Covid-19: One year on from “Freedom Day,” what have we learnt?

Although many people in the UK may think that the covid-19 pandemic is over1—an understandable conclusion given its relative lack of media coverage and the government’s “Living with Covid” strategy2—it is still very much ongoing. In June and July we witnessed the third wave of cases and hospitalisations in 2022 alone,3 with another potentially more severe wave predicted for the coming autumn or winter.4 In between these waves, the level of transmission has remained high. This is unsustainable for many reasons, including the pressure it puts on the NHS, the large scale illness and absenteeism it leads to, the burden of long covid, and the potential for further, more deadly variants to evolve.Recent data suggest that protective behaviours, like mask wearing or self-isolating when ill, have been falling in recent months.5 Moreover, the government has removed protections like free testing and financial support for self-isolation, and has not taken steps…
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