What I think needs to happen in the UK at this junction is for the UK government to be firmer with their communication to the public.
Communicating information to a large number of people is incredibly hard, and they have done a fantastic job. They have kept the message simple, and kept repeating it. However, I think they need to go a little further to force the R0 below 1. ( Only China have achieved this so far )
Message so far:
Stay at Home
Protect the NHS
Save Lives
Fantastic message. Simple and Effective, but I fear not enough to beat this virus.
Changes and reasons:
1. Limit the number of supermarket visits per household to one per week. We need food, but need to avoid contact with people outside the household as much as possible. One trip per week would reduce the number of people we come into contact with in a week. ( one person per household at each shop is not enough )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxAaO2rsdIs ( Stamford university graduate, logical modelling in my opinion )
(Taxi drivers being personal shoppers would help for the population who are at higher risk, but communicated locally as government need to keep message simple )
2. Update the general guidance on social distancing. The science points to 4-6m from a cough, and 7-8m with sneezing. No need to communicate the science, but tweak message to be we need to do all we can to keep the maximum distance possible when close to one another.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763852 ( Professor from MIT so trusted )
3. Get everyone to cover their mouths when they leave their house. The R0 in countries that have a lot of the population wearing masks is lower; fact.
( Impossible for UK government to say we should all wear a mask when going out as there are not enough masks for the NHS staff. The press would ask very challenging questions if the government say cover mouths, but don’t wear a mask. Government need to appear to be in control and keep us calm; so a rock and a hard place spring to mind. However, they need to take the bold step, and say it. USA doing it by Trump being ambivalent and his wife saying it; which is a softer method, but still heard by majority of population, and the closest person to the president as possible ) A lot of thought needs to go into how they communicate the message in the UK, but it must be done.
My take on the firmer message:
Leave the home for a grocery shop once a week ( point 1 )
Protect the NHS by covering your mouth when you leave the house ( point 3 )
Save lives by following the above ( could be improved )
( point 2 is covered by the action from point 3 )
