The UK government is introducing new restrictions to try and stop the spread of coronavirus and protect lives

But with cases on the rise are we fighting a losing battle?

Or do we instead need to learn to live with it?

[Thread] http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

"Every time the government sees a rise in cases it seems to panic"

Prof Carl Heneghan, head of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford University, argues that instead of trying to suppress the virus we should try to minimise the risks

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

While hospital admissions have started rising they still appear to be incredibly low, compared to the spring

Rising admissions for respiratory illness and deaths are also what expected at this time of year

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

Prof Robert Dingwall, a sociologist and an adviser to the government, believes the public may well be now at the stage where it is "comfortable" with the idea that thousands will die from Covid, just as they are that thousands die from flu

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

The problem of relying on hospital admissions, however, is that data is delayed, so trends can be behind the curve

Hospital cases are a result of infections from a few weeks back - so if they spiral out of control more draconian measures may be needed

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

The other issue Prof Christina Pagel, from University College London, suggests is patients who still struggle months after infection

She says it would be "irresponsible" to allow the virus to spread and we are still not certain of the long-term risks are

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

Prof Mark Woolhouse, an expert in infectious disease at Edinburgh University, agrees this is a risk

But he argues the government must carefully "balance the harms" of Covid with the consequences that come from trying to contain it

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

Allowing some spread is part of perhaps the most contentious point, immunity

There is great hope a vaccine will be developed

But what if it isn't? Or what if it does not trigger a strong enough immune response in the older age groups?

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

The other way immunity develops is through exposure

Like other coronaviruses, all the evidence on Covid points to infections giving people some immunity that then wanes, but is followed by re-infections that cause milder illness

http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges

Over the years, this is likely to lead to coronavirus becoming just another of the seasonal virus

That process could take years, even decades, some think

But others are more optimistic

Read more: http://bbc.in/Covid19UKChallenges