Senior Adviser Stunned by Ministers' Delayed Response

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A senior consultant for the Scottish Government expressed that he was 'shocked' by the officials' delayed response to explicit alerts indicating that the Covid virus posed a significantly greater risk to older individuals and those with health vulnerabilities.

Professor Mark Woolhouse, who was part of the ScottishCovid-19The C19AG Advisory Group, since March 2020, provided testimony to Baroness Hallett’s investigation stating that 'the most crucial action was consistently to safeguard those most at risk of serious illness'.

Nevertheless, he stated, he and his C19AG team found it challenging to get Ministers to pay attention and take action on this vital issue, even after providing "at least half a dozen direct briefings" to the First Minister regarding different aspects of the pandemic.

The professor, a top authority in monitoring infectious diseases, stated: 'I was amazed during those initial phases, from March to April 2020, how challenging it was to convince people that this virus posed a significantly greater threat to the elderly, the sick, and the vulnerable compared to young, healthy individuals.'

It posed a considerable risk to a moderately sized but specific group of people, yet the policy failed to acknowledge this basic reality, which we had been aware of since February.

And I still remain uncertain, and the investigation report offers no clarity on this for me, as to why that key element of the virus's biology didn't gain attention from decision-makers for such an extended period. In fact, I'm not certain it truly did. We may have all been technically at risk, but there's no doubt we weren't all equally at risk. Quite the opposite, and yet this basic reality failed to resonate with those in charge.

Professor Woolhouse, a specialist in infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, mentioned that he had been deeply worried about the lack of efforts to establish suitable monitoring systems to handle the risk of a significant viral outbreak, despite this being a key suggestion from the official review of the 2009 H1/N1 swine flu pandemic.

The professor stated, "Following the swine flu outbreak, the Royal Society of Edinburgh produced a report outlining necessary actions, which were not taken. Then, approximately ten years later, Covid emerged, and naturally, the individuals in charge had changed, with the lessons from the previous event remaining unheeded."

I'm not too worried about the present moment, as everything is still fresh in our minds, but what about ten years from now, when the people working in Public Health Scotland and the government have changed? Do we have the systems in place to ensure these early warnings are taken seriously? I don't think we do.

Professor Woolhouse expressed that he wished he had "spoken more and with greater emphasis" regarding the dangers faced by care home residents and those who are vulnerable. However, he also mentioned, "I think I may have been overly optimistic about the impact that would have made. It was frequently challenging to convey the message, there's no doubt about that."

The professor highlighted that the Scottish Government took action when the advisory group informed them in the summer of 2020 about the safety of reopening schools at the start of the academic year, after they explained to the Cabinet that the risk of a child dying from Covid contracted at school was "roughly similar to the chance of the child being struck by lightning."

Professor Woolhouse stated, "So it wasn't that we were constantly overlooked. In this case, our guidance made a genuine difference, and I'm quite happy that it did. However, they didn't always pay attention to us."

A representative from the Scottish Government stated, "Covid was a distinctive virus that posed us, along with governments globally, with extraordinary difficulties."

Our main priority was always safeguarding the people of Scotland, and all decisions were made with honest intentions. We are actively collaborating with the UK and Scottish Covid-19 investigations to gain insights and improve our preparedness for any future crises.

The open and clear procedure will be guided by a Covid Inquiries Response Engagement Group, led by the Deputy First Minister and comprising members from families who have lost loved ones.

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