//NJ
5 March
//Neil Ferguson at Imperial College London gave evidence today to the UK’s parliamentary select committee on science and technology as part of an inquiry into the nation’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
He said that UK deaths from the disease are now unlikely to exceed 20,000, and could be much lower. //
28 March.
// According to Imperial College London’s new predictions, Britain is on course for around 5,700 deaths //
///
Yes thanks for those. Although I didn't make it clear, I was thinking of a little more recently. The predictions you mention are over eighteen months old and predate the vaccination programme by a long chalk.
Prof Ferguson forecast that there would be 100,000 infections a day if lockdown measures were eased on 19th July (2021), a figure which he since stated was wrong and which the Health Secretary has recently said was probable. Prof Ferguson also said, on 28th July that he was "..."positive" the pandemic will be over by October."
I’ve no problem with people taking wild stabs (for that's all they are) at how they believe the now endemic disease will progress. Their guesses are as good as mine and should be treated with equal respect, caution or contempt (depending on your own point of view). The trouble is, this government has been in thrall to these people whose predictions are no more valuable than those of gifted amateurs. And it has caused enormous damage.