THREAD: I was on @BBCNewsnight on Weds. Prof Gupta suggested a herd immunity strategy as a natural phenomenon & how we control infectious disease and elsewhere she has called on young people to get infected ( https://21stcenturywire.com/2020/06/27/prof-sunetra-gupta-on-coronavirus-epidemic-immunity-covid-19/). This is how I responded 1/6

Firstly, young people already v affected by pandemic: mostly likely to have education disrupted, lost their jobs, be furloughed, be living in poor accommodation, lost future opportunities... and now we ask them to get sick for us as well? 2/6

Secondly, even though younger people at low risk of hospitalisation or death, there are still long term impacts from even mild COVID in significant minority of people. It is a new disease whose 1 year+ consequences we don't know. Irresponsible to suggest anyone gets it 3/6

Thirdly, young people don't live in bubbles. They are our carers, shop assistants, deliverers, childminders, key workers, our children and grandchildren. Not realistic to think that only they can get infected but not anyone else. 4/6

Fourthly, such a strategy would hit disadvantaged communities hardest where there is overcrowded housing, more underlying health conditions, more people in multi-generational households, no ability to stay safe. Wealth is best shield. 5/6

Finally, we *know* effective testing & contact tracing can work to control COVID! It is unconscionable to ask our young people to sacrifice more when there is an effective and doable way out of this crisis! 6/6

PS1 corrected link in 1st tweet for Gupta saying "Maybe the way to counter it now is to say, actually, not only is it a good thing for young people to go out there and become immune, but that is almost their duty." https://reaction.life/we-may-already-have-herd-immunity-an-interview-with-professor-sunetra-gupta/

PS2 She spent spring and summer suggesting we had already reached herd immunity threshold and that many were immune "There is also the possibility, as we suggested in March, that a large swathe of the population has been exposed. " (same link as above and https://www.ft.com/content/5ff6469a-6dd8-11ea-89df-41bea055720b)

PS3 she also suggested that you shouldn't see new spikes in places hit hard 1st time. HOWEVER, we are now seeing big spike in Birmingham (v hard hit in spring) & London increasing. Madrid hit hard in March & centre of Spain spike now. Ditto Paris. No evidence for herd immunity.