conference in which we were trying to dealwith. i had conference in which we were trying to deal with. i had to level with the public to deal with. i had to level with the public and say, i am afraid a large the public and say, i am afraid a large number of people will lose their large number of people will lose their loved ones before their time and it their loved ones before their time and it was their loved ones before their time and it was a pretty grim press conference. and in that discussion, we were conference. and in that discussion, we were asked about the way through. and i think. we were asked about the way through. and i think, patrick said the idea was to and i think, patrick said the idea was to flatten the curve, suppress the virus was to flatten the curve, suppress the virus with some measure of herd immunity the virus with some measure of herd immunity by the virus with some measure of herd immunity by september, would be a -ood immunity by sep
concerned about it. you have in fact already given evidence concerned about it. you have in fact already given evidence in concerned about it. you have in fact already given evidence in relation i to why you suggested at an earlier stage there were comparisons between swine flu and you have described the importance to you of not talking the economy down. the first line, he doesn t think anything can be done, may ijust ask doesn t think anything can be done, may i just ask you, this doesn t think anything can be done, may ijust ask you, this date the 3rd of march comes after your meeting with the civil contingency secretariat, after the cobra of which there is some early debate about measures and what can be done, and if you did say on the 3rd of march two mr cummings i don t think anything can be done, that casts a very significant light upon what you were being told around that time. i cannot say exactly what i said to my adviser, cannot say exactly what i said to my a
covid and therefore tough measures to keep r below one but also required more research and support from the nhs who found it quite difficult because it was a new disease and because of its nature presenting in many different ways, they found that long tarmac difficult to categorise at first and so with simon stephens will work together to bring forward clinics that could look across the range of conditions that are mostly gathered under the term long covid. i cared a lot about this for personal reasons as well as professional. we did not need to sign off from the centre, we just got on with it. do you happen to know, notwithstanding the early days of 2020, the campaign about long covid wasn t launched until october, do you know why there was that potential lag in the communication side of the debate? side of the debate? yes, i think it was essentially side of the debate? yes, i think it was essentially bleak, was essentially bleak, understandably the clinicians found it
what there was by way of planning from departments. the e mail sent from departments. the e mail sent from dominic cummings and text messages, well, what messages he sent, it s clear that the civil contingencies secretariat had not been able to, firstly, provide it essential plan other than this action document or been able to obtain plans from the other departments and provide them to number ten. that was a serious error, was it not? the secretariat wasn t resource error, was it not? the secretariat wasn t resource to error, was it not? the secretariat wasn t resource to hold error, was it not? the secretariat wasn t resource to hold these - error, was it not? the secretariat l wasn t resource to hold these plans a resource to hold these plans across many departments. it was lead governing departments that were responsible not only for their own plans but for ensuring that the departments who would be supporting them on a risk area for which they were responsible had p
to so called no regret messages which to so called no regret messages which you to so called no regret messages which you are pretty sure we ll be good which you are pretty sure we ll be good things and generally do no harm almost good things and generally do no harm almost for good things and generally do no harm almost for sure. so hand washing became almost for sure. so hand washing became very rapidly, even by the time became very rapidly, even by the time we became very rapidly, even by the time we were engaged, highlighted as an obvious time we were engaged, highlighted as an obvious thing to try and slow transmission. so yes, that would be an example transmission. so yes, that would be an example of a no regret. it is hard an example of a no regret. it is hard to an example of a no regret. it is hard to think of examples of washing your hands hard to think of examples of washing your hands doing much harm. no,| your hands doing much harm. no, i c