-2, was “very high with no evidence of decline”. The finding was based on the analysis of 142,900 nose and throat swabs from a representative sample of the English population between January 6 and 15.

The researchers estimated that the reproduction number R, which measures the average number of people one individual infects, was between 0.94 and 1.15, with a central estimate of 1.04 — meaning the rate of infection is rising slowly.

Paul Elliott, one of the co-leaders of the study, said his team would continue to monitor closely data that pointed to “worrying suggestions of a recent uptick in infections”.

Prof Elliott warned that unless infections were brought down, the NHS would struggle to cope. “If prevalence continues at the high rate we are seeing, then hospitals will continue to be put under immense pressure, and more and more lives will be lost.”

The study estimated that 1.58 per cent of the population in England was infected, an increase of more than 50 per cent since the previous round of testing from November 25 to December 3. Prevalence was highest in London, at 2.8 per cent, more than twice the level in the last testing round.

Continues …

England’s lockdown fails to suppress rise in Covid transmissions