No Trace

Findings of the Sage committee do not augur well for the next stage of the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Release from full lockdown is apparently going to depend on  the effectiveness of 'track, trace and isolate'.  The committee believe that, currently (whilst in lockdown), only half of the people showing Covid-19 symptoms (e.g. sore throat or a fever) actually self-isolated for 7 days (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/coronavirus-symptoms-not-isolating-sage-track-and-trace). With the easing of lockdown, people will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days, after having a close encounter (which they may not remember) with a virus carrier (before they have symptoms). Some reservations have also been expressed about the way in which the 'track and trace' system is to operate.  It seems to some people more like a cold-calling call centre than a reliable, pre-tested, public health procedure (so it may already have limited credibility). Suggestions by government that some people may legitimately rely on their 'instinct', rather than follow the rules also, further muddies the waters. Elimination of Sars CoV-2 from the UK seems likely, at best, to be a long, slow process.