they think it’s all over
Five years on from the UK’s first coronavirus lockdown, a leading virus expert has warned that another pandemic is very likely in the future.
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist, said Covid is currently under control but added, ‘We’ve just got to keep an eye on it.’
He said the pandemic forced the world to pay attention, and it showed the benefits of better medical technology, lateral flow tests, and a joined-up approach to infectious disease.
But he said financial strain on the NHS risked slowing progress, adding, ‘We’re somehow losing the momentum around public health.’
Covid variants and current risk
Since the height of the pandemic, fresh Covid variants have continued to appear.
Professor Young, who lives in Worcestershire, said hospital admissions are ‘fortunately quite low‘. this winter,
He said there is growing hope Covid will settle into a seasonal winter pattern. Still, he warned, ‘It’s still lurking, and we need to be aware it could cause a new wave if we’re not careful.’
For people at higher risk of serious illness, the NHS offers a free booster. The vaccines have also been updated to match newer variants more closely.
Vaccines, travel, and future pandemics
Professor Young, who retired from the University of Warwick in 2024, said Covid can still be dangerous for older people and those with health conditions. He said vaccination remains important.
He also said climate change, global travel, and frequent mixing make it easier for viruses to spread, adding, ‘We will be inevitably faced with pandemics in the future.’
The Covid inquiry has held hearings since 2023. It has taken evidence from politicians, civil servants, and health experts on vaccine roll-outs and antiviral treatment across the UK.
In July 2024, the inquiry’s first report said poor pandemic planning in the UK led to more deaths and more economic damage than necessary.“
Looking back on lessons since the first lockdown in 2020, Professor Young said the pandemic proved the value of monitoring, testing, tracing, and isolation. He also said,
‘I think this whole pandemic has highlighted the importance of people’s responsibility in preventing the spread of infection and protecting the most vulnerable.’
– Professor Young
That includes steps such as wearing face masks. He noted mask use is ‘commonplace in the Far East‘… so it should be worldwide.
He added that the pandemic mattered because it had ‘shaken us out of the complacent view that we needn’t be concerned about the dangers of infectious disease‘.
