Expert reaction to the “Barrington Declaration”, a recent open letter arguing against lockdown policies and for ‘Focused Protection’.

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-barrington-declaration-an-open-letter-arguing-against-lockdown-policies-and-for-focused-protection/

Dr Julian Tang, Honorary Associate Professor in Respiratory Sciences, @uniofleicester, said:

“... I cannot see how they will achieve this ‘Focused Protection’ for these vulnerable groups in any practical, reliable or safe way.”

Dr Rupert Beale, Group Leader, Cell Biology of Infection Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute @TheCrick, said:

“This is wishful thinking. ... lasting protection of vulnerable individuals by establishing ‘herd immunity’ is very unlikely to be achieved in the absence of a vaccine.”

Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, @unisouthampton @IndependentSage said:

“Ultimately, the Barrington Declaration is based on principles that are dangerous to national and global public health.”

Dr Stephen Griffin, Associate Professor in the School of Medicine, @UniversityLeeds, said:

“This approach has profound ethical, logistical and scientific flaws”

Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor of Cellular Microbiology at @UniofReading, said:

“we don’t know that herd immunity is even possible... consign a great many more thousands of people to their deaths, and many more would be left suffering from the effects of long covid...”

I don’t have time to continue this thread at the moment but if anyone else wants to pick up the baton then be my guest...